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Ancient Origins Tour IRAQ

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The history of childhood and education in Western civilization has evolved significantly over the last 2000 years, from no education to child labor to formal schools, how exactly did it all change?     Pictured: Top left: The School of Athens, a famous fresco by the Italian Renaissance artist Raphael, with Plato and Aristotle as the central figures in the scene (Jorge Valenzuela A / CC BY-SA 3.0).         Bottom left: Group of child labor boys during the Industrial Revolution (Lewis Hine / Public domain).

“We Don't Need No Education!” – The History of Childhood

Over the last two millennia of Western civilization, the concept of ‘childhood’ has significantly evolved from one of a family-oriented perspective to that of the child-centered universe. Those of us...
Human remains found at the excavation site at the medieval cemetery in Petriplatz, Berlin.    Source: Ausgrabung Petriplatz

Mass Medieval Cemetery Sheds Light on Berlin’s Brutal Birth

In Berlin , a historic medieval cemetery has been excavated which reveals that medieval people’s lives were blighted by hunger, disease, and extreme violence. Many of the human remains show signs of...
Left: Portrait of Llywelyn the Great (Hogyncymru / CC BY-SA 4.0). 	Right: Stain glass window depiction of Llywelyn the Great (Llywelyn2000 / CC BY-SA 4.0).

Was Llywelyn the Great Wales’ Greatest Native Ruler?

Llywelyn ap Iorwerth, more commonly known as Llywelyn the Great (or Llywelyn Fawr in Welsh) was a Welsh prince who lived between the 12 th and 13 th century. Lylwelyn is considered to be the greatest...
Representation of a medieval knight walking along a beach. Credit: bint87 / Adobe Stock

Medieval Knight Wielding ‘Excalibur’ Stopped By Armed Police

Three police officers from the Welsh police special firearms unit have confronted a sword-wielding “medieval knight,” by a lake in Cardiff. King Arthur was one of the most illustrious legendary...
A probable Iron Age or Roman enclosed settlement (red arrows) and associated field system (blue arrows) revealed by LiDAR data but hidden today beneath woodland.       Source: University of Exeter

Armchair Indiana Joneses Find Ancient Sites Using LiDAR During Lockdown

Volunteer archaeologists working from home are revealing hitherto uncharted prehistoric burial mounds, Roman roads and medieval farms, using LiDAR technology. An innovative project is underway...
Medieval town of Schwäbisch Hall in Baden-Württemberg, Germany.             Source: Gaschwald / Adobe Stock

Medieval Europe’s Waves of Plague Also Required an Economic Action Plan

Kriston R. Rennie / The Conversation The Black Death (1347-51) devastated European society. Writing four decades after the event, the English monk and chronicler, Thomas Walsingham, remarked that “so...
Main: Representation of a man firing a medieval longbow. (Oksana Volina / Adobe stock).     Inset: Exit wounds seen on the cranium used in the study. (Oliver Creighton / University of Exeter)

Study Reveals Medieval Longbows Were As Devastating As Modern Guns

A study has revealed the amazing power of the English medieval longbow. British researchers have found that they caused horrific injuries, based on their study of human remains. They have likened the...
The Iron Age and medieval jewelry unearthed in Shropshire, England. Left: the medieval brooch with centaurs. Right: The gold Iron Age ring.            Source: British Museum’s Portable Antiquities Scheme

Detectorists Unearth Rare Iron Age and Medieval Jewelry in England

In Britain , metal detectorists have unearthed two historically significant treasures and in particular, very rare pieces of Iron Age and medieval jewelry. One is a gold ring and the other is a...
Danevirke wall defended the Danes in the north from the Germanic and Slav tribes.    Source: khosrork / Adobe Stock

From the Vikings to WWII, the Danevirke Wall Has Seen it All

All through classical history, imposing and long walls, ramparts, and fortifications played a significant role in securing the borders of nations and kingdoms from all sorts of incursions and attacks...
Medieval manuscript. Credit: Andrzej Solnica / Adobe Stock

Experts Solve 1000-Year-Old Mystery of Rare Medieval Blue Ink

Portuguese researchers believe that they have identified the long-lost process and plant that provided a unique purple-blue pigment in the Middle Ages . This was used to color many things including...
Sword fight. Credit: Oleksandr / Adobe Stock

Experiment Reveals Secrets to Brutal Bronze Age Warfare

Experimental archaeology is a relatively new field and it is allowing experts to test their hypotheses about the past in a new hands-on way. A fascinating recent experiment has solved the mystery as...
Aerial view of the ruins of the Cherven medieval fortress near Rousse, Bulgaria Source: Atanas / Adobe Stock

