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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. 

A Scold’s Bridle used in Medieval Poland. Source: Fotokon / Adobe Stock
7 October, 2022 - 14:53 Joanna Gillan

Scold’s Bridles: 12 Torturous and Humiliating Shame Masks of the Middle Ages (In Pics)

There was no end to medieval creativity when it came to torture , punishment and humiliation! The ‘scold’s bridle’ or ‘mask of shame’ was a concept developed in medieval Europe to punish people,...
Gold Coin Hoard in Israel Tells the Violent Story of Muslim Conquest
4 October, 2022 - 14:50 ashley cowie

Gold Coin Hoard in Israel Tells the Violent Story of Muslim Conquest

Stashed in a wall in Israel around the time of the Muslim conquest of Jerusalem 1,400 years ago, this gold coin hoard was minted during one of the bloodiest and paradigm changing periods of history...
2 October, 2022 - 19:01 ashley cowie

Baby Slings Were a Thing 10,000 Years Ago, New Discovery Reveals

A team of archaeologists have studied the remains of a 10,000-year-old baby with high technology. Their new paper not only found signs of ritual burial, but it reveals that baby carriers, or baby...
Skull funerary mask, Bhutan (Wellcome Collection / CC by SA 4.0)
1 October, 2022 - 18:59 Joanna Gillan

16 Bizarre, Impressive and Hilarious Funerary Masks of the Ancient World

Throughout history, many cultures and civilizations created funerary masks as part of their burial customs. The masks were used to represent a deceased individual, to honor them, and to cover their...
The edge of one of 500 obsidian mine shafts found in Central Mexico recently, which is shedding new light on pre-Hispanic Teotihuacan commerce and trade.
29 September, 2022 - 18:57 Sahir

Over 500 Pre-Hispanic Obsidian Mine Shafts Uncovered in Central Mexico

Obsidian mines mined by the pre-Hispanic Mesoamerican tribes of Central Mexico, located just 31 miles (49.88 kilometers) northeast of the ancient city of Teotihuacan, were discovered by...
An Aztec skull of a sacrificed captive used as a mask, encrusted in the nose and mouth with obsidian blades. (Dante / Adobe Stock)
29 September, 2022 - 14:54 Cecilia Bogaard

16 Absolutely Terrifying Aztec Artifacts

The Aztecs emerged in central Mexico around 1300 AD, coming to dominate the surrounding area from their capital city Tenochtitlan , now Mexico City. Stretching across highlands, coastal plains,...
Moche pottery depicting copulation. Museo Larco – Lima, Perú
24 September, 2022 - 18:57 Joanna Gillan

The Moche Uncensored! 15 Surprising Erotic Ceramics of Peru

The Moche were a mysterious civilization who ruled the northern coast of Peru beginning 2,000 years ago. Little was known about the Moche civilization until the 1980s when archaeologists began...
Top image: Iron age ceramic jar discovered in UAE. Source: Sharjah Museums Authority
22 September, 2022 - 14:56 Sahir

Archaeologists Puzzle Over Huge Iron Age Ceramic Jar Found in UAE

The largest Iron Age ceramic jar ever discovered in the UAE dated to 3,000 years ago hints at a bustling trade scene from the 1st millennium BC. But the dimensions of this vessel really have...
Sarcophagus of Ramses II’s royal secretary discovered in Saqqara, Egypt. Source: MOTA
21 September, 2022 - 14:55 Sahir

Red-Pink Granite Sarcophagus of Ramses II’s Secretary Found at Saqqara

The pink-red granite sarcophagus of Ptahmweia, a royal secretary during the reign of Ramses II (1279-1213 BC) of the Nineteenth Dynasty, has been discovered at the Saqqara necropolis. This is the...
The rare, gold Shang dynasty (1600-1046 BC ) funeral mask recently recovered from a noble’s tomb at Zhengzhou, China. Source: Xinhua
20 September, 2022 - 18:55 Sahir

3,000-year-old Gold Funeral Mask Illuminates Yellow River Civilization

A 3000-year-old gold funeral mask dated to the Shang dynasty (1600-1046 BC) has been unearthed by archaeologists on the Yellow River about 600 kilometers (373 miles) northwest of Shanghai. Found in...
Britain’s Imperial State Crown, made in 1937 with alterations in 1953. (Waterloo barracks, Tower of London). Source: Left; Right; CC BY-SA 4.0
15 September, 2022 - 14:57 Sahir

The Imperial State Crown’s Coffin Ride: History Completes a Chapter

The Crown Jewels of the United Kingdom are symbols of the British monarchy’s regalia and vestments, accumulated over 800 years of English and British history. Part of this collection is the Imperial...
A couple living in a historical home in a village in North Yorkshire, England found a rare coin hoard, more than 260 coins, under the kitchen floor they were renovating, and soon they will receive a small fortune from the auctioneer. Source: Spink & Son
9 September, 2022 - 02:01 Sahir

UK Couple’s Home Renovation Leads to Rare Coin Hoard Worth $280,000

When a couple living in an 18th-century North Yorkshire village home embarked on a renovation project, they were ready to spend money, and redoing the old kitchen floor was on the list. But before...
These reconstructed ivory panels from Jerusalem’s prosperous First Temple period, recently unearthed in the City of David, were once part of an elite couch throne. Source: Yaniv Berman / Israel Antiquities Authority
6 September, 2022 - 14:55 Nathan Falde

