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Ancient Origins Tour IRAQ

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Steppe

Aerial view of the Western Gokturk period complex discovered in Kazakhstan.	Source: TRT Haber

Huge Turkic Khaganate Cult Complex Changes History of the Steppe

In a remote valley in the Tarbagatay district of Kazakhstan's Eastern region, archaeologists have unearthed a Turkic Khaganate cult complex, dating back to the Western Göktürk Period, 6th- 8th...
Sir David Attenborough with some of the Steppe mammoth bones found in the gravel quarry near Swindon. 	Source: Julian Schwanitz / BBC / Windfall Films

Neanderthal Hand Axe Leads to Steppe Mammoth Graveyard

Five ancient prehistoric Steppe mammoth skeletons have been unearthed in Britain. How did they get there, and how did they die? The deeply ancient Steppe mammoth site was discovered at a quarry near...
Scythian belt buckle

Surprising Truths about the Legendary Scythians Revealed

New research into the lifestyle of the Scythians, the nomadic culture that reigned supreme on the steppes of Central Asia in the first millennium BC, is questioning the long-held historic narratives...
Mammoth DNA Breaks Record for World’s Oldest Sequence

Mammoth DNA Breaks Record for World’s Oldest Sequence

Researchers have sequenced the oldest known DNA in the world. Using material from the Early and Middle Pleistocene sub-epochs, the ancient DNA analysis shatters the record for the world’s oldest...
20,000-Year-Old Woman Burned In Fiery Death Ritual

20,000-Year-Old Woman Burned In Fiery Death Ritual

The burnt remains of a woman discovered in an ancient Jordanian hunters’ camp have been dated to almost 20,000 years ago. And having been partially incinerated in an obscure death ritual, this...
Leather balls thought to belong to horsemen of Northern China have been found.       Source: 孝通 葛 / Adobe Stock

Leather Balls of Ancient Horsemen Used In 3000-year-old War Games

Researchers believe that they have found the oldest balls ever uncovered in Eurasia. The set of leather balls were found in graves of Central Asian horse riders in northern China. They are offering...
Top view of the Dolmen of Oberbipp in Switzerland, one of the largest burial sites in the study, where Neolithic remains were studied, revealing clues to the Yamnaya Culture’s migration to Europe.       Source: Urs Dardel / Archäologischer Dienst des Kanton Bern

Neolithic DNA Reveals Surprising Truth of the Yamnaya Culture in Europe

Genetic research has revolutionized our understanding of Switzerland’s prehistoric past. A group of researchers have carried out a study of genomes from individuals who lived in the Late Neolithic...
Farmers from the Pontic Steppe drastically transformed Iberian DNA 4500 years ago.

Unique Iberian Male DNA was Practically Wiped Out by Immigrant Farmers 4500 Years Ago

An international team of researchers have analyzed ancient DNA from almost 300 individuals from the Iberian Peninsula, spanning more than 12,000 years, in two studies published today in Current...
Detail of a figure of a Xianbei warrior. (Editor at Large/CC BY SA 2.5) Background: Filial sons and virtuous women in Chinese history, a lacquer painting over a four-panel wooden folding screen; from the tomb of Sima Jinlong in Datong, Shanxi province, dated to the Northern Wei Dynasty (386–534 AD)

The Xianbei: A Chinese Dynasty Emerges from Nomadic Warriors of the Steppe

The Xianbei people … invade our frontiers so frequently that hardly a year goes by in peace, and it is only when the trading season arrives that they come forward in submission. But in so doing they...
Drone aerial shot of the ancient Turkish ruins on Dongoin shiree. (North at the top.) Segments of the inscriptions and sarcophagus excavated from the hole at the center of the ruins can be seen.

Monumental Mongolian Burial Discovered Includes 14 Giant Inscribed Pillars

A joint excavation team from Osaka University and the Institute of History and Archaeology of the Mongolian Academy of Sciences discovered the ruins of a unique monument surrounded by 14 large stone...
Reenactment of Mongol battle

How Did They Do It? Masters of the Steppe: Battlefield Medicine and Gruesome Cures—Part III

Much is known about the ancient Mongol military and their incredible victories on the battlefield, but little is ever discussed about their arms, armor, horses, and logistics. What gear did they use...
Exhibit featuring Mongolian arrows, and Mongolian soldier model

How Did They Do It? Masters of the Steppe: Armed to the Teeth with Weapons and Poison—Part II

Much is known about the ancient Mongol military and their incredible victories on the battlefield, but little is ever discussed about their arms, armor, horses, and logistics. What gear did they use...
Painting depicting the Battle of Cheoin (Korea) between Goryeo and Mongol Empire forces in the Korean peninsula in 1232; Deriv.

How Did They Do It? Masters of the Steppe: The Gear and Guts of the Mongol Military—Part I

Much is known about the ancient Mongol military and their incredible victories on the battlefield, but little is ever discussed about their arms, armor, horses, and logistics. What gear did they use...
The tomb of Cyrus the Great

The Possible Origins of the Early Persian Kings: Inscriptions Reveal a Pattern - Part II

Cyrus I of Anshan Cyrus I was the second king of Anshan and son of Teispes. The name Cyrus in Old Persian is Kurush; in Elamite, Kurash; in Akkadian, Kuraha (u); and in Hebrew, Koresh. Cyrus I is...
Yamnaya skull from the Samara region colored with red ochre.

Surprising 5,000-Year-Old Cannabis Trade: Eurasian Steppe Nomads Were Earliest Pot Dealers

The nomad tribe known as the Yamnaya, who were among the founders of the European civilization, may have been the first pot dealers, archaeologists say. Moreover, they were responsible for the first...