Forgotten Warrior-Saints Exposed in Murals of Medieval City

In Bulgaria, a previously unknown medieval church has been unearthed in an abandoned medieval city. It dates from the Second Bulgarian Empire and archaeologists have found some important murals in...
Medieval village with key players from the hierarchy including: the king, queen, priests, monks and soldiers.   Source: Matrioshka / Adobe stock

Feudalism and the Medieval Village Hierarchy

Life in a medieval village was surely no fairytale. Hard work, poverty, uncertainty of life and its comforts, the iron fist of the feudal lord - the disadvantages were numerous, and benefits few and...
Medieval tower, Dublin Castle, Ireland          Source: Tupungato/ Adobe Stock

Dublin Castle, Encapsulating the Beauty and History of Ireland

As with many other European counties, Ireland has multitude of historic castles and fortresses. Perhaps the best-known on the island is Dublin Castle. This stronghold has played an important part in...
The human remains on the riverbank may be part of a medieval cemetery. Representative image. Source: milkovasa /Adobe Stock

Skeleton On Irish Riverbank Points To Long Lost Medieval Cemetery

In Ireland, two people out for a walk made a disturbing discovery. They found the skeletal remains of a human on the bank of a river. It is believed that the skeleton comes from a long-lost medieval...
Left: The small cave is full of intricate engravings, initials and other markings, revealing insights into medieval religion. Right: Archaeologists investigating the cave, which could only be reached by abseiling.            Source: Archaeology South East

UK Landslide Unveils Cave Shrine Steeped in Medieval Religion

Railway engineers in Britain have made a remarkable discovery, uncovering a cave that may have been used as a shrine or hermitage in the Middle Ages . The cavern was uncovered after a landslide by...
The Sutton Hoo movie that will tell the story of the famous Anglo-Saxon treasure is due to come out on Netflix soon. Right: A replica of the Sutton Hoo helmet produced for the British Museum by the Royal Armouries. (CC BY-SA 2.5). Left: The original Sutton Hoo helmet. (CC BY-SA 2.0)

New Sutton Hoo Movie Rights the Wrongs of Archaeological Snobbery

The new Sutton Hoo movie, called The Dig, that is due to be released on Netflix is going to tell the real story behind one of Britain’s greatest archaeological discoveries. It dramatizes the...
Medieval Anchorites Were Experts at Self-Isolation, And They Give This Advice

Medieval Anchorites Were Experts at Self-Isolation, And They Give This Advice

The pandemic of COVID-19 is often called “unprecedented” – and for many people cooped up in their homes in different countries, the experience is both unparalleled and challenging. But in late-...
This Bronze Age gold arm ring is one of the ancient treasures found in Britain in 2019. Source: British Museum/Portable Antiquities Scheme

2019: Britain’s Record-Breaking Year of Ancient Treasures

The British Museum announced on Tuesday that in 2019 metal detectorists across England, Wales, and Northern Ireland discovered in excess of “80,000 ancient objects with 1,311 defined as treasure,”...
The Fascinating History of Medieval Castles: From Emergence to Obsoletion

The Fascinating History of Medieval Castles: From Emergence to Obsoletion

Medieval castles are one of the most iconic buildings of the Middle Ages , especially in Western Europe. During this period, the castle served generally as the residence of a king, or the lord of the...
Main: The cesspit excavation site. Inset: The tile of the mythical beast found at the site. Source:          MOLA

Mythical Beast Unearthed in Medieval English Cesspit

A rare medieval tile depicting a mythical beast has been discovered within the treasures recovered from a 14th-century cesspit in England . Since discovering the 14th century chalk-lined cesspit in...
The shrine of Medieval Saint Eanswythe in the Folkestone church, England. Source: A Clerk of Oxford

Bones of Medieval Saint and Princess Found Hidden in Church Wall

Scientists have finally managed to solve a centuries-old mystery. They have been able to show with a high degree of probability that some bones located in a church wall belonged to a medieval saint...
Sir Lindsay Hoyle, Speaker of the House of Commons, poses inside the newly-rediscovered secret passage.       Source: Jessica Taylor / UK Parliament

Secret Passageway Reveals Clues to UK Parliament’s Ancient Past

A secret passage has been found in the world-famous House of Commons in London . This passageway was forgotten for at least 70 years. Its rediscovery is allowing researchers to better understand one...
Reconstruction of Bek’s Chapel in Auckland Castle. (Andy Gammon / The Auckland Project)

Lost Medieval Chapel Unearthed 370 Years After Destruction

The mysterious 14th century Bek’s Chapel that was lost at the beginning of the English Civil War has been rediscovered and excavated at Auckland Castle in England. The grand, two-leveled religious...

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