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.

A rainbow at Botallack Mines in West Cornwall. Source: Chris / Adobe Stock

12 August, 2020 - 01:45 Ed Whelan

Botallack Mine, Clinging to the Cliffs of the Wild Tin Coast

Cornwall, in south-west England, has a distinctive regional character. Much of the landscape was transformed in the 18th and early 19th centuries as a result of the rapid growth of copper and tin...

Saint Margaret’s Well, dedicated to Saint Margaret of Antioch (Howard Stanbury / CC BY-NC-SA 2.0)

8 August, 2020 - 01:58 dhwty

Saint Margaret’s Well: From Healing Pilgrimages to Alice in Wonderland

Saint Margaret’s Well is a sacred well outside the Church of Saint Margaret of Antioch in Binsey, a village in Oxfordshire, England. During the Medieval period, the church was a famous pilgrimage...

Dumbarton Castle, overlooking the River Clyde Source: Richard Johnson / Adobe Stock.

7 August, 2020 - 22:59 Aleksa Vučković

Dumbarton Castle: Ancient Stronghold and Symbol of Scottish Defiance

The wild and diverse landscapes of Scotland are filled with remnants of its rich and proud history that spans many centuries. From the Hebrides islands, to the border regions and all the way to the...

Trethevy Quoit, portal dolmen in Cornwall Source: Andy Chisholm / Adobe Stock

7 August, 2020 - 02:02 Ed Whelan

The Many Legends Accounting for the Mysterious Trethevy Quoit

Cornwall, a truly beautiful region in the British Isles, has a distinct regional identity. It is also home to many remarkable stone age monuments, of which Trethevy Quoit is one of the most famous...

King Arthur. Detail. Charles Ernest Butler, 1903.

4 August, 2020 - 18:49 Graham Phillips

Archaeologists May Have Discovered the Birthplace of King Arthur: Legends Come to Life?

The discovery of 1500-year-old ruins at Tintagel in south-west England made headlines around the world. What appear to the be the walls of a Dark Age palace have been found in the exact place, and...

Ancient Greek Olympics were a fundamental aspect of ancient Greek culture. Various types of running took place during the games, along with equestrian sports and combat sports. Source: sebos / Adobe Stock

31 July, 2020 - 14:02 Riley Winters

From Myth to Reality: Olympia and the Ancient Greek Olympics

The Olympics , as they exist today, are but a shadow of their former glory. Though there are more activities and participants in the modern games, they do little to entice and arouse the Greek...

Troglodyte structures in Setenil de las Bodegas in Cadiz Province, Spain.

28 July, 2020 - 19:29 dhwty

Setenil de las Bodegas: Troglodyte Buildings in a Quaint Spanish Town

Setenil de las Bodegas is a town located in Cádiz, a province in the southern part of Spain. The current town dates back to the 15th century AD, when the Moors who occupied it were expelled during...

Steps leading to an Etruscan rock altar. (Mundo Analogico / YouTube Screenshot)

27 July, 2020 - 14:02 dhwty

The Mysterious Ancient Etruscan Monuments of Selva di Malano

Selva di Malano, which may be translated to mean ‘Forest of Malano,’ is an archaeological site located in Viterbo, in the central Italian region of Lazio. The site is known for its carved stone...

King Doniert’s Stone Source: Andy Chisholm / Adobe Stock

26 July, 2020 - 18:56 Ed Whelan

King Doniert’s Stone, Memorial of a Lost Kingdom

While Britain is a land with many world-famous historical landmarks and sites, there are numerous smaller and little-known monuments that are remarkable in their own way. King Doniert’s Stone is a...

The Roman economy represents an ancient economy that was large and powerful enough to create an empire that spanned the Mediterranean and lasted several centuries. Source: Manuel Gross / Adobe Stock

23 July, 2020 - 18:58 Caleb Strom

Following the Boom and Bust of the Roman Economy

The Roman Empire is ironically known for both its greatness and its weaknesses. The Roman economy is no exception. The Roman economy represents an ancient economy that was large and powerful enough...

Beowulf against the dragon.

23 July, 2020 - 00:39 Joanna Gillan

Finding Beowulf: Is Some of the Famous Anglo-Saxon Heroic Epic Based on Truth?

Beowulf is possibly the most famous example of Anglo-Saxon literature. The heroic epic was created between the 8th-11th century and is set in Scandinavia. In the tale, Beowulf helps the king of the...

The eerie mansion that is today known as Loftus Hall.

