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Ancient Origins Tour IRAQ

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Book of Gregorian chants within a cathedral. Source: Ivan / Adobe Stock

Harmonies from Heaven: Tracing the Origins of the Gregorian Chant

Enter the ethereal realm of Gregorian chant, a venerable form of liturgical music that resonates through the corridors of time. Originating in the early Christian period, this sacred musical...
A singing group of 5 ethnic Kam women stand in front of the wooden drum tower in Xiaohuang village, Congjiang county, Guizhou, China. Source: imphilip / Adobe Stock.

Dong Storytelling: Passing Down Ancient Stories Through Song (Video)

Within the Dong ethnic group of China's Guizhou province, a profound belief is encapsulated in the adage, "Eat rice to nourish the body, and sing songs to nourish the heart." These songs, numbering...
Photo taken on May 17, 2020 shows the excavation site of the ancient Chinese couple’s tomb dating back to the Northern Song Dynasty (960-1127) in Nanfentang Village, Batang Township, Ningxiang City, central China's Hunan Province.            Source: Xinhua / Liu Jing

1000-Year-Old Chinese Couple Vanish Making Way For New Motorway

A 1000-year-old “Chinese couple” were pulled out of their brick-walled graves in an ancient cemetery to make way for a motorway. In 2020, archaeologists from the Institute of Cultural Relics and...
Detail of ‘Coco’ a monstrous Spanish lullaby.

Creepy Cradle: Unsettling Traditional Lullabies Sung Around the World

Sweet dreams or nightmares – are we scaring our children to sleep? Have you ever thought about the lyrics sung in lullabies? Although it’s proven that lullabies help babies get to sleep, if you pay...
The rear wall of the coffin chamber in née Wu's tomb. Image: Chinese Cultural Relics

Inscriptions on Song Dynasty Tombs Narrate the Captivating Tale of an Ancient Chinese Couple

Archaeologists have announced the discovery of two 800-year-old tombs that narrate the story of an ancient Chinese couple. The tombs were found in a construction site in Qingyuan County, in China's...
Some of the Song Dynasty coins found under a house in Fuliang county of Jingdezhen city in East China's Jiangxi province.

A Staggering 5.6 Tons of Coins Are Unearthed in China and Archaeologists Struggle to Fathom Who Hid Them

When a villager living in the Jiangxi province of China started to work on the foundation of his home, he couldn’t have imagined what he would find. The discovery of a hoard of coins soon led...
Liao Dynasty (907-1125) tomb mural by unknown painter in Inner Mongolia. Scene of everyday life. Men and boys have distinctive Khitan hairstyle. (Public Domain) Insert: A famous Liao Dynasty Sancai Luohan, Circa 1000

An Intriguing Empire: The Lasting Impression of the Nomadic Liao Dynasty on Chinese Culture

Well-represented in artifacts found in museums and private collections, the Liao Dynasty rose and expanded as the Tang Dynasty dwindled in power. This was the first state to control all of Manchuria...
Remains of the famous Fugan Temple that was recently discovered in Chengdu, China.

Buried for Almost a Millennium, Archaeologists Recover Over 1,500 Religious Artifacts at Lost Chinese Temple

A team of archaeologists has uncovered more than 1000 tablets inscribed with Buddhist scriptures and over 500 pieces of stone sculpture, as well as glazed tiles with inscriptions, at the site of a...
‘Battle of Gaixia.’

The Impressive Battle of Gaixia: Chinese Reunification Emerges from Chaos

The Battle of Gaixia was an important battle that occurred in 202 BC. It was the last battle in the Chu-Han Contention, which lasted between 206 BC and 202 BC. This was the period between the end of...
Traditional architecture and modern shops in Pingyao, Shanxi Province, China.

Pingyao: What Gems of Architecture are Housed in this Traditional Imperial Chinese City?

The ancient city of Pingyao is a county-level city located in the center of China’s Shanxi Province. This ancient city has been described as an exceptionally well-preserved example of a traditional...
From left- Mount Tai (Public Domain), Mount Hua (CC BY 2.5), Heng Shan (CC BY-SA 3.0), and Mount Song

Breathtaking Scenery and Fascinating Traditions Connected to the Five Great Mountains of China

There are numerous mountains in China that are considered to be sacred and the key locations may be divided into several groups. One of these groups is known as ‘Wu Yue’ - roughly translated into...
Country Church on Christmas Day

The Story of Silent Night

Walk into any public square or shopping mall at this time of year and an encounter with a traditional Christmas carol is well-nigh unavoidable. We may not sing them ourselves with anything like the...
Ancient Sumerian song - cuneiform tablets

The ancient song recreated from 3,400-year-old cuneiform tablets

In 2014, scholars from the University of California at Berkeley brought to life the ancient sounds of Mesopotamia following the decryption and study of a set of ancient cuneiform texts that date back...