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Africa

Ancient places can be found all over Africa. Their fascinating histories and impressive artifacts open intriguing glimpses to times past, and open up a window on African history. Visiting such historical places in Africa can be an unforgettable experience.

Science is constantly discovering new archaeological places and uncovering more evidence into what we once thought we knew about our history, therefore offering new pieces to the ever changing puzzle of humanity’s past and altering how we interpret it. This section will present ancient African history articles, highlighting the most interesting archaeological sites all over Africa, as well as new discoveries of ancient places that are worth paying a visit.

Professor Dominic Stratford and Dr George Leader, trekking the Namib desert.
20 October, 2024 - 14:29 ancient origins

A Trek Across the Desert, in Search of Our Origins

University of Witwatersrand Strewn across the Namib desert is a treasure trove of stone tools of which little is known because getting to them is so difficult. There are few roads and vehicles have...
Silhouettes of African aborigines at sunset.
4 October, 2024 - 12:30 Jessica Nadeau

Ancient Historians and Their Tales of Bizarre Tribes

Ancient Greek and Roman historians captivated their audiences with accounts of bizarre tribes dwelling on the periphery of the known world. Their customs were odd and their appearances even more...
The three main Egyptian pyramids at Giza, together with subsidiary pyramids and the remains of other ancient structures
3 October, 2024 - 21:37 Aleksa Vučković

The Secrets of the Egyptian Pyramids: Were They More Than Just Tombs?

Built at the dawn of the Ancient Egyptian civilization, the great Pyramids continue to inspire awe, millennia after their construction. The fact that the Egyptian Queen Cleopatra lived closer in time...
Idi's burial chamber with sarcophagus at the tomb of Djefai-Hapy Asyut, Egypt.
3 October, 2024 - 17:37 Sahir

New Burial Chamber Discovered in Largest Non-Royal Tomb From Senusret I’s Reign

A joint Egyptian-German archaeological mission has unearthed the funerary chamber of a woman named "Idi”, the sole daughter of Djefai-Hapy, the governor of Asyut during the reign of Pharaoh Senusret...
Aerial photograph of the Oued Beht ridge and river, highlighted in color.
25 September, 2024 - 14:10 Gary Manners

Previously Unknown Neolithic Society Discovered in Morocco, Fills Gap

Researchers in Morocco have unearthed the remains of the earliest known farming society in northwest Africa, dating back to the Final Neolithic period, around 3400-2900 BC. It is the earliest and...
Enigmatic Site in Madagascar May Hold Zoroastrian Origins
23 September, 2024 - 21:27 Gary Manners

Enigmatic Site in Madagascar May Hold Zoroastrian Origins

In the rugged landscapes of southern Madagascar’s Isalo massif, an ancient archaeological site known as Teniky has long puzzled researchers. The site features vast stone terraces, hollow niches...
Exploring the High-Tech Toolkit Used in Egypt - Exclusive Interview with Dr. Zahi Hawass
21 September, 2024 - 17:26 Dr Richard Marranca

Exploring the High-Tech Toolkit Used in Egypt - Exclusive Interview with Dr. Zahi Hawass

Dr. Zahi Hawass is likely the most famous archaeologist in the world at the moment. He’s active on a number of projects, sometimes traveling abroad to give a talk or leading groups around Egypt’s...
A wall scene with a harpist from the tomb of Inherkhau (TT 359), Thebes, Luxor – Egypt.
19 September, 2024 - 12:30 Alicia McDermott

Playing Magical Melodies by Nile: Ancient Egyptian Music

Music was an integral part of daily life in the Nile Valley from the earliest times. It was a rich and important aspect of ancient Egyptian culture, permeating religious ceremonies, popular festivals...
Example of the colorful paintings after the restoration: Nile god with further painted details (jewelry, pupil) and flowers painted on the offering tray.
17 September, 2024 - 20:59 ancient origins

Restoration in the Temple of Edfu Reveals New Inscriptions, Paint, and Gold

Together with Egyptian conservators a team of the University of Würzburg has discovered traces of gold leaf, remnants of the colorful paintings and ancient graffiti in the temple of Edfu. Egyptian...
Napoleon Bonaparte before the Sphinx.
3 September, 2024 - 21:14 Walker Ramspott

Invasion of Egypt: How Napoleon's Desert Campaigns Birthed Egyptology

A long while before Indiana Jones was depicted discovering the Ark of the Covenant in Cairo in that famous franchise, a young, ambitious, French soldier by the name of Napoleon Bonaparte invaded...
Ai generated image of builders on the Giza plateau.
30 August, 2024 - 21:19 Nathan Falde

Egyptian Workers Who Built Pyramids of Giza Exposed to Dangerous Toxins

While there are still uncertainties about how exactly the three gigantic pyramids on Egypt’s Giza Plateau were built, no one doubts that the work involved was intensive and difficult. But as revealed...
The Djoser pyramid during its restoration
26 July, 2024 - 17:35 Nathan Falde

