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Some of the figures at Adamkayalar. Source: Oleg Znamenskiy/Adobe Stock

Treasure Hunters Damage Ancient Rock Carvings After Non-existent ‘Hidden Treasures’

The Adamkayalar reliefs, located in Mersin Province’s southern region, near the southern coast of Turkey, have recently suffered damage from treasure hunters and need urgent protection to avoid...
Rakau Momori Moriori tree carvings. Source: Royston Vasey / CC BY-SA 3.0

Endangered Heritage: The Rakau Momori Tree Carvings of the Moriori

Wood carving, or whakairo , has a long and rich history in Maori culture. Traditionally, Maori artisans, utilizing woods like totara, kauri and pohutukawa, crafted intricate designs laden with...
A team of international archaeologists discovered life-sized wild camel carvings on a rock outcrop near the southern Nafud desert border in Saudi Arabia. Carvings are outlined in white to enhance visibility.         Source: Maria Guagnin, et al/Science

Carved Camels Ready for Copulation in Saudi Arabian Desert: Unknown Origin

An international team of archaeologists studying ancient rock art in Saudi Arabia is celebrating a new and surprising discovery. On a rock outcropping near the southern border of the Nafud desert ,...
Inga Stone. Source: Marinelson Almeida Silva/CC BY 2.0

Message from Outer Space? The Mysterious Indecipherable Script of the Inga Stone

Standing amidst the waters of the Inga River in Brazil, the mysterious Inga Stone of Paraíba, Brazil is an archaeological treasure of much ongoing controversy. Covering most of its 150-foot length (...
Neanderthal engravings in Gorham’s Cave, Gibraltar. Credit: Stewart Finlayson, courtesy of  Gibraltar Museum.

Gorham’s Cave: Did Neanderthals Create Art? (Video)

The enigmatic past of Neanderthals has long intrigued researchers, raising questions about their cognitive abilities and creative expressions. Nestled within the depths of Gorham's Cave , just off...
The awe-inspiring Gopachal rock-cut Jain monuments in Madhya Pradesh, India. Source: sumit / Adobe Stock

India’s Gopachal Rock-Cut Jain Monuments: A Colossal Cultural Marvel

The Indian subcontinent boasts a rich history and is home to some of the world's most impressive ancient artworks. Among them are the awe-inspiring Gopachal rock-cut Jain monuments, which prompt...
Malangan carvings, now world-famous, are the wooden carvings which are created for use in malangan ceremonies. Traditionally these were burnt at the conclusion of the event; in modern times most are now retained.      Source: Rita Willaert/CC BY-NC-SA 2.0

Honoring and Negating the Dead through Malangan in Papua New Guinea

The term “malangan” has a dual meaning. It can either represent the elaborate memorial festivals held in New Ireland (Papua New Guinea) in honor of deceased members of a clan, or it can refer to the...
Below the deposits of sea mud, a marine archaeologist studies a road that once connected an offshore prehistoric settlement to mainland Korčula Island. Source: Sveučilište u Zadru

7,000-Year-Old Road Discovered in Croatia’s Adriatic Depths

Croatia’s Korčula Island is ringed with archaeological sites dating back to 20,000 BC. But the discovery of a 7,000-year-old road, that once connected an ancient site with the island, was completely...
Ancient Alaskan Petroglyphs in Stone. Some of the best surviving examples of native artistic expression are petroglyphs found in southeast Alaska. Source: LoweStock/Adobe Stock

The Continuing Enigma of the Petroglyph Beach in Wrangell, Alaska

The wild and enigmatic northern regions of North America have always been a place of great mystery. The wild beauty of Alaska, of Canada’s vast northern provinces, and their tranquil coastal areas,...
The Uushgiin Ovor deer stone site near Mörönь, Khovsgol, Mongolia. Source: Aloxe / Free Art Libre

The Mysterious Deer Stones of Mongolia

Mongolia is steeped in rich, ancient culture. One of the most fascinating discoveries made in Mongolia is that of their mysterious deer stones. These deer stones are estimated to be at least 2,700...
The historic Buddhist icon Emerald Buddha at Wat Phra Kaew temple. Source: JPSwimmer / CC BY-SA 3.0

The Sacred Emerald Buddha: A Message of Peace

The religion of Buddhism has several sacred icons, but one of the most sacred is the famous Emerald Buddha. Housed in a temple named after it, the Emerald Buddha is an essential aspect of Buddhist...
These ancient Iraq carvings dating to the Assyrian Empire were unearthed near the Mashki Gate in Mosul, escaping destruction by IS in 2016. Source: Iraqi Ministry of Culture

Ancient Assyrian Carvings Found Near Mashki Gate Destroyed by ISIS

Eight stunningly detailed carved stone panels have been discovered near the Mosul, Iraq. They were unearthed near Mashki Gate, a site that was bulldozed by Islamic State (IS) terrorists in 2016. The...
The Runamo Runes: The Mysterious Runic Inscription that Never Was!

