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Image during part of the funeral ceremony for Thailand’s deceased King Bhumibol Adulyadej.

The Grand Funeral of Thai King Bhumibol Adulyadej and Intricate Buddhist Funerary Rites

For Thai Buddhists, funerals are extremely important moments, as they represent rebirth and the passage from one existence to another. The elaborate funeral rites recently held in honor of Thailand’s...
Main image: Screen of Gameplay of the video game War of the Vikings (public domain). Inset: One of the skeletons found in the Sandvika sitting graves, Central Norway (Photo: NTNU Museum of Natural History and Archaeology, 1965-66)

Who Were These Vikings Buried Sitting Upright?

BY THORNEWS Accidentally, in 1963 a burial ground with 24 graves deep inside the bay of Sandvika on the eastern side of the island of Jøa in Central Norway were discovered. The bodies buried in a...
Collection of Egyptian Busts and Shabtis, design by Anand Balaji

Nefertiti and the Perfect Serenity of Death: Mesmeric Shabtis of Akhenaten and Tutankhamun —Part II

Archeological records and a trove of recovered specimens inform us that shabtis (funerary figurines) produced from different materials were placed in the tombs of Eighteenth Dynasty Pharaoh...
Some of the Song Dynasty coins found under a house in Fuliang county of Jingdezhen city in East China's Jiangxi province.

A Staggering 5.6 Tons of Coins Are Unearthed in China and Archaeologists Struggle to Fathom Who Hid Them

When a villager living in the Jiangxi province of China started to work on the foundation of his home, he couldn’t have imagined what he would find. The discovery of a hoard of coins soon led...
Famadihana reburial, ‘turning of the bones’ in Madagascar

Plague Epidemic in Madagascar May be Spread by Dancing with the Dead Ritual

The Malagasy people of Madagascar have built a way of life around death – during the dry winter months, famadihana ceremonies, known as “the turning of the bones” and “dancing with the dead”, take...
The tombstone is engraved with a cross.

Intriguing Coptic Tombstone Belonging to a Little Girl Discovered in Luxor

A team of archaeologists in Egypt has recently uncovered an ancient Coptic tombstone during the excavation works taking place in the Avenue of Sphinxes. Now archaeologists suggest that the tomb...
A modern interpretation of King Solomon’s Temple.

The First Temple: Crowning Achievement of King Solomon and Home of the Legendary Ark of the Covenant

The Biblical figure King Solomon was the son of King David, was reputedly both wealthy and wise. He is recorded as a prophet in both Judaism’s Talmud and Islam’s Quran and one of his major legacies...
A meteorite in space. (Public Domain) Insert: This meteorite is the oldest item to have ever been bought in an auction.

Space Rock Sold! 4.5-Billion-Year-Old Meteorite is the Oldest Item Ever Sold on Earth

A 4.5-billion-year-old meteorite is one of the oldest of its kind in the world and a chunk of this space rock has now become the oldest item ever sold in an auction. But its purchaser is not the...
The figurine was made of an as yet unknown organic material. Source: Institute of Archaeology and Ethnography SB RAS

Unique 5,000 Year Old Figurine with Feather Headdress Found in Old Potato Field

By Anna Liesowska 'Absolutely stunning' ancient ornaments were discovered with no known comparisons, presenting a puzzle for archaeologists: which culture made this? The finds were made on a pre-...
The hull of the ship was cracked, suggesting it was hit and took on water, leading to it being wrecked some 700 years ago

700-Year-Old Shipwreck Loaded with Artifacts Discovered in China

A team of archaeologists have discovered a shipwreck in China, which had been hiding under silt and mud for more than seven centuries. Experts suggest that the new find dates back to a chronological...
Collection of Egyptian Shabtis, design by Anand Balaji

Deputies of the Dead from Amarna to Thebes: Mesmeric Shabtis of Akhenaten and Tutankhamun—Part I

Among the most important items that made it into the crypts of both kings and commoners alike were shabti figurines that served to ensure that the Afterlife was one long holiday for their masters...
60 of the almost 100 cuneiform clay tablets were found at the archaeological site of Bassetki in the Kurdistan region of northern Iraq.

