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Ancient Origins Tour IRAQ

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Europe

Ancient places can be found all over Europe. Their fascinating histories and impressive artifacts open intriguing glimpses to times past, and open up a window on European history. Visiting such ancient places in Europe can be an unforgettable experience.

Science is constantly discovering new archaeological places and uncovering more evidence into what we once thought we knew about our history, therefore offering new pieces to the ever changing puzzle of humanity’s past and altering how we interpret it. This section will present the most interesting archaeological sites all over Europe, as well as new discoveries of ancient places that are worth paying a visit.

Boleslaw the Brave Entering Kiev, by Piotr Michalowski. Boleslaw was crowned the first king of Poland in 1025 AD. Source: Piotr Michałowski / CC BY-SA 4.0
18 February, 2024 - 16:25 Aleksa Vučković

The History of the Piast Dynasty, the First Rulers of Poland

Throughout history, Poland—in its various forms and sizes—was always a powerful and dominant Slavic nation. However, it needed strong and competent rulers in order to really thrive and emerge as the...
Ancient Greek temple in Magna Graecia, modern day Segesta, Sicily. Source: Ludvig14/CC BY-SA 4.0
13 February, 2024 - 13:51 Robbie Mitchell

Magna Graecia's Legacy: The Stories of Italy’s Ancient Greek Colonies

Long before the Roman Empire came along, the Ancient Greeks controlled much of southern Italy. From the 8th to the 5th centuries BC, intrepid Greek settlers transformed this region into a mosaic of...
View at the ruins of the famous Minoan palace of Knossos, the center of the Minoan civilization and one of the largest archaeological sites in Greece. Source: GIORGOS/Adobe Stock
10 February, 2024 - 19:55 Robbie Mitchell

The Mysteries of the Ancient Mediterranean Civilizations (Video)

The ancient Mediterranean harbors mysteries that continue to intrigue historians. Beyond the well-known empires of Rome and Greece lie enigmatic civilizations like the Sea Peoples, who wielded power...
Statue of William Wallace at Aberdeen. Source: Public Domain
10 February, 2024 - 13:59 Robbie Mitchell

Beyond Braveheart – Revealing the Real William Wallace

Except for perhaps Robert the Bruce, William Wallace has to be the most famous figure in Scottish history. This legendary Scottish hero defied the odds and through his many clashes with the English...
The reconstructed Amber Room. Source: Public Domain
9 February, 2024 - 21:59 dhwty

The Majestic Amber Room that Went Missing From Charlottenburg Palace

The gleaming yellow gold hue of amber is one of nature’s wonders and one which has been sought after and admired for centuries. It is perhaps for this reason that the precious fossilized tree resin...
Left; Cimex lectularius, bedbug. Center; Wing casings (elytra) of Oryzaephilus surinamensis found at Vindolanda. Right: Almost complete wing casing (elytron) of Aphodius sp. Source: Left; Daktaridudu/CC BY-SA 4.0, Center and Right; Katie Wyse Jackson/Vindolanda Trust
7 February, 2024 - 22:01 Gary Manners

Romans Look to Have Brought Bedbugs to Britain

In a fascinating addition to our understanding of ancient Britain, recent archaeological work at Vindolanda, a key Roman garrison south of Hadrian's Wall in Northumberland, has unearthed evidence...
A mass grave of over 50 headless Vikings, known as the headless Vikings of Dorset. Source: Simon Fraser University / CC BY 2.0
6 February, 2024 - 14:15 mrreese

Unraveling the Mystery of the Headless Vikings of Dorset

In June 2009, archaeologists made a shocking discovery in the seaside town of Weymouth in Dorset, England. While excavating in preparation for the anticipated Weymouth Relief Road, archaeologists...
Baba Vanga, attributed mystic and healer who claimed to have foreseen the future and the Cave of Bastet in Bulgaria. Source: citaty.net /CC-BY-SA-3.0, Natalya/Adobe Stock
5 February, 2024 - 16:25 Guillaume1

