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.

El Tajín

23 June, 2019 - 22:55 Ed Whelan

El Tajín, The Lost City of a Mysterious People

In recent decades many lost cities have been uncovered by archaeologists or explorers. One of the most mysterious is the ancient city of El Tajín in the state of Veracruz, Mexico . The city was...

Entrance to Balankanchè Cave. Source: Artix Kreiger 2 / CC BY-SA 2.0.

19 June, 2019 - 14:03 george fery

Maya Gateway to the World Below: Balankanché Cave, Throne of the Tiger Priest

Caves are central to the cosmologies of many world cultures , used by humans from the dawn of time. They are associated with powerful natural forces and are believed to be dwelling places for...

Stockpile at Castillo San Cristóbal

16 June, 2019 - 01:55 Ed Whelan

Fort of Castillo San Cristóbal: Built to Defend Against the English, Dutch and Marauding Pirates

Puerto Rico is a unique island with stunning scenery as well as a complex history and fascinating culture. It was part of the Spanish Empire for approximately 400 years and there are many reminders...

Puma Punku, Tiwanaku, Bolivia

14 June, 2019 - 21:49 Alicia McDermott

Puma Punku: This Ancient Andean Site Keeps Everyone Guessing

Puma Punku is a Pre-Columbian archaeological site in Bolivia that is steeped in wonder and mystery. The architecture found in the ruins astounds archaeologists and historians and has inspired...

Civita di Bagnoregio an ancient, dying city atop a crumbling rock. Source: JethroT / Adobe Stock.

14 June, 2019 - 18:59 dhwty

Civita di Bagnoregio - Italy’s Most Enchanting and Surreal Ancient Town Is Dying

Civita di Bagnoregio is a small town located in Viterbo , a province in the central Italian region of Lazio . The town is situated about 120 kilometers (75 miles) to the north of Rome . Due to its...

The Ruins of Quilmes, Argentina

14 June, 2019 - 14:01 Ed Whelan

Quilmes Ruins, Sacred Place of Diaguita People

Argentina is a vast country revered for its many natural wonders and beautiful scenery. Less well-known, however, are its historic sites. In fact, some of the most important pre-Columbian ruins, such...

Queen Dido, founder of Carthage and the Punic pantheon. Source: Eloquence / Public Domain.

13 June, 2019 - 19:01 dhwty

Gods of Carthage and The Punic Power House of Baal Hammon and Tanit

According to tradition, the city of Carthage was founded in 814 BC by the legendary Queen Dido . The founder of this city was originally a princess from the Phoenician city of Tyre. She was, however...

Eltz Castle in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany.

13 June, 2019 - 02:01 dhwty

Eltz Castle: A Majestic Medieval Pile Owned by the Same Family for 800 Years

Eltz Castle is a majestic castle situated on the top of a rock within a small wooded valley in Germany. Be it through luck or strategy, the castle has been mostly spared from the ravages of war...

The ruins of León Viejo. Source: CC BY-SA 3.0

12 June, 2019 - 22:51 Ed Whelan

León Viejo, The Lost City of Nicaragua That Emerged From The Ashes After 400 Years

The city of León Viejo has been rediscovered and is now open to visitors. The ruins of the city are very important in the history of the Central American nation as it has some of the oldest Spanish...

Castillo de San Pedro de la Roca. Source: Photo by ccgocke / Adobe Stock

10 June, 2019 - 02:08 Ed Whelan

San Pedro de la Roca Castle and the Military Might of Spain in Cuba

Top quality cigars and contagious rhythm have long been associated with the Caribbean’s largest island. Cuba, though, has also played a significant role in the Caribbean and, indeed, world history...

Maat, goddess of truth and justice

9 June, 2019 - 17:35 Bryan Hill

Maat: Ancient Egyptian Goddess of Truth, Justice and Morality

Maat, also known as Ma’at or Mayet, was a female goddess in the ancient Egyptian religion who represented truth, justice, balance and morality. The daughter of the Egyptian sun deity Ra and wife of...

Painted cave in Galdar, Grand Canary Island.

8 June, 2019 - 14:03 Sarah P Young

Cueva Pintada: Painted Cave of Gran Canaria Reveals Mystery of Ancient Inhabitants

In 1862, in the center of the Spanish town of Galdar , an incredible archaeological discovery was made while agricultural work was being undertaken. Through a hole in its roof, the extraordinary...

Glamis Castle, Angus, Scotland.

