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Broken Roman statue. Source: Dmitry / Adobe Stock.

Tourist Smashes ‘Blasphemous’ Roman Statues Citing Jerusalem Syndrome as Defense

A violent American tourist has been arrested for destroying ancient Roman statues at a museum in Jerusalem. In his defence, the man is claiming he suffered from “Jerusalem Syndrome,” an alleged...
The unearthing of the U shaped Miraflores stone temple in Huaral, Peru. Source: Global News/ YouTube Screenshot

Incredibly Ancient Temple Found in Peru with Mysterious Cross Symbol

While exploring in and around Lima, a team of Peruvian archaeologists from the National Major University of San Marcos (UNSM) uncovered the remains of a U-shaped stone temple that was somewhere...
The statue of Ebih-Il in prayer in the Louvre, Paris. Source: Left; Louvre Museum/CC BY-SA 2.0, Right; Public Domain

The Exquisite Statue of Ebih-Il, an Important Heirloom of Ancient Mari

The ancient realm of Mesopotamia is still very much clouded in enigma. It existed so far back in time, that our knowledge about its cities and civilizations will never be 100% clear. Still,...
A mural from the tomb Inkherkhau (TT359) on the West Bank of Nile - Thebes, Luxor, depicting a funerary procession with ancient Egyptian priests performing libations, the first one wearing leopard skin. Source: Svetlaili /Adobe Stock

A Day in the Life of an Ancient Egyptian Priest

We can learn a lot about a civilization from its dominant religion. Ancient Egypt is a good example. The religion of ancient Egypt had a far-reaching effect on every aspect of daily life. If you want...
Montage of votive offering finds from San Casciano dei Bagni, Italy.   Source: Emanuele Mariotti/SABAP-SI / Municipality of San Casciano dei Bagni

Treasure Trove of Perfect Votive Offerings Found at Etruscan Thermal Baths

It’s amazing what treasures people will throw away in the hope of winning the favor of the gods. Rare items used as votive offerings found in an “exceptional state of preservation” have been...
An artist’s recreation of the Gallo-Roman religious complex recently discovered at Rennes, France. Source: © Marie Millet / Inrap

Gallo-Roman Worship Complex Dedicated to Jupiter and Mars Discovered

Last week, French archaeologists found the long-lost remains of a 2,100-year-old Gallo-Roman worship complex in Rennes, Brittany (northwestern France) on a hilltop with sweeping views of the Flume...
Craco, Italy

Craco: The Abandoned Medieval Ghost Town of Italy

For nearly fifty years, the town of Craco in southern Italy has stood uninhabited. Here, dark windows look out at potential travelers like empty eye sockets and the streets and buildings of this...
Hanging out in the margin of an illuminated manuscript

Beautiful, Decorative, and Sometimes Crude: Illuminated Manuscripts and Marginalia

Illuminated manuscripts are manuscripts that are covered with painted ornaments presented under several forms. These documents are perhaps most commonly associated with the European Middle Ages...
Church ruins at the “Ghost City” of Ani

Ani: The Ghost City of 1001 Churches

First mentioned in the 5th century by Armenian chroniclers, the “Ghost City” of Ani was described as a strong fortress on a hilltop that was a possession of the Armenian Kamsarakan dynasty. From this...
Infrared Reveals a Wife Swap in a Prominent Medieval Religious Book

Infrared Reveals a Wife Swap in a Prominent Medieval Religious Book

Some good old-fashioned swinging? Medieval photoshopping? Not quite, but scientists have discovered something about Francis I of Brittany that he would surely have preferred to have kept secret...
Part of a Tudor wall painting inside the Charterhouse priory, Coventry, England. Source: Charterhouse Coventry

Medieval Charterhouse Rises from Decades of Neglect

With deeply-spiritual origins, and an important function in the religious framework of medieval England, Coventry's medieval Charterhouse priory was all but destroyed in the Reformation. But now,...
The Faravahar: The Ancient Zoroastrian Symbol of Iran

