Asia

Ancient places can be found all over Asia. Their fascinating histories and impressive artifacts open intriguing glimpses to times past, and open up a window on Asian history. Visiting such historical places in Asia 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 Asia, as well as new discoveries of ancient places that are worth paying a visit.

The Crocodile Stone of Vat Phou Temple, Laos. Photo source: Mattun0211 / CC0

30 July, 2020 - 02:06 dhwty

The Crocodile Stone: Is This a Grisly Artifact of Human Sacrifice?

The Crocodile Stone is a peculiar rock located in the Vat Phou (also spelled as Wat Phu) Temple complex, in Laos . As its name suggests, the rock contains the carving of a crocodile. More precisely,...

A statue of Prithviraja III at Qila Rai Pithora in Delhi Source: CC BY SA 3.0

28 July, 2020 - 02:01 Ed Whelan

Qila Rai Pithora, the Ancient Fort That Gave Rise to Delhi

India’s many remarkable forts and citadels stand as a testament to its turbulent history. Qila Rai Pithora Hillfort in Delhi is one of the most impressive surviving fortresses in Northern India. This...

Myanmar sunset Bagan (formerly Pagan) temple Source: murrrrrs / Adobe Stock

25 July, 2020 - 02:01 Ed Whelan

Is the Palace of Binnaka Waiting to be Discovered?

Myanmar, once known as Burma, is a Southeast Asian nation that is increasingly popular with foreign travelers due to its incredible history and traditions . The once important city-state of Binnaka...

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...

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...

Himeji Castle in Spring Source: CreEngine / Adobe Stock

25 June, 2020 - 01:53 dhwty

Himeji Castle’s Fascinating Feudal History

Himeji-jo, known also as Himeji Castle , is located in Himeji City, in Japan’s Hyogo Prefecture. A fort was originally built during the 14 th century AD on the present-day castle site, though the...

Nalanda University Source: disha / Adobe Stock

21 June, 2020 - 23:00 Ed Whelan

Nalanda, Ancient University Opens to International Students Again

India is a religiously diverse nation and has many important archaeological sites associated with Hinduism, Sikhism, Jainism, and Islam, to mention a few. When Buddhism was founded more than 2,500...

Painting of astronomers located at the Ulugh Beg Observatory in Samarkand, Uzbekistan. Source: LoggaWiggler / CC0

20 June, 2020 - 14:02 dhwty

The Star-Gazing Sultan and His Ulugh Beg Observatory

The Ulugh Beg Observatory is an astronomical observatory located on a hill near Samarkand, in modern day Uzbekistan. This observatory, which is often considered to be one of the finest of its kind in...

Buddhist monk meditation in temple Source: Sasint / Adobe Stock

19 June, 2020 - 02:01 Ed Whelan

The Ancient Temples and Tolerance of Ramateertham Village, India

India is blessed with an abundance of ancient historic and religious sites, but the small village of Ramateertham is unique. Nestled in its hills are sites that are sacred to Buddhists, Jains, and...

Mecca, Saudi Arabia. Source: Haris Gunawan / Adobe Stock

15 June, 2020 - 13:40 dhwty

The Meaning of Mecca, Islam’s Holiest City

Mecca (also spelled as Makkah) is regarded as the holiest city in Islam. Apart from the fact that Mecca was the birthplace of the Prophet Muhammad, it is also the city where Islam’s holiest place of...

Deciphering the Deities of Hinduism

6 June, 2020 - 01:48 manharsharma

Deciphering the Deities of Hinduism

There are no ancient civilizations that have not practiced some kind of religion. When we study the history of the oldest and the earliest civilizations, we do not find exact dates or traces of...

Deriv; The sands of Rub’ al Khali in Saudi Arabia (CC BY-SA 3.0), and dwellings near the Liwa Oasis, UAE

22 May, 2020 - 01:41 David Millar

Qidan, The Lost City of King Ad: Hoax or Reality?

In the middle of World War II a Royal Air Force (RAF) transport plane flying off course over the Arabian desert found a ‘lost city’ deep in the Empty Quarter. It was never seen again. Or was it? In...

