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Americas

Ancient places can be found all over America. Their fascinating histories and impressive artifacts open intriguing glimpses to times past, and open up a window on America’s history. Visiting such historical places in America 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 American history articles, highlighting the most interesting archaeological sites all over America, as well as new discoveries of ancient places that are worth paying a visit.

Main: Group of Moai monoliths during sunset on Easter Island. Inset: Birdman cult carvings on the back of standing Moai. Source: Aliaksei & thakala / Adobe stock
6 February, 2020 - 13:42 Aleksa Vučković

Easter Island’s Birdman Cult: A Story of Struggle and Survival

The Pacific Ocean is a world filled with diverse and remote islands, which are the home to some truly unique natives. Many of these islands were discovered comparatively recently in our history, and...
There were two main goals to the Tayos expedition 2019 – exploring cave entrances and discovering more about the rock formations. Source: All images are copyright Ancient Origins.
8 January, 2020 - 01:59 ancient-origins

Cueva de los Tayos Expedition 2019: Finding Answers in Amazonia

The Cueva de Los Tayos Expedition 2019 was an adventure no one will forget! Our expedition had two main goals – to find more cave entrances and to solve the mystery of the rock formations we called...
The all-seeing Eye of Providence symbol Source: markus dehlzeit / Adobe stock
26 December, 2019 - 13:57 dhwty

What’s the Truth Behind the All-Seeing Eye of Providence?

The Eye of Providence (known also as the all-seeing eye of God) is a well-known and popular symbol. This symbol has been used for centuries in both religious and secular contexts, and therefore its...
The Inca Empire: What Made it so Powerful?
9 November, 2019 - 23:05 dhwty

The Inca Empire: What Made it so Powerful?

The Inca (also spelled as Inka) Empire was a South American empire that existed between the 15th and 16th centuries. The Inca Empire was the largest pre-Hispanic civilization in South America and...
Peru, old Incan road in the canyon Cotahuasi.
9 October, 2019 - 02:20 dhwty

Inca Empire Constructed Over 40,000 Kms of Roads and Superhighways in 100 Years

The Inca Empire was a superpower that was centered on the western coast of South America. This prevailing civilization flourished between the 15th and 16th centuries, and at its height of power it...
The residents of San Miguel De Gualdape were overcome with sickness in the swampy environment. (NPS / Public Domain)
15 September, 2019 - 14:02 Aleksa Vučković

To the Shores of Distant Death: The Failed Colony of San Miguel De Gualdape

The year is 1526. Onto the wild and wooded lands of what is today Georgia in the United States, European feet had never permanently walked. These forests and river valleys, the wild rolling hills of...
Dia De Muertos. Credit: Yuliya Ochkan / Adobe Stock
7 September, 2019 - 22:53 george fery

Mexican Day of the Dead – Bittersweet Remembrance of Departed Ancestors

The celebrated Mexican Day of the Dead means one thing for city dwellers and quite another for country folks. It is a day dedicated to the bittersweet remembrance of departed family members. It also...
The Island of Cubagua, Venezuela
30 August, 2019 - 01:29 Ed Whelan

Nueva Cádiz and the Pearls of Venezuela

South America is famous for many reasons and amongst history lovers, for its many lost and abandoned cities . Since they have been rediscovered, they are among some of the most remarkable...
The church at Calera de las Huérfanas
29 August, 2019 - 01:58 Ed Whelan

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...
The ruins of Jesús de Tavarangue Source: Kylie / Adobe Stock
27 August, 2019 - 01:50 Ed Whelan

Jesuit Missions of Paraguay Abandoned Due to ‘The Enlightenment’

The Jesuit missions in Paraguay were a remarkable historical social experiment and have been the subject of many books, articles, and even a movie, The Mission . Two of the most famous of these are...
The remaining arch of Fort Kyk-Over-Al Source: homocosmicos/ Adobe Stock
24 August, 2019 - 01:38 Ed Whelan

Fort Kyk-Over-Al and the Dutch Defense of Guyana

The Dutch have had a long presence in the Caribbean and Latin America and a form of Dutch is still spoken in parts of the region. The European nation has left many architectural and archaeological...
Caral, UNESCO world heritage site and the most ancient city in the Americas. Source: Mark / Adobe Stock.
14 August, 2019 - 01:37 B. B. Wagner

