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Ancient Origins Tour IRAQ

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History

From the powerful civilizations of Egypt, Mesopotamia, and the Indus Valley, to the fearsome yet sophisticated society of the Vikings, the ancient world was a surprising and challenging place. Here we feature some of the most seminal and influential events and people throughout history, that have helped shape the world we know today.

La Quintrala serial killer evades capture Source: kharchenkoirina / Adobe Stock
25 August, 2019 - 23:04 Aleksa Vučković

La Quintrala: Flaming Redhead Serial Killer Evaded Capture

In the world’s history of aristocracy, abuse of power was always a distinct possibility, and quite a few female landowners built up a macabre reputation based on torture, imprisonment, and abuse. In...
An ancient gift. Credit: kharchenkoirina / Adobe Stock
25 August, 2019 - 01:52 John Bradley

Anniversary Gifts: From Medieval Wreaths to Modern Getaways

It is not entirely clear when the custom of anniversary gifting began. However, early records show that marriage ceremonies and contracts were in existence four millennia ago – as far back as in...
Hippocrates Statue and Dooley Hospital Door. Source: CC BY 2.0
24 August, 2019 - 14:01 Sarah P Young

Ancient Greek Physician Hippocrates and the Medical Revolution

Classical Greece is considered by many to be the birthplace of modern Western civilization. The ancient Greeks made astounding progress in a huge number of areas - from politics and governing to...
Odysseus, Off Course in the Baltic Sea
23 August, 2019 - 20:50 Roberto Volterri

Odysseus, Off Course in the Baltic Sea

Homer’s Odyssey tells of the adventures of the ancient seasoned mariner, Odysseus, hero of the Trojan War, who offended Poseidon and as a result was cursed to sail the seas and prolong his journey...
Kreka was Attila’s first wife. (matiasdelcarmine / Adobe Stock)
22 August, 2019 - 23:01 B. B. Wagner

The Wives Who Made Attila the Hun

In 448 AD, Priscus , a Roman diplomat and a Greek historian , and Maximus , the head of the Byzantine embassy, were on a mission by Eastern Roman Emperor Theodosius II to meet with the infamous...
Like a Virgin? The Controversial Account of Mary, Mother of Jesus
21 August, 2019 - 22:42 Natalia Klimczak

Like a Virgin? The Controversial Account of Mary, Mother of Jesus

The Virgin Mary, mother of Jesus, is one of the key symbols of Christianity and a woman whose cult changed the world. However, she may be one of the most misunderstood biblical people. According to...
Christ in the Labyrinth (Image © Giancarlo Pavat) and Knights Templar deriv (Luis Louro / Adobe Stock)
21 August, 2019 - 03:39 Giancarlo Pavat

Christ in the Labyrinth, Pointing to a Sacred Pilgrimage of the Knights’ Templar

In 1996 during restoration work on a medieval cloister in the ancient city of Alatri, in the southern district of Lazio in Italy, a fresco was discovered with the image of Christ in the centre of an...
Victory over the Muslims at the Battle of Tours marked the furthest Muslim advance and enabled Frankish domination of Europe for the next century. Source: Bender235 / Public Domain.
20 August, 2019 - 14:05 Aleksa Vučković

The Franks, Charlemagne, and the Forging of Europe

The earliest histories of many European nations are firmly rooted in the ancient periods of migrations – when all sorts of tribes traveled from their homes in search of new grounds for settlement...
The discovery of the Tomb of Tutankhamun is one of the greatest archaeology achievements in history. Source: merydolla / Adobe Stock.
19 August, 2019 - 18:50 Aleksa Vučković

Unearthing the Ancients: Discovery of the Tomb of Tutankhamun

The ancient age of Egypt, the enigmatic pharaohs and the rich history of the Nile valley , are without a doubt one of the most exciting and wondrous aspects of modern archaeology. Filled with several...
Keepers of the Sacred Flame from Ancient Rome to India
19 August, 2019 - 15:43 MartiniF

Keepers of the Sacred Flame from Ancient Rome to India

The ability to ignite, maintain and control fire was a dramatic and powerful development in the habits of early humans and changed mankind’s quality of existence forever. Fire generates heat and made...
Viking explorers Source: Vlastimil Šesták / Adobe Stock
18 August, 2019 - 18:39 Dr Pat Hanratty

Pre-Columbian Explorers in the Americas: The Hard Evidence

These days, few people still believe Christopher Columbus was the first explorer to travel to the “New World.” But there is still a debate over whether adventurers and explorers from Europe, Asia,...
Lady of Baza, famous Iberian sculpture from a style that was developed by the Iberians of the Bronze age. Source: Juan Aunión / Adobe Stock.
18 August, 2019 - 14:05 Aleksa Vučković

