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Ancient Origins Tour IRAQ

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obelisk

Obelisk at Amun Temple, Karnak, Luxor. Source:  Andrej / Adobe Stock.

How Did They Do it? New Insights on the Ancient Obelisk Transportation Mystery

In the golden sands of ancient Egypt, behemoth stone structures known as obelisks have stood the test of time, narrating tales of a civilization's grandeur and prowess. These magnificent structures...
Grinding stone, Dendera Temple, Egypt.

The Evidence is Cut in Stone: A Compelling Argument for Lost High Technology in Ancient Egypt

Most people know of the great construction achievements of the dynastic Egyptians such as the pyramids and temples of the Giza Plateau area as well as the Sphinx. Many books and videos show...
Cleopatra’s Needle: The Story Behind the Obelisks

Cleopatra’s Needle: The Story Behind Three Awe-Inspiring Obelisks

Cleopatra’s Needle is the name shared by three ancient Egyptian obelisks – one in New York City, one in London, and one in Paris. However, each comes from a different Egyptian site and none may have...
The newly-discovered carving at Gebel el Sisila

Pharaoh bows to god of gods in newly discovered quarry carving

A team of archaeologists from a Swedish university has made some important discoveries at a large ancient Egyptian quarry. They’ve found a rock carving up to 3,000 years old depicting a pharaoh...
Cleopatra's Needle, NYC (CC BY-SA 3.0); Cleopatra's Needle Obelisk in the Hold of the Steamship Dessoug, 1880. (Public Domain); Bob Brier in Egypt. (Sharon Janet Hague)

Bob Brier and the Hunt for the New York Obelisk

Bob Brier is arguably the world's most famous Egyptologist. Professor at Long Island University in New York, where he has tenure, he teaches both philosophy and Egyptology. A popular host on Learning...
Roma: Piazza del Popolo by Hendrik Franz van Lint.

Rome’s Flaminian Obelisk: an epic journey from divine Egyptian symbol to Tourist Attraction

Nicky Nielson /The Conversation It’s a great place to sit in the shade and enjoy a gelato. The base of the Flaminian Obelisk in the Piazza del Popolo on the northern end of Rome’s ancient quarter...
The newly-discovered pyramidion.

4,000-Year-Old Pyramid Peak Discovered at Long-Lost Burial Site of 6th Dynasty Egyptian Queen

The peak of a pyramid, dating back to around 2,000 BC, has been unearthed at the long-lost burial site of Ankhnespepy II, an important Egyptian queen of the 6 th dynasty. The rest of the pyramid is...
The newly-discovered obelisk in Cairo, dedicated to an Old Kingdom Queen.

4,000-Year-Old Inscribed Obelisk Dedicated to Ancient Egyptian Queen Unearthed in Saqqara

The Ministry of Antiquities in Egypt has announced the exciting discovery of the upper part of an Old Kingdom granite obelisk that dates back to around 2,000 BC. The ancient monument, which once had...
Drawing of an obelisk.

Constructing an Obelisk: How the True Rocks of Eternity were Made

Since Classical antiquity, the West has had a fascination with ancient Egypt. Even Roman tourists would regularly visit Egypt in droves and all but one of the Egyptian obelisks were removed at some...
Kingston Lacy and Egyptian Obelisk, discovered on an island in the Nile by William Bankes in 1815

The Philae Obelisk, Hieroglyphs and Understanding a Vanished Culture

Before the deciphering of Egyptian hieroglyphs, ancient Egypt was shadowy and mysterious with towering monuments, magical names, and an unknown antiquity, though most Western scholars believed that...
A photo of the Unfinished Obelisk at Aswan

Why Did the Egyptian Masons Down Tools on the Largest Obelisk Ever?

The Unfinished Obelisk is an ancient Egyptian obelisk located in Aswan. This obelisk is known for its massive size, as well as for the fact that the work that was carried out on it was never finished...
The ‘Vulture-Stone’ at Gȍbekli Tepe.

Was a Comet Swarm Memorialized on an Obelisk at Prehistoric Gȍbekli Tepe?

It’s entered modern lore as a nightmare scenario for planet Earth: A huge asteroid or comet or a swarm of smaller comet fragments hits Earth and causes a major catastrophe. Now, scientists think they...
The Enigmatic Columns of Horus: Hidden Tools, Weapons of the Gods? – Part I

The Enigmatic Columns of Horus: Hidden Tools, Weapons of the Gods? – Part I

Over the last two centuries, Egyptologists have proposed a host of certainties on Egyptian burial customs with the study of abundant literature found within the tombs, built during the Ancient and...
Mythical Benben Stone: The Landing Site of Egyptian God Atum

Mythical Benben Stone: The Landing Site of Egyptian God Atum

The Benben stone is an object that is found in the mythology of ancient Egypt. This mythical stone is said to have once been housed in a shrine within the compounds of the temple dedicated to the...
Unfinished Obelisk in Aswan

The Forgotten Stones of Aswan Quarry, Egypt

The unfinished obelisk in Aswan, Egypt, is estimated to be around 1168 tons, but the largest Obelisk that was actually erected in Egypt was no more that 500 tons. I visited the immense unfinished...
Rome Sundial Secrets

Virtual Reconstruction Reveals Secret to Ancient Sundial

Scientists have used latest technology to produce virtual simulations of an Egyptian obelisk and the famous Ara Pacis (Altar of Peace) in ancient Rome to solve a mystery surrounding the ancient...