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Ancient Origins Tour IRAQ

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Bronze Age jewelry found in Swiss carrot field. Comprising of a necklace adorned with spiked discs, an amber necklace, finger rings, gold spirals, and distinctive discoveries like a bear tooth and an ammonite. Source: Canton of Thurgau

Stunning Bronze Age Jewelry Hoard Unearthed in Switzerland

“An important jewelry ensemble from the Middle Bronze Age” uncovered between August and now, has been announced in Switzerland’s Güttingen. It consists of several spiked jewelry discs (14 in total),...
The miracle rings of Ourense. Source: YouTube screenshot / BBC Reel.

Divine Relics: The Miracle Rings of Ourense (Video)

In a realm where history intertwines with faith, there exists a set of ancient relics that have captivated the imaginations of scholars and believers alike. Known as the "miracle" rings of Ourense,...
Image showing how the ring-shaped artifacts would have been used as spear-thrower grips, using one or two loops. Source: Justin Garnett & Frederic Sellet / University of Kansas

20,000-year-old Rings Cleverly Deduced to be Prehistoric Spear-thrower Grips

Archaeologists digging at certain sites in France have unearthed some curious ring-shaped artifacts over the years that seemed to have no clear purpose. Dating back to the Upper Paleolithic period (...
Stone Age friendship rings found in Finland, made from slate in Russia, broken or refashioned into pendants.	Source: Marja Ahola / University of Helsinki

Slate Stone Age ‘Friendship Rings’ Found in Finland

According to the latest research, Stone Age hunter-gatherers in northeast Europe expertly crafted slate friendship rings some 6,000 years ago. These were produced in copious numbers by many makers in...
The unicorn ring found by a metal detectorist in 2018 near Thornton, Buckinghamshire, England		Source: Hanson Auctioneers

Detectorist’s 2018 Unicorn Ring Sold, But Provenance Questions Remain

A 400-year-old gold signet unicorn ring has just sold at auction for 26,470 dollars (23,550 euros). Everyone is talking about the ring’s value and its association with a noble family linked to...
Ring of Silvianus ( CC BY 2.0 ) and artist's impression of Gollum ( CC BY-SA 4.0 )

My Precious - Magic Power Rings Recurring In Legends

“ The future of civilization rests in the fate of the One Ring , which has been lost for centuries. Powerful forces are unrelenting in their search for it ,” is the opening line of the blurb for J.R...
The precious stone ring up close and clean. (Israel Antiquities Authority)

Ancient Precious Stone Ring Found In Israel: Cure For Hangovers?

A centuries-old spectacular precious stone ring has been recovered from an excavation site in the city of Yavne in central Israel, the Israel Antiquities Authority has announced . The type of stone...
The amethyst seal found in a Jerusalem sewer may be the first artifact ever to depict the Biblical persimmon plant.     Source: Eliyahu Yanai / City of David

Unique Biblical “Persimmon” Amethyst Seal Discovered In Jerusalem Sewer

A rare lilac-colored amethyst seal has been discovered in an ancient sewer beneath Jerusalem. Depicting a bird holding a plant branch with five fruits with its feet, the engraved amethyst seal...
Images of six of the medieval treasures found in Wales by metal detectorists in recent years.

Stunning Medieval Treasures Discovered in Wales By Metal Detectorists

Eight medieval and late medieval treasures have been discovered in Wales, UK, all found by metal detectorists. These treasures offer anthropologists insights into the life of wealthy members of Welsh...
A Miraculous Recovery for the Nearly-Looted Amarguilla Treasure

A Miraculous Recovery for the Nearly-Looted Amarguilla Treasure

The Archaeological and Ethnological Museum of Córdoba has opened an entrancing new exhibit that is turning heads. For the first time ever, members of the public and press are getting a close-up look...
Bronze Age Money: Early Metal Artifacts May Be Europe’s First Currency

Bronze Age Money: Early Metal Artifacts May Be Europe’s First Currency

Did the occupants of Central Europe in 2,000 BC have a functioning monetary economy? Said another way: did these people have Bronze Age money? Yes they did, say a pair of archaeologists from the...
Viking jewelry and sword representations on fur

Viking-Era Jewelry: Revealing an Intricate Cultural History of the Ancient Norsemen

When you think of ancient Vikings, the first thing that pops into your mind is probably not jewelry, right? The picture that forms in the mind of most people is one of savages with long sharp spears...
The prehistoric megalith Rujm el-Hiri.

