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.

In Search of The Lost Testament of Alexander the Great: Excavating Homeric Heroes

26 January, 2017 - 22:58 David Grant

In Search of The Lost Testament of Alexander the Great: Excavating Homeric Heroes

The ancient city of Aegae in Greece, where the royal tombs are located, dates back to the 7th century BCE; it became Macedonia’s first capital after it was conglomerated from a collection of villages...

Kivik Kungagraven: A Tomb Fit for a King

23 January, 2017 - 01:56 Caleb Strom

Kivik Kungagraven: A Tomb Fit for a King

In 1748, two farmers stumbled upon an ancient stone tomb near the village of Kivik in southern Sweden while digging in a quarry. The tomb, now known as Kivik Kungagraven (‘King’s Grave of Kivik’),...

A burnt mound in use.

26 December, 2016 - 03:52 ancient-origins

Blood, Meat, and Beer? The Feasts that May Have Been Created in a Fulacht Fiadh Burnt Mound

Dotting the landscapes of Ireland, England, Scotland, and Wales, fulachtaí fia remain a mystery from millennia gone by. The most common type of prehistoric archaeological site in Ireland, fulachtaí...

Engravings, Passageways, and Intriguing Stone Monuments: The Astronomical Temples of Loughcrew

25 December, 2016 - 14:50 Caleb Strom

Engravings, Passageways, and Intriguing Stone Monuments: The Astronomical Temples of Loughcrew

It is probably not possible to tell when humans first began to wonder about the stars, the sun, and the moon or try to understand their motion, though there is evidence of a lunar calendar being used...

A Feast for the Eyes and Ears: The World’s Most Beautiful and Majestic Library

11 December, 2016 - 00:40 dhwty

A Feast for the Eyes and Ears: The World’s Most Beautiful and Majestic Library

The Clementinum is a complex of historical buildings founded by Jesuits in Prague, Czech Republic, and is famous for its stunning Baroque-style library which houses more than 20,000 historically rare...

A Boy, to Vei, to Venus? Piecing Together the Puzzle of the Etruscan Orvieto Necropolis

7 December, 2016 - 00:52 Natalia Klimczak

A Boy, to Vei, to Venus? Piecing Together the Puzzle of the Etruscan Orvieto Necropolis

Ancient Etruscan deities continue to puzzle researchers. Unveiling the truth about their cults and positions in the pantheon took decades, yet they still protect some of their secrets. One of the...

The Only Library Ever Recovered from Antiquity: The 1800 Scrolls of Herculaneum

6 December, 2016 - 03:51 dhwty

The Only Library Ever Recovered from Antiquity: The 1800 Scrolls of Herculaneum

The Villa of the Papyri is the name given to a private house that was uncovered in the ancient Roman city of Herculaneum. This city, along with nearby Pompeii, is perhaps best remembered for its...

The Celsus Library: 20,000 Scrolls Lost to History but Its Striking Architecture Remains

4 December, 2016 - 00:48 Caleb Strom

The Celsus Library: 20,000 Scrolls Lost to History but Its Striking Architecture Remains

Across the Greco-Roman world, there were many collections of scrolls, some kept by private individuals in personal libraries and others stored in public libraries such as the Great Library of...

A Tower for Power Reduced to Ruins: The Forgotten Story of Torre San Sadurniño

3 December, 2016 - 00:51 Natalia Klimczak

A Tower for Power Reduced to Ruins: The Forgotten Story of Torre San Sadurniño

Tower ruins hidden in a bay near the waters of the Atlantic Ocean are one of the greatest treasures of a small community in Cambados, Galicia, Spain. The stones remember battles with Vikings and...

Bucegi Mountains: Strange Happenings, Conspiracies and Folk Legends

28 November, 2016 - 00:58 Kerry Sullivan

Bucegi Mountains: Strange Happenings, Conspiracies and Folk Legends

The Bucegi Mountains are a wonderful natural attraction in Romania. The peak, Omu, rises 1.5 miles (2505 meters) above the pristine Prahova Valley. Since 1935, the valley has been considered a...

The Znojmo Catacombs: A Maze of Tunnels Where No Enemies Escaped Alive

26 November, 2016 - 14:49 dhwty

The Znojmo Catacombs: A Maze of Tunnels Where No Enemies Escaped Alive

The Znojmo Catacombs are a series of subterranean passageways located beneath the city of Znojmo, in the Czech Republic. The underground tunnels were built to protect and shelter people in times of...

Grime's Graves: 5,000-Year-Old Flint Mine Opens a Window to the Past

25 November, 2016 - 22:03 dhwty

Grime's Graves: 5,000-Year-Old Flint Mine Opens a Window to the Past

Grime's Graves is a spectacular Neolithic flint mining site located near Thetford Forest, Norfolk, in the East of England. Beginning around 5,000 years ago, and continuing for an entire millennium,...