8 June, 2019 - 02:03 Kerry Sullivan

The Dark Secret Behind the Hidden Room of Glamis Castle

If you could even guess the nature of this castle’s secret, said Claude Bowes-Lyon, 13th Earl of Strathmore, you would get down on your knees and thank God it was not yours. Glamis Castle, one of the...

The Yamnaya came to Europe from modern-day western Russia or the Ukraine. Source: katiekk2 / Adobe Stock.

6 June, 2019 - 19:00 Caleb Strom

How A Handful of Yamnaya Culture Nomads Became the Fathers of Europe

The origins of modern Europeans are shrouded in mystery and wracked by controversy. Archaeologists and linguists have long debated the origins of the Indo-European language family as well as the...

Cannons along the ramparts of Brimstone Hill (CC BY-SA 2.0)

3 June, 2019 - 13:54 Ed Whelan

The Tug-of-War for Brimstone Hill Fortress, The Fort with a View to Die For

St Kitts and Nevis are renowned for being beautiful tropical islands, but in the past the islands were also strategically important. Several battles and sieges took place here to determine who not...

Burning scroll

2 June, 2019 - 01:31 dhwty

Who Destroyed the Great Library of Alexandria?

The destruction of the great library of Alexandria has been lamented as one of the biggest losses of the ancient world. Nearly one million documents from across Assyria, Greece, Persia, Egypt, India...

Sao Miguel das Missoes, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. Source: GF de Almeida / CC BY 2.0

1 June, 2019 - 13:55 Ed Whelan

Sao Miguel das Missoes Brazil, A Mission Forced to Abandon its Converts

Brazil is a huge country, well known for its carnivals, rich coffee, fantastic soccer players, and diverse heritage. One of its most remarkable archaeological sites is the São Miguel das Missões...

Great Mosque of Touba. Source: Visintainer, F / CC BY 3.0

29 May, 2019 - 02:04 Ed Whelan

The Great Mosque of Touba: Spiritual Home of the Mouride Brotherhood

Islam has a long and impressive history in Africa. The nation of Senegal , for example, has been decisively influenced by Islam and it is the location of one of the greatest mosques in the entire...

Ruins of San Ignacio Miní, Argentina

27 May, 2019 - 01:59 Ed Whelan

The (Almost) Forgotten History of The Mission of San Ignacio Miní

The name Argentina comes from the Latin word for sliver 'argentum', and it is indeed a country rich architectural heritage, especially in its main cities. Some of the finest architectural ruins in...

A lost desert city. Credit: frenta / Adobe Stock

26 May, 2019 - 19:05 Caleb Strom

Lost City of the Kalahari: Experts Search for Traces of Ancient Desert Civilization

Today, the Kalahari Desert is known as a very dry place. The word Kalahari in fact comes from a Tswana word which means ‘great thirst’. As a result, it seems an unlikely location for an ancient city...

Conway Castle, a fine medieval castle in Wales. Source: Pecold / Adobe Stock

26 May, 2019 - 14:06 Ed Whelan

Conwy Castle: This Fine Medieval Welsh Castle was Built for a Ferocious English King

Wales is famous for many things - its singers, sports, incredible scenery and of course its many great castles. One of the most famous of these is Conwy (Conway) Castle, which is widely regarded as...

Royal Palace at Ebla. Source: CC BY-SA 3.0

21 May, 2019 - 19:05 ancient-origins

First Kingdoms: The Forgotten Mesopotamian Kingdom of Ebla

Spectacular things were happening in Mesopotamia in the period we call the Early Bronze Age, particularly in the southern part of it, commonly called Babylonia. It was here that the wealthy,...

The ruins of Fuerte de Samaipata

20 May, 2019 - 22:59 Ed Whelan

Fuerte De Samaipata - A Site of Ceremonial Carvings and Sacrifice

The Andean nation of Bolivia has been home to a number of remarkable cultures, and as a result many archaeological sites remain in the country. The Fuerte de Samaipata site has been recognized as...

Aeneas carrying his father Anchises from the burning city of Troy’ (1627-1664) by Daniel van Heil. Details in the Iliad cast doubt on the generally accepted location of Troy. Source: Public Domain

20 May, 2019 - 19:01 Bernard Jones

Homer’s Iliad Casts Doubt on the Aegean Location of Troy

Historian Bernard Jones has spent more than three decades researching the ‘Story of Troy’ and he maintains that Homer’s Iliad is the greatest reference work on the Bronze Age world. Homer describes...

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