All  

Ancient Origins Tour IRAQ

Ancient Origins Tour IRAQ Mobile

China

21 ancient Han tombs have been discovered, including a rare 2,000-year-old double-layer burial tomb. Source: Xinhua

Archaeological Treasure Trove! 21 Royal Han Tombs Unearthed in China

Archeologists exploring a mountainside in China have discovered 21 tombs dating back 2,000 years. The presence of luxury artifacts and a rare “couple’s grave” suggests this was an ancient royal...
Massacres have been a near constant in human history. Pieter Bruegel the Elder painting The Triumph of Death, circa 1562. Source: Public Domain

The Stories Behind Seven of the Worst Massacres in Ancient History

We all know that the ancient world was a violent place, but we often don’t appreciate just how violent it was. The world was in a near-constant state of bloodshed and warfare. Massacres and mass...
Hyperinflation is commonly caused by rapidly printing currency, and the Yuan dynasty printed non-stop to fund war. Shown: Bills from the Xuantong era (1909-1911) Source: Public Domain

Did the Yuan Dynasty's Use of Paper Money Cause Hyperinflation?

Although China’s pre-revolution hyperinflation during the 1940s is the one that one often hears about, there is a less-documented hyperinflation that occurred in ancient China. The first civilization...
The Great Wall of China. Source:  Li Ding / Adobe Stock

Ancient Reeds Whisper Secrets about China’s Great Wall

Scientists analyzing microscopic plant materials trapped within building materials on The Great Wall of China have derived volumes of information about ancient environmental and climatological...
Coin sword made of an iron rod with Chinese cash coins of the 19th century tied to it with red and green string in the shape of a sword, with hanging ornaments. Source: British Museum / CC BY NC SA 4.0

Ancient Chinese Coin Swords: Demon Fighting Weapons of the East

One of the most fascinating discoveries from ancient China are coin swords. Coin swords, also known as cash swords, are an ancient type of feng shui talisman that has been around since the Qing...
Mural of Turkic cavalry, Beshbalik (10th Century)(CC0)

The 751 AD Battle Of Talas Deciding The Fate Of Medieval Central Asia

In the eighth century, as Charlemagne forged his European empire, and the Vikings emerged from the bowels of Scandinavia as the most fearsome raiders of their time, fierce battles raged...
These terracotta figurines were unearthed by archaeologists from the Datong Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology from a tomb dating to the Northern Wei Dynasty (386-534) in Datong, Shanxi province. Source: China Daily

Wei Dynasty Terracotta Figurines Enrich Our Knowledge of Ancient China

Datong, Shanxi province has now yielded a large number of terracotta figurines, dated 1,500-years-old in the latest round of archaeological finds - all from the tombs of the upper class. Due to where...
The wako pirates are typically portrayed as Japanese pirates, but the reality was more complex. Depiction of a pirate ship sailing on the ocean against a golden sky. Source: Gasi / Adobe Stock

The Notorious Wako Pirates of Japan

The wako (also called wokou or waegu) were a group of marauders that dominated the seas of East Asia for centuries. They have been seen by Western historians and culture as a kind of Japanese pirate...
Intricate incense clocks were developed in Qing Dynasty China.	Source: Science Museum Group / CC BY SA 4.0

Ancient Incense Clocks: A Timely Glow

Checking the time hasn’t always been as easy as glancing at your smartphone. In ancient times, humans would determine the time by using devices made of sand, stone, shadows, wheels, and more. One...
A modern monk walks into Shaolin Temple, famous for its kung-fu warriors, located in the high mountains of Henan, China.                Source: Daniel / Adobe Stock

The Historic Struggle of China’s Culturally Rich Shaolin Temple

The still famous and active Shaolin Temple monastery is best known as the birthplace of Shaolin Kung Fu and Chan Buddhism, a traditional Chinese subtype of Mahayana Buddhism. Also called Shaolin...
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 fossil of a Homo erectus skull found in recent national civilization origin-tracing program. Source: Courtesy of the National Cultural Heritage Administration

Million-Year-Old Human Skull Found in China Reveals Evolutionary Secrets

Archaeologists in China have uncovered a human skull that is almost unimaginably old. While performing excavations in the central province of Hubei, a team of researchers affiliated with the Hubei...
Graphic of two kung fu fighters in moonlight. Source: silla5775 / Adobe Stock