Egypt’s Oldest Pyramid Could Have Been Built Using Hydraulic Lift Technology

There has long been speculation about how the pyramids of Egypt were constructed. While there may be no single answer to this question, a new study provides evidence to suggest that at least one of...
A large collection of gold foil objects retrieved at the Tel Al-Deir cemetery.
25 July, 2024 - 17:40 Sahir

Tombs and Gold Foils from the Ptolemaic Era Unearthed in Egypt’s Damietta

Archaeologists in Egypt have uncovered 63 mudbrick tombs and several simple burials containing a collection of gold foils from the 26th Dynasty of the Late Period. This correlates with the Ptolemaic...
A carved and painted wooden coffin
20 June, 2024 - 15:13 ashley cowie

Image of Egyptian High Priest’s Daughter Likened to Marge Simpson

After is discovery in 2023, Reddit readers have just picked up on the depiction of a character resembling Marge Simpson on the inner lid of a 3,500-year-old Egyptian sarcophagus. The coffin,...
6th-Century Ruins Uncovered in UAE Could Be the Lost City of Tuam
16 June, 2024 - 18:20 tania

6th-Century Ruins Uncovered in UAE Could Be the Lost City of Tu’am

Excavations in the Umm Al Quwain region of the United Arab Emirates have revealed 6th-century ruins that could correspond to the ancient city of Tu’am. Located on Al Sinniyah Island, the island forms...
Royal Palaces of Abomey
9 June, 2024 - 21:08 Sahir

Macabre Evidence Uncovered in West Africa Finds Palace Made of Blood!

In West Africa ’s tiny country of Benin, along the Gulf of Guinea, there's a palace with a construction history steeped in legend and macabre details. Located in Abomey, the legend says that this...
Egyptian sarcophagus of Pharaoh Tutankhamun
2 June, 2024 - 23:01 Willem Witteveen

Crowns of the Pharaohs: Missing Artifacts or Artistic Symbols of Divinity?

In Ancient Egypt, the gods and pharaohs were depicted with a crown, which, according to Egyptologists, w as also taken into the grave for the afterlife. However, these crowns have never been found...
The research team stands in front of the pyramid of Unas’s Valley Temple, which acted as a river harbor in antiquity. Source: Eman Ghoneim/Nature
16 May, 2024 - 17:45 Nathan Falde

Research Shows Egyptian Pyramids Were Built Along Lost Branch of the Nile

One of the more interesting mysteries about the Giza pyramids , the most famous and visited relics from ancient Egypt, is their location. They were not constructed near a fertile oasis or on some...
Karanis, Egypt. Source: Einsamer Schütze/CC BY-SA 4.0
14 May, 2024 - 18:00 Sahir

New Revelation Ancient Greco-Roman Karanis Endured to 7th Century

New research has revolutionized our understanding of Karanis, an ancient Greco-Roman agricultural settlement nestled in the Fayum oasis of Egypt. Contrary to prior assumptions of abandonment in the...
The curious structure has been found in Giza’s prestigious Western Cemetery, in the shadow of the Great Pyramids. Source: Motoyuki Sato et al / Archaeological Prospection.
11 May, 2024 - 17:56 Sahir

Curious L-Shaped Structure Found near Giza Pyramids is 4,500-Years-Old

An international team of archaeologists has stumbled upon a mysterious L-shaped structure buried within a cemetery adjacent to the Great Pyramid of Khufu in Giza. The structure is 4,500 years and...
Khufu pyramid from the northeast view. Source: dynamofoto/Adobe Stock
11 May, 2024 - 01:00 Robbie Mitchell

Five More Fascinating Facts About Egypt's Pyramids (Video)

Dating back to approximately 2630 BC, the construction of the first pyramid marks a milestone nearly five millennia ago. Ancient Egypt's allure spans centuries, captivating minds with its rich...
A new study believes that uranium may be behind the curse of the pharaohs. Source: Shutter2U / Adobe Stock
27 April, 2024 - 15:06 Joe Green

There WAS a Curse! Was Deadly Radiation Behind the Curse of the Pharaohs?

When Howard Carter broke into the tomb of King Tutankhamun in 1922, the treasures he found in the sealed chambers were not the only thing on his mind. He also feared a curse, the legendary curse of...
AI portrait of an ancient Egyptian pharaoh king. Source: Andrea Raffin/Adobe Stock
19 April, 2024 - 17:40 Aleksa Vučković

Why Did Egyptian Pharaohs Have Five Names?

Ancient Egyptian pharaohs were not merely rulers; they were considered divine beings, the living embodiments of gods on Earth. Their names were imbued with profound significance, reflecting their...
The Abydos Kings list cartouches in the Temple of Seti, Abydos. Source: Olaf Tausch/CC BY 3.0
2 April, 2024 - 14:50 mrreese

The Abydos King List Safeguards the Identities of 76 Egyptian Kings

Abydos is one of the oldest ancient Egyptian cities (3,100 – 332 BC) and is one of the most important archaeological sites in all of Egypt. Many ancient temples and tombs can be found there, offering...

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