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Ancient Origins Tour IRAQ

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Artifacts

There are undoubtedly millions of ancient artifacts from the past that have served to shed light on the lives of our ancestors from many millennia ago. But some ancient mystical artifacts stand out for their uniqueness, their intrigue, or their ability to expand our knowledge about previously unknown aspects of our history. Here we feature many such ancient history artifacts, from amazing examples of ancient technology, to artistic masterpieces, unexplained objects, ancient texts, and mysterious artifacts that shed light on the daily lives of our ancestors.

Facsimile of Diogo Ribeiro's 1529 Carta Universal. Source: Public Domain
31 March, 2024 - 17:29 Robbie Mitchell

History of Maps: From Ancient Artifacts to Modern Marvels

The history of cartography traces humanity's relentless quest to understand and depict the world around us. From ancient civilizations sketching rudimentary maps to modern digital cartography, this...
The copper axe seems to have been made by the Trypillia, but their culture never made it as far west as Poland. Source: Lublin Provincial Conservator of Monuments / Heritage Daily.
30 March, 2024 - 13:42 Joe Green

Lost in Time and Out of Place: Trypillia Copper Axe is Poland’s Oldest

A remarkable discovery has been made in eastern Poland. Archaeologists have unearthed a copper axe in Poland’s Hrubieszów district which looks for all the world like it belongs to the ancient...
King John’s final campaign in 1216 cost him his life and his crown jewels, but there is new hope the priceless treasure will be found again. Source: Charles A. Buchel / Public Domain.
29 March, 2024 - 16:47 Sahir

Search is On to Find King John’s Lost Crown Jewels

The year is 1216 and King John of England, made famous as the usurper who faced off against Robin Hood, faces open rebellion from his nobles across much of the country. The ailing king is forced to...
Detail of a mural from an Eastern Han tomb (25 to 220 AD) at Zhucun, Luoyang, Henan province. The painting utilizes Han purple and Han blue pigment. Source: Public domain
29 March, 2024 - 13:45 Joanna Gillan

Han Purple: The 2,800-Year-Old Mystery Solved by Quantum Physicists

Han purple, an artificial pigment created by the Chinese over 2,500 years ago, was used in ancient artworks such as wall paintings, the famed terracotta warriors, ceramics, metalware and jewelry. A...
The excavation site of Herculaneum. Source: Jerónimo Roure Pérez/CC BY-SA 4.0
28 March, 2024 - 19:52 Robbie Mitchell

Wooden Furniture of Herculaneum Preserved by Vesuvius (Video)

The wooden furniture unearthed from the ruins of Herculaneum , preserved by the devastating eruption of Mount Vesuvius , provides an extraordinary window into the daily existence of ancient Romans...
Illustration of Paleolithic elephant hunting using spears. Source: Dana Ackerfeld/Tel Aviv University
27 March, 2024 - 22:00 ancient-origins

Stone, Water, and Elephants: Survival Secrets of Early Humans

Tel-Aviv University Archaeologists from Tel Aviv University have uncovered the mystery surrounding extensive Paleolithic stone quarrying and tool-making sites: Why did Homo erectus repeatedly revisit...
Replica of the Hallaton Helmet. The original is set to be displayed at the Harborough Museum in Leicestershire, UK. (Inset; the original helmet) Source: Harborough Museum (Inset; CC BY 2.0)
27 March, 2024 - 17:00 Sahir

The 2,000-year-old Hallaton Helmet Is Reborn in Beautiful Reproduction

A Roman cavalry helmet, initially called a ‘rusty bucket’ has been replicated to show its former glory, 23 years after the original was found in a field in Leicestershire, England. The Hallaton...
Oracle bone from the Bīn group of diviners from period I, corresponding to the reign of King Wu Ding (Shang dynasty). Source: Public Domain
25 March, 2024 - 19:50 Robbie Mitchell

How Did the Chinese Develop Their Writing System? (Video)

The Chinese writing system , originating during the Shang Dynasty around 1600 BC, is a testament to China's rich cultural heritage. Unlike alphabetic systems found in many Western languages, Chinese...
An amphora at the bottom of Kerpe’s ancient harbor in the Black Sea. Source: IHA / Anatolian Archaeology.
24 March, 2024 - 22:02 Joe Green

First Ever Scientific Underwater Excavation of Black Sea Reveals Ancient Harbor

In 2020, the first ever scientific underwater excavation ever undertaken in the Black Sea was started. Now, the results of that expedition are coming to light, revealing millennia-old artifacts and...
The remains of the axe placed underneath Structure One at Must Farm Bronze Age Settlement. Source: Cambridge Archaeological Unit
21 March, 2024 - 14:00 Sahir

Must Farm - Britain’s Pompeii - Reveals Bronze Age Lifestyle of ‘Cosy Domesticity’

‘Archaeological nirvana’ has been unearthed in ‘Britain’s Pompeii’, a stilt village occupied for less than a year before it burnt out, over a tragic summer day 2,850 years ago. As flames engulfed...
Left; Excavation of one of the oldest Neolithic boats ever found, labeled Canoe 5. Right; Canoe Marmotta 1, on display in the Museo delle Cività in Rome. Source: Gibaja et al., 2024 / PLOS ONE / CC-BY 4.0
20 March, 2024 - 21:48 Nathan Falde

Earliest Neolithic Boats Found in Mediterranean Date Back to 5,000 BC

Archaeologists and historians from prominent institutions in Spain and Italy have recently published their findings on five ancient dugout canoes retrieved from La Marmotta , an Italian...
Bronze swords and spearheads, recovered from the Warring States Period Cemetery. Source: Chinese Academy of Social Sciences
20 March, 2024 - 16:41 Gary Manners