The Runamo Runes: The Mysterious Runic Inscription that Never Was!

Before the invention of paper, humanity often inscribed words, symbols, and images onto the living stone of the surrounding landscape. These images, often commemorating significant cultural events or...
The entrance to the Ganesha Gumpha section of the Udayagiri cave complex. Source:  Paramanu Sarkar / CC BY SA 4.0

Udayagiri and Khandagiri Caves: Intricate Jain Monuments to Faith

There is an incredible archaeological site just outside the city of Bhubaneswar in Odisha, India that attracts thousands of tourists each year. The Udayagiri caves are part natural, part man-made...
Large boab tree with coiled snake carving, northern Tanami Desert. Source: Darrell Lewis / Antiquity Publications Ltd

Tracking Down Ancient Artwork Carved into Australian Boab Trees

Archaeologists and historians from Australian National University, the University of Western Australia and the University of Canberra recently teamed up with a group of First Nations Australian...
A staff member cleans a Song dynasty mural discovered in the Zhouqiao relic site in Kaifeng City, central China's Henan Province. Source: Xinhua

Huge, Exquisite, Song Dynasty Stone Murals Found in China

Two massive stone mural carvings dating to the Northern Song dynasty (960-1127 AD) that were found in central China’s Henan province have been hailed by archaeologists as a remarkable discovery...
The center of the late-Neolithic-period Chinese pyramid palace city slowly emerging from the landscape it became part of thousands of years ago. Source: China Daily

King Carved In Stone Found at 4,200-Year-Old Chinese Pyramid Palace

A team of archaeologists have potentially found the portrait of a king carved into stone at the base of a massive prehistoric pyramid complex in northwest China. At more than 70 meters (230 feet) in...
This is one of the two rare huge Olmec reliefs from 900-400 BC found in the province of Tabasco, Mexico, which signal the transitional Mayanization of Olmec motifs, according to INAH archaeologists. Source: INAH

Two Huge Stone Olmec Reliefs Depict Rulers in Divine Trance Pose

Massive monuments and two carved limestone Olmec reliefs of local rulers have been recovered from the municipality of Tenosique in south-eastern Mexico. The rulers in this extremely rare Olmec relief...
The mysterious and elaborately carved walls of Royston Cave. Source: Sizbut / Flickr

Enigmatic Symbols and Carvings in Man-Made Royston Cave

The Royston Cave is an artificial cave in Hertfordshire, England, which contains strange carvings. It is not known who created the cave or what it was used for, but there has been much speculation...
Library in Stone: The Ica Stones of Professor Cabrera – Part I

Library in Stone: The Ica Stones of Professor Cabrera – Part I

In 1961, the Rio Ica burst its banks and flooded parts of the Ocucaje Desert. Was an earthquake responsible for the flood? When the water had retreated, the local farmers inspected the damage. Their...
The genitalia carving in All Saints Church in Hereford, England is located above where the congregation would sit. Recently the image went viral on the internet. But it is only one of many lewd images of this kind to be found in churches across the UK!                 Source: Hereford Times

English Church’s Naughty Carving Goes Viral and There Are More!

Anglican All Saints Church in Hereford, England, grabbed the headlines recently when an X-rated genitalia carving discovered in the church overlooking the congregation seating area went viral. All...
5,000-Year-Old Deer Carvings Discovered In A First for Scotland!

5,000-Year-Old Deer Carvings Discovered In A First for Scotland!

Lost for around 5,000 years, an amateur archaeologist has discovered deer carvings inside Kilmartin Glen’s Dunchraigaig Cairn in the west of Scotland. The Neolithic or Early Bronze Age carvings...
The Curious Case of the Rocky Valley Labyrinths

The Curious Case of the Rocky Valley Labyrinths

Located between Boscastle and Tintagel , Rocky Valley is a small valley in northern Cornwall , England, carved by the Trevillet River. A site of mystic and historical fascination, it is home to two...
The three faces of the Lake Winnipesaukee Mystery Stone, New Hampshire, USA

Out of Place Artifact: The Mysterious Stone Egg of Lake Winnipesaukee

In 1872, construction workers digging a hole for a fence post near the shores of Lake Winnipesaukee in New England found a lump of clay with an egg shaped artifact inside it, six feet below the...

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