Ancient Pyramid Cities of Peru: A Catalogue of Swift Decline

From 2600 BC to 1533, the legacy of the Peruvian region has revealed no end of epic tales of power, growth, unification, and demise. This is shown by the myriad of deserted pyramid cities that dot...
The ancient Timoto-Cuica culture focused on agriculture. Source: Melissa / Adobe Stock
9 August, 2019 - 14:02 Aleksa Vučković

Beyond the Mists of Time: The Mysterious Timoto-Cuica Culture of the Venezuelan Andes

When we speak of the pre-Columbian South American civilizations, the first to come to mind are the Incas , the Tiwanaku , the Nazca , or perhaps even the Mayans . But we rarely venture deeper into...
Fort Diamant.
9 August, 2019 - 01:16 Ed Whelan

Fort Diamant, A Little French Gem in South America

The presence of France has been documented in the Caribbean and Latin America for centuries. Today, French Guiana, located in South America , is part of France and the only territory of the mainland...
Decoration of an ancient tomb in Tierradentro Source: Matyas Rehak / Adobe Stock
8 August, 2019 - 13:59 Ed Whelan

A Fascinating Look into the Lives and Deaths of the Tierradentro People of Colombia

One of the greatest Pre-Columbian civilizations of Colombia were the Tierradentro who flourished for centuries. They created a remarkable series of cave tombs and monuments which offer us a unique...
Moche Decapitator mural at Huaca de la Luna
6 August, 2019 - 13:27 B. B. Wagner

Exploring the Cupisnique Civilization: First Amongst the Supernatural Decapitators?

The Cupisnique culture (1500 BC-200 BC) is considered one of the most definitive and influential societies that existed in the Jequetepeque Valley of Peru. Their influence reached Cajamarca , Chavin...
The golden city of Paititi is hidden in the dense Peruvian jungle. Source: marmoset / Adobe stock
31 July, 2019 - 18:42 B. B. Wagner

The Inkarri and the Golden City of Paititi: The Myths Born from Blood and Greed

On August 29, 1533, the Incan King Atahualpa , who only ruled for one single year, was ordered by Francisco Pizarro (1471-1541) to be strangled to death by a garrot. This single act martyred...
Pyramid of La Danta, El Mirador, Guatemala
31 July, 2019 - 01:54 Ed Whelan

El Mirador, ‘The Look Out’ Of Guatemala Boasts Probably the Largest Pyramid in the World

The Mayan civilization is one of the most mysterious and fascinating in history. There is much we still don’t know, but they are much-admired for their fully developed writing system, their art,...
Fortaleza Ozama, Santo Domingo Source: photobeginner/ Adobe Stock
23 July, 2019 - 02:08 Ed Whelan

Fortaleza Ozama, Where Columbus Was Imprisoned for Being a Tyrant

The language and culture of many of the Caribbean islands reflects four centuries of Spain’s presence in the region. They also left a remarkable legacy of colonial-era buildings and one of the most...
The city of Palenque. Source: Jérôme Rommé / Adobe Stock.
18 July, 2019 - 23:02 george fery

Palenque – The Splendor of a Great Maya Metropolis

Hidden in the verdant hills of the Sierra Chapaneca in the beautiful state of Chiapas , southern Mexico, is the ancient capital of the B’aakal Kingdom. The name of the city then was Lakamha’ in Maya-...
Fort Shirley Source: Gail Johnson/ Adobe Stock
16 July, 2019 - 01:48 Ed Whelan

Fort Shirley, Where A Mutiny Led to Emancipation of the British Slave Soldiers

Dominica is one of the most beautiful islands in the Caribbean . Its beauty, however, belies a somewhat violent past when it was often a center of violent conflict. One of the best-known historic...
Fort Fincastle
13 July, 2019 - 01:50 Ed Whelan

Fort Fincastle, The Small But Mighty Flatiron Protector of The Bahamas

The Bahamas is comprised of 700 islands as well as thousands of rocks and cays (low banks of coral reefs) spread out over 100,000 square miles of ocean. It’s an ecological paradise with some of the...
Mount Shasta
11 July, 2019 - 23:41 D.W. Naef

Mount Shasta: Spirits and Danger on a Sacred California Mountain

Mount Shasta, located near the Oregon border in northern California, holds the distinction of being one of the world’s preeminent sacred mountains. It is recognized as an eligible Native American...
Guayabo Monument, Costa Rica
10 July, 2019 - 01:54 Ed Whelan

Ingenious Abandoned Jungle City of Guayabo de Turrialba in Costa Rica

South and Central America have many amazing archaeological sites, some of which were left behind by pre-Columbian peoples and cultures who left no written records . One of the most significant sites...

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