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Ashley Cowie

Ashley is a Scottish historian, author, and documentary filmmaker presenting original perspectives on historical problems in accessible and exciting ways.

He was raised in Wick, a small fishing village in the county of Caithness on the north east coast of Scotland, and he went on to study filmmaking in Glasgow. In his early-20s he began exploring ancient landscapes in the remote North Highlands and presented his archaeological findings to the Orkney International Science Festival and has since written four non-fiction books about his discoveries. Ashley became an elected member of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland, incorporated by Royal Charter in 1783, and became the Resident Historian on Scottish television’s The Hour Show. He presented 46 episodes of The People’s History Show while teaching filmmaking and television presenting at the University of the West of Scotland. He also markets his family restaurant, Captain’s Galley, which for almost two decades has been one of the most highly-awarded sustainable and ethical restaurants in the world. In North America Ashley wrote, presented and produced NBC's hit-adventure series Legend Quest following his global hunt for lost historical treasures and featured on PBS’s documentary series Great Estates; listed on Amazon’s 2016 top-ten most downloaded documentaries. In 2018 Ashley filmed an extreme-cyclist racing from South America to Alaska on the Pan American Highway Challenge; filmed a treasure hunt in Scotland with Discovery Channel’s Josh Gates for Expedition Unknown; searched for Inca mummies in Argentinian mountain caves with Travel Channel’s Ramy Romany on Mummies Unwrapped and he filmed a team of 12 explorers in Colombia searching for petroglyphs on sacred hills. Today, Ashley writes news and research features for various history and archaeology platforms and produces weekly short films exploring the archetypes of myths, folklore and fairytales on his Clan Mythology platform. And 2020 brings new documentaries such as Ancient Botanics exploring the lost eco-traditions of Pre-Colombian cultures and Highlander’s Gold searching for lost Jacobite war-chest in Scotland.

Website: https://historyfuzz.com/

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Left, Lime-working pit. Right; Early Medieval grave at Nola.    Source: Soprintendenza Napoli

Medieval Roman Colony Found in Nola: Hub of Arts & Crafts

An epic medieval archaeological site has emerged on Nola's outskirts! Italian heritage authorities have excitedly announced that a recently discovered center of craft production and trade might “...
The Mayan victim with the jade ring at El Tigre. Credit: INAH Campeche.

Ancient Jade Ring Found on Young Sacrificed Mayan Who Was Buried in a Jar

Amidst the enigmatic enclave of El Tigre in Mexico, archaeologists have unearthed the skeleton of a young, sacrificed Mayan with a large jade ring . Glowing in its muddy grave the bright-green...
Fully armored Templar knight in a rugged landscape with church tower in the background  	Source: iridescentstreet/Adobe Stock

Knight Templar Graves “Not” Discovered At “Non-Templar” Church

Edward Dyas is an English author who has spent years looking for connections between a church and the illustrious order of medieval warrior-monks, The Knights Templar. Dyas is back in the news this...
The Iron Age treasure found in an Anglesey field was made up of a hoard of 15 gold coins. Source: Amgueddfa Cymru – Museum Wales

Welsh Metal Detecting Duo Strikes Rare, 2000-year-old Iron Age Treasure

A pair of metal detectorists exploring an open field in Anglesey, Wales, have discovered an Iron Age treasure trove of 15 gold coins. According to a statement from Museums Wales , the coins represent...
Reconstruction of ancient stilt houses. Source: Takashi Images / Adobe Stock.

Oldest Stilted Village in Europe Found Underwater Behind Defensive Spikes

A team of underwater excavators diving in Lake Ohrid, between Macedonia and Albania, have discovered an ancient stilted village protected by 100,000 defensive wooden spikes. Built around 8,000-years-...
2nd century mosaic of a winged medusa head found in Roman-era house in Spain. (Image credit: Mérida City Hall)

Rare Winged Medusa Mosaic Found in Ancient Roman Villa in Spain

Archaeologists excavating a lush Roman-era house in western Spain have uncovered a huge 1,800-year-old colourful mosaic featuring the head of a ‘winged’ Medusa. The Medusa mosaic was discovered at...
Interior of Exeter Cathedral in England, where the remains of Bishop William Warelwast, nephew of William the Conqueror, were discovered. Source: Seventy4 UK / Adobe Stock

