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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.

Cabmans Shelter, Russell Square.
13 March, 2018 - 12:58 dhwty

Cabman’s Shelters: A Place for Cold London Cabbies and Maybe Jack the Ripper

A Cabman’s shelter was a special place in London, England during the second half of the 19th century. These types of shelters were intended to be places where a cabman could obtain hot food and drink...
A view of the Hill of Crosses.
9 March, 2018 - 14:00 dhwty

Hill of Crosses: A Hundred Thousand Times Lithuania Has Stood Up

Estimates suggest as many as a hundred thousand crosses currently stand on The Hill of Crosses in Lithuania. Marking the loss of rebels who fought against outsider rule, the hill was torn apart by...
Krakow mound
4 March, 2018 - 22:56 Ingvar nord

Mounds of Krakus and Wanda: Earthen Mausolea of Legendary Polish Aristocracy?

On a visit to Krakow there are some remarkable earthworks to behold. Of the four that exist, two are fairly modern, being built in the 19 th and 20 th centuries. The other two have much more age to...
Angel of the Ribaudo tomb, Staglieno cemetery
28 February, 2018 - 18:57 dhwty

The Dramatic and Intensely Moving Monumental Cemetery of Staglieno

The Monumental Cemetery of Staglieno is a well-known burial site located in the Italian city of Genoa, which is considered one of the most beautiful cemeteries in the whole of Europe. It is famous...
Old rusty sword
18 February, 2018 - 20:10 ashley cowie

Notorious Knight Greysteil and His Magical Sword Sit on the Cusp Between Legend and Reality

Swords imbued with magical powers and supernatural qualities are like nails in mythological systems and having originated in ancient legends, they now feature in fantasy fiction. Being inspired by...
The library of the Abbey of St. Gall.
17 February, 2018 - 13:27 dhwty

The Abbey Library of St. Gall: One of the Oldest Working Libraries in the World

Founded during the 8th century, the Abbey of St. Gall has served both the Church and scholars over the years. Its library has a particular draw because it is one of the oldest and most important...
Mammoth in the Royal BC Museum in Victoria (Canada). The display is from 1979, and the fur is musk ox hair.
16 February, 2018 - 18:57 Ingvar nord

Surprising Stone Age Knowledge Revealed on a Mammoth Bone Bracelet

In Sivershchina, close to the village of Mizyn in Ukraine is one of the oldest and most unique settlements of humans – and it was discovered in a parking lot. The now well-known archaeological site,...
Isle of May monastery ruins (Peter Yeoman) top left; Skeletal remains on May (Peter Yeoman/ British Archaeology Magazine); The foot bones of a teenager with syphilis (left). An enlarged skull, possibly due to hydrocephaly (right). (Images: Marlo Willows/British Archaeology) bottom left.
16 February, 2018 - 14:02 ashley cowie

Sick Children’s Skeletons Unearthed on Holy Healing Isle

The lost history of a sacred Scottish “healing island” has revealed its holy secrets in the skeletal dna of sick children, archaeologists in Edinburgh have announced. This string of majestical...
The gold hair rings found at Sculptor's Cave near Covesea, Moray.
9 February, 2018 - 18:58 ashley cowie

Children of Gold Uncovered in Pictish Death Cave

Golden rings discovered in a sea cave once adorned a dead child in a bizarre ancient funerary ritual, in Scotland. We might expect to read such a headline in a Peruvian or Chinese archaeological...
Predjama Castle.
5 February, 2018 - 14:02 dhwty

Predjama Castle: The Castle in a Cave that Housed a Slovenian Robin Hood

Once home to the Slovenian Robin Hood, Predjama Castle is a site rich in history. It is built into the mouth of a cave high up on a cliff and has a commanding view over the landscape. That position...
The Valle dei Mulini.
31 January, 2018 - 02:00 dhwty

The Ruins of Valle dei Mulini: Abandoned by Humans, Reclaimed by Nature

Ruins of old mills dot the landscape of the Valle dei Mulini (‘Valley of the Mills’). Their crumbled walls are the remains of abandoned structures which once filled the valley with human life. Now,...
Inbuilt rock house of Monsanto, Portugal.
30 January, 2018 - 18:59 Riley Winters

Monsanto: The Thriving Medieval Town Built Around Giant Boulders

In most parts of Europe, the medieval period ended around the fourteenth century, right around the time Giotto introduced perspective into the art of pre-Renaissance Italy. Yet for the twelfth...
Zoe Wanamaker in TV series ‘Britannia’.
30 January, 2018 - 13:59 ancient-origins

Britannia, Druids and the Surprisingly Modern Origins of Myths

The new TV series Britannia, which has won plaudits as heralding a new generation of British folk-horror, is clearly not intended to be strictly historical. Instead director Jez Butterworth gives us...
Bird's-eye view of Mauritius Square
26 January, 2018 - 01:57 Ingvar nord

Mauritius Square, Ukraine: What is this Giant Crab-like Earthworks?

