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Ancient Origins Tour IRAQ

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Neolithic

Neolithic Anatolian Çatalhöyük burials, a new study has revealed, involved painting skeletons with red ochre and other dyes or paints, and this was in 7,000 BC!		Source: Jason Quinlan / Catalhoyuk Research Project

Red Ochre Colored Skeletons Revealed in Çatalhöyük Burials, New Study

In Neolithic Anatolian Çatalhöyük burials, in what is often called the world’s oldest city (modern-day Turkey), people sometimes decorated the skeletal remains and the burial chamber walls of the...
The oldest pearl bead found in Qatar recently reveals just how long pearl trading and diving has been practiced in the region. (Qatar Marine)

The 6,500-Year-Old Pearl Bead Found in Neolithic Grave in Qatar

In March, 2022, media accounced the discovery of the oldest pearl bead in Qatar, which has a rich history of pearl diving and trade. As reported on by I Love Qatar (ILQ), the archaeological mission,...
One of the ancient faces carved in stone at a remarkably well-preserved Neolithic shrine found at a prehistoric gazelle hunting camp in Jordan’s eastern desert.           Source: Jordan Tourism Ministry

Pre-Pottery “Perfect” Neolithic Shrine Found in East Jordan Desert

A team of Jordanian and French archaeologists have found an exceptionally well-preserved and intact Neolithic shrine at a remote prehistoric hunting campsite in Jordan’s eastern desert that dates...
A closeup of how the earliest ear surgery skull in history (from over 5,000 years ago) was discovered in a Neolithic tomb in Spain in 2018.					Source: Fotógrafos Photography Study / Scientific Reports

Evidence of Ear Surgery From 5,300 Years Ago Discovered in Spain

Modern science has lent a certain sophistication to human history, allowing for various genetic and acquired deficiencies to be addressed. Today, our eyes and ears can be repaired with simple and...
How megalithic builders in the UK probably designed stone structures using experimental archaeology.		Source: Author provided

The Silent Language of the Megalithic Builders

Our understanding of the methods of design involved before any British prehistoric structure was physically built, that is from the moment when its form had been conceived in someone’s mind up to the...
The Neolithic sculpture was found in an East Yorkshire grave, along with a bone pin and a chalk ball thought to be a child's toy.	Source: © Trustees of the British Museum

Neolithic Drum Sculpture Declared ‘Most Important Piece of Prehistoric Art’

Archaeologists unearthed a highly unusual 5,000-year-old carved drum ‘sculpture’ made from stone during excavations near the village of Burton Agnes in Yorkshire in northern England. The object was...
One of the skulls from the Nahal Hemar Cave. KEYWORD Source: Clara Amit / IAA

Fascinating Asphalt-Coated Skulls Excavated in Israel Date to 7,000 BC

Nahal Hemar cave in Israel’s southern Judean Desert has proven to be one of the most artifact-rich excavation sites in the region. The Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) has provided details of a new...
Yu the Great, in red, the founder of the Xia Dynasty that was an extension of the Erlitou culture, fighting the flood waters with his fellow fighters.	Source: The Chairman's Bao

Erlitou: China’s First Great City and Beginning of the Xia Dynasty?

The Erlitou culture dates to the early Bronze Age and existed in the Yellow River valley region of ancient China. The culture was named after a village site that was discovered in the central Chinese...
Artist’s impression showing what the exterior of the Neolithic tomb cairn at Hazleton North may have looked like. Courtesy of Corinium Museum, copyright Cotswold District Council.		Source: Courtesy of Corinium Museum, © Cotswold District Council / Nature

‘World’s Oldest Family Tree’ Revealed in Neolithic Tomb in England

Genome sequencing of 35 individuals from the best-preserved Neolithic tomb in B Tomb in England ritain has revealed that 27 of the individuals were the children of 4 women – and just one man! This...
The Nanzuo site in Qingyang, Northwest China's Gansu Province. (China's National Cultural Heritage Administration) Insert: A painted clay jar unearthed at the Nanzuo site this year. (CHINA DAILY)

5,000-Year-Old Palace Marks Birth of Chinese Civilization

Archaeologists have been excavating at the Nanzuo heritage site in Qingyang, on China’s Loess Plateau, in Gansu province. Dating back 4,600 to 5,200 years, according to China Daily , the Nanzuo site...
The two shorter stones. Source: Paul Allison / CC BY-SA 2.0.