The mystique of megalithic Japan is largely misunderstood, and it seems that the government does not care to find out more. From Yonaguni to Ishi-no-Hoden, let’s delve deeper into the unknown. Pictured: Divers inspecting the underwater site of Yonaguni in Japan. Source: nudiblue / Adobe stock

20 May, 2020 - 23:01 Freddie Levy

Unravelling the Lesser-known Laser-sharp Cuts of Megalithic Japan

A hurdle in the way of many Western researchers of megalithic Japan is the mystique that surrounds the history of the combined 6,800 islands that piece together the archipelago of Nippon - a place...

Smaller Ayaz Kala ruins. (bbsferrari /Adobe Stock)

18 May, 2020 - 14:01 dhwty

The Ayaz Kala Desert Fortresses: Spectacular Silk Road Ruins

Ayaz Kala in is most famous for its mudbrick fortresses; desert ruins echoing tales of the Silk Road. Today, three sets of ruins still stand in remembrance of the days when they served as a defense...

Image of Mesopotamia - Jeff Brown Graphics

8 May, 2020 - 18:45 Bryan Hill

The Rise and Fall of Sumer and Akkad

The Sumerians were the first known people to settle in Mesopotamia over 7,000 years ago. Located in the southernmost part of Mesopotamia between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers (modern day Iraq),...

The Jurchen tribes had a strong influence on Chinese history. Source: Tan Kian Khoon / Adobe Stock.

8 May, 2020 - 02:03 dhwty

How the Jurchen Tribes Conquered China

Jurchens (known also as the Nuzhen, 女真, in Chinese) were a federation of non-Chinese peoples who inhabited the northeastern part of China (known also as Manchuria), which corresponds to the modern...

Göbekli Tepe’s construction secrets may be tied to the stars. (Deriv.) Source: Brian Weed /Adobe Stock

1 May, 2020 - 19:00 Andrew Collins

Scrutiny of Göbekli Tepe’s Construction Reveals Celestial Secrets

Recently, it was announced that two Israeli archaeologists have detected what they consider to be an underlying geometry included in Göbekli Tepe’s construction. Gil Haklay and Avi Gopher, from Tel...

Archaeologist inspects skeleton

30 April, 2020 - 20:55 Joanna Gillan

Was the Mohenjo Daro ‘Massacre’ Real?

In the 1920s, the discovery of ancient cities at Mohenjo Daro and Harappa in Pakistan gave the first clue to the existence more than 4,000 years ago of a civilization in the Indus Valley to rival...

A Bada Valley megalith, Indonesia.

24 April, 2020 - 22:33 dhwty

Exploring the Mysterious Bada Valley Megaliths in Indonesia

Bada Valley (also known as Napu Valley) is a megalithic site situated in the Lore Lindu National Park, in the District of Poso, Central Sulawesi , Indonesia. Although the megaliths have yet to be...

Megalithic Atlit Yam

22 April, 2020 - 13:09 aprilholloway

The 9,000-year-old underground megalithic settlement of Atlit Yam

Not far off the coast of the village of Atlit in the Mediterranean Sea, near Haifa in Israel, lies the submerged ruins of the ancient Neolithic site of Atlit Yam. The prehistoric settlement, which...

Ancient pagoda and big buddha at Sukhothai Historical Park, the birthplace of the Sukhothai Kingdom. Source: somrakjendee / Adobe Stock.

17 April, 2020 - 22:41 dhwty

Kingdom of Sukhothai and the Birth of Thailand

The Kingdom of Sukhothai was an early kingdom located in present day Thailand . The kingdom was established during the 13th century. Before the Sukhothai Kingdom began the majority of the region that...

Cheomseongdae observatory at night, Gyeongju, South Korea. Source: Ivan / Adobe stock

2 April, 2020 - 19:00 Caleb Strom

Star Gazing at Cheomseongdae - East Asia’s Oldest Observatory

The Korean peninsula is known for many things. One thing that may be less well known about Korean culture is its contribution to world astronomy. One particularly visible contribution is the oldest...

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