Ancient Places

Ancient places can be found all over the world. Their fascinating histories and impressive artifacts open intriguing glimpses to times past, and visiting such ancient places in the world 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 the most interesting archaeological sites all over the world, as well as new discoveries of ancient places that are worth paying a visit.

Remarkable Survival of Minerva’s Ancient Shrine Through the Ages

18 July, 2020 - 02:02 Ed Whelan

Remarkable Survival of Minerva’s Ancient Shrine Through the Ages

The Romans were prolific builders and the ruins of their structures are still to be seen throughout their former Empire. Amphitheaters, roads, temples and of course shrines to the gods graced the...

Goseck Circle

17 July, 2020 - 12:15 Bryan Hill

Goseck Circle: The Oldest Known Solar Observatory

In 1991, inspectors from the German government took aerial photographs of a small German town called Goseck and saw something strange. On the ground, there appeared to be a giant circular ridge...

Inner view of Rani ki vav, stepwell on the banks of Saraswati River. Memorial to an 11th century AD king Bhimdev I, Patan, Gujarat, India. Source: RealityImages / Adobe Stock

16 July, 2020 - 01:55 Ed Whelan

Rani Ki Vav, The Inverted Temple That Lay Buried for Centuries

One of the most distinctive examples of Indian architecture is Rani ki vav, a remarkable stepwell. Astounding subterranean structures were designed to store and supply water to arid parts of India...

The Sarmatians and Scythians were skillful at horseback warfare and fierce adversaries of the Romans and Greeks alike

15 July, 2020 - 18:50 Aleksa Vučković

The Fierce Warriors of the Steppes: Who Were the Sarmatians?

The world of classical antiquity was filled with various tribes, cultures, and diverse peoples that dictated the unfolding events that shaped the world as we know it today. New and emerging cultures...

Bologna, San Petronio: Meridian of Giandomenico Cassini

15 July, 2020 - 02:55 dhwty

Synchronizing Science and Religion? Why We Find Solar Observatories and Astronomical Features in Churches

It is often assumed that science and faith are always at loggerheads with each other. This, however, is a common misconception, as there are numerous instances demonstrating the co-existence and co-...

Sunset view of the Roman Amphitheater in Chester, England Source: Adrian / Adobe Stock

15 July, 2020 - 01:44 Ed Whelan

The Large Amphitheater of Chester and Rome’s Fruitless Expansion Plan

The arenas built by the Romans are without a doubt their most notorious monuments. They were the scene of public executions, where combats between criminals, prisoners of war and slaves were held,...

Is Cleopatra's tomb at Taposiris Magna's temple?

14 July, 2020 - 22:15 Alicia McDermott

‘Sensational’ Find is NOT Cleopatra’s Tomb, But May Be a Clue

Taposiris Magna was just another archaeological site in Egypt until a rumor arose that the tomb of the famous Queen Cleopatra and her lover Mark Antony may be there. This location rises and fades...

Oil painting of Caernarfon Castle in 1846 by Hugh Hughes, from the National Library of Wales. Photo source: Public domain.

14 July, 2020 - 02:06 dhwty

Caernarfon Castle: The Imposing Welsh Constantinople

Caernarfon Castle (often anglicized as Carnarvon or Caernarvon) is a castle in Caernarfon, in the northern Welsh county of Gwynedd, that was built during the Middle Ages. The castle is closely...

Skeletal evidence of an Iron Age murder victim

13 July, 2020 - 16:16 ashley cowie

Iron Age Murder Victim Discovered at Ceremonial Monument

Archaeologists in England have discovered evidence of a large ceremonial structure and a potentially brutal human sacrifice. While excavating a 4000-year-old Iron Age site at Wellwick Farm near...

Humayun’s Tomb, Delhi Source: jura-taranik / Adobe Stock

13 July, 2020 - 13:56 Michelle Freson

Humayun's Tomb, the Mughal Mausoleum That Changed India’s Architecture

Mughal Emperor Humayun ruled over vast territory in Asia from 1530 until he was ousted in 1540. With the aid of the Safavid, the ruling Persian dynasty, he regained his lands in 1556. Humayun was...

Entrance to the Arvalem Caves Source: Zeepak / CC BY-NC 2.0

11 July, 2020 - 01:57 Ed Whelan

The Sacred Yet Mysterious Arvalem Caves in Beautiful Goa

Goa is widely regarded as one of the most idyllic places to visit in all of India, if not Asia. Yet there is far more to this southwestern state than its beautiful beaches. Like the rest of India, it...

Sanctuary of Fortuna Primigenia Source: Enrico Rovelli / Adobe Stock

10 July, 2020 - 01:55 dhwty

Cult Worship at the Sanctuary of Fortuna Primigenia

The Sanctuary of Fortuna Primigenia is a religious complex from the time of the Roman Republic . This ancient sanctuary is situated in Praeneste (known today as Palestrina), not far from Rome. The...

