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Ancient Writings

There are literally thousands of incredible texts that have survived from the ancient world, which are etched onto copper, beautifully inscribed on papyrus, chipped onto tablets, and even written using the ink of ground down gold and precious stones. Here we feature many ancient writings, which have served to open a window onto the daily lives of our ancestors and enhanced the knowledge we hold about our ancient past.

Detail from an old Egyptian postage stamp depicting Jean-François Champollion. Source: Silvio / Adobe Stock

The Legacy and Tragic Death of Egyptology's Father, Champollion

Remembered as the father of Egyptology, the 19th-century Frenchman Jean-François Champollion prematurely and tragically passed away in 1832 shortly after visiting Egypt. In 1822, Champollion...
Ancient bible manuscript. Source: Cla78 / Adobe Stock.

Mysterious Manuscripts: The Fascinating Story of Ancient Bibles (Video)

Ancient religious texts have always been a source of fascination and intrigue, offering a glimpse into the beliefs and customs of people from bygone eras. A collection of mysterious and ancient...
The Story of Sinuhe, one of ancient Egypt’s treasures. Source: art_of_line/Adobe Stock

The Captivating Story of Sinuhe: A Powerful Glimpse into Ancient Egypt

One of the most captivating tales in Egyptian history is The Story of Sinuhe, one of the most well-preserved works recovered from the Middle Kingdom Period (2055-1650 BC). Set during the reign of...
Head end and left side of the Nakhtkhnum coffin showing an example of coffin texts. Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art/CC0

Unveiling the Mystical World of the Egyptian Coffin Texts

One of the most fascinating discoveries of ancient Egypt was the discovery of the Egyptian Coffin Texts, a collection of spellbinding funerary spells and incantations inscribed on coffins, sarcophagi...
From the Codex Mendoza — a father teaches his son the art of war, and a mother teaches her daughter house chores. The speech is in the scroll glyph. (Public Domain)

Codex Mendoza: A Glimpse into the Aztec World

Ever wanted to step back in time to the days of the Aztecs? With the Codex Mendoza, you can. Reading this document takes you back to the mid-16th century, shortly after the Spanish conquest of Mexico...
Lilith has been portrayed as a demoness who refused to return to the Garden of Eden. Source: Gasi / Adobe Stock

Adam’s First Wife Lilith: Diabolical Demoness or the First Feminist?

Lilith is first mentioned in ancient Babylonian texts as a winged female demon that attacks pregnant women and infants. From Babylonia, the legend of “the lilith” spread to ancient Anatolia, Syria,...
A land purchase document which is a square brick with writing that can be seen on the front, most of which is blurred. From the upper right, only part of the words "Wang Village, Yuanqu County, Jiangzhou, Jiangzhou, South East Road, Dajin Kingdom... Name of Gongcao... Mingchang..." and other parts of the text can be discerned. (Shanxi Provincial Institute of Archaeology)

800-year-old Jin Period Tomb in China is a Window into Funeral Customs of the Age

Detailed findings from an extraordinary Jin Dynasty tomb in Shanxi province of central China that was discovered in 2019 have recently been made public - a magnificent ornately carved brick structure...
The Biblioteca Ambrosiana in Milan undergoing imaging to reveal the hidden text. Source: Lumiere Technology/Pascal Cotte and Salvatore Apicella

Manuscript Containing Missing Details of Ptolemy’s Meteoroscope Decrypted

A parchment, part of a larger manuscript found in the library of the Bobbio Abbey in Italy, is believed to be authored by ancient Greek mathematician, astronomer, and geographer Claudius Ptolemy. It...
Sharon Mintz of Sotherby’s with the Codex Sassoon, oldest Hebrew Bible. Source: Courtesy of Sotheby’s

A Nearly 1,100-Year-Old Hebrew Bible Could Be the Most Expensive Ever Sold

Renowned auction house, Sotheby’s in New York, prepares itself for the sale of possibly the most expensive historical document ever sold at an auction, in the form of Codex Sassoon. This is one of...
Lake Superior glyphs. Source: YouTube Screenshot / America Unearthed

Who Mined Lake Superior? Ancient Glyphs Solve Bronze Age Mystery (Video)

For centuries, the shores of Lake Superior have held countless secrets, hidden in the depths of the lake and the surrounding wilderness. Recently, a team of archaeologists and linguists stumbled upon...
Predynastic rock art - with ruler boat procession, ca. 3200 BC, Wadi al Agebab. Source: © Mohamed Abdel Hay Abu Baker

Plea to Protect Predynastic Rock Art to Save the Deep Past of Egypt

In some of the harshest landscapes found anywhere in Egypt, archaeologists have discovered a stunning collection of petroglyphs (rock art) and inscriptions that date from the fifth millennium BC up...
The medallion bearing the earliest known mention of the Norse god Odin.     Source: Arnold Mikkelsen/ Denmark National Museum

