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.

Krishna Butter Ball: 250 Ton Boulder that Defies the Laws of Physics

7 June, 2016 - 14:39 dhwty

Krishna Butter Ball: 250 Ton Boulder that Defies the Laws of Physics

The Krishna Butter Ball is a large boulder located in Mahabalipuram, a town in the Kancheepuram district in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu. This giant boulder is one of the town’s tourist...

Herakleia Under Latmos: A Prosperous City of the Past and its Mystical Connection with the Moon

24 May, 2016 - 21:47 dhwty

Herakleia Under Latmos: A Prosperous City of the Past and its Mystical Connection with the Moon

Herakleia under Latmos is an ancient site situated on the southwestern coast of modern day Turkey. The site has under Latmos as its epithet due to its location on the southern slopes of Mount Latmos...

The second ossuary, found in 1982 in a concealed niche below the inscription

22 May, 2016 - 00:49 dhwty

A Crucified King and Mysterious Bones: Whose Remains Were Hidden in the Abba Cave?

The Abba Cave is best known for being a tomb which contained the remains of a person who is believed to have been crucified. This cave is located in Givat HaMivtar, a suburban neighborhood in the...

Photo of modern Azalai salt caravan.

8 May, 2016 - 21:45 Chris Morgan

Hippalos: Hazardous Journeys by Camel and Caravan – Part II

(Read Part 1, Hippalos: Early Navigation of Deep Sea Routes Between India and Egypt ) Assuming the presence of military was a deterrent to the local pirates, the Greek ship loaded with trade goods...

Hippalos: Early Navigation of Deep Sea Routes Between India and Egypt – Part I

8 May, 2016 - 15:31 Chris Morgan

Hippalos: Early Navigation of Deep Sea Routes Between India and Egypt – Part I

On the south-east or Coromandel Coast of India, about two miles (3.2km) south of the former French enclave of Pondicherry, there is a tract on the east known locally as Arikamedu, near the village of...

The Mogao Grottoes in China, the Legendary Home to a Thousand Buddhas and a Hidden Library

7 May, 2016 - 14:46 dhwty

The Mogao Grottoes in China, the Legendary Home to a Thousand Buddhas and a Hidden Library

The Mogao Grottoes, known also as the Mogao Caves, the Dunhuang Caves, or the Thousand Buddha Caves, are a network of Buddhist cave temples in China. This site is located near the city of Dunhuang in...

An Example of Unity: A History of Constructing and Reconstructing Religious Sites in Azerbaijan

5 May, 2016 - 03:54 FuadAZE

An Example of Unity: A History of Constructing and Reconstructing Religious Sites in Azerbaijan

Modern day Azerbaijan is a country with countless religious sites, including mosques, churches and ancient temples, and for centuries the representatives of various religious beliefs have been...

Inner courtyard of Rinchenling Gompa.

2 May, 2016 - 03:50 dhwty

The Ancient Tibetan Monastery of Rinchenling Gompa

The Rinchenling Gompa is an ancient Tibetan Buddhist monastery in Nepal. This monastery can be found in the Limi Valley, which is situated on Nepal’s north-western border with Tibet. Due to its...

A dolmen on Ganghwado, South Korea.

1 May, 2016 - 22:10 Natalia Klimczak

Looking for the Origins of the Mysterious Dolmens of Korea

The megalithic constructions in Korea are mind blowing. Researchers still have more questions than answers, but the hundreds of dolmens are among the most fascinating archaeological sites in the...

Kathmandu: How Religion and Trade Flowed into an Ancient Water-Filled Valley

27 April, 2016 - 03:48 dhwty

Kathmandu: How Religion and Trade Flowed into an Ancient Water-Filled Valley

The city of Kathmandu is today the capital of Nepal. This status, however, was only conferred on it during the 18th century. 1769 is traditionally regarded as the year that Nepal was unified by...

Celestial Maps of Gegham Mountain: The Unique Rock Art of Armenia

16 April, 2016 - 15:02 Lilit Mkhitaryan

Celestial Maps of Gegham Mountain: The Unique Rock Art of Armenia

In the volcanic Gegham and Vardenis Mountains of Armenia, architect Suren Petrosyan discovered unique and mysterious astrological rock art paintings. Experts have different opinions on the creation...

View of Palmyra in 2010 showing the Temple of Bel.

31 March, 2016 - 14:51 dhwty

The Ancient City of Palmyra: The Pearl of the Desert

Palmyra is an ancient city located in modern Syria which served as the capital of the Palmyrene Kingdom during the 3rd century AD. In May 2015, this city made the headlines and grabbed the attention...