21 July, 2020 - 18:28 Joanna Gillan

Loftus Hall: Most Haunted House in Ireland Has Not Revealed All Its Dark Secrets

Driving along the isolated road that runs down the scenic Hook Peninsula in Ireland’s Ancient East, it is easy to spot the mansion that has earned itself the reputation as the most haunted house in...

Devetashka – Bulgarian Cave

21 July, 2020 - 04:44 aprilholloway

Devetashka - the Bulgarian Cave with 70,000 Years of Human Habitation

Devetashka cave is an enormous cave in Bulgaria, which has provided shelter for groups of humans since the late Paleolithic era, and continuously for tens of thousands of years since then. Now...

Remarkable Survival of Minerva’s Ancient Shrine Through the Ages

18 July, 2020 - 02:02 Ed Whelan

Remarkable Survival of Minerva’s Ancient Shrine Through the Ages

The Romans were prolific builders and the ruins of their structures are still to be seen throughout their former Empire. Amphitheaters, roads, temples and of course shrines to the gods graced the...

Goseck Circle

17 July, 2020 - 12:15 Bryan Hill

Goseck Circle: The Oldest Known Solar Observatory

In 1991, inspectors from the German government took aerial photographs of a small German town called Goseck and saw something strange. On the ground, there appeared to be a giant circular ridge...

Bologna, San Petronio: Meridian of Giandomenico Cassini

15 July, 2020 - 02:55 dhwty

Synchronizing Science and Religion? Why We Find Solar Observatories and Astronomical Features in Churches

It is often assumed that science and faith are always at loggerheads with each other. This, however, is a common misconception, as there are numerous instances demonstrating the co-existence and co-...

Sunset view of the Roman Amphitheater in Chester, England Source: Adrian / Adobe Stock

15 July, 2020 - 01:44 Ed Whelan

The Large Amphitheater of Chester and Rome’s Fruitless Expansion Plan

The arenas built by the Romans are without a doubt their most notorious monuments. They were the scene of public executions, where combats between criminals, prisoners of war and slaves were held,...

Oil painting of Caernarfon Castle in 1846 by Hugh Hughes, from the National Library of Wales. Photo source: Public domain.

14 July, 2020 - 02:06 dhwty

Caernarfon Castle: The Imposing Welsh Constantinople

Caernarfon Castle (often anglicized as Carnarvon or Caernarvon) is a castle in Caernarfon, in the northern Welsh county of Gwynedd, that was built during the Middle Ages. The castle is closely...

Skeletal evidence of an Iron Age murder victim

13 July, 2020 - 16:16 ashley cowie

Iron Age Murder Victim Discovered at Ceremonial Monument

Archaeologists in England have discovered evidence of a large ceremonial structure and a potentially brutal human sacrifice. While excavating a 4000-year-old Iron Age site at Wellwick Farm near...

Sanctuary of Fortuna Primigenia Source: Enrico Rovelli / Adobe Stock

10 July, 2020 - 01:55 dhwty

Cult Worship at the Sanctuary of Fortuna Primigenia

The Sanctuary of Fortuna Primigenia is a religious complex from the time of the Roman Republic . This ancient sanctuary is situated in Praeneste (known today as Palestrina), not far from Rome. The...

It may not seem like it today, but Harlech Castle is Wales has witnessed Welsh rebellions, the Wars of the Roses and the English Civil War. Source: Darren Tennant / Flickr

8 July, 2020 - 14:00 dhwty

Harlech Castle: Wales’ Most Formidable Fortress

Harlech Castle is a medieval castle located in Harlech, in the Welsh county of Gwynedd. The castle was built during the 13 th century by the English king, Edward I, as part of an ‘iron ring’ of...

Holyrood Palace

7 July, 2020 - 23:31 Natalia Klimczak

Holyrood Palace: Royal Residence and Haunted House

Holyrood palace is a 12th century haunted palace that remains one of the most important residences of the British Royal Family. It fascinates visitors with its beauty and sometimes overwhelms them...

Artist’s reconstruction of Lutetia by Dassault Systemes (YouTube screenshot)

5 July, 2020 - 23:02 dhwty

Ancient Lutetia: The Roman Roots of Paris

Over two millennia ago, France’s capital, Paris, was inhabited by Celtic Gauls who called their city Parisii. But then the Romans came and set up camp. They renamed their city Lutetia, meaning ‘place...

The entrance to Bant’s Carn Source: Stringer, J / CC BY-NC 2.0

4 July, 2020 - 02:05 Ed Whelan

The Extraordinary and Ancient Entrance Grave of Bant’s Carn

The five inhabited islands of the Scilly Isles, an archipelago located off the south-west coast of England, is popular with visitors because of the warm climate and beautiful beaches. There are,...

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