All  

Ancient Origins Tour IRAQ

Ancient Origins Tour IRAQ Mobile

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.

Left: The corridor leading to the Antechamber of Tutankhamun’s tomb. Right: The moment Tutankhamun’s shrine was opened revealing his sarcophagus. (Public Domain).

28 ORIGINAL Photos from the Discovery of Tutankhamun’s Tomb

November 4, 2022, marks the 100th anniversary of the discovery of Tutankhamun’s tomb in the Egyptian Valley of the Kings, a watershed moment for the world of archaeology. The spectacular nature of...
The medieval Bojnice castle in Slovakia is one of many real-life fairytale castles in Europe. Source: radu79 / Adobe Stock

10 Real-life Fairytale Castles from Across Europe

The castles we see in movies and picture books were not just inspired by fantasy and imagination. In most cases they were based on real-life castles, many of which can be found in Europe. Evolving...
English Tourists in Campagna, one of many ancient tourist spots, by Carl Spitzweg. Source: Public domain

10 Tourist Spots That Ancient People Visited

Believe it or not, tourism has been around since the time of the Egyptians. Throughout history, ancient people used to travel not only for political and religious purposes, but also for leisure and...
Fantasy image of a lost civilization underwater.	Source: Максим Горбанев/ Adobe Stock

Nine Civilizations That Met Mysterious (and Unfortunate) Ends

One of the most fascinating subjects to study throughout history is the rise and fall of various civilizations. While in some cases we have an understanding of the evolution and downfall of these...
Representation of the modes of locomotion practiced by Sahelanthropus in Chad, Africa 7 million years ago, which is one million years earlier than current biped origins. (Sabine Riffaut, Guillaume Daver, Franck Guy / PALEVOPRIM / CNRS – University of Poitiers)

Human Ancestors Were Already Bipeds 7-Million Years Ago

It took millions of years for modern humans to evolve from apelike creatures to today’s Homo sapiens, ie. you and me. At various points along this long and arduous journey certain important...
A mural from the tomb Inkherkhau (TT359) on the West Bank of Nile - Thebes, Luxor, depicting a funerary procession with ancient Egyptian priests performing libations, the first one wearing leopard skin. Source: Svetlaili /Adobe Stock

A Day in the Life of an Ancient Egyptian Priest

We can learn a lot about a civilization from its dominant religion. Ancient Egypt is a good example. The religion of ancient Egypt had a far-reaching effect on every aspect of daily life. If you want...
Relief of Mentuhotep II and the Goddess Hathor, circa 2010-2000 BC Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art

Mentuhotep II and the Emergence of the Middle Kingdom

The iconic ancient Egyptians are perhaps the best and grandest example of an ancient civilization that was both technologically advanced and spiritually rich. It was during the Archaic Period that...
Main: Earliest surviving beadnet dress with the lozenge pattern (CC by SA 3.0). Inset: A bead-net dress. Photo source: Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.

Dress like an Egyptian: Fashion, Style and Simplicity in Ancient Egyptian Clothing

The ancient Egyptians may have created some of the most mind-bogglingly complex and intricate monuments known to man, but when it came to clothing, they kept it remarkably simple. Ancient Egyptian...
The mummified 2,000-year-old Egyptian woman at The National Museum in Warsaw, who has been examined as part of a medical project to better understand cancer origins. Source: Pawel Supernak / Science in Poland

Ancient Egyptian Mummy Shows Evidence of Nose Cancer

Archaeologists in Poland have been studying the mummy of a 2,000-year-old Egyptian woman who died young and evidence suggests she died from nose cancer. Scientists suspect this mummy could provide...
Karnak temple in the ancient Egyptian city of Thebes. Source: Calin Stan / Adobe Stock

The Ten Essential Ancient Egyptian Cities: Relics of Egypt’s Storied Past

The various civilizations which developed within ancient Egypt were some of the most technologically advanced and beautiful of their time, giving birth to some of the greatest cities the world has...
The history of Egypt is very much the history of ancient Egyptian weapons and how they evolved. Here Egyptian pharaoh Ramesses II charges his war chariot into battle against the Nubians in south Egypt. Source: Ahmed88z / CC BY-SA 4.0

Ancient Egyptian Weapons: The Evolution of Warfare

Anyone interested in the history of warfare or weaponry should make sure to look at ancient Egyptian weapons and how the Egyptian armies utilized their technological superiority. Whilst most famous...
A topographic reconstruction from satellite photos of the Richat Structure with false coloring. False coloring as follows: Brown: bedrock; Yellow/white: sand; Green: vegetation; Blue: salty sediments. Source: NASA/JPL/NIMA / Public domain

What Do Astronauts, Atlantis, and Africa Share? The Richat Structure!