The Faravahar: The Ancient Zoroastrian Symbol of Iran

The Faravahar is arguably the best-known symbol of the Persian Zoroastrian faith. This symbol consists of a winged disc with a man emerging from it. The man is shown holding a ring. Whilst the symbol...
Surprise Discovery of a Headless Buddha Statue Beneath Chinese Apartments

Surprise Discovery of a Headless 'Buddha' Statue Beneath Chinese Apartments

A huge, headless religious statue has been discovered carved into the rock face under apartment buildings in China. It is of questionable age - some claim it’s from the Republican era and others...
Students on site during excavation works at Tas-Silġ, Malta. Source: Times of Malta

Roman Temple Discovered Under a Farmhouse in Malta

Malta lies at the very heart of the Mediterranean and it has many historic ruins and sites attesting to that fact. Now another feature has been added to the list. While working on a restoration...
Discoveries made at the Ayodhya excavation site.     Source: Shri Ram Janmbhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust

Can Ancient Temples Unearthed in Ayodhya Put Religious Dispute to Bed?

In India , the remnants of ancient temples have been uncovered during construction work on a new religious complex. It is almost certain that they are Hindu temples, and they have already yielded...
Representation of the monkey geoglyph, Nazca lines, Peru.

The Perplexing Nazca Lines: Sacred Roads, Spirit Animals, or Water Sources?

The Nazca civilization thrived from 200 BC to about 600 AD in the arid plains of southern Peru. They practiced extensive irrigation at their main population centers and built two major urban...
Bodhisattvas of Mahayana Buddhism. Source: yuliana_s / Adobe Stock.

Bodhisattvas – Selfless Saviors of Mahayana Buddhism

In Buddhism, a bodhisattva, in its most general sense, refers to a person who is on his/her way to becoming a buddha. More specifically, bodhisattvas are savior-like beings who forsake their own...
The minaret of the Great Mosque of Kairouan. Source: robnaw / Adobe Stock.

Minarets: The Lighthouses of Spiritual Calling

The minaret is one of the most recognizable elements of Islamic religious architecture. Essentially, the minaret is a tower attached to a mosque. In the past, the minaret served mainly as the from...
Satanists are involved in a spiritual fight to perform the invocation at the Washington state Capital Building. Source: sfpater / Adobe Stock.

God Vs Satan In Washington State Showdown

While the world’s media was reporting on the impeachment trial of US president Donald Trump being thrown out of court, members of the Washington state chapter of The Satanic Temple were petitioning...
Medieval crusader

The Crusades Beyond the Battlefield

The Crusades were a series of holy wars between the Christians of Western Europe and the Muslims of the Middle East. Traditionally, there were nine major Crusades, which took place between the 11th...
The drum has been used since ancient times for rituals and communication. Source: zolotareva_elina / Adobe Stock.

Primeval Communication and the Beat of the Drum

Human beings need complex communication, no matter if it's through speech or music . The invention of drums has become an essential factor in all musical forms of artistic expression. It is through...
Taulas of Menorca megaliths

The Taulas of Menorca - Mysterious Megaliths of the Talaiotic People

Located in the Mediterranean Sea are a set of Spanish islands known as the Balearic Islands. One of those island, Menorca, is home to an impressive collection of megalithic stone monuments called the...
Red runes carved from wood on the ground. There are 24 runes in the Elder Futhark.

Futhark: Mysterious Ancient Runic Alphabet of Northern Europe

Runes are the characters of the earliest written alphabet used by the Germanic peoples of Europe called Futhark. The runic alphabet was used within Germanic languages but primarily in Nordic...
Egyptian mummy. Credit: markrhhiggins / Adobe Stock

Nine Parts of the Human Soul According to the Ancient Egyptians

The idea of the human soul has fascinated humankind for thousands of years. Cultures around the world have sought to explain the soul or spirit in a wide and fascinating variety of ways. The soul is...

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