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Costume armor of German mercenary infantry troops. Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art / Public Domain.

The Armor That Broke Away from All Established Standards (Video)

This exceptional piece of armor at the New York Met defies conventional expectations. Rather than a tool for battle, it takes on the role of ceremonial attire, drawing inspiration from the fashion...
The face of the Chimu culture wooden Chan Chan sculpture recently discovered on the periphery of the giant Chan Chan complex near Trujillo, Peru. Source: Decentralized Directorate of Culture of La Libertad / Peruvian government

Perfectly Preserved Chimu Sculpture Found at Chan Chan, Peru

A perfectly preserved Peruvian Chimu culture sculpture in the form of an intriguing wooden figure, has been found at a ceremonial center near Chan Chan, Trujillo in northern Peru. Dated between 850...
Ruins of Shahr-i Sokhta, the “Burnt City,” in Iran.

Shahr-i Sokhta, Mysteries of the Burnt City of Iran

Located near Zabol in the southeastern province of Sistan-Baluchestan, the ancient site of Shahr-i Sokhta (“Burnt City”) is one of the largest and richest Bronze Age sites in Iran and the Middle East...
The ceremonial chariot discovered near Pompeii. Source: Pompeii Archaeological Park

Pompeii: First Ever Roman Ceremonial Chariot Discovered in Italy!

Archaeologists excavating the ruins of a settlement north of Pompeii have discovered an exceptional ceremonial chariot that is almost intact. The ancient carriage is made from iron, bronze and tin...
Representation of the monkey geoglyph, Nazca lines, Peru.

The Perplexing Nazca Lines: Sacred Roads, Spirit Animals, or Water Sources?

The Nazca civilization thrived from 200 BC to about 600 AD in the arid plains of southern Peru. They practiced extensive irrigation at their main population centers and built two major urban...
The drum has been used since ancient times for rituals and communication. Source: zolotareva_elina / Adobe Stock.

Primeval Communication and the Beat of the Drum

Human beings need complex communication, no matter if it's through speech or music . The invention of drums has become an essential factor in all musical forms of artistic expression. It is through...
The Heslington skull and brain. Source: Top 5 Scary Videos / YouTube.

The Strange Phenomenon of the 2,600-year-old Heslington Brain

Sometime between 673 BC to 482 BC, in a region that would one day be known as East Heslington York, a mysterious man was hung by the rope and then decapitated ceremoniously. His severed head was...
Blockade of work on Adani Southern Galilee basin rail line. Credit: Takver / flickr

Aboriginal Australians Lose Land Rights to Coal Mine

With no public announcement whatsoever, the Queensland government in Australia has done away with a native title of over 1,385 hectares of Wangan and Jagalingou country for the controversial new...
The ruins of Fuerte de Samaipata

Fuerte De Samaipata - A Site of Ceremonial Carvings and Sacrifice

The Andean nation of Bolivia has been home to a number of remarkable cultures, and as a result many archaeological sites remain in the country. The Fuerte de Samaipata site has been recognized as...
Cowrie shell money. Source: tradol / Adobe.

Paying With Shells: Cowrie Shell Money Is One of the Oldest Currencies Still Collected Today

Shell money is a form of currency that was used in various parts of the world, including Asia , Africa, and Oceania . This type of money makes use of a type of marine snail known as cowrie and...
Whole rattlesnake found in human-produced coprolites.

Whole Rattlesnake Including Fangs Found Inside Lump of Fossilized Human Poo

Rattlesnake fangs are known to deliver hemotoxic venom which destroys human tissue causing disrupted blood clotting (necrosis and coagulopathy). But scientists have found one encased inside a human-...
Cherokee inscriptions found in Manitou Cave, Alabama.

Cherokee Inscriptions in Alabama Cave Speak of Sacred Sport, Nose Bleeds, and the Old Ones

For the first time, a team of scholars and archaeologists has recorded and interpreted Cherokee inscriptions in Manitou Cave , Alabama. These inscriptions reveal evidence of secluded ceremonial...
Artist's conception of Calusa people preparing for fishing in the estuary. Source: Image by Merald Clark.

