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Representation of a yeti and the Indian army photo of Yeti footprints

Indian Army Claims of ‘Yeti’ Footprints Causes Social Media Frenzy

A tweet from the Indian army has unleashed a storm of controversy on social media. It claimed on the microblogging site that an Indian military expedition found footprints that belong to the fabled...
Cenobio de Valeron, Gran Canaria     Source: Tamara Kulikova / Adobe Stock

Cenobio de Valeron: 350 Small Caves Create Confusion in the Canary Islands

The strange appearance of the cavities that comprise the immense Cenobio de Valeron archaeological site in the Canary Islands caused confusion for Spanish colonizers and early scholars. They...
Region close to where the Pleistocene footprint was discovered.

Discovery of 16,000-year-old Footprint That Could Change the History of the Americas

There are some discoveries that can change the way that we think about history. Archaeologists in Chile believe that they have made one such discovery. They have uncovered a human footprint that is...
Sack of Rome by Alaric - sacred vessels are brought to a church for safety in Augustine, La Cité de Dieu (circa 1475) (Public Domain)

The Enigma of the Tomb of Alaric, King of the Visigoths

Legends tell that Alaric, King of the Visigoths, who sacked Rome in the fifth century AD, was buried along with his horse and a vast amount of treasure, in the bed of the Busento River in the Cosenza...
Ninja warrior.

Hwarang, The ‘Flowering Knights’ of Korea: Deadly Warriors That Looked and Smelled Good!

The Hwarang were an extraordinary group of ancient knights from Silla – one of 3 kingdoms in the region of the Korean peninsula . They were an elite sect, chosen from high society families whilst...
Colored Giza Casing Stones, Menkaure's Pyramid.

Stones of Diverse Colors: Symbolic and Astronomical Significance in the Very Fabric of the Giza Casing Stones

Most casual students of ancient history know that the outer casing stones of the Giza pyramids were constructed of highly polished Tura limestone blocks that caused them to gleam like a trio of...
Ancient secrets of medicinal mint unlocked through science. Source: Yü Lan / Adobe.

Medicinal Mint Decoded: Scientists Learn Ancient Secrets of Chinese Skullcap Mint

The precious chemistry of a plant used for 2000 years in traditional Chinese medicine has been unlocked in a project that raises the prospect of rapid access to a wide array of therapeutic drugs ...
llustration of an Aleut paddling a baidarka, with an anchored Russian ship in the background, near Saint Paul Island, by Louis Choris, 1817. The Chaluka site was inhabited by ancient Aleut people. Source: Public Domain

Chaluka: A Site so Remote, The Ancient Aleutians of Alaska Lived in Peace for Millennia

Alaska is often referred to as the last frontier because of its unspoiled nature and sparse population. Few people are aware of the long history of the indigenous people of the state and especially...
Traditional Tammari people village of Tamberma at Koutammakou, the Land of the Batammariba, Kara region, Togo.

Koutammakou, Togo: Unparalleled Batammariba Life and Unique Architecture

Koutammakou, the land of the Batammariba people, has many unique architectural and ethnographic attractions found nowhere else. The harmonious integration the Batammariba have with nature is rarely...
Around 30,000 years ago, the last remaining Neanderthals in Spain died out (procy_ab / Adobe)

First Neanderthal Remains Discovered in Serbia Reveals Human Migration History

In 2015, our Serbian-Canadian archaeological research team was working at a cave site named Pešturina, in Eastern Serbia , where we had found thousands of stone tools and animal bones. One day, an...
Askia the Great, ruler of the Songhai Empire 1493 to 1528, in the Game Civilization V.

Askia the Great: Revolt Leader to Powerful Songhai Emperor

Muhammad I Askia (also known as Askia the Great) was one of the most important emperors of the Songhai Empire. Askia came to power in 1493, when he overthrew the last ruler of the Sunni Dynasty,...
Falls in the Amazon in Bolivia, representation of area of Amazonia settlement.

