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Ancient Origins Tour IRAQ

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Acropolis

Left: 2nd century AD sculpture, small replica of the Athena Parthenos of Phidias. Right: Artist’s impression of Zeus sculpture by Phidias. 	Source: Left; George E. Koronaios/CC BY-SA 4.0, Right; Public Domain

The Greatest Colossal Statues of Ancient Greece (Video)

Ancient Greece boasts some of the most remarkable colossal statues, with the works of the renowned sculptor Phidias taking center stage. Born between 480 and 430 BC, Phidias left an indelible mark on...
Chinese empress. Source: dreampicturestud / Adobe Stock.

How a Chinese Empress Built the Largest Palace in the World (Video)

In 662 AD, as Emperor Gaozong of the Tang Dynasty’s health waned, Empress Wu Zetian quietly assumed the reins of power, navigating a realm dominated by men. Wu's ambition knew no bounds, and she...
Like all Greeks Athenians love to argue (jambulart/ Adobe Stock)

Visiting A Time Capsule Of Periclean Athens

A time-traveler considering taking a stroll through Periclean Athens has a very narrow window of time to visit Athens in its heyday. Pericles, sometimes noted as the greatest statesman of Athens,...
An ancient Greek helmet found at the Acropolis of Velia in Italy, in what was then Magna Graecia. Credit: Italian Ministry of Culture

Ancient Greek Helmet and Unearthed at Acropolis of Velia, Italy

Archaeologists have unearthed an ancient Greek helmet at the Acropolis of Elea-Velia , in the historical region of Magna Graecia, Italy. This is only the third helmet of its kind to be discovered at...
Aerial view of the structure at Tel Shimron supporting the passageway to the corbelled vault. Credit: Eyecon.	Source: Eyecon

Israel's Tel Shimron Excavations Reveal Ancient Architectural Marvel Dating to 1,800 BC

Archaeologists participating in the ongoing Tel Shimron excavations in the Jezreel Valley of northern Israel recently unearthed the first section of an arched, vaulted passageway with steps that they...
The Acropolis, Athens, Greece. Source: B.Stefanov / Adobe Stock.

Greece's Crown Jewel: A 360° Tour of the Acropolis (Video)

Uncover the marvels of the ancient Acropolis in Athens through a captivating 360-degree tour by the BBC. The Parthenon, an iconic monument at the heart of this sacred hill, captures immediate...
Sunset at Sounon and Poseidon (Cardaf/Adobe Stock) (Adobe Stock)

Greece’s East Attica In Antiquity: Playground Of Gods, Heroes And Heroines

The seductive scenery along the east coast of Attica in Greece overlooking the Aegean Sea, easily lures one back to an era when mythical gods and goddesses still claimed the land and implored their...
The Erechtheion temple on the Athens acropolis with the six “mistaken” Ottoman harem caryatids on the right side a bit back from the front of the temple.		Source: Jebulon / CC0

The Erechtheion Temple of the Acropolis Was Not a Harem After All!

The Greek term “ karyatides ” means “maidens of Karyai,” which was an ancient town on the Peloponnese in southern Greece. A “ caryatid ” is a sculpted female figure that forms an architectural...
Ancient ruins and island in water (Nikolai Sorokin / Adobe Stock)

Plato’s Prehistoric Athens Destroyed In A Neolithic Landslide

The Ancient Greek philosopher Plato wrote his Atlantis story in two documents called the Timaeus and Critias . These writings date from about 360 BC and are the only known works that describe the...
Backlash for Wheelchair-Friendly Paths at Acropolis

Concrete Acropolis Paths Pave the Way for Wheelchairs and Criticism

The ancient Greeks built vast public temple complexes, but it has taken up to the 21st century for the nation to begin meeting modern disabled accessibility standards. For the first time in its long...
New Digital Map Gives Fresh Details About The Ancient City Of Pergamon

New Digital Map Gives Fresh Details About The Ancient City Of Pergamon

The German Archaeological Institute has just released detailed updated digital maps of the ancient city of Pergamon (also known as Pergamum). For the first time since 1973, the new cartography...
The Greek god mask of Dionysus recently unearthed in an ancient Lydian kitchen in western Turkey.               Source: Anadolu Agency

Greek God Mask Found In An Ancient Turkish Kitchen Is 2,400 Years Old!

Archaeologists digging in an ancient ‘kitchen’ in western Turkey have unearthed a terracotta mask of the face of a Greek god, dating back nearly 2,400 years. Archaeologists digging at the ancient...
The Acropolis Athens (where the cyclopean wall can be found) during sunset.             Source: sea and sun / Adobe stock

The Acropolis' Cyclopean Wall, Sages and Our Deeply Connected Past

The Athenian Acropolis . This rocky citadel sits alone, striking out imposingly against the backdrop of the dry, blue Mediterranean sky. Towering 490 feet (150 meters) over the modern cityscape, the...
The Acropolis of Athens. Source: moofushi / Adobe Stock.

The Acropolis Of Athens: A Golden Age Legacy

The Acropolis of Athens is the most famous of the many acropolises from ancient Greece. The Acropolis we know today was initially constructed in the 5th century BC under Pericles , a governor of...
The Kritios Boy.

Kritios Boy: Damaged by the Persians, Buried for 2,400 Years, Resurrected for the World to See

The Kritios Boy is an Early Classical Greek sculpture with an eventful history. He began his life in the world-renowned Acropolis of Athens 2,500 years ago, was damaged during a Persian onslaught in...
The Library of Pergamum: A Contender for the Greatest Library of the Ancient World

The Library of Pergamum: A Contender for the Greatest Library of the Ancient World

Pergamum, Anatolia, now the modern Turkish town of Bergama, was one of the most important cities in the Hellenistic Greek age. It was culturally rich, with an extensive library at its heart. The city...
A section of the Parthenon marbles

Controversy Reignites as British MPs Propose Finally Returning Ancient Parthenon Marbles to Greece

When the British Empire ruled much of the world, many artifacts and artworks, including reliefs and statues from the Parthenon in Athens known as the Elgin Marbles, were taken to Britain. For years...
Slaves delved and worked the mines right underneath the acropolis of Thorikos. The mines were just discovered by archaeologists and are rewriting the history of the silver-mining Laurion region.

Silver Mines Within an Ancient Town Shed New Light on the Rich History of Greece

Thorikos, an ancient town in Attica, was the site of a network of 5 kilometers (3 miles) of silver mines right underneath the town’s acropolis. Researchers believe slaves did the hard work of...
The interior of what researchers call Temple E in Selinunte

Archaeologists in Sicily excavate an ancient Greek city remarkably preserved beneath earth and sand

In 409 BC, Carthaginian troops from North Africa slaughtered and enslaved the 16,000 soldiers and residents of Selinunte, a Greek metropolis whose ruins were preserved in ancient times by blowing...
Acropolis - Athens Greece

Millions of silver coins may have been stored in Parthenon attic

Some of the fantastic riches of the ancient city-state of Athens may have been stored in the form of millions of silver coins in the attic of the Parthenon, a temple to Goddess Athena in the...
Acropolis - Athens, Greece

Incredible Construction: Greek Acropolis Built by Ancient Engineers to Resist Earthquakes

Throughout its 2,500-year history, the ancient ruins of the Acropolis in Greece managed to survive many earthquakes where other, more modern constructions have fallen. How is this possible? Experts...
Parthenon Marbles - Acropolis

Row heats up over the Parthenon Marbles

Hollywood actors George Clooney, Bill Murray and Matt Damon have become embroiled in one of the fiercest of all heritage controversies: should the Parthenon marbles be returned by the British Museum...