Almost 100 Cuneiform Clay Tablets Unearthed and Archaeologists Cannot Wait to Decipher Them

The discovery of ancient writing is always exciting for researchers. Documented events, letters, lists, literature – it is all helpful in reconstructing the story of our predecessors. Thus, the...
Artist’s impression of elderly Neanderthal male based on fossil found at La Chappelle-aux-Saints

Neanderthals Took Care of Deaf and Disabled Buddy Until Old Age

A new analysis suggests that an older Neanderthal from nearly 50,000 years ago, ended up being deaf and most likely depended on his friends in order to survive, after he had suffered several injuries...
Oceanides, Gustave Dore (1860-1869).

The Secret of Long Life? It’s All in the Water: Sacred Springs & Holy Wells

The belief in sacred springs and holy waters goes far back into the earliest religious myths of humankind, and is ubiquitous across every continent. An ancient primordial connection between water and...
The remains of warriors lie scattered on the battlefield of Tollense.

Scientists Discover Clues to Identities of Mystery Warriors Lying on an Ancient Battlefield

Archaeologists have begun piecing together evidence that may finally reveal the identities of the mystery warriors whose remains lie scattered across a 3,300-year-old battlefield at the Tollense...
Reconstruction of Sungir man with mammoth tusk spear.

Is This Proof Early Man Weaponized Ivory from Woolly Mammoth Tusks to Kill...Woolly Mammoths?

By The Siberian Times reporter Deadly paleolithic spears - pictured below and manufactured from the ivory from extinct beasts - show the lethal genius of ancient craftsmen up to 28,500 years ago...
A model of the Ark of the Covenant from biblical description

The Missing Contents of the Ark of the Covenant: What Was Inside the Ark? (HINT: Not just the 10 Commandments)

Whenever the subject of ancient technology comes up, most people have been conditioned by spectacular movies and TV shows to think right away about the Ark of the Covenant . Some say it was a...
‘An alchemist being tempted by Luxuria.’ Oil painting after Marten de Vos.

Spiritual Alchemy – Casting Light on a Secret Science

Spiritual alchemy is closely linked to secret knowledge and many who have attained this level of wisdom later decided to withdraw from it as they found they were not ready to receive it. The purpose...
A cape made from Madagascar Golden Orb spider silk exhibited at London's Victoria and Albert Museum.

World’s Rarest Textile is Made From the Silk of One Million Spiders

In 2009, what is believed to be the world’s largest and rarest piece of cloth made entirely from the silk of the golden silk orb-weaver was exhibited at the American Museum of Natural History in New...
The skeletal remains found after stormy weather in Kilmore Quay, Ireland.

After the Storm: Hurricane Ophelia Reveals Ancient Mystery Skeleton in Ireland

Hurricane Ophelia sent strong waves beating against a coastal walkway in Ireland. This sped up erosion and revealed an unexpected discovery to people walking in the area the next day – human remains...
A 4,000-year-old wooden head uncovered in Egypt thought to be of the 6th Dynasty Queen Ankhnespepy II.

Uncovered in Egypt: 4,000-Year-Old Wooden Head Thought to be Queen Ankhnespepy II

By Holly Kellum Archaeologists in Egypt have uncovered a 4,000-year-old wooden head they believe is of Egypt’s 6th dynasty Queen, Ankhnespepy II. The head was uncovered in an area east of the queen’s...
Some of the Mitla mosaics.

Mitla Mosaics: A Coded Language May Plaster the Walls of a Zapotec City of the Dead

Unique and curious designs plaster the walls of the most popular Zapotec archaeological site in Mexico. They are called the Mitla mosaics and are unrivalled in their precision and quality of...
Collection of Egyptian Art, design by Anand Balaji

Ostraca: Voices from the Place of Truth—An intimate glimpse into New Kingdom Egypt

Athenians meted out harsh punishments to those who fell afoul of prevalent laws or societal norms. If citizens had done something terrible, they ran the risk of being exiled from the city for up to...
The vertebra of the warrior with an arrowhead embedded in it.

The Warrior Who Survived with an Arrow Embedded in His Spine

In 2015, it was reported that a bronze arrowhead was discovered to have been lodged in the spine of a warrior. Whilst an injury like this would have normally been fatal, it seems that this ancient...

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