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The Altar Stone at Stonehenge.         Source: Pam Brophy / Past the Stones: Stonehenge

Discovery at Stonehenge Challenges Century-Old Theory on Altar Stone Origin

For centuries, Stonehenge has stood as one of humanity's greatest architectural enigmas, a testament to ancient ingenuity and possibly spiritual or astronomical pursuits. While much has been...
Electoral inscriptions have been found in an ancient house at Pompeii, which was destroyed by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in AD 79. Source: Pompeii Sites

Electoral Inscriptions Found in Pompeii Suggest Indoor Political Campaigning

Mount Vesuvius truly keeps on giving, historically speaking. A fresh round of excavations have revealed political graffiti and a fascinating array of election inscriptions along the Via de Nola, one...
Restoration work at Kulubà in Mexico, the Maya site where a sacrificial altar has now been uncovered. Source: Mauricio Marat / INAH

Chilling Maya Murder Tools Unearthed Near Kulubá Sacrificial Altar

Mexican archaeologists excavating in the central square of the ancient Maya city of Kulubá identified a curious cubic stone with all the hallmarks of having served as a sacrificial altar. Cementing...
Pergamon Altar of Zeus in modern-day Turkey. Right; one of the friezes from the altar.	Source: Left; cem/Adobe Stock Right; Miguel Hermoso Cuesta/CC BY-SA 4.0

The Pergamon Altar: Where Legends Come to Life

Nestled in the serene landscape of ancient Pergamon, a city that once flourished in the Hellenistic and Roman eras, lies a remarkable testament to human craftsmanship and religious devotion: the...
Archaeologists from the University of Leicester excavate a Roman cellar at Leicester Cathedral. Source: ULAS

Roman Altar Stone Supports Centuries-Old Leicester Cathedral Folktales

Excavations at Leicester Cathedral, a building constructed by the Normans over 900 years ago, have been under archaeological scrutiny since the digs began in October 2021. Long believed to be a site...
Figurine head found at the Aztec altar site at Garibaldi Plaza, Mexico City, which is a representation of the Aztec goddess Cihuacóatl.		Source: Mauricio Marat / INAH

Post-Conquest Aztec Altar With A Burned Human Unearthed In Mexico City

Archaeologists in Mexico have excavated a 16th-century Aztec altar surrounded by sacred artifacts. While abstract trinkets and incense burners reflected the structure of the cosmos, a giant clay jar...
Ta’ Cenc dolmen, one of the best-preserved Megalithic dolmens in Malta, sits on the edge of the Ta' Cenc Cliffs.

Secrets Of The Stones: Malta’s Lesser-Known Megalithic Design

Malta’s prehistory is as dazzling as it is opaque. The excavations and research by archaeologists and other academics have been incredibly thorough, and have helped to create fantastic insights into...
Statue of Dionysus Bacchus.

The Thracian Oracle: Has the Famous Sanctuary of Dionysus Been Found?

The Thracians were an ancient people inhabiting parts of modern day Bulgaria and Greece. The lands of the Thracian tribes were home to several significant ancient cities, important landmarks and...
 New Findings at Royal Burials of Aegae Reveal Realities of the Past

New Findings at Royal Burials of Aegae Reveal Realities of the Past

The royal tombs of Aegae, which lie silently amid the Pieria mountains and the wide Aliakmon River in Greece , have attracted the palpable excitement of the archaeologists, from time to time...
Four Water Cisterns Found At The Ancient City Of Metropolis

Four Water Cisterns Found At The Ancient City Of Metropolis

The city of Metropolis, “The City of the Mother Goddess,” is a jewel in the crown of Turkish archaeology. Metropolis was a spiritual center and a king pin in the trade and economics of the ancient...
The mountain citadel of Perperikon, located near Kardzhali in Bulgaria, is an isolated dream for archaeologists. (Victor Lauer / Adobe Stock)

The Great Mountain Citadel of Perperikon and the Dionysian Cult

The modern nation of Bulgaria was always at the crossroads of history. Situated in a crucial historic region, it is filled to the brim with important archaeological sites and places of immense value...
Ruins of the biblical Beersheba, Tel Be'er Sheva, Israel           Source: lic0001 / Adobe Stock

Israel’s Rare Artifacts from the Ancient Biblical City of Be’er Sheva

Israel has many fascinating and important archaeological sites, and many have biblical associations. One of the most popular is Tel Be’er Sheva archaeological park. This holds the remains of a city...
Researchers say priests included cannabis in their religious ceremonies in Judah 2,700 years ago. Source: Public Domain

Ancient Judahites Performed Cannabis Ceremonies on the “High-Way” to Yahweh

According to a new paper published in the journal Tel Aviv , ancient esoteric worshippers at a Judahite temple at the fortress mound in Tel Arad in Israel “likely smoked cannabis during cultic...
The Monte D'Accoddi ziggurat on Sardinia. Source: Pierluigi Tombetti

Monte D'Accoddi: A Mesopotamian Ziggurat on Sardinia?

