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Ancient Origins Tour IRAQ

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Other Artifacts

Other Artifacts covers many items which have been recovered from the past and give us insights into ancient human worlds. From loaded Roman dice to the Shroud of Turin, these items help tell the stories of the varied culture and everyday lives of our ancestors. 

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.
10 February, 2023 - 13:59 Nathan Falde

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...
Stone of Destiny, also known as Lia Fail. Hill of Tara. County Meath. Source: jamegaw/Adobe Stock
9 February, 2023 - 21:59 ashley cowie

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...
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
7 February, 2023 - 13:54 Nathan Falde

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...
Stone Age jade axehead, Scotland, c. 4000 BC. Most of them were brought to Scotland around 4,000 years BC. Credit: Project Jade
6 February, 2023 - 13:55 Joanna Gillan

Jade Beauty: 15 Must-See Artifacts in Pictures

Jade has been used by ancient civilizations for thousands of years, dating back to the Neolithic period. The precious stone was highly valued by the Chinese and was often referred to as "the royal...
Opole-Ostrówek, wooden "mask" from the mid-12th century. (Karol Szott/Kamil Kajkowski, "Masks from Opole in the context of Medieval Slavic rites", Archaeologia Polski 66, 2021, fig.3). Source: Archaeologia Polski/ CC BY 4.0
2 February, 2023 - 13:58 ashley cowie

Mask or Masquerade? Skeptic Totally ‘Trashes’ Magical Pagan Masks

For over six decades, it was believed that two wooden objects discovered in Opole, Poland were pagan Slavic masks used in mystical ceremonies held in cemetery woods. However, recent research by a...
The Skull of Anne d’Alegre, countess of Laval (1565-1619) equipped with hippo bone dental prostheses and gold wire. Source: Rozenn Collator / Inrap
1 February, 2023 - 01:07 ashley cowie

Anne d’Alegre and Her Dirty Dental Secret

Like many LA celebrities today, serious dental work was carried out in 17th century France to protect the smiles of perceived social elites. This statement is based on new research into the well-...
The spectacular array of treasures uncovered in Polish peat bog are believed to have been sacrifices by the Bronze Age Lusatian culture. Source: Tytus Zmijewski
29 January, 2023 - 21:56 ashley cowie

Sacrificial Treasure Trove of Bronze Age Artifacts Found in Peat Bog

Researchers in Poland were metal detecting a drained peat bog based on speculation when they unearthed an ancient sacrificial site containing a treasure trove of bronze artifacts dating to the Bronze...
An X-ray showing the relative size of the giant sword found in the Japanese tomb. Archaeological Institute of Kashihara in Nara Prefecture.
28 January, 2023 - 17:53 ashley cowie

Giant 7-Foot Sword and Mirror for Demon Slaying found in Japan Tomb

Researchers in Japan were excavating an ancient kofun burial mound when they found an enormous shield-shaped bronze mirror and a giant 7-foot iron sword, the largest that have ever been discovered on...
Archaeologists found a selection of animal skulls at the Neanderthal cave in Spain, including this bison skull. Source: Nature Human Behaviour / CC BY 4.0
27 January, 2023 - 21:52 Nathan Falde

Neanderthals Filled This Spanish Cave with Animal Skulls. But Why?

As the data continues to accumulate, it becomes more and more clear that Neanderthals were highly intelligent hominins who built their own unique and remarkable culture. Some of the latest...
Egyptian archaeologist Zahi Hawass, the director of the Egyptian excavation team, works at the site of the Step Pyramid of Djoser in Saqqara where the golden mummy and states were found. Source: Ministry of Tourism & Antiquities
27 January, 2023 - 17:52 Sahir

Mummy Found Covered in Gold May be Oldest Ever Found in Egypt!

A Pharaonic tomb containing a mummy wrapped in a gold-covered leaf may be the oldest and most complete mummy found in Egypt to date. It has been uncovered in Saqqara, near the Step Pyramid. Estimated...
Recently discovered textiles in the Aravah point to Silk Road trade in ancient Israel. Source: Israel Antiquities Authority: Olga Nganbitsky Nofer Shamir, Roy Galili.
22 January, 2023 - 17:56 ashley cowie

Precious Ancient Fabrics from the ‘Israeli Silk Road’ Found in a Trash Heap

Archaeologists have uncovered rare, printed fabrics dating back around 1,300 years. While the fabrics had originated in the East, they were found in an Israeli dump! It is the first evidence of a...
How the Newport Ship may have looked as it docked at Newport in the 15th Century. Source: Newport Museums and Heritage Service
20 January, 2023 - 13:55 ashley cowie

Rebuilding the Newport Ship: The Welsh Shipwreck Rivalling the Mary Rose

In 2022, the Newport Ship was discovered in the River Usk near Newport in Wales. Considered one of the most significant archaeological finds in the United Kingdom, after years of restoring the...
Left: Scientists using an XRF gun to test the sword’s chemical composition. Right: Bronze Age Era sword (1080-900 BC) now proved not to be a replica. Source: © Field Museum
18 January, 2023 - 21:56 ashley cowie

