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Ancient Origins Tour IRAQ

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Hattusa ivory ornament, dating back 2,800 years has been recently discovered and showcases depictions of sphinxes, lions, and trees of life on its ivory surface.    Source: Anadolu Agency

2,800-Year-Old ‘One of a Kind’ Ivory Object Unearthed At Hattusa

During excavations at Hattusa, capital of the Hittite kingdom during the late Bronze Age, archaeologists discovered a one-of-a-kind object crafted from Hattusa ivory, estimated to be around 2,800...
The Sirrush Dragons guarded the Gate of Ishtar.	Source: Osama Shukir Muhammed Amin FRCP (Glasg)/CC BY-SA 4.0

The Ishtar Gate and the Deities of Babylon

The Ishtar Gate was the main entrance into the great city of Babylon, commissioned by King Nebuchadnezzar II (605-562 BC) as part of his plan to create one of the most splendid and powerful cities of...
Samson and the Lion by Luca Giordano (1694) Museo del Prado (Public Domain)

Metallurgical Key Unlocking Samson’s Lion Riddle

Biblical Samson challenged his wedding guests with a riddle: “ Out of the eater came something to eat, and out of the strong came something sweet ”. The simple answer is Samson was referring to a...
Roman executions at the Colosseum were a gruesome affair, as depicted in The Christian Marturs' Last Prayer by Jean-Léon Gérôme. Source: Public domain

Roman Executions in the Colosseum: The Stories of Laureolus and Androcles

Public order in ancient Rome was a priority for the elite, who contrived a range of gruesome punishments for purportedly serious crimes deserving the death penalty. As a result, a day of fun and...
The Protector of Kea Island: The Lion of Kea

The Protector of Kea Island: The Lion of Kea

The Greek island of Kea has been a popular location since ancient times, given that it is the closest Cycladic Island to Athens . One of the most famous monuments of the island is the Lion of Kea, an...
Israel’s Oldest Royal Seal With Writing Was Bought For A Steal

Israel’s Oldest Royal Seal With Writing Was Bought For A Steal

A professor who bought a 2,300-year-old Iron Age royal seal, only paid a handful of shekels for something beyond value. About forty years ago Professor Yigal Ronen from the Ben-Gurion University of...
The Piraeus Lion of Venice: Runes and Roaming from Greece to Italy

The Piraeus Lion of Venice: Runes and Roaming from Greece to Italy

Some ancient artifacts travel from where they were first made to become symbols of other foreign lands. This is certainly the story of the Piraeus Lion. The Piraeus Lion is a marble lion displayed in...
Lion statue unearthed from reservoir in Cambodia.    Source: Department of Protection and Conservation of Ancient Constructions

Exquisite 12th Century Lion Sculpture Dragged From Reservoir in Cambodia

In Cambodia, a major discovery has been announced. Officials from the Department of Protection and Conservation of Ancient Constructions have stated that a large statue of a medieval lion was...
An Egyptian sphinx with a human head

Surprise Discovery of 4,000-Year-Old Egyptian Sphinx with Human Head and Lion Body

Local authorities in Egypt have announced the discovery of an ancient sphinx statue between two of the best known ancient temples in the country – Karnak and Luxor. The discovery was made by chance,...
Sekhmet - Kom Ombo, Egypt

More Statues of Lioness Goddess Sekhmet Unearthed in Luxor, Egypt

An assemblage of twenty-seven statues of the lioness goddess Sekhmet has been unearthed during excavation works at King Amenhotep III’s funerary temple at the Kom El-Hettan area on Luxor’s west bank...
Excited scientists unveiled the discovery - its facial features clearly visible - in Yakutsk today

Extinct Cave Lion Cub in ‘Perfect’ Condition Found in Siberia Raising Cloning Hopes

By The Siberian Times reporter A prehistoric lion cub has been found in permafrost on the bank of Tirekhtykh River of the Abyisky district of Yakutia by local resident Boris Berezhnov. The young...
Remains found in one of the tombs

Mycenean Tombs with Skeletal Remains Discovered near Legendary Nemea

New Mycenaean tombs have been unearthed during recent excavations at the Mycenaean cemetery of Aedonia, a village near Nemea, Greece. The Mycenaean cemetery of Aedonia includes several Late Bronze...
The Great Sphinx of Giza.