5,600-Year-Old Ceremonial Center Found Near Stonehenge, Built 1,000 Years Before Stone Circle was Erected

20 November, 2016 - 14:51 Mark Miller

5,600-Year-Old Ceremonial Center Found Near Stonehenge, Built 1,000 Years Before Stone Circle was Erected

Picture people 5,650 years ago gorging on huge amounts of beef, smashing large decorated bowls that may have held broth or other liquids and possibly smashing human skulls. They apparently did all...

4,000-Year-Old Megalithic Tomb in Spain Vandalized with Harry Potter References

19 November, 2016 - 03:38 Mark Miller

4,000-Year-Old Megalithic Tomb in Spain Vandalized with Harry Potter References

A vandal has defaced a fine specimen of an ancient dolmen tomb, made of large rock slabs, in Vigo, Galicia, Spain. The graffiti vandal spray-painted the word “Always” and arcane symbols, both...

A view of Oppède Le Vieux

14 November, 2016 - 00:50 dhwty

The Medieval Ruins of Oppède Le Vieux, Home to an Antipope and Shelter from the Nazis

Oppède Le Vieux is a small town in France, which is best known for its Medieval château, or castle, which today lies in ruins. The town was abandoned several centuries ago, when its inhabitants left...

The Spectacular Subterranean Rock Church of Saint Jean

12 November, 2016 - 00:44 dhwty

The Spectacular Subterranean Rock Church of Saint Jean

The Subterranean Church of Saint Jean is an impressive rock-carved church located in the village of Aubeterre-sur-Dronne, which is officially designated as one of the most beautiful villages in...

Newgrange: A Home for Magicians, Fairies, Gods, and Kings

1 November, 2016 - 13:52 ancient-origins

Newgrange: A Home for Magicians, Fairies, Gods, and Kings

The Newgrange (New Grange) tumulus is found in County Meath, Ireland. This ancient site is connected to stories about magic, fairies, and incredible excavations. Newgrange is a part of the impressive...

The Ancient Earthworks of Ukraine May Be the Biggest Solar Observatory in the World

31 October, 2016 - 20:55 Oleksandr Klykavka

The Ancient Earthworks of Ukraine May Be the Biggest Solar Observatory in the World

Some believe that the era of the greatest archaeological discoveries is over. Many tombs have been excavated and ancient architectural complexes have been discovered. In our time of digital...

Origins of the Magnificent Florentine Cathedral Santa Maria di Fiore

31 October, 2016 - 02:50 Natalia Klimczak

Origins of the Magnificent Florentine Cathedral Santa Maria di Fiore

The city of Florence, known as Firenze in Italian, has long been recognized for its wealth and beauty. The heart of the city is its cathedral. This building is famous not only for its appearance, but...

Devil’s Footprints: Who Descended the Side of an Erupting Volcano, Leaving an Ancient Trail Behind?

26 October, 2016 - 21:29 Kerry Sullivan

Devil’s Footprints: Who Descended the Side of an Erupting Volcano, Leaving an Ancient Trail Behind?

Descending the side of the Roccamonfina Volcano in northern Italy, sets of humanoid footprints had long been considered the imprint of the Devil, for the footprints were most certainly made when the...

The Vucedol Culture: The Rise of an Iconic Copper Age Culture in Croatia

19 October, 2016 - 03:47 dhwty

The Vucedol Culture: The Rise of an Iconic Copper Age Culture in Croatia

The Vučedol culture is a prehistoric Indo-European culture located in an area covering part of the Pannonian Plain stretching down south into several modern Western Balkans countries. The name of...

The Hill of Sorcery: Mythology and Archaeology of the Tlachtga Barrow

18 October, 2016 - 21:49 Jason Jarrell

The Hill of Sorcery: Mythology and Archaeology of the Tlachtga Barrow

In an era long passed, all of the fires of Ireland were extinguished at sundown on October 31 st , and a single blazing bonfire was lit at the epicenter of the annual feast of the dead—Samhain had...

The Mystery of Herxheim: Was an Entire Village Cannibalized?

4 October, 2016 - 14:28 Kerry Sullivan

The Mystery of Herxheim: Was an Entire Village Cannibalized?

Beginning in 5300 BC, a Linearbandkeramik or Linear Pottery culture (LBK) developed in the region of Herxheim in southwest Germany, one that could be described as an idyllic Stone Age settlement. The...

Wittenham Clumps: Ancient Earthworks Haunted by Gods Long Forgotten

3 October, 2016 - 14:51 Kerry Sullivan

Wittenham Clumps: Ancient Earthworks Haunted by Gods Long Forgotten

A beautiful legendary country haunted by old gods long forgotten , wrote the British poet Paul Nash upon seeing the Clumps, a distinctive set of peaks in the Thames Valley of Oxfordshire, England...

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