Chicago’s “Replica” Sword is Actually an Authentic 3,000-Year-Old Weapon

Over the last century a sword has been on display at the Field Museum in Chicago and dubbed a “replica Bronze Age weapon.” However, an x-ray has now disclosed that this brutal device of death is...
21 ancient Han tombs have been discovered, including a rare 2,000-year-old double-layer burial tomb. Source: Xinhua
15 January, 2023 - 21:55 ashley cowie

Archaeological Treasure Trove! 21 Royal Han Tombs Unearthed in China

Archeologists exploring a mountainside in China have discovered 21 tombs dating back 2,000 years. The presence of luxury artifacts and a rare “couple’s grave” suggests this was an ancient royal...
There are still numerous lost shipwrecks on the seafloors, including some famous and valuable vessels. Source: This Design / Adobe Stock
12 January, 2023 - 17:57 Robbie Mitchell

8 Lost Shipwrecks That Still Hold Promise of Treasure and Fame

We all love a good mystery, and what’s better than a treasure hunt? This has led many historians to an obsession with finding lost shipwrecks. Some of them do it in the hope of finding lost Spanish...
Temple of Rameses II at Abu Simbel. Source: matiplanas/Adobe Stock
12 January, 2023 - 13:59 Sahir

Audacious Attempt to Crane Lift Away 10-tonne Pharaonic Statue Foiled

Thieves trying to loot a giant antique statue by prizing it up with a crane ended up in police custody in Aswan in Egypt. The statue of pharaoh Ramesses II weighs a whopping 10 tonnes. According to...
A beautifully restored medieval pendant has been discovered to contain bones, possible relics of a saint. Source: Sabine Steidl, LEIZA
11 January, 2023 - 22:00 Sahir

Neutron Imaging Reveals Hidden Relics Inside Medieval Pendant

Scanning with a neutron beam has helped researchers crack the mystery of a gold-plated medieval pendant found in the German town of Mainz in 2008. The non-invasive and non-destructive technique has...
Hacksilver found in Israel. These nonstandard bits of damaged and aesthetically unpleasing pieces of silver that were used for commerce. Source: Lena Kuperschmidt/ Israeli Antiquities Authority
11 January, 2023 - 13:59 Nathan Falde

3,600-year-old Silver Pieces Confirmed As First Money Used in the Levant

In a fascinating new study has found that dozens of silver pieces found during excavations in Israel and the Gaza Strip were actually used as currency in ancient times. Since the silver pieces were...
The plastered Jericho skull, with stages of reconstruction and the final 3D image. Source: Cicero Moraes et al. /CC BY 4.0 /Ortogonline
10 January, 2023 - 13:53 Nathan Falde

Reconstruction Reveals True Face of 9,000-Year-Old Jericho Skull

The face of the famous plastered Jericho Skull, which was found in the Palestinian city of Jericho in 1953, has been fully recreated via 3D-imaging technology, revealing exactly what the man to whom...
The excavated wishing well found in Germering, Bavaria, Germany. Source: Marcus Guckenbiehl/ Bavarian State Office for the Preservation of Monuments
9 January, 2023 - 21:54 ashley cowie

Magical-Mechanics Discovered In 3,000-Year-Old Wishing Well

Archaeologists digging in a Bavarian city have discovered around 70 ancient water wells. However, none of them was as laden with treasure as this latest well. For all ancient civilizations , water...
Photo of the Parthenon Marbles, East Pediment. The Elgin Marbles have been controversial ever since they were taken from Greece. Source: Justin Norris / CC BY 2.0
9 January, 2023 - 18:00 ashley cowie

Are the Controversial Elgin Marbles Finally Destined for Athens?

For over a decade, staff at The British Museum refused to even discuss returning the controversially procured Elgin Marbles to Greece. Now, they’re sitting around a table with Greek heritage...
The remains of a Byzantine monk in chains being excavated in Khirbat el Masani, West Bank. Source: IAA
4 January, 2023 - 17:55 Sahir

Remains of a Byzantine-era Monk in Chains Excavated in West Bank

Archaeologists have recently uncovered the remains of a man in iron chains from the Khirbat el-Masani archaeological site in northern Jerusalem. The remains are 1500-year-old and are those of a...
The green coffin was received by the Egyptian authorities in a handing over ceremony. Source: Egyptian Ministry of Tourism & Antiquities
3 January, 2023 - 17:56 Sahir

Looted, Trafficked and Displayed at a US Museum, “Green Coffin” Returns to Egypt

An ancient Egyptian wooden sarcophagus called the “Green Coffin” has been returned to its rightful home by US authorities, according to Egyptian officials. The sarcophagus had been exhibited at the...
The Roman earring found by Nick Bateman. Source: Nick Bateman
28 December, 2022 - 21:55 ashley cowie

Detectorist Strikes Roman Gold in England

When this English metal detectorist realized that he hadn’t dug up a metal top, but an ancient Roman gold earring, he “sank to his knees in disbelief”. After many unfruitful searches, 53 -year-old...

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