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Radajal festival of the Seto people    Source: Ivo Kruusamägi / CC BY-SA 4.0

Border Change Causes Cultural Destruction of the Seto People

Estonia-Russian border controls are actively “tearing apart” the ancestral traditions of the Seto people. Seto people are an indigenous Finno-Ugric ethnic and linguistic minority inhabiting south-...
The Pre-Roman cultures shaped Italy into the civilization it became. Source: Tryfonov / Adobe Stock.

What Archaeology Tells US About Pre-Roman Cultures

When we talk about the ancient ages of the Italian Peninsula, we often focus on Rome and the early history of its people. But the history of this crucial European region is very rich and intricate,...
There are many hidden travel destinations in India. Source: Roop Dey / Adobe Stock.

Odd and Inexplicable Places in India Even Indians Don’t Know About!

A land of mysteries, a civilization which has endured several mutations, India is indeed a myriad of many contradictions and paradoxes. As the famous BBC correspondent Mark Tully would say, ‘there...
Southwest Africa, one of the places of human origins. Source: mezzotint_fotolia / Adobe Stock.

New Findings Change the Theories of Human Origins

The evolution and spread of Homo sapiens is perhaps one of the greatest mysteries in all of science. Until recently, it was believed that the origins of the species and the ancestors of every person...
The Indonesian cave art hunting scene panorama. Source: Credit: Adam Brumm, Agus Oktaviana

Indonesian Cave Art Demands Human Cultural Evolution Overhaul

A major discovery has been made in a limestone cave in Sulawesi, Indonesia - the earliest known hunting scene in the world has been identified on a hard to reach cliff face. At least 43,900 years ago...
A previously discovered pendant made by the Sechin culture. (Lombard Museum/CC BY 3.0) Right: The newly unearthed Peruvian pyramid was also made by the Sechin culture. (Andina)

5000-year-old Pyramid Structure Leads to Grisly Finds In Peru

In Peru, archaeologists have uncovered a mysterious pyramid structure in a massive archaeological complex. The pyramid may have been used for ceremonial purposes and could even have been the site of...
The new Mexico and Central America Gallery at Penn Museum.         Source: Eric Sucar/ University of Pennsylvania

Global Guides Animate the Past in Penn Museum’s New Galleries

The new Penn Museum will include six new 'Global Guides’ from Africa , Mexico , and Central America . Our technology driven world allows us instant access to documentaries, blogs, and Twitter feeds...
An Aurignacian tooth found in the Manot Cave, Israel. (Tel Aviv University) Cro-Magnon artists painting in Font-de-Gaume by Charles Robert Knight. (Public Domain)

Aurignacian Secrets Revealed in Cutting-Edge Dental Research

Who exactly were the Aurignacians who lived in the Levant 40,000 years ago? They first appeared in Europe some 43,000 years ago, bringing a cultural golden period of the Paleolithic with them. Their...
Rebala Bronze Age graves                            Source: Photo by Tarmo Lilles

Rebala Heritage Reserve, A Glimpse Into 5000 Years of Human History

The Rebala Heritage Reserve is an extensive reserve filled with archaeological marvels from the Stone to the Viking Age and offers visitors a step into the long, rich history of the Estonia. The many...
The Harvest Moon. Source: klagyivik / Adobe Stock.

Rare Harvest Moon Occurs on Friday 13th

This year, the Harvest Moon rises today, Friday the 13th September. But why was this particular moon so special to ancient cultures? The brilliant Harvest Moon will appear tonight and will reach its...
Dia De Muertos. Credit: Yuliya Ochkan / Adobe Stock

Mexican Day of the Dead – Bittersweet Remembrance of Departed Ancestors

The celebrated Mexican Day of the Dead means one thing for city dwellers and quite another for country folks. It is a day dedicated to the bittersweet remembrance of departed family members. It also...
The Cooper’s Ferry site, Idaho is the oldest example of human habitation in North America, influencing theories of the first Americans..