First Temple Period Ivory Plaques, From Bible, Found in Jerusalem

During joint excavations in the City of David (ancient Jerusalem), archaeologists from Tel Aviv University and the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) unearthed the remains of rare and valuable...
A terrifying Golden samurai helmet with a tiger mask (warmtail / Adobe Stock)
3 September, 2022 - 18:45 Joanna Gillan

12 Jaw-Dropping Helmets from the Ancient World

Helmets of the ancient world could be dazzling, terrifying, intimidating or sometimes simply practical. Here we look at 12 incredible helmets from across the ancient world. A Japanese Samurai helmet...
Bronze mythical beast extracted from pit No. 8 at Sanxingdui, China. Source: Weibo
2 September, 2022 - 23:00 Sahir

Bronze Mythical Beast Weighing Over 300 Pounds Found in Sanxingdui Ruins

A fantastic creature has finally been released from the pit of extraordinary metal objects at Sanxingdui, China, once again proving the advanced metalworking skills, artistic talent and imagination...
Statuettes recovered from the Chapultepec Forest site, Mexico City. Source: Mauricio Marat / INAH
2 September, 2022 - 18:39 ashley cowie

Oldest Artifacts In Mexican Basin Were Walked Over Daily at Chapultepec

Archaeologists in Mexico have discovered a layer of tools, utensils, and otherworldly figures in an ancient ceramic layer. For more than three thousand years, the artifacts remained undisturbed under...
The Pacopampa priest’s tomb in its cleaned-up state, which was found by Peruvian and Japanese archaeologists in the Cajamarca of Peru. Source: Peruvian Ministry of Culture
1 September, 2022 - 18:58 Sahir

Newly Discovered 1000 BC Pacopampa Priest’s Tomb in Peru Is Turning Heads

A team of archaeologists have discovered what they believe to be the tomb of a religious leader from ancient Peru at the Pacopampa site, a priestly figure, who was baptized as the “priest of the...
Folding chair from circa 600 AD grave unearthed in Central Franconia, Germany. Source: Bayerisches Landesamt für Denkmalpflege
31 August, 2022 - 22:57 Sahir

Ancient Folding Chair Found in Bavarian Grave Only Second Such Find Ever

Comfort in the afterlife was apparently a medieval concern. Gravesites can reveal aspects of past cultures and values, and are therefore a rich source for archaeologists and historians. An iron...
The Valknut symbol has transcended time, remaining popular today. Source: danlersk / Adobe Stock
25 August, 2022 - 14:49 Mark Brophy

The Enigmatic Valknut: Odin’s Symbol Shrouded in Mystery

Norse mythology is a rich and vibrant source of tales, myths and legends. It has provided us with some iconic gods, monsters, and even symbols. One of the most controversial and mysterious of these...
Early medieval weapons and jewelry found in southwestern Germany near the Danube River near Tuttlingen, Germany.
23 August, 2022 - 22:48 ashley cowie

A Rare Stone Age Burial Found Amongst 140 German Medieval Graves

Archaeologists have discovered a rare Stone Age burial containing 5,000-year-old pottery in the Danube valley of southwestern Germany. The Neolithic burial site was found in an area where 140...
A Secrets of the Ice team member proudly holding up the latest ice patch arrow released by Norway’s melting Langfonne ice patch.Source: Secrets of the Ice
21 August, 2022 - 18:56 ashley cowie

1,300-Year-Old ‘Perfect’ Arrow Found in Norway Ice Patch

Norway’s Secrets of the Ice team have found a perfectly-preserved, ancient arrow in the Langfonne ice patch, which dates to the north European Iron Age period (500 BC-800 AD). Rapid melting and...
Medieval medicine manuscript with drawings of urine flasks, illustrating the different colors of a patient's urine, with their ailments described alongside, 15th century. Source: © University of Cambridge
20 August, 2022 - 15:01 Nathan Falde

Curious Cures: Cambridge to Publish Astonishing Medieval Medical Manuscripts

The Cambridge University Library has just launched an ambitious new initiative that will result in the public release of an extensive collection of manuscripts from medieval times. The Curious Cures...
The rare and exceptionally preserved Dutch wooden ship figurehead found off the island of Texel in the Wadden Islands in early August 2022. Source: Victor Ayal
18 August, 2022 - 18:56 Sahir

400-year-old Ship Figurehead from 80 Years War Caught By Dutch Shrimpers!

An exceptionally well-preserved ship figurehead, in the form of a wooden statue, was “caught” by a shrimp boat crew off the coast of Texel Island in the Dutch Wadden Islands. This super-rare ship...
These knucklebones from the Hellenistic period, from roughly 2,300 years ago, were recently unearthed in central Israel in an area closely connected with the First Temple period. Source: Israel Antiquities Authority
17 August, 2022 - 14:58 ashley cowie

2,300-year-old Knucklebones Used for Divination Found In Israel

Scientists in Israel have discovered ancient animals' knucklebones used to foretell the future and as a form of spiritual protection in the wild and unpredictable ancient world. They were also the...

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