Depicting Man or Beast? Can You Solve the Riddle of the Great Sphinx of Giza?

The Great Sphinx of Giza is one of the most fantastic monuments of ancient Egypt. A monolith carved into the limestone bedrock of the Giza plateau, the statue depicts a mythical creature with the...
Astounding Ancient Assyria: The Grand Palace of Assurnasirpal

Astounding Ancient Assyria: The Grand Palace of Assurnasirpal

The grand palace of Assurnasirpal (Ashurnasirpal) II was one of the most incredible sites of ancient Assyria. Located in Nimrud, Iraq, the immense palace was richly decorated with sophisticated...
The Man who Assyria Feared: Demon Gallu and King of the Universe

The Man who Assyria Feared: Demon Gallu and King of the Universe

In 660 BCE, mighty Assyria was about to be shaken. A Scythian named Dugdammi united many nomadic tribes into a confederation. This nomadic confederation pushed at the borders of Assyria which so...
Numerous Statues of Sekhmet, The Lioness Goddess of War, Unearthed in Egypt

Numerous Statues of Sekhmet, The Lioness Goddess of War, Unearthed in Egypt

A team of Egyptian archaeologists excavating the Mortuary Temple of King Amenhotep III in Luxor, a city in southern Egypt and the capital of Luxor Governorate, have brought to the surface an...
New research indicates they are at least twice as old, living between 25,000 and 55,000 years ago, with one of them 'perfectly' preserved.

Extinct Lion Cubs Found in Siberia are up to 55,000 Years Old - Latest Test Results Reveal

By The Siberian Times Reporter Tantalizing studies are now underway to establish if one of two lion cub carcasses preserved by permafrost has traces of the world's oldest mother's milk. The lion cubs...
Unravelling the Tragic Story Behind the Impressive Lion Monument of Lucerne

Unravelling the Tragic Story Behind the Impressive Lion Monument of Lucerne

The Lion of Lucerne (known also as the Lion Monument) is a memorial located in Lucerne, Switzerland. This monument is a rock relief carved into the cliff face of a former sandstone quarry, and...
The Gate of Nimrud (Metropolitan Museum)

The Mythical Lamassu: Impressive Symbols for Mesopotamian Protection

Lamassu are human-headed, eagle-winged, bulls or lions that once protected cities in Mesopotamia. They were believed to be very powerful creatures, and served both as a clear reminder of the king’s...
The marble sphinx was found in a Chinese grave dating back more than 1,000 years.

Discovery of sphinx in northern China tomb presents something of a riddle

The sphinx is a famous icon from ancient Egypt of 5,000 years ago, but a statue of one has been excavated in China dating back more than 1,000 years. The marble sphinx, which has western features, is...
Sphinxes Revealed in Newly-Discovered Ancient Greek Tomb

Sphinxes Revealed in Newly-Discovered Ancient Greek Tomb

Last week we reported on the incredible discovery of a vast ancient tomb in Greece guarded by two sphinxes, adorned with frescoed walls, and surrounded by a nearly 500-metre long wall carved from...
Ancient Tomb Guarded by Sphinxes in Greece

Significant Ancient Tomb Guarded by Sphinxes Unearthed in Greece

Archaeologists in Greece have uncovered the entrance to a vast ancient tomb guarded by two sphinxes, adorned with frescoed walls, and surrounded by a nearly 500-metre long wall carved from marble,...
Ancient Ivory Figurine

Archaeologists unearth fragment of ivory belonging to 40,000 year old animal figurine

Archaeologists from the University of Tübingen have found an ancient fragment of ivory belonging to a 40,000 year old animal figurine. Both pieces were found in the Vogelherd Cave in southwestern...