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All the latest news on finds, advancements, and research in archaeology and ancient history, from the No 1 Ancient History website in the world

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Inside the rare 14th century Spanish synagogue. Source: Utrera city hall

Stunning Discovery of a Rare Medieval Spanish Synagogue Under Disco Pub

Over the centuries, this versatile building has been transformed from a holy temple to a hospital, home for abandoned children, a bustling restaurant, and even a lively disco-pub. But that's not all...
Top image: The sanctuary in the Villa del Mitra, Cabra, Spain. Credit: el Dia de Cordoba

1,800-Year-Old Sanctuary Dedicated to God Mithras Found in Spain

The remains of a sanctuary dedicated to the god Mithras , along with leftovers from ritual banquets, have been found during excavations at the Villa del Mitra in Cabra, Spain . According to Heritage...
Representational image of a sunken shipwreck. Source: bayazed / Adobe Stock. Inset: Saffron, peppercorns, and almonds found aboard the Gribshunden ship. Credit: Larsson, M. and Foley, B.

Tasty Treasures: 3,000 Plants, Spices, and Fruits Found on 15th Century Norse Shipwreck

A remarkable discovery has been made by archaeologists of preserved plants, spices, and fruit aboard a sunken Norse ship from the 15th century. The ship, named Gribshunden , had belonged to King Hans...
The Buland Darwaza, or High Gate, was built in 1602 as the main entrance to the Jama Masjid mosque at Fatehpur Sikri in India. Source: Shuklaankit90 / CC BY-SA 4.0

The Majestic Legacy of Fatehpur Sikri: A Masterful Mughal City

Fatehpur Sikri is a hidden gem just 37 km (23 mi) southwest of the bustling city of Agra. This majestic town has a rich and intriguing history with roots tracing back to the Sikarwar Rajputs, a...
Martyr of Fanaticism by José de Brito depicts a young woman being tortured during the Spanish Inquisition. Source: Public domain

The Spanish Inquisition: The Truth Behind the Black Legend (Part II)

One of the most controversial organizations in history, the Spanish Inquisition has been poorly understood by the general public. This period of religious persecution, which took place between 1478...
Pericles's Funeral Oration, by Philipp Foltz (1852)(Public Domain)

Searching For True Monarchy In Greek Literature

Since the beginning of time monarchs and monarchy have attracted a great deal of attention in the media. Countless works of history have focused on the deeds and misdeeds of political leaders, and...
Examples of an Oldowan percussive tool, core and flakes dating from roughly 2.9 million years ago and found at the Nyayanga site in Kenya are seen in this undated handout image. Source: T.W. Plummer, J.S. Oliver, and E. M. Finestone/Homa Peninsula Paleoanthropology Project

Results of Kenyan Dig Suggest Africa’s First Toolmakers Were Not Human

A multi-year series of excavations at a site near Lake Victoria in Kenya unearthed a collection of Oldowan stone tools that are likely the oldest ever found on Earth, dating back to the Pliocene...
HS2 excavation of Coleshill Manor and the excavated medieval gatehouse in Warwickshire. Source: HS2

Medieval Gatehouse Likely Witnessed First Action of English Civil War

Pock-marked with bullets that likely came from the muskets of Parliamentarian troops bound for the very first battle of the English Civil War , the remains of a medieval gatehouse have been uncovered...
This rare gold bead, dating back at least 1,600 years, was uncovered in dirt taken from a Roman structure in Jerusalem's Emek Tzurim National Park.  Source: Ari Levy/Israel Antiquities Authority.

Volunteer Finds Intricate 5th-Century Gold Bead in Archaeological Debris

While sifting through dirt and rubble removed from a huge Roman structure discovered during excavations at Pilgrimage Road in the City of David in Jerusalem, a National Service volunteer found a...
Representational image of a Roman soldier with a red-crested helmet. Source: Sunshower Shots / Adobe Stock

Romans Wore Red-Crested Helmets to Avoid Fratricide on the Battlefield

We’ve all become accustomed to seeing iconic red-crested helmets depicted in Hollywood battle scenes set in the Roman era. But, are these red crests historically accurate or just a product of...
Stone of Destiny, also known as Lia Fail. Hill of Tara. County Meath. Source: jamegaw/Adobe Stock

Vandal Strikes at Lia Fáil, Ireland’s Ancient Spiritual Heart

Ireland’s “Stone of Destiny” - the Lia Fáil - or Stone that Roared, has been defaced by a mindless vandal. Although mindless isn’t quite right, at they actually seem to have thought about what they...
Hattusa, the capital of the Hittite Empire before its collapse. Source: Suat/Adobe Stock