The Expedition Sparked by the Cryptic Tale of Baba Vanga's Prophecy

Shortly before her death, the Bulgarian prophetess Baba Vanga is said to have whispered an enigmatic prophecy: “ The time of miracles will come, and science will make great discoveries in the field...
The chamber under excavation. East side mould removed. The plastic tubes are samples for environmental DNA. Source: Karl-Göran Sjögren / University of Gothenburg
31 January, 2024 - 23:57 ancient origins

Missing Body Parts from 5000-Year-Old Dolmen in Sweden Poses Intriguing Questions

The first analysis results now confirm that the grave in Tiarp is one of the oldest stone burial chambers in Sweden . “It’s an early grave which dates to the Early Neolithic period, about 3500 BC,”...
A banquet in Nero’s palace, by Ulpiano Checa y Sanz. Source: Public domain
30 January, 2024 - 00:00 Joanna Gillan

Emperor Nero’s Legendary Revolving Dining Room Really Existed

While the extravagant palace of Emperor Nero , the Domus Aurea—which boasted some 300 rooms covered in dazzling polished white marble—was first rediscovered during the Renaissance, in 2009 a team of...
The last battle of the Ostrogoths and the end of their influence was fought on the slopes of Mount Vesuvius in the Battle of Mons Lactarius. Painting from 1890, by Alexander Zick. Source: Captain Blood/ Public domain
28 January, 2024 - 19:52 Robbie Mitchell

Shaping European History- What Made the Goths Unique (Video)

The Goths , pioneers in military strategy, left an indelible mark on European history. Introducing cavalry to warfare, they confronted the Romans at the Battle of Adrianople in 378 AD, a pivotal...
Rome, Italy: The Roman Forum. Source: krivinis/Adobe Stock
27 January, 2024 - 19:57 Robbie Mitchell

Roman Origins: Did Romulus Really Found Rome? (Video)

The legendary founding of Rome revolves around two key figures, Romulus and Aeneas , whose stories intertwine with myth, geology, and archaeology. According to tradition, Romulus , saved by shepherds...
The Roman city at Silchester with grid road system and building locations map overlaid. Source: University of Reading
27 January, 2024 - 16:52 Gary Manners

Beneath Roman Britain - An Iron Age Settlement Is Revealed At Silchester

Five decades on from the start of an archaeological dig by the University of Reading, the findings of the investigation will be brought to the public, showcasing the incredible discoveries from...
The remains of the Roman triumphal arch found in Serbia. Source: Serbia Archaeological Institute.
25 January, 2024 - 13:47 Sahir

Emperor Caracalla’s Triumphal Arch Unearthed in Serbia

A lesser-known fact about Serbia is that 17 Roman emperors were born in its territory, with Central Serbia being under Roman rule for 800 years. Evidence of this history was unearthed in December,...
Temple of Athena Pronaia at Delphi in Greece. Source: Leonid Andronov/Adobe Stock
23 January, 2024 - 19:53 Robbie Mitchell

Ancient Delphi: The Center of the Universe Explained (Video)

Delphi , deemed the Omphalos or Navel of the Earth by the Ancient Greeks, stands as an extraordinary reminder of their spiritual and architectural prowess. Nestled on Mount Parnassus, it thrived...
Prehistoric Lines Across Malta Defy Explanation: The Cart Ruts of Misrah Ghar il-Kbir
22 January, 2024 - 13:53 lizleafloor

Prehistoric Lines Across Malta Defy Explanation: The Cart Ruts of Misrah Ghar il-Kbir

The islands of Malta and Gozo in the Maltese archipelago are scarred with hundreds, if not thousands, of parallel lines seemingly cut deep into the stone. These ancient grooves have puzzled experts...
Billy Mag Fhloinn with the remnants of the wedge tomb, Altóir na Gréine, in County Kerry, Ireland. Source: Seán Mac an tSíthigh/RTÉ News
21 January, 2024 - 13:51 ashley cowie