Humans Inhabited the Amazon 7,500 Years Earlier Than Previously Thought

Humans settled in southwestern Amazonia and even experimented with agriculture much earlier than previously thought, according to an international team of researchers. "We have long been aware that...
Sumerian warriors

The Sumerian Seven: The Top-Ranking Gods in the Sumerian Pantheon

The Sumerian religion was polytheistic in nature, and the Sumerians worshipped a great number of deities. These deities were anthropomorphic beings, and were meant to represent the natural forces of...
Some unlucky artifacts and cursed sites: The Ring of Silvianus (CC BY 2.0), Tutankhamun’s silver trumpet with wooden insert (Meridianos), the Hope Diamond (CC BY-SA 4.0), Stone ringfort, “Ring of Kerry” in Ireland (Francis Bijl/ CC BY 2.0 ), and ruins of an ancient synagogue at Chorazin. (Lev.Tsimbler/CC BY SA 4.0)

Bringing Centuries of Bad Luck: 10 Unlucky Artifacts and Cursed Archaeological Sites

When an artifact or location is called ‘cursed’ it often refers to bad luck befalling whoever possesses the object or disrespects, or sometimes just visits, the site. Curses, jinxes, hexes, and black...
Sketch for 'The Battle of Trafalgar, and the Victory of Lord Nelson over the Combined French and Spanish Fleets, October 21, 1805' by Clarkson Frederick Stanfield  (1793–1867) (Public Domain)

The Age of Sail Recaptured: Model Maritime History in Mauritius

Gazing at model replicas of the HMS Victory and the Bucentaure one conjures up the naval Battle of Trafalgar; breathing the toxic gun smoke, gagging on the smell of gun powder, deafening booms of...
Sundiata Keita, the Lion King of Mali.

Sundiata Keita: The Lion King of Mali

Sundiata Keita was the founder of the Mali Empire and is popularly referred to as the Lion King. Prior to this, Sundiata was the king / chief of a small, obscure Mandinka tribe within the Ghana...
The Loch Ness Monster is a valuable tourist draw.

Scientists Finally Closing in on Nessie, The Loch Ness Monster

Ever since the Irish Missionary St. Columba confronted a ‘ great serpent ’ in the River Ness in 565 AD, Loch Ness in Scotland has been the traditional home of the famous monster by the same name. But...
Cowrie shell money. Source: tradol / Adobe.

Paying With Shells: Cowrie Shell Money Is One of the Oldest Currencies Still Collected Today

Shell money is a form of currency that was used in various parts of the world, including Asia , Africa, and Oceania . This type of money makes use of a type of marine snail known as cowrie and...
Askia the Great, ruler of the Songhai Empire 1493 to 1528.

How Did the Songhai Empire Dominate West Africa?

The Songhai Empire dominated West Africa between the 15th and 16th centuries. This empire was a successor state of the powerful, centuries-long Mali Empire . The weakening of Mali rule allowed the...
Assyrian Cuneiform

Deciphering Cuneiform to Get a Handle on Life in Ancient Mesopotamia

Cuneiform is a system of writing that was invented by the Sumerians of ancient Mesopotamia. Believed to have been created sometime during the 4th millennium BC (between 3500 and 3000 BC), this script...
Viking Bjorn Ironside

Bjorn Ironside: Son of Famed Viking Ragnar Lodbrok Became Legendary King of Sweden

Bjorn Ironside was a famous Viking leader who legends say ruled Sweden as the first king from the House of Munsö. He lived during the 9th century AD and his father was the legendary Ragnar Lodbrok...
Ancient Greek murder victim was a muscular warrior.

Muscular Ancient Murder Victim Had Perfectly Circular Hole Punched In His Chest

Somewhere around 2,000 years ago on a Greek island, a very strong man had a seven-pointed spear, known as a styrax, thrust through his chest with such a violent force that it punched a perfectly...
Dark demonb (Luis Louro / Adobe Stock)

Ancient Curses: Five Ways to Create Calamity in the Ancient World

Ever since the days when magic first arose, people have been looking to manipulate the world with supernatural means and divine intervention – often for positive ends, but also to punish or send...
Was the Brazil Tablet left by early Transatlantic explorers?

The Brazil Tablet: Dropped in the Jungle by Early Transatlantic Explorers?

In 1310, Malian explorers led by Mansa (King) Abubakari set sail to discover new lands across the Atlantic. A mysterious statuette was left by these ancient explorers in the Brazilian jungle...

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