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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.

Two small figures guard the table holding the Buddha’s relics. Are they spearmen, or robots?
18 March, 2019 - 12:59 ancient-origins

Robots Guarded Buddha’s Relics in a Legend of Ancient India

As early as Homer, more than 2,500 years ago, Greek mythology explored the idea of automatons and self-moving devices. By the third century BC, engineers in Hellenistic Alexandria, in Egypt, were...
‘I dreamed I went shopping in my maidenform bra.’ The history of bras goes back much further in time.
11 March, 2019 - 17:42 Sarah P Young

The Ancient History of Modern Bras: Fashionable and Functional Female Underwear for Over 600 Years!

Until recently it was thought the bra as we know it evolved in the 1900s as a garment known as a bust improver. But a surprising discovery was made that pushed back the existence of the bra 600 years...
Mudlarking on the exposed foreshore at low spring tide.
6 March, 2019 - 14:00 dhwty

Mudlarking the Thames: How a Riverbed Became the World’s Biggest Archaeological Site

A mudlark is the name given to a person who scavenges in the foreshore of a river for objects that could be sold. This term applies specifically to those operating along the Thames River in London...
Clay homunculus model placed on a lawn
5 March, 2019 - 01:36 dhwty

Homunculus: The Alchemical Creation of Little People with Great Powers

Although science has made much progress in the last century, there are still numerous ethical issues that need to be addressed by the scientific community. One such issue is that of the creation of...
This deviant burial is a Medieval murder mystery.
21 February, 2019 - 22:57 Ed Whelan

Stabbed in the Back and Buried Face-Down: A Deviant Medieval Burial Found in Sicily

Researchers have announced a grisly find in Sicily, Italy. They have discovered a bizarre 1000-year-old Medieval grave. It contained the skeleton of a man who met a violent death and was buried face-...
"Ladies in Blue" fresco at Knossos Palace, Minoan archaeological site in Crete, Greece.
21 February, 2019 - 01:59 dhwty

Controversy Over the Ladies in Blue: Is Most Famous Fresco of the Minoans Just a Modern Interpretation?

The Ladies in Blue is the name given to a fresco from the Palace of Knossos on the island of Crete. This fresco (or rather, fragments of it) was discovered during the excavation of the site by the...
UNESCO World Heritage Obelisk of Axum.
20 February, 2019 - 18:52 J.P. Robinson

The Axum Stelae: Multi-Story Buildings of Antiquity?

For those of you already familiar with the remarkable monoliths which stand in Axum, Ethiopia, you will no doubt be aware of their uncanny resemblance to modern tower block apartment buildings. Along...
Standard of Ur mosaic, 26th century BC.
19 February, 2019 - 01:55 ancient-origins

Both a Princess and a Priestess, What Did the First Known Author Have to Share with the World?

Louise Pryke / The Conversation The world’s first known author is widely considered to be Enheduanna, a woman who lived in the 23rd century BC in ancient Mesopotamia (approximately 2285 – 2250 BC)...
In the Heliand, Jesus wasn’t a dark-skinned Palestinian but a Germanic chieftain. Hans Zatzka
17 February, 2019 - 18:56 Caleb Strom

The Heliand: A Germanic Account of Jesus Written to Suit the Saxon World

One thing that can be said about the history of Christianity is that it has always been multicultural and multi-ethnic. Christianity is not tied to any one ethnic group or cultural tradition but has...
The three Figurines – Cycladic Art
7 February, 2019 - 01:52 dhwty

Pre-dating the Minoans: The Cycladic Civilization and Their Unusual ‘Modern’ Art

The Cycladic culture (known also as the Cycladic civilization) is an early Bronze Age culture located in the Cyclades. This culture thrived from around 3200 to 1100 BC, and predated two other major...
The bed could be a possible English National Treasure.
4 February, 2019 - 23:01 Ed Whelan

Bed Bought Online for £2200 May be 15th Century Bridal Bed of King Henry VII

A bed bought online by an antiques dealer in Britain for just £2200 (US$ 2500) may actually be the only surviving example of royal furniture from the Tudor Era. It is believed that the ornately...
Agrasen ki baoli.
4 February, 2019 - 13:51 Ed Whelan

Agrasen Ki Baoli: A Subterranean Architectural Wonder

When we think of architectural wonders, we do not typically think of the water supply. However, in the heart of modern New Delhi, near one of its most popular tourist sites, is a remarkable...
Stone of the Pregnant Woman, an example of ancient high-tech stonework in Hajar al Hibla at Baalbek in Lebanon.
29 January, 2019 - 18:49 J.P. Robinson

The High-Tech Stonework of the Ancients: Unsolved Mysteries of Master Engineers

There are many stone artifacts from the ancient world made from the hardest stone on the planet such as granite and diorite, which have been cut and shaped with such quality, precision and accuracy...
Shiva lingam temple interior.
22 January, 2019 - 02:01 dhwty

What is a Lingam and How Does It Represent Shiva?