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...
The Bhagavad Gita. Source: General Press / CC BY-SA 2.0.
17 August, 2019 - 14:00 Caleb Strom

The Ancient Philosophy of the Bhagavad Gita, Song of God

The Bhagavad Gita is one of the most important religious texts in Hinduism as well as one of the most seminal religious texts in the world, alongside the Bible , the Quran , the Torah and the...
Running the Family Business of the Roman Empire: Augustus the Founder
16 August, 2019 - 00:51 Barry Strauss

Running the Family Business of the Roman Empire: Augustus the Founder

Over three and a half centuries the Roman Empire - as seen through the lives of 10 of the most important emperors - gained in splendor and territory, then lost both. Over the ages the emperors...
My Name Is Heracles, And I Have Father Issues
15 August, 2019 - 22:59 B. B. Wagner

My Name Is Heracles, And I Have Father Issues

The story of Heracles is considered one of the oldest of the Greek myths . Heracles’ popularity stretched from the western world to the far reaches of northern India. His likeness has appeared as...
The White Lotus Society was a political, religious, and revolutionary movement that that rebelled against the government in imperial China.
15 August, 2019 - 01:49 dhwty

The White Lotus Secret Society and the Demise of Mongol Rule in China

The White Lotus Society / Sect (written in Chinese as 白莲教, and Romanized as ‘Bai Lian Jiao’) was a millenarian movement that existed in imperial China. As a religious movement, the teachings of the...
The Great Fire of London on the evening of Tuesday, 4 September 1666. To the left is London Bridge; to the right, the Tower of London. St. Paul's Cathedral is in the distance, surrounded by the tallest flames. Source: BevinKacon / Public Domain.
14 August, 2019 - 18:54 Aleksa Vučković

Fighting the Flaming Wrath - The Great Fire of London, 1666

1666. “London was, but is no more.” It was a year with a special number. A year that carried a lot of ominous superstitions. And for thousands of Londoners who lived in that very year, it would prove...
Jael and Sisera by Artemisia Gentileschi (1620) (Public Domain)
14 August, 2019 - 17:47 Cam Rea

Calling Commander Deborah and Callous Jael to Defeat the Canaanites

Of the multitude of wars and battles, whether based on individuals seeking revenge, vendettas, or conflicts that unify or partially unify a nation, the Biblical allegory of Deborah is indeed a story...
Painting of Zarathustra (Zoroaster) at a temple in Isfahan, Iran.
13 August, 2019 - 17:40 dhwty

Who Was Zoroaster and How Did He Gain Religious Followers?

Zoroaster was a prophet of ancient Persia, whose teachings laid the foundation for the religion known as Zoroastrianism, which largely dominated the land of Iran until the arrival of Islam after the...
The Sacred and Ancient Legacy of our Feathered Friends
12 August, 2019 - 23:42 ashley cowie

The Sacred and Ancient Legacy of our Feathered Friends

Although lions, tigers and other ferocious man-eaters were hunted and subsequently ritualized by shamans who attempted to internalize the energy of these different animals, throughout the ages birds...
Lady with an elegant headdress
11 August, 2019 - 20:48 Weam

Ningal: The Mesopotamian Goddess Awakening Female Mysticism

In the city of Ur, where the first settlements in the marshes of southern Mesopotamia were built with reeds without any type of nails or woods, Ningal was born to Ninhursag and Enki. Her name means...
Agathocles of Syracuse; warrior, ruler, tyrant. Source: Fotokvadrat / Adobe Stock.
11 August, 2019 - 01:46 Sarah P Young

Agathocles of Syracuse: The Original Machiavellian Tyrant

Agathocles of Syracuse came from fairly humble beginnings but his focus and ambition brought him to the tyrannical rule of the city where he grew up. But his tyranny was not merciless and...
Roman emperor
10 August, 2019 - 22:43 Aleksa Vučković

Emperor Justinian the Great: The Life and Rule of a Visionary Roman

From the numerous emperors in the long and exciting history of Rome and Byzantium, one manages to stand apart – Justinian the Great. His rule marked a turning point, an opening of a new era filled...
Harbor view of the island of Ponza (Marja /Adobe Stock)
9 August, 2019 - 15:38 Roberto Volterri

The Curious Roman Cult of the Moray Eel on the Island of Ponza

A mysterious cult in which moray eels decided the fate of men existed on Ponza island, in the Tyrrhenian sea off the coast of Italy, during the first century AD at the so-called ‘Caves of Pilate’. "...

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