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.

Unraveling the Mystery of the Great Pyramid Air-Shafts

7 September, 2016 - 00:51 Rudra

Unraveling the Mystery of the Great Pyramid Air-Shafts

The Great Pyramid of Khufu at Giza near Cairo in Egypt is the last of the surviving Seven Wonders of the World. For more than forty centuries until the 19th century, it was the tallest and the most...

The Great Pyramid at Giza and Noah’s Ark: Are we coming closer to an understanding of the Ancient Mind? Part II

4 September, 2016 - 03:50 Carl Johan Calleman

The Great Pyramid at Giza and Noah’s Ark: Are we coming closer to an understanding of the Ancient Mind? Part II

[Read Part I] Let us then return to the Great Pyramid. Why was it built in the first place? According to the ancient Egyptian sources the pyramids were built to reflect the primeval mound that had...

Deriv; Left, Roman legionnaire reenactor in period gear. Right, Jabbaren rock painting (Via author)

27 August, 2016 - 03:48 Clyde Winters

The Giant of Algeria: Iconographic Evidence of Roman Expeditions in the Sahara

There are thousands of rock engravings at the dramatic rocky landscape of Jabbaren, Algeria. Jabbaren is an archaeological site in the Tassili N'ajjer National Park in Algeria with some of the most...

A stone statue of Hatshepsut and Egyptian soldiers from Hatshepsut's expedition to the Land of Punt as depicted from her temple at Deir el-Bahri.

18 August, 2016 - 21:42 Natalia Klimczak

Out for War or A Shopping Trip? Why Hatshepsut Traveled to the Kingdom of Punt

The walls of the great temple in Karnak depicted the story of an expedition of impressive ships to the mysterious land known as Punt. The fleet of Queen Hatshepsut traveled there for unknown reasons...

TT 353 of Sen-en-Mut (Senenmut’s tomb).

17 August, 2016 - 00:54 Natalia Klimczak

Star Maps and Secrets: The Mysterious Tomb of Senenmut, Close Companion to Queen Hatshepsut

Senenmut was one of the closest people to the famous queen Hatshepsut. His impressive tomb contains very mysterious decorations which suggest that he was not only a government official and architect...

Giza, The Time Keeper of the Ages: Alignments, Measurements, and Moon Cycles

12 August, 2016 - 14:51 Andras Goczey

Giza, The Time Keeper of the Ages: Alignments, Measurements, and Moon Cycles

How did ancient Egyptians tell the exact day and night of the summer and the winter solstices, or the equinoxes of spring and autumn? How could they tell the days when the flooding of the River Nile...

Detail of panel with adoration to Aten.

22 July, 2016 - 21:53 Natalia Klimczak

A Pharaoh Thrice Buried? The Mystery of the Tombs of Pharaoh Akhenaten

Pharaoh Akhenaten is one of the most mysterious kings of Ancient Egypt. Researchers have discovered three tombs dedicated to him - all full of even more secrets. These tombs do, however, provide...

The Secrets and Treasures of KV5, the Largest Tomb Ever Found in Egypt

14 June, 2016 - 14:58 Natalia Klimczak

The Secrets and Treasures of KV5, the Largest Tomb Ever Found in Egypt

The treasures of Tutankhamun have been remembered as the greatest discovery in Egypt. However, in 1995, the Valley of the Kings revealed another magnificent secret – the tomb of at least 52 sons of...

Valley of the Queens near Luxor, Egypt.

16 May, 2016 - 21:52 Natalia Klimczak

Ta Set Neferu: Tombs of the Princes and Princesses – Part II

( Read Part I ) In the first part, a brief history of the research and the story of Ramesside women and their famous tombs were described. In the second part, the adventurous travel through the...

General view of the Valley of the Queens

16 May, 2016 - 03:39 Natalia Klimczak

Ta Set Neferu – A Valley Where Beauties Sleep – Part I

The Valley of the Queens is a popular necropolis located on the south west of the village and temples of Medinet Habu. Along with the Valley of the Kings, it's one of the most fascinating...

Mapungubwe Hill viewed from the north, The gold rhino of Mapungubwe.

14 March, 2016 - 02:52 dhwty

Looking for Clues on the Hill of the Jackal: The Rich African Kingdom of Mapungubwe

Mapungubwe is an Iron Age archaeological site in the southern part of the African continent. This city, which is located on the northern border of modern day South Africa with Zimbabwe and Botswana,...

Ancient Kingdom of Yam.

13 March, 2016 - 03:55 dhwty

Where Was the Mysterious Kingdom of Yam?

Yam was an African kingdom that existed in ancient times. Not much is known about this ancient kingdom, and what little we do know about it comes from a few Egyptian texts belonging to the Old...

Rock paintings in Tsodilo Hills, Botswana.