Solar-Aligned Bronze Age "Wedge Tomb" Unearthed in Ireland

Local traditions in County Kerry, Ireland, told of the destruction of an ancient tomb in the 19th century. But now, a folklorist has found the lost “wedge-shaped” tomb, which was aligned with the...
Left; the reconstruction imae of Feb=nsatantion Man. Right; The first evidence of Roman-British crucifixion has been found in Fenstanton, Cambridgeshire, England. The heel of a man found with an iron nail pounded through his heel bone was clear evidence of crucifixion. Source: Left; Impossible Factual/BBC, Right; Albion Archaeology
18 January, 2024 - 02:57 Nathan Falde

Face of the Only Victim of Roman Crucifixion Found in Britain is Revealed

Experts have successfully reconstructed the face of a man who was a victim of Roman crucifixion, a discovery hailed as "almost unique" by Corinne Duhig, a bone specialist from Cambridge University...
Left: 2nd century AD sculpture, small replica of the Athena Parthenos of Phidias. Right: Artist’s impression of Zeus sculpture by Phidias. Source: Left; George E. Koronaios/CC BY-SA 4.0, Right; Public Domain
16 January, 2024 - 19:56 Robbie Mitchell

The Greatest Colossal Statues of Ancient Greece (Video)

Ancient Greece boasts some of the most remarkable colossal statues, with the works of the renowned sculptor Phidias taking center stage. Born between 480 and 430 BC, Phidias left an indelible mark on...
Temples of Poseidon and Hera in the archaeological site of Paestum, Campania, Italy. Source: Nido Huebl/Adobe Stock
16 January, 2024 - 13:56 Sahir

Two Exceptional Greek Temples Uncovered in 2,600-Year-Old City of Poseidonia Paestum

Archaeologists have unearthed two “exceptional” temples in the historic ancient city of Poseidonia Paestum, a settlement in Magna Graecia on the southern coast of Italy. Constructed in the Doric...
Generic image of flatlands. Source: Dmitry/Adobe Stock
11 January, 2024 - 19:53 Robbie Mitchell

Doggerland: Did a Tsunami Swallow Part of Europe? (Video)

In 1931, Pilgrim Lockwood's discovery of an antler harpoon in the North Sea unveiled the existence of a submerged land, Doggerland , connecting Britain to Europe. This region, traversed by...
Left; the Artemis Amarynthos temple, Right; an array of artifacts found at the site. Source: Swiss School of Archaeology in Greece
10 January, 2024 - 13:49 Sahir

Glorious 7th Century BC Artemis Temple Uncovered on Greek Island of Euboea

Excavating a temple at the Artemis Amarynthos sanctuary on the Greek island of Euboea, a collaborative four-year effort between Swiss and Greek archaeologists has uncovered a beautiful temple of...
An aerial image depicting the interior walls of a Roman temple found in Spello, Italy, which experts believe to be an ancient pagan temple of fourth-century Italy and the late Roman Empire. Source: Douglas Boin/Saint Louis Univiersity
8 January, 2024 - 16:55 Sahir

Pagan Temple Shifts Rome's Narrative of Rapid Conversion to Christianity

The ruins of an ancient pagan temple under a parking lot in central Italy 70 miles (112.65 km) north of Rome, sheds light on the cultural shift during the transition from Roman imperial theology to...
Composite of excavations, burials and artifacts from the Roman necropolis recently uncovered near Rome. Source: Soprintendenza Archeologia Belle Arti Paesaggio Etruria Meridionale
4 January, 2024 - 13:45 Nathan Falde

Opulent Tombs & Untold Wealth Revealed at Newly Found Roman Necropolis

Archaeologists involved in a two-year-long excavation project at the site of a planned solar energy plant near Rome unearthed something astonishing and totally unexpected. While exploring under a...

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