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Excavations of a group burial complex of the Wari empire. Source: ed. M. Giersz, © PUCP Archaeology Program “Valley of Pachacámac”/ CC BY-SA 4.0; Center & Right: © M.Giersz, ed. K. Kowalewski/ CC BY-SA 4.0

Wari-Mask Mummies And Carved Totems Dating Back to 800-1000 AD Found in Peru

A recent discovery at Pachacámac in Peru has revealed a significant find of seventy-three intact burials, in funerary bundles known as ‘fardos’. The burials are of both genders, with some adorned...
IMAGE Upload an image to go with this article. Show row weights FILE INFORMATION	OPERATIONS   Image icon Palestinian-Pottery.png (1.05 MB) Alternate text

Resisting the Odds: The Inspiring Story of Gaza’s Pottery Artisans (Video)

For decades, the people of Gaza have faced immense challenges as a result of the ongoing armed conflict and political turmoil in the region. Despite the adversity, however, there are those who have...
Male figure, 14th-17th century and female figure, 13th-–15th century. Source: Sailko/CC BY 3.0 /Musée du quai Branly/CC BY-SA 3.0

Clay Wonders: The Handmade Figurines of Djenne-Djenno

Amidst the vast expanses of the Malian region, there once flourished a remarkable civilization. How do we know? The unique terracotta figurines of Djenne-Djenno give historians a glimpse into the...
Moche pottery depicting copulation. Museo Larco – Lima, Perú

The Moche Uncensored! 15 Surprising Erotic Ceramics of Peru

The Moche were a mysterious civilization who ruled the northern coast of Peru beginning 2,000 years ago. Little was known about the Moche civilization until the 1980s when archaeologists began...
One of the 14th-century-BC Canaanite burials at Tel Yehud associated with vessels containing traces of opium. Source: Assaf Peretz / Israel Antiquities Authority

Evidence of Opium Use By Canaanites in 14th Century BC Found

Human beings have been using hallucinogenic or psychoactive drugs to experience pleasurable sensations or induce altered states of consciousness for thousands of years. It is possible this activity...
An archaeologist excavates a ceramic artifact at the pre-Hispanic Aztatlán culture settlement in Mexico, hidden beneath the urban sprawl of the west coast port city of Mazatlán.	Source: INAH

Pre-Hispanic Aztatlán Culture Evidence Found Under Mexican Urban Sprawl

Workers carrying out paving and infrastructure work in Mexico’s southern port city of Maztalan stumbled upon ancient human remains from a pre-Hispanic Aztatlán culture settlement. Preliminary...
A ceramic Chuiwan golf ball (R) and a modern golf ball (L) displayed in an art gallery at Pingdingshan University, Henan Province, China.	Source: Li An / Xinhua

1,000-Year-Old Chuiwan Golf Balls Discovered In China

Mainstream history would have you believe the modern game of golf originated in 15th-century Scotland. Golf's first major, and the world's oldest tournament in existence, was The Open Championship (...
The Ru ware bowl in the Sir David Percival Collection at the British Museum that was long believed to be a Korean imitation but has proven to be authentic and worth a fortune as a result.		Source: Sir David Percival Collection / The Trustees of the British Museum

Museum’s “Korean” Ru Ware Bowl Is Chinese and Now Worth $21 Million!

It’s not unusual for people to have antique heirlooms or other rare items laying around that are far more valuable than they realize. Of course, no one would expect that to happen in a museum, where...
Of the two unusual Bavarian graves, this one was of a 40- to 50-year-old man buried with his horse and a carved ivory comb for beard grooming.		Source: Archaeological Office Dr. Woidich GmbH

Rare Artifacts Found in Two 6th Century Bavarian Graves in Germany

Two Bavarian graves unearthed during excavations in the southern German town of Deiningen have generated exceptional interest among archaeologists. The two graves were in excellent condition when...
Prehistoric wooden constructions from the Qujialing culture found at China’s Jijiaocheng Site in Hunan Province. Source: ChinaNews.com

Neolithic Qujialing Culture Wooden Structures Uncovered in China

Qujialing culture (3400–2600 BC) wooden structures dating back some 4800 years have recently been excavated at the prehistoric Jijiaocheng Site in Changde City in China’s Hunan Province. Some of...
ranck Goddio underwater at Thonis-Heracleion next to an ancient Egyptian stone statue. Source: Christoph Gerigk / Franck Goddio / Hilti Foundation

2,400-Year-Old Fruit Baskets Found Underwater at Thonis-Heracleion, Egypt!

