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Ancient Origins Tour IRAQ

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Researcher holding the bronze Irulegi hand inscribed in Vasconic script. Source: Aiestaran, M. et. al / Antiquity Publications Ltd

Bronze Hand Inscribed with Rare Vasconic Script Linked With Basque Found in Spain

A stunningly rare artifact found at an Iron Age site in Spain contains an example of the equally rare ancient Vasconic script. Dating to the first century BC, the artifact in question is a flattened...
The millstone with an ancient Roman phallus engraving. Source: Highways England

Rare Ancient Millstone Found Decorated With A Roman Phallus Carving

When archaeologists pieced together a broken millstone they were shocked to find an ancient Roman phallus carving. Experts say that the Roman phallus decoration is both “highly significant” and rare...
After a ten year run of bad luck, an Irish farmer was advised by University College Cork to contact druids to perform a ceremony. Source: heywoody / Adobe Stock

Cursed Irish Farmer Calls in The Druids

A Cork farmer has employed the services of druids to end his decade of bad luck after a bull damaged an ancient standing stone on his land. The Irish farmer, Donal Bohane, owns a 30-acre (12.1 ha.)...

The Enigmatic Zenigata Sunae – A Majestic Heritage of Feudal Japan

Japan is full of countless intriguing places and monuments from its rich and vibrant past. From centuries of rich, evolving history, to the devastating effects of the Second World War, Japan has...
The lucky man found the buried treasure on a plot of land he bought with lottery winnings. Source: Yahoo

Twice Lucky! Lottery Winner Finds Buried Treasure in India

Some people are so lucky. In India, one fortunate man has made an amazing discovery. He recently won a large sum in a local lottery and decided to buy some land from his windfall – and on this plot...
A wizard in a cave

Experts Map Cave Full of Witches’ Marks Used to Counter Evil

Originally written off as graffiti, experts have now declared that the hundreds of markings of squares, letters, mazes , and lines in an English cave system are actually witches’ marks – apotropaic...
“Goddess of Luck” Blind Fortuna by Tadeusz Kuntze (1754)

Pure Luck: The Role of Chance in History

Luck is a way of understanding or judging how chance events affect our lives. Chance may be a mixed bag of marshmallows and razor blades, a flowing river of good and bad experiences; positive,...
The Magic of Heka: Ancient Egyptian Rituals That Have Crossed Cultures and Time

The Magic of Heka: Ancient Egyptian Rituals That Have Crossed Cultures and Time

Magic has always been a mysterious way to achieve goals and was often thought to make dreams come true. In the case of the ancient Egyptian civilization, it was seen as a way to communicate with the...
Numbers and Nobles: The Magical Tradition of Numerology in Spain

Numbers and Nobles: The Magical Tradition of Numerology in Spain

Spain has always been a country full of contrasts. It is often regarded as heavily Catholic and the place where the Inquisition began. At the same time, there have also been witches and individuals...
A baby hedgehog

Luck or Misfortune? Hedgehogs in Folklore and Tradition

The hedgehog is a type of mammal that can be found in parts of Europe, Africa, and Asia. Unlike some animals, such as the fish or the dog, the hedgehog does not feature prominently in mythology and...
Carvings depicting the Chinese Zodiac on the ceiling of the gate to Kushida Shrine in Fukuoka, Japan.

The Whimsical Legend of How the Chinese Zodiac Animals were Chosen

According to Chinese culture, each year is related to an animal or 生肖 (‘Sheng Xiao’, which literally means ‘birth likeness’). There are 12 animals, and together, they make up the Chinese zodiac. The...
Fortuna (1754) by Tadeusz Kuntze. National Museum in Warsaw.

The Goddess Tyche as Lady Luck

Throughout time, humanity has given great consideration to elements believed to bring good fortune our way. The more people believe that they can control unpredictable forces, the more they trust...
The ancient Egyptian sky goddess, Nut, arching over the earth. The human figures represent stars and constellations.

Ancient Egyptians Discovered the Period of Algol Three Millennia Before Previously Thought and Used the Information for Divination

There have long been theories that the mythological texts of the ancient Egyptians contain scripture related to astronomical phenomena. It is also known that as part of their cosmology, the Egyptians...