Chola Fresco of dancing girls. Brihadisvara Temple

29 March, 2016 - 03:49 dhwty

The Extensive and Sometimes Mythical History of the Chola Empire

The Chola Empire was a southern Indian state that existed from around the middle of the 9th century AD until the 13th century AD. Although the Chola Empire was founded during the 9th century AD, the...

The Jagannath Temple in Puri.

27 March, 2016 - 04:04 dhwty

The Jagannath Temple in India: Home to a Trio of Deities and Numerous Religious Festivals

The Jagannath Temple is an ancient temple located in Puri, a city in the state of Odisha on the eastern coast of India. This temple is dedicated to Jagannath, a Sanskrit name which may be translated...

22 March, 2016 - 02:55 dhwty

The Ancient Chinese Merchant Town Qikou: A Forgotten Jewel on the Banks of the Yellow River

Qikou (碛口镇) is a town located in Lin County, Shanxi Province, China. According to one source, human habitation of the area dates back to the Neolithic period. Nevertheless, the present town was...

Metal belt from Metsamor site, Armenia. Second century BC.

6 March, 2016 - 14:21 Lilit Mkhitaryan

The Legacy of Armenia: Trade, Metallurgy, and Forging of Precious Metals of the Ancient World

Since ancient times, demand for metals has been a big part of commercial exchange between countries separated by great distance. The Armenian Highland is situated between the Anatolian and Iranian...

Shahnameh (Book of Kings) Abu'l Qasim Firdausi (935–1020).

2 March, 2016 - 03:38 dhwty

The Early Rulers of Persia, Part II: The Kayanian Dynasty

( Read Part I ) According to Persian epic tradition, the Kayanians were the second dynasty to rule the land which is known today as Iran. The Kayanians succeeded the Pishdadians, whose dynasty ended...

Gate of all nations.

29 February, 2016 - 14:48 dhwty

The Early Rulers of Persia, Part I: The Pishdadian Dynasty

( Read Part II ) It is arguable that the most famous empire based in Persia was that of the Achaemenids. This was one of the greatest empires in the ancient world, and is best known in the Western...

A view of the Bibi-Khanum Mosque, Samarkand.

15 February, 2016 - 14:53 dhwty

Samarkand: An Ancient Link Between East and West

Samarkand, also spelled as Samarqand, is a city located in modern day Uzbekistan, or the historical Central Asian region of Transoxiana. The city’s location in the Zerafshan River Valley provided it...

Urartian Susi Temple in the Erebuni Fortress.

14 February, 2016 - 21:58 dhwty

The Great Erebuni of the Urartian Kingdom: Fortress of Blood

Erebuni Fortress, known also as Arin Berd (meaning ‘Fortress of Blood’) is a fortified settlement located in the southeastern outskirts of the modern city of Yerevan, Armenia. This fortress was...

Hellenistic culture in the Indian subcontinent: Greek clothes, amphoras, win,e and music. Detail from Chakhil-i-Ghoundi Stupa, Hadda, Gandhara, 1st century AD.

4 February, 2016 - 03:45 Natalia Klimczak

What Does Alexander the Great Have to Do with Buddhist Imagery?

When Alexander the Great arrived in Pakistan and India two very different civilizations confronted and were influenced by each other. The first anthropomorphic representations of Buddha were...

Anonymous Venetian Orientalist painting, The Reception of the Ambassadors in Damascus, 1511, the Louvre.

13 January, 2016 - 03:48 dhwty

Damascus: The Ancient City that was Fought Over by Numerous Civilizations is Facing its Biggest Crisis Today

The city of Damascus, which lies in the southwestern part of Syria, is one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world. This city is located in a desert oasis on the eastern foothills of...

Mitanni invaders

5 January, 2016 - 03:45 dhwty

A Forgotten Empire: The Ancient Kingdom of Mitanni

Mitanni was a state that existed between the 16th and 13th centuries BC. This state occupied the land of the Hurrians. This area is located in the upper Tigris-Euphrates basin, and corresponds today...

Archaeological site of Iwajuku

1 January, 2016 - 01:48 dhwty

The Controversial Iwajuku Site and the Argument for the Japanese Paleolithic Period

It was once thought that the human habitation of the Japanese archipelago began during the Jōmon period (approximately between 13,000 and 500 BC) This view changed however, with the discovery of...

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