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Ancient Origins Tour IRAQ

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Crusader knight. Source: vitanovski / Adobe Stock.

What Life Was Like for a Medieval Crusader (Video)

In the era between 1096 and 1271, the Crusades unfolded as a dynamic clash of cultures, reshaping two continents. Yet, life for a medieval Crusader was far from uniform. Noble knights and commoners...
People are shocked and outraged by the vandalism in St. Michan’s church and its crypt. They are especially upset by the desecration of the Crusader mummy.

Vandals Decapitate and Steal the Head of Dublin’s 800-Year-Old Crusader Mummy

Local media in Dublin, Ireland are reporting a shocking story of a church dating back to the early Middle Ages which suffered an attack by vandals. Some mummies in its crypt have been desecrated...
Frederick Barbarossa awards the city of Haarlem with a sword for its shield or coat-of-arms. By Pieter de Greber, 1630.

Frederick I Barbarossa: A Megalomaniac Roman Emperor On a Crusade for Power

Some people believe they were born for greatness but fall short and some go on to exceed all expectations. Frederick I Barbarossa falls into the second category. His ambition for power was limitless...
A 13th century, double-edged sword, possibly of German manufacture but discovered in England in the 19th century (British Museum 1858,1116.5)

The Encoded Crusader Sword: Can You Solve the Cryptic Code?

Can you solve the cryptic code engraved into the blade of this 13th century sword? The curious inscription continues to baffle historians, cryptographers ad linguists and last year the British...
Crusader Shipwreck Yields Coins and Other Artifacts from the Final Years of a Holy Land Fortress

Crusader Shipwreck Yields Coins and Other Artifacts from the Final Years of a Holy Land Fortress

Marine archaeologists have discovered some intriguing artifacts in the wreck of a ship belonging to the Crusaders in Acre, Israel. It dates to the time of the valiant last stand by the few remaining...
Features The Return of the Crusader by Karl Friedrich Lessing, and an illustration from Jack the Giant Killer

Tom Hickathrift - the Crusader who became Jack the Giant Killer

Many of you will be familiar with the legend or fairy-tale of Jack the Giant Killer and, in England, the popular Christmas pantomime Jack and the Beanstalk . But, Jack is a relatively recent...
Crusader Hospital in Jerusalem

1000-Year-Old Crusader Hospital Unveiled in Jerusalem

Thirteen years after excavation work quietly began, the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) have just announced the finding of a 1000-year-old building which was once the largest hospital in the...