The site of Monte D'Accoddi on Sardinia is one of the most extraordinary mysteries of modern archaeology. It’s a real Babylonian style stepped pyramid that stands on a millenary plain as a reminder...
The church at Calera de las Huérfanas

A Lime Quarry for Orphans at Calera de las Huérfanas

Many archaeological sites and ruins from the colonial period are to be found in the former colonies of the Spanish Empire, and the Republic of Uruguay is no exception. Calera de las Huérfanas is one...
Representation of the biblical war mentioned on the altar inscription. Source: fluenta / Adobe Stock.

2,800-Year-Old Altar Inscription Talks Of Biblical War

Two inscriptions found on an ancient carved altar are revealing new information about a rebellion against the Kingdom of Israel that is described in the Bible. The 2,800 year-old cylindrical stone...
The steps of the ancient Bomarzo Pyramid. (marcovarro / Adobe Stock)

The Mysterious Pyramid of Bomarzo: Discovering The Etruscan’s Enigmatic Past

The ancient and far-reaching history of Europe is often veiled in mists of mystery. Enigmatic peoples , diverse cultures , and strange legends are all left in the past, with not a lot left behind...
The satanic plaque and altar found in The Queen’s Holyrood Park, Edinburgh, Scotland.

Satanic Plaque and Altar Unearthed in The Queen’s Holyrood Park in Scotland

In a secluded area of The Queen’s Holyrood Park in Edinburgh, Scotland, archaeologists have unearthed two mysterious objects, including a metal plaque depicting an upside-down pentagram with a horned...
Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests, Temple of Heaven, Beijing

Temple of Heaven and Its Sacrificial Altar Where Blood Was Spilt for Bountiful Harvests

The Temple of Heaven in Beijing dates back almost 600 years, to a time when Chinese emperors sacrificed animals to the gods on the temple’s altars to atone and beseech them to bestow bountiful...
Two cultic incense altars found in one of the rooms of the structure (Image: Michal Haber, Israel Antiquities Authority)

Drone Footage Helps Detect Rare 2,200-year-old Ruins in Military Zone

A unique Hellenistic period building, dating to the 3 rd century BC, built by the Idumeans has been unearthed in Israel’s Shephelah region. The impressive 2200-year-old structure, possibly an Idumean...
From this map of the site, all the main structures and rock carvings are visible.

The Megalithic Temple of Malinalco: Could these Magnificent and Complex Rock-Cut Structures Actually Pre-Date the Aztecs?

The little town of Malinalco lies at the margins of the Valley of Tepoztlan, some 115 kilometers (71 miles) to the southwest of Mexico City. Since Prehispanic times, its name has been associated with...
Han Dynasty granary between Dunhuang and the Jade Gate - an important supply center for the ancient Silk Routes.

3000-Year-Old Earthworks Confirmed as Sun Worship Altar on China’s Silk Road

Archaeologists have discovered the remains of a 3,000-year-old altar to the sun in North West China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. Experts say that the altar resembles the heaven-worshipping...
How Were They Made? Unlocking the 500-Year-Old Secret to Gothic Miniature Boxwood Carvings

How Were They Made? Unlocking the 500-Year-Old Secret to Gothic Miniature Boxwood Carvings

A mystery that lasted for nearly five centuries was finally solved with the assistance of modern technology. The magnificent 16th century miniature boxwood carvings that had been puzzling viewers and...
Evidence of Ancient Megalithic Culture in Massachusetts Revealed For the First Time

Evidence of Ancient Megalithic Culture in Massachusetts Revealed For the First Time

In the gorgeously rustic country hills of Northern Ireland, about an hour north of Derry, is the tiny hamlet of Laraghirril. In the distant southwestern fields of this town sits an ancient cairn with...

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