The Role of Severe Drought in the Collapse of the Hittite Empire

A study of juniper tree-ring samples from central Turkey, along with other dating methods, shows that a climate crisis in the form of a severe drought in 1198–1196 BC, played a major role in the...
Aswan temple, completed by Ramses II of the Ramessid Dynasty.  Source: Konstantin / Adobe Stock

The Ramessid Dynasty: A Golden Era in Ancient Egypt

Throughout its very long history, ancient Egypt's fate has always been decided by the great ruling dynasties. A powerful state and empire needs an equally powerful ruler, and ever since the...
Auto de Fe in the Plaza Mayor, an oil painting from 1683 by Francisco Rizi. The painting depicts the ritual public penance carried out by heretics and apostates during the Spanish Inquisition. Source: Public domain

The Spanish Inquisition: The Truth behind the Dark Legend (Part I)

One of the most controversial organizations in history, the Spanish Inquisition has been poorly understood by the general public. This period of religious persecution, which took place between 1478...
Portrait of Mary, Queen of Scots, detail. Inset, Section of one of the 50 scripts, made up of graphical symbols, found by the code breaker team in the National Library of France.   Source: Public Domain /inset; Bibliotheque National de France

Researchers Decode Secret Encrypted Letters of Mary, Queen of Scots

Secret encrypted letters written by Mary, Queen of Scots during her imprisonment in England have been decoded. Having been arrested and charged for plotting to murder her cousin, Queen Elizabeth I,...
Irish Liberators In South American Independence Wars

Irish Liberators In South American Independence Wars

For much of its history Ireland was just one of a legion of realms conquered by the British Empire in a morally reprehensible quest of world domination. The road to independence was long and arduous...
Buddhist Sohei warrior monks played a critical role in Japanese politics for centuries. 	Source: Brunogm / Adobe Stock

Bloodthirsty Buddhists: The Sohei Warrior Monks of Feudal Japan

When we think of Buddhism today, we think of pacifism, being at one with the world, love for one’s neighbor and nature, and other aspects of peaceful living. Modern Buddhist monks are devoted to...
Representational image of the peopling of the ancient supercontinent of Sahul. Source: intueri / Adobe Stock

Virtual Reality Tracks 75,000-Year-Old Footsteps of Sahul Explorers

Newly published and ground-breaking research has revealed previously unknown information about the populating of the ancient supercontinent of Sahul, which once comprised Australia and New Guinea...
Damaged Ottoman mill building in the Aleppo Citadel.          Source: Syria's Directorate-General of Antiquities and Museums

Ancient Engineering Saves Sites From Earthquake’s Wrath

Concerns have arisen for ancient sites after two earthquakes struck Turkey and Syria on Monday. Thousands of fatalities have now been reported in Turkey and Syria due to the powerful earthquake with...
Neanderthals were eating brown crabs like this 90,000 years ago.	Source: davemhuntphoto/Adobe Stock

Proof Emerges that Neanderthals Harvested and Ate Crabs 90,000 Years Ago

New research has once again illustrated that the Neanderthals were neither primitive nor unsophisticated. It shows that Neanderthals living in a cave near Lisbon, Portugal 90,000 years ago enjoyed a...
The Nabatean woman, known as Hinat. Source: Royal Commission for AlUla (RCU)

Ground-Breaking Tech Brings Us Face-to-Face with a Nabatean Woman

For the first time in history, a team of archaeologists, forensic scientists, and model makers working under the Saudi Royal Commission for AlUla (RCU) have reconstructed the face of an ancient...
Workers excavating the Hun warrior tomb which was discovered at one of several archaeological sites unearthed during the construction of a highway in Romania. Source: CNAIR / Vasile Pârvan Institute of Archaeology

Gold Laden Hun Warrior Tomb Uncovered by Romanian Highway Project

Amidst the buzz of a highway construction project in Romania, a team of workers accidentally stumbled upon a historic trove of buried treasure and a Hun warrior tomb. The archaeological site revealed...
Geta Dying in his Mother's Arms by Jacques Pajou. His death at the hands of Caracalla has been remembered due to the subsequent use of damnatio memoriae to erase him from public memory. Source: Public domain

Caracalla Erased Hated Brother’s Memory Using Damnatio Memoriae

We’ve all had issues with family at one time or other. But the lengths taken by the Roman emperor Caracalla really take the biscuit. To ensure he would never again be reminded of his younger brother...
Neolithic houses. Source: AI generated

Grand Neolithic Homes Dating Back 5,800 Years Found in Northern Ireland

In the past, archaeologists exploring near the banks of Lough Foyle in Ireland have found ruins and artifacts linked to the first millennium AD Kingdom of Aileach. But evidence suggests this area was...

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