Wheel of Giants: Prehistoric Rujm el-Hiri Puzzles Archaeologists

Sitting in plain sight but unnoticed for centuries, Rujm el-Hiri - an unusual megalith near the Sea of Galilee - has stumped experts. An ancient monument comprised of enormous stone circles dating to...
A mushroom ring creating a circle on the grass. These rings were believed to be portals to the fairy realm, and areas of danger.

Do you dare enter a fairy ring? The mythical mushroom portals of the supernatural

For thousands of years, the sudden appearance of a ring of mushrooms was a sure sign of otherworldly presences. These rings would seemingly appear overnight, or travel from one location to another,...
The four gold rings recovered from County Donegal, Ireland.

Farmer in Ireland Unearths Golden Objects from the Bronze Age

The BBC has reported that a farmer in Ireland has discovered a treasure trove of golden rings. The find was made in County Donegal and it was unearthed entirely by accident. It is believed that it...
Three of the rings up for auction.

Gas Engineer’s Large Collection of Ancient Rings May Fetch $130000 at UK Auction

A stunning assemblage of Greek, Roman, Byzantine, Viking, and medieval rings is going up for auction next week. They come from a remarkable ancient rings collection which was once owned by a...
Rock art in central Northumberland, northern England. (Author provided)

What Neolithic Rock Art Can Tell Us About the Way Our Ancestors Lived 6,000 Years Ago

The British and Irish countryside is often celebrated for its wealth of unique places of heritage, significance and interest. But not many people know that this heritage includes thousands of ancient...
Buckland Rings - artist's impression from gates

LIDAR Reveals 2,000-Year-Old Dwellings of Earliest Occupants of an Iron Age Hill Fort

A team of archaeologists has detected a conurbation of houses at a hill fort that once hosted some of the earliest occupants of a New Forest town, an area of southern England which includes one of...
Akseli Gallen-Kallela: The Departure of Väinämöinen

Väinämöinen: The Finnish Deity and Hero Who Inspired Tolkien to Create Gandalf and Tom Bombadil

J.R.R. Tolkien created remarkable stories that inspired Peter Jackson to make incredible movies. But it was his knowledge of literature and old legends which inspired the writer to use stories of...
Facial Reconstruction of the so-called ‘Griffin Warrior.’

Bringing a Bronze Age Face to Light: Face of the Greek Griffin Warrior

Researchers believe that a Bronze Age skeleton found near the Mycenaean palace of Nestor was once a handsome man with long black hair. Their reconstruction of his appearance was based on an analysis...
Dozens of Large, Mysterious Rings and Rock Piles Identified in Peru

Dozens of Large, Mysterious Rings and Rock Piles Identified in Peru

Dozens of circular geoglyphs have been mapped by archaeologists in Peru, near the ancient town and archaeological site of Quilcapampa. The glyphs have been dated to between 1050 and 1400 AD, and are...
Roman Key Ring made of iron and worn by the wife.

Why Do Couples Exchange Rings with Vows? The Elusive Ancient Origins of Wedding Rings

The image of a couple exchanging rings during a wedding ceremony is instantly recognizable, and is held as an ancient tradition. A ring on a certain finger indicates that the wearer is married, but...
Prehistoric rock art sites in Northumberland

Historically important prehistoric rock art sites in Northumberland receive National recognition

In its undeveloped landscape of high moorland in the north east of England, Northumberland harbours well over a thousand examples of ancient occupation in the form of rock art, made by Neolithic and...
Toe Rings, Ancient Egyptian Skeletons

Archaeologists Uncover First Ever Ancient Egyptian Skeletons Wearing Copper Toe Rings

Just south of the ancient city of Akhetaten in Egypt (now called Amarna), archaeologists have made a perplexing discovery – two Egyptian skeletons dating back 3,300 years, both of which were wearing...