The History of Kung Fu: A Modern Name for an Ancient Art

Martial arts have become increasingly popular over the last few decades. Out of all the martial arts, kung fu, popularized by stars like Bruce Lee and Jackie Chan, has become the most well-known...
Chinese woman in white makeup, illustrative of how lead white makeup was once worn.	Source: yuri2011 / Adobe Stock

The Chinese May have Been First to Use Synthetic Skin-whitening Cosmetics

A new study suggests that the Chinese may have been the first to use synthetic skin-whitening makeup and were making it before the Greeks and Romans. Bronze jars excavated from an elite tomb in...
Two men practicing karate	Source: Andrey Burmakin / Adobe Stock

Friends to Foes: The Surprising Origin and Evolution of Karate

When you think of martial arts, karate is probably one of the first that comes to mind. It has appeared in countless action films, TV shows, and video games. Today, parents all over the world send...
Bronze mythical beast extracted from pit No. 8 at Sanxingdui, China. Source: Weibo

Bronze Mythical Beast Weighing Over 300 Pounds Found in Sanxingdui Ruins

A fantastic creature has finally been released from the pit of extraordinary metal objects at Sanxingdui, China, once again proving the advanced metalworking skills, artistic talent and imagination...
Chinese knife money. Source: sytilin / Adobe Stock

Chinese Knife Money: Making Markets feel Murderous?

The days of ‘cash as king’ are fading. Today, credit, debit, and digital currency have begun to slowly replace cash as the primary forms of payment, but it was not always so. For centuries, paper...
Representation of a ritual human sacrifice on an altar. Source: archangelworks / Adobe Stock

Blood for the Gods: 10 Cultures that Engaged in Ritual Sacrifice

Since the dawn of humanity, countless civilizations have engaged in ritual sacrifice. Often, these sacrifices involved other humans, and were so common they were considered a normal aspect of life...
The autopsy of Xin Zhui, Lady of Dai. Source: Hunan Provincial Museum.

Lady of Dai Mummy is So Well Preserved That Blood Remains in Her Veins

The 2,200-year-old mummified body of a Chinese noblewoman known as Xin Zhui , or The Lady of Dai, is an anomaly. When her body was discovered, it was so incredibly well preserved that it equalled...
Therapist giving acupuncture to a woman. Source:  juripozzi / Adobe Stock

The Evolution of Acupuncture: From Ancient China to Worldwide Recognition

It is commonly believed that acupuncture played a key role in China’s medical history and is often seen as an integral part of China’s traditional health care, at least in the west. However, was this...
The waterway wonders of China’s Grand Canal are both picturesque and ancient in some sections but also super modern and unattractive in others. This part of the canal is in the ancient, preserved section of Shaoxing, Zhejiang, China. Source: gui yong nian / Adobe Stock

The 2500-year-old Genius of China’s Grand Canal System

Ancient China is known for its famous dynasties, rich culture, and some of the first “advanced” technological innovations in the world. One of the best-known works created in ancient China is China’s...
The stone carved chrysalis found at the Shangguo Site in Wenxi County in the city of Yuncheng, north China's Shanxi Province. Source: Provincial archaeology institute of Shanxi/Handout via Xinhua

5,200-Year-Old Carved Stone Chrysalis Unearthed from the Dawn of The Silk Road

Sericulture, or the rearing of silkworms to produce raw silk, was perfected by ancient China as early as the Yangshao period (5000-3000 BC), a thriving Neolithic culture. The marvels of silk and the...
Demonstration of Buddhist Bronze Mirror reflecting its image at the Cincinnati Art Museum. Source: Rob Deslongchamps/Cincinnati Art Museum

Magic Mirror With Hidden Image Discovered At Cincinnati Museum

Hiding in plain sight – in the storage of Cincinnati Art Museum’s East Asian art collection, a seemingly unremarkable bronze mirror from the 15th and 16th century China. Part of a vast collection of...
Circular gate in the Suzhou gardens. Source: rudiuk / Adobe Stock

The Classical Gardens of Suzhou: A Sight to Behold

Some of the most beautiful sights to see in China are the classical Suzhou gardens. Suzhou, located in Jiangsu province in eastern China, is known as the home of these gardens, which are often called...

Pages