Recently, while research work was underway at Thonis-Heracleion in the bay of Abu Qir, intact fruit baskets have been discovered that were dated to the 4th century BC! The ancient Egyptian port city...
The Shock Discovery of the Nakovane Zodiac

The Shock Discovery of the Nakovane Zodiac

The history of Dalmatia in Croatia is very important for the entire region of the Adriatic, tying in directly with the events that were crucial for both the Balkans and the Mediterranean. Sadly, the...
The analysis of fat residues on pottery reveals clues about ancient Indus Valley food preferences.

Pot Residues Lift the Lid on Ancient Indus Valley Food Choices

Researchers are getting a glimpse into ancient Indus Valley food choices by analyzing residues on ceramic pots from urban and rural settlements during the Mature Harappan period (c.2600/2500–1900 BC...
Zultepec-Tecoaque archaeological site in Tlaxcala, Mexico

Archaeological site in Mexico reveals sacrifice and cannibalization of Spanish conquistadors

Excavations at the Zultepec-Tecoaque archaeological site in Tlaxcala, Mexico, have revealed that indigenous Acolhuas peoples captured a caravan of 550 conquistadors and their allies in 1520, kept...
Mold used by the Maya to make figurines. Credit: Dr Brent Woodfill, Winthrop University.

Largest Ever Maya Figurine Workshop Discovered Accidentally in Unexplored Mound

In May 2018, heavy machinery excavating outside the city of Coban, in the highlands of Guatemala , sliced into a large earthen mound that was found to contain millions of parts from Classic Maya...
The ‘Made in China’ inscription (highlighted here) indicates that this piece may have been made in the Wang family workshop Jianning Fu Prefecture.

‘Made in China’ Mark Names the Source of Java Shipwreck Cargo

Experts at the Field Museum in Chicago have made a discovery regarding a Chinese treasure trove that lay strewn on the ocean floor in the Java Sea. The trove was from a sunken ship that carried...
Left, A stone piece bearing the painting of a human face and found in Kikonai, Hokkaido (Yoshinori Toyomane) Right. A Sketch of the impression.

4,300-Year-Old First Face Offers a Glimpse of Ancient Japanese Culture

Archaeologists in Japan have discovered what appears to be the first piece of stone painted that depicts a human face dating from the mid-Jomon Pottery Culture (2500–1500 BC). Experts describe the...
The rare pottery kiln that was used to fire jars in the ancient workshop. Photographic credit: Royee Liran, Israel Antiquities Authority.

1,600-Year-Old Pottery Workshop Has First Known Rock-Hewn Kiln in Israel

During the construction of a new residential quarter, north of the new Yaʽarit neighborhood, a team of archaeologists from the Israel Antiquities Authority uncovered a Roman era pottery workshop,...
Talgua Cave: The Cave of the Glowing Skulls

Talgua Cave: The Cave of the Glowing Skulls

Talgua Cave, known also as the ‘Cave of the Glowing Skulls’, is a cave located in the Olancho Valley, which is situated in Catacamas, a municipality in northeastern Honduras. The cave’s name may be...
The interior of what researchers call Temple E in Selinunte

Archaeologists in Sicily excavate an ancient Greek city remarkably preserved beneath earth and sand

In 409 BC, Carthaginian troops from North Africa slaughtered and enslaved the 16,000 soldiers and residents of Selinunte, a Greek metropolis whose ruins were preserved in ancient times by blowing...
The Canine Figurines of Mesoamerican Colima

A Dog Eat Dog World: The Canine Figurines of Mesoamerican Colima

The ceramics of West Mexico were very different from contemporary civilizations. Jalisco, Nayarit and Colima were the primary sites, creating some of the most intriguing and visually stimulating art...
Sacrificed humans found in ancient Chinese tombs from the Qijia Culture

Sacrificed humans found in ancient Chinese tombs from the Qijia Culture

Archaeologists from Northwest University, China, investigating the ancient Qijia culture have discovered evidence of human sacrifice in tombs in North West China. The ancient cemetery, consisting of...
A sex-themed vessel found in Peru. Museo Arqueologico, Lima, Peru.

Sex Pottery of Peru: Moche Ceramics Shed Light on Ancient Sexuality

The Moche were a mysterious civilization who ruled the northern coast of Peru beginning two thousand years ago. They built huge pyramids made of millions of mud bricks and created an extensive...
Excavation of fortress established by Mongol conqueror Genghis Khan unearthed in Mongolia

Military stronghold for Mongolian Conqueror Genghis Khan Found by Archaeologists

Scenes depicted in a Chinese medieval travel book gave clues to researchers, helping them locate what is said to be a 13 th century military outpost used by Mongolian conqueror Genghis Khan. As...

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