Grand Ceremonial House of the King of the Calusa People Has Been Located in Florida

The National Geographic has reported that archaeologists have discovered an ancient Native American king’s house in Florida. A team has uncovered the foundations of a large dwelling and this is...
Maria Reiche measuring the Nazca Lines.

Maria Reiche: The Governess of Nazca

Today, the birthday of the German lady who contributed greatly to our understanding of the famous Nazca Lines in Peru, is being marked by Google Doodle and others. Maria Reiche was a talented...
Detail of one of the pits found in Sunnsvära, Sweden.

Over 80 Strange Bronze Age Holes Discovered in Sweden. Why Did People Gather there 3000 Years Ago?

If preliminary analyses of the excavations are right, it appears food preparation and large gatherings have gone hand in hand in Sweden for millennia. 82 holes of varying sizes and a more modern...
Drawing of what part of Tenochtitlan city (now Mexico City), location of the temple and ball court, may have looked like, based on the Spanish chronicles.

Aztec Temple, Ball Court and 32 Neck Bones Discovered in the Heart of Mexico City

Archaeologists announced on Wednesday that important remains of a significant Aztec temple and a ceremonial ball court have been discovered in downtown Mexico City. According to the experts, the...
Frieze discovered at the atrium of the Main Pyramid Huaca Garagay site.

Incredible New 3,500-year-old Chavin Style Friezes Discovered at Central Site in Lima

Lima Municipality archaeologists have discovered ancient, high relief friezes painted in several colors at Huaca Garagay site in Lima's San Martin de Porres district. Experts suggest that the newly...
Cro Magnon diorama showing a mammoth bone shelter.

Did Man and Mammoth Ever Live in Harmony? Not Quite…

Humans and mammoths coexisted in Europe for about 30,000 years. As a result, it makes sense that humans would have used mammoths and their remains for food and possibly for making clothing and even...
The magnificent ancient city of Petra, Jordan.

BREAKING NEWS: Enormous Monument Over 2,000 Years Old Discovered in Petra

Archaeologists in Jordan have made an incredible find at the World Heritage site of Petra. A massive ceremonial platform measuring 184ft (56m) by 161ft (49m), which ‘has no parallels’ in the ancient...
Prehistoric Native American Site in Ohio Reflects Ancient Beliefs About the Cosmos

Prehistoric Native American Site in Ohio Reflects Ancient Beliefs About the Cosmos

It is known that 2,300 years ago Native Americans who lived near the Huron River observed the sky above them. The researchers recently discovered a prehistoric site, believed to have been used for...
Kushite ceremonial cup

Cheers! Archaeologists Discover Ceremonial Cup from the Dynasty of the Black Pharaohs

A team of scientists, composed of members of the Tenerife University of La Laguna and in charge of carrying out an archaeological mission in Luxor, have recently discovered a ceremonial cup from the...
Excavation, Cosma, Peru

Grand Sized Mystery in Peru: Archaeologists Stumped over Giant Ceramic Structures that resemble Dinosaur Eggs

A giant and well-rounded discovery has been unearthed in Cosma, Peru. They look like the remains of giant dinosaur eggs, but archaeologists believe the newly found structures are either giant pots or...
Nazca Lines

New Study suggests Nazca Lines formed Ancient Pilgrimage Route to Cahuachi Temple

New research suggests that the mysterious Nazca line geoglyphs in Peru were used by two separate groups of people along a pilgrimage route to the ancient temple complex of Cahuachi, a ceremonial...
Rare ancient 3,500-year-old ceremonial dagger

The rare 3,500-year-old ceremonial dagger that was used as a door stop

An object pulled up by a plow in a field and used to prop open an office door was identified by archaeologists as an extremely rare and valuable Bronze Age ceremonial dagger, known as a dirk, one of...

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