Oldest Inscription of ‘Odin’ Resets Beliefs About Norse Mythology

Archaeologists in Denmark are celebrating the discovery of the oldest inscription mentioning the god Odin. This story begins with the 2021 discovery of a 5th century collection of Norse treasures at...
Nile mosaic in Palestrina      Source: CC BY-SA 3.0

Archaeologist Digs for Evidence of the Rosetta Stone’s Ancient Egyptian Rebellion

By Jay Silverstein /The Conversation The Rosetta Stone is not known for its content, but as a lexicon of Egyptian hieroglyphics. The decree inscribed on the stone, however, discusses a violent revolt...
A sample of Codex Leicester by Leonardo da Vinci. Source: Public Domain

Leonardo da Vinci’s Codex Leicester: A Masterpiece of Science and Art

Have you ever wanted to explore the mind of one of history's greatest polymaths? The Codex Leicester gives history experts and art gurus alike the opportunity to do so. This famous book is a treasure...
The pyramid texts of ancient Egypt’s pyramids are a rich source of information on their beliefs and religion. Source: EvrenKalinbacak/ Adobe Stock

The Pyramid Texts: Incantations Carved in Stone

The ancient Egyptians were known for their elaborate funerary traditions and beliefs in life after death, with the pharaohs being the most powerful and religious rulers of their time. The Pyramid...
 Part of the 16-meter-long document from Saqqara that includes illustrations and text from the Book of the Dead of Ahmose. Source: Supreme Council of Antiquities

First Public Display of 16-meter-long Papyrus Found in Saqqara Casket

The exciting discovery of a 16-meter-long (52.5 ft) ancient papyrus found in a sarcophagus in Egypt's Saqqara region has now been unveiled. A papyrus of this size and quality had not been discovered...
Mortuary Temple of Ramesses III. Source: Asta/Public Domain

The Majestic Medinet Habu and the Mortuary Temple of Ramesses III

Usermaatre Meryamun Ramesses III was one of the last great Ancient Egyptian pharaohs of the New Kingdom period. The second ruler of the Twentieth Dynasty, Ramesses III was a notable warrior pharaoh,...
'Song of Songs' illustrated by Florence Kingsford/Southern Methodist University. Source: Public Domain

Why is a Love Poem Full of Sex in the Bible?

By Jonathan Kaplan /The Conversation Many Americans have heard the expression “I am my beloved’s, and my beloved is mine” – in fact, a quick Google search turns up myriad websites offering wedding...
The Book of Revelation. Source: Brian Jackson / Adobe Stock

The Book of Revelation is Filled with Ancient Curses, New Research Reveals

The Book of Revelation is filled with prophetic visions of apocalyptic events. But if the astonishing conclusions of a Biblical researcher from Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz (JGU) are correct,...
Representational image depicting ancient text being brought to life by artificial intelligence, such as the newly announced Fragmentarium AI. Source: Надежда Семироз / Adobe Stock

The Fragmentarium: New AI Tool Pieces Together Ancient Babylonian Texts

Artificial intelligence has now officially seeped into ancient history. Linguists at the Institute for Assyriology at Ludwig Maximilian University in Germany have created an artificial intelligence (...
The Bjørnstad Ship carving, Norway. Source: Sarpsborg Turist as/Visit Norway

The Bjørnstad Ship: A Rare Window into the Nordic Bronze Age

Situated near Sarpsborg, Norway, the enigmatic Bjørnstad ship is a fantastic glimpse into the prehistoric, pre-Viking age of Scandinavia. Such ancient carvings are few, and often hard to discover -...
The world’s oldest runestone, just found in Svingerud, Norway. Source: Alexis Pantos/KHM, UiO

Earliest Runic Inscription Discovered in Norway

‘The dream stone of all runologists’ that can potentially provide clues to the origins of Western writing has been discovered in Norway. A runestone with inscriptions dating back to the earliest...
Research of Latin papyrus texts has allowed for a deeper understanding of the Roman world. Representational image of papyrus scrolls. Source: shaiith / Adobe Stock

Latin Papyrus Texts Reanimate Fossils of the Roman World

The PLATINUM project claims to be a “Partnership for Learning and Teaching in University Mathematics.” The study began with the goal of analyzing existing Latin papyrus texts dating to the 1st to 8th...
Auroch bull painting in the Lascaux cave, with the four dots indicated. Source: JoJan /CC BY 4.0

21,500-Year-Old “Writing?” Not Everyone Is Buying It!

A group of 21,500-year-old painted “dots and lines” are at the center of an academic debate as to whether they are a form of proto writing. While multiple researchers claim they represent “an ancient...

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