The Enigmatic Devil's Arrows: The Tallest Standing Stones in Britain

In the heart of Yorkshire in northern England, near the town of Aldborough, lie three huge pillars of stone known as the Devil's Arrows. Originally four, these are the tallest collection of standing...
Two of the Stonehenge plaques, make of chalk, analyzed with high tech in the latest study.    Source: Proceedings of the Prehistoric Society

Stonehenge Plaques Hold Secret Cultural Data, Says New Study

Four Neolithic “chalk plaques” were discovered near Stonehenge between 1968–2017. A new study has shown that the ancient illustrations on the Stonehenge plaques are much more than just abstract...
The human brain has three parts and for millions of years it grew in size but 3,000 years ago it began to get smaller! 						Source: alionaprof / Adobe Stock

Three Thousand Years Ago Human Brain Size Decreased, Says Study

Through the process of greater efficiency, the human brain size began to shrink about 3,000 years ago and this is a huge new revelation in human evolution. The latest research study conclusions...
The right side of the Neolithic Anatolian stone relief depicting a male figure holding his phallus in the middle with leopards on either side.

Hard to Grasp Relief of Man Holding His Phallus Found in Turkey

The latest excavations at a Neolithic site in Turkey’s southeastern province of Şanlıurfa in the Anatolia region have brought to light a fascinating five-figure relief dating to the Neolithic period...
Representation of a full set of the fishing tackle found at the Hula Valley site in northern Israel.

Fishing Tackle Used to Catch Monster Carp 12,000 Years Ago, Says Study

A new study in PLOS ONE demonstrates how ancient humans in the Middle East crafted and used sophisticated fishing tackle as early as 10,000 BC. With these fishing tools, they hunted for ancient...
A human head in an ancient wall at the Karahantepe site in Turkey.  Source: Ancient Architects / YouTube screenshot

Early Artistic Skills Amaze at Turkey’s Neolithic Karahantepe Site

Turkey’s Karahantepe site (also written as Karahan Tepe) is believed to be nearly 11,500 years old, and some of the recent finds are truly sensational. Archaeologists have recently discovered early...
Giant Camel Sculptures in Saudi Desert Found To Be Incredibly Ancient

Giant Camel Sculptures in Saudi Desert Found To Be Incredibly Ancient

A team of archaeologists studying life-size rock carvings of animals in the Saudi Arabian desert were shocked to discover the true age of these impressive stone sculptures. These carved figures of...
High-impact shocks to the face and skull. Source: Standen et al. / Journal of Anthropological Archaeology

Neolithic Atacama Desert Farmers Battled Violently Over Resources

It wouldn’t be unfair to say that human history has been a continuum of violence, bloodshed, and gore. This phenomenon has been captured today in virtual simulations, games, and other forms of...
The first carved stone ball found at the Tress Ness, Sanday, Orkney Neolithic tomb site that “teeters” on the edge of the encroaching sea today.		Source: University of Central Lancashire

Mysterious Carved Stone Balls Found in Scottish Isle Tomb

A 5,500-year-old tomb discovered on a Scottish island will soon be reclaimed by the sea. Archaeologists racing to excavate the site, “before it’s lost forever,” have discovered two enigmatic carved...
Rip Mountain in the Bohemian area of the Czech Republic where a Neolithic burial mound, the best preserved one ever in the region, was recently found at the foot of the mountain.  		Source: Aktron / CC BY-SA 3.0

Neolithic Burial Mound Found at Base of Bohemia’s Rip Mountain

Czech archaeologists have discovered and unearthed a 6,000-year-old ancient burial mound in Bohemia, which is among the oldest of its kind found anywhere in Europe. Underneath the mound (or cairn)...
Machrie Moor on the Isle of Arran at sunset with two magnificent standing stones in the foreground. Source: swen_stroop / Adobe Stock

Vast 6,000-Year-Old Sacred Site Suspected On Scotland’s Isle of Arran

Long before the pyramids of Egypt and England’s Stonehenge were even conceived, a functioning prehistoric ritual site was built in Neolithic times in Scotland, which is famous for its many megalithic...
Arthur's Stone in Herefordshire, England, which is also on Dorstone Hill where the "halls of the dead" were discovered along with a number of Neolithic artifacts. Source: University of Manchester

The True Origins of Arthur’s Stone in Herefordshire Finally Revealed

After years of speculation, archaeologists from the Universities of Manchester and Cardiff have found evidence that reveals the truth about the origin of Arthur’s Stone , a double-chambered rock tomb...
The recently discovered menhirs as they stood in the ground when discovered at Saint-Léonard, Switzerland.   Source: St-leonard.ch

Thirteen Aligned Neolithic Menhirs Discovered in a Small Swiss Town

A group of 13 aligned menhirs believed to be from the Neolithic period have been found in Switzerland’s Valais canton, in the municipality of Saint-Léonard. This discovery was made as part of...
The Stonehenge tunnel is supposed to help traffic in the area. The A303 is in the foreground. Source: diamond geezer / CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

Stonehenge Tunnel Ruled “Unlawful”

A judge has just ruled on the heavily criticized proposal for a tunnel beneath Stonehenge . He’s quashed the British government’s plans. Campaigners working to save Stonehenge are delighted at the...

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