First Americans Arrived by Sea Over 15,000 Years Ago, Surprise Finding Suggests

Archaeologists have made what could be a pivotal discovery in the populating of the Americas , challenging previous dominant theories of how the first people arrived. They have unearthed a series of...
Lady of Baza, famous Iberian sculpture from a style that was developed by the Iberians of the Bronze age. Source: Juan Aunión / Adobe Stock.

The Restless Peninsula: The Proud and Colorful History of Iberia

Over the ages, the Iberian Peninsula was a melting pot of diverse cultures and civilizations, a piece of Europe that saw numerous migrations and many nations that rose and fell on its soil. Being the...
Peering Through Time: Early Mirrors in Mesoamerica - Elite Item and Divination Tool

Peering Through Time: Early Mesoamerican Mirrors for Grooming and Divination

Mirrors are known to have been used by human beings for thousands of years. The earliest examples of manufactured mirrors come from Anatolia (known today as Turkey). These were made from pieces of...
Moche Decapitator mural at Huaca de la Luna

Exploring the Cupisnique Civilization: First Amongst the Supernatural Decapitators?

The Cupisnique culture (1500 BC-200 BC) is considered one of the most definitive and influential societies that existed in the Jequetepeque Valley of Peru. Their influence reached Cajamarca , Chavin...
Memories of Childhood: Aesop’s Fables are as Relevant Today as They Were 2,600 Years Ago

Memories of Childhood: Aesop’s Fables are as Relevant Today as They Were 2,600 Years Ago

The Frog and the Mouse, The Fox and the Stork, The Boy Who Cried Wolf – these, and many other wonderful fables were a big part of childhood for many of us. But now that childhood is gone, did we stop...
Hagia Sophia built by Emperor Constantine of the Byzantine Empire. Source: feferoni  / Adobe Stock.

A Millennium of Glory: The Rise and Fall of the Byzantine Empire

Late antiquity was one of the most dramatic periods in our history – a turbulent time in which nations and peoples rose and fell, vying for power and territory in a merciless fight for prominence...
The Yamnaya came to Europe from modern-day western Russia or the Ukraine. Source: katiekk2 / Adobe Stock.

How A Handful of Yamnaya Culture Nomads Became the Fathers of Europe

The origins of modern Europeans are shrouded in mystery and wracked by controversy. Archaeologists and linguists have long debated the origins of the Indo-European language family as well as the...
Christina Calderón, last native speaker of the Yaghan language.          Source: SIGPA

Chile’s SuperGran Is Last Living Keeper Of A 10,000-Year-Old Language and Culture

The 10,000-year-old Yaghan language of Chile' s remote Tierra del Fuego has ‘one’ remaining fluent speaker left, and the entire ancient culture is on the very edge of dying out altogether. So what is...
Ceramics give evidence of Peru’s first empires               Source: Andina / Juan Carlos Guzmán Fair Use

Study of Ceramics Provides New Thinking on Origins of First Peruvian Empire

The Andean nation of Peru has been the home of many important pre-Columbian societies. But their origins and development still holds many questions. Now a number of ceramic pieces are throwing light...
Traditional Tammari people village of Tamberma at Koutammakou, the Land of the Batammariba, Kara region, Togo.

Koutammakou, Togo: Unparalleled Batammariba Life and Unique Architecture

Koutammakou, the land of the Batammariba people, has many unique architectural and ethnographic attractions found nowhere else. The harmonious integration the Batammariba have with nature is rarely...
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...
Traditional hand-made bread (gosphotodesign / Adobe Stock)

History Buff Bakes Ancient Egyptian Bread Using 1,500-Year-Old Yeast Scrapings

A history enthusiast has baked loaves of ancient bread based on an ancient Egyptian recipe and using an ingredient that was 1,500 years old – yeast scrapings taken from ancient Egyptian bread pots...
Kalash woman. Kalash people have a fascinating history and culture.

Are the Distinctive Kalash People of Pakistan Really Descendants of Alexander the Great’s Army?

The Kalash (also known as the Kalasha) are an indigenous people living in what is today Pakistan. Although Pakistan is an Islamic Republic, with more than 95% of its population being adherents of...

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