Tucked away in Mauritania, surrounded by the imposing, shifting dunes of the Sahara Desert, lies the Richat Structure. A spectacular rock formation of many names, the “Eye of the Sahara” has guided...
The tombs of the seven elites buried in a strange, crouched position were found in this tomb complex near Berenice Troglodytica by Polish archaeologists.	Source: M. G. Gwiazda / Center of Mediterranean Archaeology of the University of Warsaw / PAP

Strange ‘Huddled’ Skeletons Discovered in Berenice Troglodytica Tombs

Berenice Troglodytica, also known as Baranis, was a fledgling port city on the Red Sea in ancient Egypt. The remains of seven “huddled” skeletons in a tomb complex have been discovered at Berenice...
There is much evidence of dwarfs in Egypt. Here, a group statue of the dwarf Seneb and his family at the Egyptian Museum in Cairo. The statue was found in a naos in his mastaba tomb in Giza. Seneb is represented seated, with his legs crossed, beside his wife who embraces him affectionately. His wife is of regular height. 	Source: Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities

Elites and Gods: The Big Lives Of Little People In Ancient Egypt!

With its enormous stone temples, pyramids and tombs, ancient Egypt was undoubtedly one of the most productive advanced civilizations of the pre-Christian world. However, their advancement was not...
This ceiling, covered with images of the cobra goddess Wadjet, was just one of the reliefs that were brought back to life by the Esna temple restoration project.		Source: Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities

New Reliefs Revealed in Egypt’s Esna Temple Beneath 2,000 Years of Dust

A joint German-Egyptian archaeological mission, who’ve been working at Egypt’s Esna temple since 2020, have succeeded in uncovering patterns, pictures, and colors from the ceilings and walls of the...
The mummified Gebelein Man formerly known as "Ginger" in a reconstructed Egyptian grave-pit in the British Museum, photographed in 2008.

Egyptian Mummy ‘Gebelein Man’ Was Knifed in The Back!

In 1900, the British Museum exhibit known as the Gebelein Man was acquired along by Sir Wallis Budge, then keeper of the British Museum’s Egyptian Department. All six bodies were excavated under...
The Abydos carvings are mysterious carved hieroglyphs which were found on a ceiling beam in the temple of Seti I in Abydos. Source: merlin74 / Adobe Stock

Helicopter Hieroglyphs? Debunking the “Mystery” of the Abydos Carvings

In the ancient city of Abydos, within the famed temple of Seti I, strange hieroglyphs were discovered on the ceiling. Appearing to depict modern or extraterrestrial vehicles, some claim that the...
A statue of Eri, the mythical founding king of the Igbo people of northwestern Africa.		Source: TheGuardian, Nigeria

Eri: Mythical King and Founder of the Igbo

The Igbo are a large ethnic group located around Nigeria with a fascinating origin story. Having lived throughout northwestern Africa for many years, the Igbo’s origins can be traced back nearly 6000...
Idanre Hills, Nigeria. Source: Fela Sanu / Adobe Stock

The Stunning Landscape and 9 Wonders of Idanre Hill

Idanre Hill, also known as Oke Idanre, is a remote town located in the southwestern Nigerian Ondo State. Though the area boasts several cultural landmarks, it is most famous for its landscape atop an...
This is just a small selection of the Greek pottery made at the Ptolemaic to Byzantine period ceramic workshop in Alexandria, Egypt, which was found near to the ceramic workers’ living quarters. 	Source: Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities

Ancient Greek Pottery Workshop Provides Stunning Examples of Craft!

The Supreme Council of Antiquities had made an exciting discovery at the Tabet Al-Motaweh site west of Alexandria. An extensive Greek pottery workshop and storage area from the Ptolemaic era (305-30...
Oklo, Gabon has the world's first and only natural nuclear reactor. Source: WORLDKINGS

Gabon: The Home of Ancient Nuclear Reactors

Nuclear reactors, manmade machines designed to generate energy from nuclear fission, have been around since 1942. Some may be surprised to find out, however, that though manmade nuclear reactors were...
As the Earth’s axis tilted towards the Sun, the Green Sahara transitioned to the dry Sahara and still many millions continued to impact this changing ecosystem. Source: appledesign / Adobe Stock

The Sahara As We Know It Today Versus The Green Sahara It Once Was!

The Sahara Desert is the largest desert in the world. Covering over 3.6 million square miles (9.3 million square kilometers), it is more or less equal to the entire United States. However, ten...
Israel’s Exodus from Egypt. Will archaeologists ever find concrete evidence for the Exodus and the metropolises the Israelites built in Egypt? Source: Public domain

Mythical Metropolises: Pithom, Piramesses, and the Israelite Exodus of Egypt

The legendary Egyptian metropolises of Pithom and Piramesses were first noted in the Exodus story of the Old Testament. One of the foundations of the Jewish religion, it told of the plight of the...
The Giza Sphinx in Egypt. Source: donyanedomam / Adobe Stock

The Sphinx of Giza: Who Built the World’s Most Famous Sphinx in Egypt?

A sphinx is a monstrous being, a mythical creature with the face of a man, the body of lion, and an eagle’s wings. According to the Greek mythology, the sphinx was sent by the gods to punish the town...

Pages