There is a huge, mysterious structure near the village of Mezhirichi in Ukraine. It has an unusual shape (some suggest it looks like a giant crab or spider) which is visible in images actually taken...
Santu Antine.
12 January, 2018 - 13:58 dhwty

Santu Antine, Sardinia: A Megalithic House Built for a King?

A mysterious civilization built megalithic structures across the island of Sardinia in the Bronze and Iron Ages. The buildings are now known as nuraghes – and the impressive nuraghe called Santu...
Externsteine, north-eastern face, across Wiembecke pond.
3 January, 2018 - 19:02 ancient-origins

Worship? Meditation? Sacrifice? What Ancient Ritual Activities Were Held at the Externsteine Sacred Stone Formation?

Externsteine is an unusual sandstone rock formation near Ostwestfalen-Lippe in the northwest of Germany. It is unique among other monolithic sites in Europe because it is a natural formation that has...
Artist's rendering of the hof, a pagan temple, in Uppsala, Sweden.
27 December, 2017 - 22:48 dhwty

The Heathen Hof: Resurrecting a Germanic Pagan Temple

A heathen hof, also referred to as a Germanic pagan temple, is the name given to a place of worship in the Germanic religion. These were pre-Christian temples found in various parts of Northern...
Mural from a Pompeii brothel.
19 December, 2017 - 01:58 ancient-origins

The Grim Reality of the Brothels of Pompeii

Like the anxious men who began excavations at Pompeii in the 18th century and discovered more about the ancient Italians than they had bargained for – such as phallic-shaped lamps – historians of sex...
A soldier from the game Numantia. Credit: RECO Technology
11 December, 2017 - 13:55 Theodoros Karasavvas

Remembering Numantia: Videogame Reminds Us of Brave Warriors and Their Blood on Roman Hands

The forgotten war between the Romans and the Celtiberians may not ring any bells with most people today, but many historians rank it as one of the most significant wars of the Roman era...
A diver explores the Baiae Underwater Archaeological Site
7 December, 2017 - 13:52 Theodoros Karasavvas

Hedonistic ‘Sunken City of the Caesars’ Recaptured By Divers After 1,700 Years

The sunken city of the Caesars that was lost for over seventeen centuries under the blue waters of Italy's west coast, has been uncovered in impressive new pictures taken by divers who were permitted...
The public entrance to the Unicorn Cave.
5 December, 2017 - 13:51 dhwty

What Extraordinary Discovery Led to Unicorn Cave Magically Transforming into a Cash Cow?

Einhornhöhle, which may be translated as ‘Unicorn Cave’ in English, is a cave located in the Harz, a low mountain range in a highland area Northern Germany. It has been pointed out that the Unicorn...
Sculptor’s Cave, Covesea, Lossiemouth
4 December, 2017 - 18:49 dhwty

What Really Went on in the Sculptor’s Cave Where Hundreds of Bronze Age Child Remains Were Unearthed?

Pictish carvings grace its walls; crucibles, a swan’s neck pin, and bronze arm rings were scattered across its floor – Sculptor’s Cave has had an exciting and varied history stretching back to the...
A modern depiction of the hellhound Cerberus.
3 December, 2017 - 14:04 aprilholloway

Gate to Hell Guardians Were Used to Ward People Off Deadly Cave

The Gate to Hell, also known as Pluto’s Gate, was the Greco-Roman entrance to the Underworld. When archaeologists found an example of this sacred site in Turkey they also discovered two guardians who...
The Colosseum in Rome, once home to the most brutal games in history.
3 December, 2017 - 02:01 Riley Winters

The Colosseum – From Gladiator Fights to Gory Executions and Sea Battles

Gladiatorial fights, sea battles, criminal (and Christian?) executions. These are only a few of the events, if they can even be called such, that happened in the walls of the Colosseum. Known during...

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