28 February, 2016 - 03:48 dhwty

The Louvre of the Desert: The Impressive Rock Paintings of Tsodilo, Botswana

Tsodilo (also referred to as the Tsodilo Hills) is a site in Botswana that contains one of the highest concentrations of rock art in the world. It has been claimed that in an area of just 10 square...

On Left – Theban tomb - burial site of Pinedjem II and a Royal Cache, tomb shaft. On Right – Pinedjem II as Theban High Priest of Amun. From his Book of the Dead. Source: Left, CC BY-SA 3.0; Right, CC BY-SA 2.5.

17 January, 2016 - 14:45 Natalia Klimczak

DB320 - Uncovering the Impressive Cache of Hidden Pharaohs

The tomb discovered in the summer of 1881 changed Egyptology forever. It was an assemblage containing the mummified remains and funerary equipment of more than 50 kings, queens, and many other royals...

Bas-relief ‘Carrying the Ark of Covenant’, The Aksum Obelisk, and a depiction of the Queen of Sheba from the medieval manuscript ’Bellifortis’ by Conrad Kyeser (c. 1405), Prague school.

2 January, 2016 - 21:48 dhwty

How is the Fallen Kingdom of Aksum Connected to the Queen of Sheba and the Ark of Covenant?

The Kingdom of Aksum (also spelled as ‘Axum’) was an ancient civilization located in what is today northern Ethiopia and Eritrea. This kingdom existed roughly between the 1st and the 8th centuries AD...

Section of the ruins of the city of Thuburbo Maius, Tunisia.

4 November, 2015 - 03:16 dhwty

The History and Photogenic Ruins of the Forgotten City of Thuburbo Maius

Carthage was at one point of time Rome’s greatest rival in the Mediterranean. This great civilization was first founded as a Phoenician colony in modern day Tunisia and extended its influence in time...

Ten Stunning Yet Little Known Ancient Treasures Across Africa

3 November, 2015 - 20:42 aprilholloway

Ten Stunning Yet Little Known Ancient Treasures Across Africa

The continent of Africa contains a plethora of ancient wonders, yet very few of them are well-known internationally or attract tourists from across the world. From over a thousand stone circles...

Ruins of the Bahrain Fort and what may be the location of the old capital of the Dilmun civilization.

25 October, 2015 - 23:52 dhwty

The Dilmun Civilization: An Important Location for Ancient Mythology and Trade

Dilmun (Telmun) was a civilization located in the eastern part of the Arabian Peninsula. Although this was quite an old civilization, it is much less famous than the four cradles of civilization of...

Anthromorphic clay figurines from the Sao civilization, Chad.

26 September, 2015 - 04:01 dhwty

Lost in the Mists of Time: The Ancient Sao Civilization in Central Africa

The Sao Civilization was an ancient culture located in Central Africa, in an area which is today partly owned by the countries of Cameroon and Chad. They settled along the Chari River, which is...

The walls of Khami, Zimbabwe (Wikimedia Commons)

6 August, 2015 - 21:26 dhwty

The Ancient Khami Ruins in Zimbabwe: the Capital of the Kingdom of Butua

Around the middle of the 15th century AD, the city of Great Zimbabwe was abandoned. The abandonment of its capital city marked the collapse of the African Kingdom of Zimbabwe. One of the results of...

Ruins of the Church of the Granite columns, Old Dongola, Sudan

9 July, 2015 - 02:10 dhwty

The rich history of the ancient Nubian Kingdom of Dongola

Following the collapse of the Kingdom of Kush during the 4 th century BC, a political vacuum was left in the region it controlled, now modern day Sudan and southern Egypt. This void was filled by the...

The Royal Palace of Urkesh, built around 2250 B.C. by king Tupkish.

24 June, 2015 - 03:31 Bryan Hill

The Rediscovery of Urkesh: Forgotten City of the Hurrians

Ancient Urkesh was once a major hub of the ancient Near Eastern Hurrian civilization, known in mythology as the home of a primordial god. Little was known about Urkesh and the mysterious Hurrian...

Sunk relief of personified provinces of Egypt bearing offerings for the temple god. Temple of Ramesses II at Abydos.

15 June, 2015 - 14:32 Bryan Hill

Foundation Rituals of Ancient Egypt: Elaborate Rites Conducted to Protect Great Monuments

In modern times, it is common to initiate a new building with what is known as a "ground-breaking" ceremony. This tradition symbolically marks the beginning of a new project in many cultures and is...

Adam’s Calendar

2 June, 2015 - 00:47 Bryan Hill

Adam’s Calendar: Oldest Megalithic Site in the World?

Adam’s Calendar is controversially suggested to be the oldest man-made structure in the world. Sometimes referred to as "African Stonehenge", it predates both Stonehenge and the Great Pyramid of Giza...

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