Warring States Period Cemetery With Pristine Weapons Discovered in China

Archaeologists in China have made the exciting discovery of a sprawling cemetery from the Warring States period, over 2,200 years ago. They have excavated many ancient tombs and more than 500...
Part of a tomb dating to the Jin Dynasty found in Changzhi city, Shanxi Province, China. Source: Shanxi Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology/ China Daily
19 March, 2024 - 16:59 Sahir

Three Jin Dynasty Tombs Discovered in Chinese Village Reveal History

Three brick-chamber tombs from the Great Jin Dynasty (1115 – 1234 AD) that were uncovered in China have been found to feature beautiful and intricate wall murals. Though subject to looting and damage...
Some of the 22 looted, historic items that have been repatriated to Japan Source: FBI Boston
18 March, 2024 - 21:44 Nathan Falde

Treasures Looted from Okinawa During WW II Returned Eight Decades Later

Seeking to correct an 80-year-old injustice, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has returned a collection of looted cultural artifacts to the people of Okinawa, Japan. These artifacts were...
The drum is one of the earliest methods of ancient communication. Source: zolotareva_elina / Adobe Stock
16 March, 2024 - 00:00 Avery Fleming

The Evolution of Ancient Communication Methods

Throughout history, communication wasn’t as effortless as it is today. In today’s world, you can connect with people in every part of the world within seconds and access an almost infinite amount of...
A Ming Dynasty tomb, remarkably preserved, was discovered in Xinzhou city, located in Shanxi province. Source: Shanxi Provincial Institute of Archaeology
15 March, 2024 - 16:47 Sahir

Pristine Ming Dynasty Tomb Unearthed in China’s Shanxi Province

For centuries, the pale blue doors of a formidable stone Ming Dynasty tomb in China’s Shanxi Province have remained tightly shut, shrouded in mystery. Upon gaining entry, archaeologists were greeted...
Researchers logging an anchor at one of the ten shipwreck sites found off Kasos. Source: Greek Ministry of Culture
14 March, 2024 - 21:53 Nathan Falde

Ten Shipwrecks Spanning 5,000 Years of History Spotted off Kasos Island

Underwater archaeologists exploring the sea bottom off the beaches of Greece’s Kasos Island discovered something not entirely unexpected, but still quite surprising. Over the course of four years of...
The ancient Hittite tablet features cuneiform text in both Hittite and Hurrian languages, with the Hittite inscription recounting the onset of war and the Hurrian inscription constituting a prayer for victory. Source: Kimiyoshi Matsumura/Japanese Institute of Anatolian Archaeology
12 March, 2024 - 16:56 Sahir

Clay Tablet From 3,300-Years Ago Tells Story of the Siege and Plunder of Four Hittite Cities

A 3,300-year-old clay tablet unearthed in central Turkey has painted a tale of a devastating foreign invasion of the Hittite Empire during a period of internal strife and civil war. As the civil war...
left obverse and right reverse of the silver denarius from Rome, dated 113-112 BC. Source: American Numismatic Society
11 March, 2024 - 16:42 ancient-origins

Coin Reveals Ancient Rome’s Fight Against Voter Intimidation

David B. Hollander /The Conversation This silver denarius, minted over 2,000 years ago , is hardly the most attractive Roman coin. And yet, the coin is vital evidence for the early stages of a...
AI image of a cave. Source: ToonArt/Adobe Stock
9 March, 2024 - 19:55 Robbie Mitchell

Bizarre Archaeological Finds That Rewrote History (Video)

Archaeology serves as a key to unlock the mysteries of our past, offering glimpses into ancient civilizations that challenge conventional historical narratives. One such revelation emerged from a...
The top of the Merneptah Stele includes a carving of Merneptah receiving a sword from the god Amun, but it is the text of the stele which is most fascinating. Source: Alyssa Bivins / CC BY-SA 4.0.
8 March, 2024 - 13:53 Aleksa Vučković

The Merneptah Stele: Proof Ancient Egypt Knew of the Israelites

The Merneptah Stele, also known as the Israel Stele or Victory Stele of Merneptah, in considered to be one of the most significant archaeological artifacts ever discovered in ancient Egypt. Carved...
Left, Trevor Penny and the Viking sword; Center, the sword; Right, close up of the hilt of the sword. Source: Trevor Penny
7 March, 2024 - 21:37 Gary Manners

Magnet Fisher Drags 1,200-Year-Old Viking Sword from English River

In a remarkable find, an artifact of significant historical importance has been recovered by an avid magnet fisherman. Trevor Penny was scouring the River Cherwell near Enslow in Oxfordshire,...
Stone Paleolithic tool possibly from Layer VII at Korolevo I. Surface find. Source: Roman Garba / Nature
6 March, 2024 - 16:00 Nathan Falde

Paleolithic Tools Prove Hominins Were in Europe 1.4 Million Years Ago

After five decades of speculation about their true origin, ancient stone tools removed from the archaeological site of Korolevo in western Ukraine have been successfully dated for the first time...
Gold items in situ on the floor of the Coclé lord’s tomb. Source: Panama Ministry of Culture
5 March, 2024 - 13:45 Gary Manners

Gold-Filled Tomb of Pre-Hispanic Lord Unearthed in Panama

For gold lovers, it doesn’t get much better than this discovery at the archaeological park of El Caño in Panama. Archaeologists have unveiled the tomb of an esteemed Coclé lord from the pre-Hispanic...

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