Tomb of William the Conqueror’s Nephew Found in Hidden Crypt of Exeter Cathedral

A team of archaeologists excavating in the 900-year-old Exeter Cathedral have discovered a burial crypt containing stone-lined tombs. One of the burial occupants is a medieval VIP: William the...
Archaeologists at work excavating the Bronze Age dolmens at La Lentejuela Teba necropolis in southern Spain. Source: Universidad de Cádiz

Two Megalithic Bronze Age Dolmens Excavated in Southern Spain

La Lentejuela Teba necropolis, near Malaga in southern Spain, captivated historians and archaeologists when it was first discovered in 2005. Dating back to 4,000 BC, this ancient burial site was...
Skull of ‘Luzio’. The investigation that covered four different parts of Brazil carried out analysis of genomic data from 34 fossils, including larger skeletons and the famous mounds of shells and fishbones built on the coast. Source: André Strauss/Nature

Lost Civilization of the Sambaquis Builders: Unraveling the Mystery of Luzio's People

A team of researchers has unearthed and analyzed genomic data from 34 ancient skeletons scattered across Brazil. Their new study reveals the astonishing tale of 'Luzio,' a courageous wanderer who was...
Portrait of Peruvian girl, representative of descendants of the Inca. Source: Jose Luis Stephens/

DNA Study Unveils Machu Picchu Servants' Enigmatic Diversity

Most ancient DNA studies focus on societal elites found in elaborate tombs. But new research on DNA gathered from the bones of servants who worked for Inca royals at Machu Picchu reveals a diverse...
Illicitly traded cuneiform tablet seized by the US Department of Homeland Security HSI. Source: US Homeland Security Investigations/Antiquity Publications Ltd

Illicit Artifact Trading Falls From Top Three Dark Economies

For at least half a century it has been believed, and repeated, that the buying and selling of illegal artifacts was in the top three most illicit trades in the modern world. However, new research...
Grave goods from the Copper Age cemetery of Varna on the Bulgarian Black Sea coast. The copper and gold objects are considered the oldest in the world. Source: © Kalin Dimitrov/Max Planck Institute

Early Intermingling Helped Boost Copper Age European Progress

A key aspect of historic human prosperity was “mingling.” In a groundbreaking discovery, a new gene study sheds light on the fascinating interactions between Copper Age civilizations in Europe,...
A perpetual stew or hunter’s stew, in a cauldron over an open fire. Source: shaiith/Adobe Stock

What is this Ancient Perpetual Stew Being Served in a Brooklyn Park?

Most folk have experienced the holistic satisfaction that comes after a good old bowl of stew, on a cold winter’s nights. However, this story tips traditional stew conventions on their head, as it’s...
Painting by Louis Le Nain from book cover of Death Control in the West 1500–1800: Sex Ratios at Baptism in Italy, France and England, by Gregory Hanlo.	Source: Taylor & Francis

Parents Murdered Their Children, “Routinely,” Claims New Book

A harrowing new study into the history of infanticide, child murder, in early-modern Europe, has presented a slate of horrific facts. It turns out child murder was so common in Italy, France and...
3,000-Year-Old Corridor in Peru Temple Yields Massive Condor Statue

3,000-Year-Old Corridor in Peru Temple Yields Curious Condor Statue

Archaeologists in Peru used cameras mounted on robots to explore the entrance to a 3,000-year-old sealed tunnel at the Chavin de Huantar archaeological site in Peru. The excitement was static when...
Location of bilingual inscription, which helped linguists crack the ancient Kushan language, in Tajikistan. Source: Bobomullo Bobomulloev / CC BY-NC-ND 4.0

2,000-Year-Old Unknown Kushan Language Is Finally Deciphered

Since the 1960s, archaeologists in Central Asia have found rocks carved with a mysterious unknown language. Now, a team from the University of Cologne has deciphered the unknown script, revealing it...

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