Chan Chan – The Largest Mud-Brick City in the World

10 July, 2020 - 00:03 dhwty

Chan Chan – Among the Largest Mud-Brick Cities in the World

The Inca civilization is one of the most notable Pre-Columbian civilizations that existed in Peru. Prior to its rapid rise to power, however, there were other prominent civilizations, which today,...

DNA genetic analysis proves link between Ancient Polynesians and Indigenous South Americans. Source: Ruben Ramos-Mendoza / Nature

8 July, 2020 - 22:59 Ed Whelan

Genetic Analysis Shows Early Contact Between South Americans and Polynesians

New evidence is emerging about the links between Polynesian and South American populations in the Pacific before the arrival of the Europeans . The theory that South Americans first colonized Easter...

It may not seem like it today, but Harlech Castle is Wales has witnessed Welsh rebellions, the Wars of the Roses and the English Civil War. Source: Darren Tennant / Flickr

8 July, 2020 - 14:00 dhwty

Harlech Castle: Wales’ Most Formidable Fortress

Harlech Castle is a medieval castle located in Harlech, in the Welsh county of Gwynedd. The castle was built during the 13 th century by the English king, Edward I, as part of an ‘iron ring’ of...

Holyrood Palace

7 July, 2020 - 23:31 Natalia Klimczak

Holyrood Palace: Royal Residence and Haunted House

Holyrood palace is a 12th century haunted palace that remains one of the most important residences of the British Royal Family. It fascinates visitors with its beauty and sometimes overwhelms them...

Artist’s reconstruction of Lutetia by Dassault Systemes (YouTube screenshot)

5 July, 2020 - 23:02 dhwty

Ancient Lutetia: The Roman Roots of Paris

Over two millennia ago, France’s capital, Paris, was inhabited by Celtic Gauls who called their city Parisii. But then the Romans came and set up camp. They renamed their city Lutetia, meaning ‘place...

The entrance to Bant’s Carn Source: Stringer, J / CC BY-NC 2.0

4 July, 2020 - 02:05 Ed Whelan

The Extraordinary and Ancient Entrance Grave of Bant’s Carn

The five inhabited islands of the Scilly Isles, an archipelago located off the south-west coast of England, is popular with visitors because of the warm climate and beautiful beaches. There are,...

Viking longship replicas at Catoira, Galicia. Did the Vikings also make it to Madeira? Source: CC BY-SA 4.0

3 July, 2020 - 22:42 Geoffrey Brooks

Mice Remains Indicate a Viking Visit to Madeira

In a recent article on the Vikings in South America , it was indicated how scientists had put forward an untenable theory to account for the presence in Chile of the Bundsö dogs from Denmark before...

The Tatev Monastery in Armenia is home to the mysterious Gavazan Column, a medieval seismograph created to warn the monks of an approaching earthquake. Source: Goinyk / Adobe Stock

3 July, 2020 - 14:00 dhwty

Understanding the Swinging Seismographic Gavazan Column at Tatev Monastery

The Gavazan Column, called the Gavazan Siun , is a unique monument located in the compound of the Tatev Monastery in Armenia. During the Middle Ages, the monastery was a great center of learning in...

The Maya pyramid of Kukulcan at Chichen Itza in Mexico. Source: IRStone /Adobe Stock

3 July, 2020 - 02:07 dhwty

Chichen Itza: Ancient Maya City Built Above A Gateway to the Underworld

Chichen Itza is an ancient Maya city located in the northern part of Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula. The city is thought to have been founded around the 6th century AD. Nevertheless, it only rose to...

Pont Du Gard, Nimes, France Source: Emperorosar / Adobe Stock

2 July, 2020 - 02:03 Ed Whelan

Pont Du Gard - Is This Mighty Engineering Feat in Danger of Collapse?

Some of the most remarkable Roman remains are its roads, amphitheaters, and bridges. Perhaps the most awe-inspiring of all their aqueducts is the astounding Pont du Gard found in Nimes, France. This...

Boreas, Greek God of the North Wind, who is strongly connected with the mythical land of Hyperborea, abducting Oreithyia. Source: Giovanni Francesco Romanelli / Public domain.

1 July, 2020 - 01:14 dhwty

Hyperborea: Mythical Land That Fascinated Writers of the Ancient World

Hyperborea is a location in Greek mythology . The inhabitants of this mythical land are known as Hyperboreans, whom the ancient Greeks believed enjoyed extremely long lives. Hyperborea is mentioned...

Restormel castle in Cornwall Source: Richard Croft / CC BY SA 2.0

30 June, 2020 - 02:05 Michelle Freson

Restormel Castle, What the English Call ‘A Romantic Scene’

Restormel Castle is one of the four principal Norman castles of Cornwall and among the most notable in Britain for its circular design. Built in the 13th century, it was a luxurious residence and...

Pages