The lingam (also spelled as linga) is a sacred object in Hinduism and is a symbol that represents Shiva. The lingam is often found in temples dedicated to Shiva and is the form in which this Hindu...
Abourma Rock Art
19 January, 2019 - 01:52 Ed Whelan

Abourma Rock Art Displayed In Djibouti’s Most Inhospitable Landscape

Rock art has greatly enhanced our knowledge of our prehistoric ancestors and the Abourma site, in the African state of Djibouti, is enhancing our understanding further. These carvings which are set...
Spirit poles on Olkhon Island, Lake Baikal, Russia.
16 January, 2019 - 23:00 Alistair

Puzzling Prehistoric Posts: The Enigmatic Spirit Poles of Eurasia

Totem poles are often seen as quintessential features of the Northwest Coast of America. Simon Fraser University lists ten types of American totem pole, which indicate their diversity and how the...
Example of Anthropodermic bibliopegy – an 18-19th century notebook allegedly covered with human skin.
12 January, 2019 - 23:03 dhwty

Books Bound in Human Skin – The Practice Isn’t As Rare As You Might Think!

Anthropodermic bibliopegy refers to the practice of binding books in human skin . According to folk legend, the binding of books (or more appropriately manuscripts, as they were hand-written) in...
Roman weapons were vital to protecting and conquering the ancient world.
12 January, 2019 - 18:48 Ed Whelan

Roman Weapons: Sharp Blades to Conquer the Ancient World

The Romans were arguably one of the most successful conquerors of the ancient world. At the height of their power, the Roman Empire stretched from the British Isles in the north to Egypt in the south...
The Starving of Saqqara sculpture.
9 January, 2019 - 13:59 dhwty

Elongated Skulls and Indecipherable Language: What Does the Mysterious Starving of Saqqara Sculpture Mean?

The Starving of Saqqara is the name given to an ancient Egyptian sculpture believed to date to the Pre-Dynastic period. Little is known about the origins and provenance of this statue, which is today...
The Hallaton Helmet
7 January, 2019 - 22:58 Ed Whelan

The Helmet That Shows Celtic Warriors Helped the Roman Army Conquer Briton

In 2001, there was a very important find at an old Iron Age shrine in England. It included coins and other items from both the Iron Age and the Roman era. Among the discoveries was a remarkable 2,000...
Early man looking up at the stars (Kovalenko I / Adobe Stock)
7 January, 2019 - 18:53 Derek Cunningham

Translation of 5,500-Year-Old Babel Text from China Reveals Oldest Known Map of Inner Solar System

It is obvious to any astronomer that some of the brightest objects in the night sky are the planets. It is thus mysterious that there are so few references to the planets in ancient literature. Prior...
Soaba Stone pillars
5 January, 2019 - 01:54 Ed Whelan

The Saoba Stone Pillars of Taiwan Present A Peinan Culture Conundrum

Taiwan is a modern and dynamic country, but it also has a rich culture and history, which is often forgotten by the wider world. The island has been home to a variety of communities and cultures...
One of the Tring Tiles.
4 January, 2019 - 22:41 dhwty

The Tring Tiles: Medieval Comics of Murder and Miracles in Jesus’ Childhood

The Tring Tiles are a set of earthenware tiles associated with the Tring Church in Hertfordshire, England. The tiles date to the Late Medieval period and depict scenes of Jesus’ childhood as recorded...
The Holey Jar restored.
27 December, 2018 - 14:00 dhwty

The Riddle of the Roman Holey Jar – Why Would A Vessel Be Full of Holes?

One of the most unusual pieces of Roman pottery around is a regular looking jar but for the feature of having many holes in its body. Since it’s restoration from a pile of broken pieces found in a...

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