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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. 

What is in that Reliquary? Trying to Find the True Cross

What is in that Reliquary? Trying to Find the True Cross

The cross of Jesus is one of the most important objects in Christianity and there are many reliquaries around the world which are believed to contain a piece of the cross. The most famous one is...
Hundreds and Hundreds of objects in the once-secret collection of Professor Cabrera.

Professor Cabrera’s Cabinet of Horrors: Secret Chambers and Shocking Artifacts with Controversial Origins

In Ica, Peru, I visited the most mysterious museum on our planet. It is the Museo de Piedras Grabadas de Ica , (Museum of the Engraved Stones of Ica). Professor Javier Cabrera Darquea (1924-2001)...
Kuman Thong amulets.

Child Angels, Golden Boys, Supernatural Dolls and Necromancy in Thailand

Recently, reports of a Thai doll craze have been featured at the end of news hours, a spot typically reserved for pop culture tidbits like hijab wearing Barbies (“hijarbies”) or the birthday of the...
The Norse spearhead from Charles Point on an image of a Viking Ship.

A 1000-Year-Old Nordic Spearhead Raises the Question - Were The Vikings in New York?

A 20th century find suggests that the Vikings may have explored North America as far south as New York. Although the reasons for its presence in Charles Point are contested, no one can deny the fact...
Searching for Truth in Bones: The Mysterious Relics of Mary Magdalene

Searching for Truth in Bones: The Mysterious Relics of Mary Magdalene

Mary Magdalene is one of the most fascinating people from the times of Jesus. Although every year there are more and more people who follow her as if she were a super-heroine, her story has been...
Photo of metal plate from Father Crespi’s collection.

On the trail of the Father Crespi Collection: A Sad Discovery – Part II

[Read Part I] “There is nothing of Padre Crespi’s collection left in our building!” ‘Brother Gatekeeper’ assures us when we arrive at the main portal of the Salesian monastery of Cuenca in Ecuador. “...
Left: Father Crespi holding a metallic artifact that appears to contain a series of hieroglyphs. (Source). Right: Photographs of Crespi’s so-called ‘Metallic Library’. Credit: Ancient-Origins.net.

On the trail of the Father Crespi Collection – Part I

A desperately poor clergyman tends to a small South-American community. He teaches the children, and procures the schoolbooks for them. The people are poor and cannot afford medical assistance;...
Moche Sacrifice Illustration

By the Cut of a Tumi: An Iconic Ceremonial Artifact of Ancient Peru

The tumi was a ceremonial knife used by several pre-Columbian cultures that inhabited the Peruvian coast, including the Moche, Sicán, Chimu, and Inca cultures, to carry out blood sacrifice 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...
This 300-year-old shoe was discovered behind a wall at St John's College and is thought to have been an amulet meant to ward off evil. (St. John’s College photo)

300-Year-Old Shoe Behind Wall of English College Was Meant As Protection From Malicious Spirits

Workers discovered a shoe this month behind a wall at a Cambridge University college in England that was probably meant to protect inhabitants of the building from mischievous or malicious spirits...
This photo of Ötzi’s clothing was taken by Niall O Sullivan of the Institute for Mummies and the Iceman.

5,300-Year-Old Otzi the Iceman Was Wearing Clothing from Five Separate Animal Species

Otzi the Iceman, a mummy found in 1991 on a glacier in the Tyrolean Alps, was clothed in a bearskin cap, goatskin leggings, sheepskin coat, cow skin shoes and a deerskin quiver when he was killed in...
Cippus at the Louvre Museum

The Rosetta Stone of Malta: Cippi of Malta Offers Key to Decoding the Phoenician Language

Malqart was considered lord over life and death; he was the chief deity of Tyre. His temple was the site of two major festivals and believed to have been the inspiration for the renowned Temple of...
Fallen star sword.

Why did Tutankhamun Have a Dagger Made From a Meteorite?

Scientists have long speculated that the ancient Egyptians used metal from meteorites to make iron objects. An analysis of a dagger found in Tutankhamun’s tomb has given us strong evidence that this...
The 400-year-old dress.

All Dressed Up and Left in the Sea: Retrieving a 400-Year-old Gown of a Double Spy

400 years ago travels across the sea were quite difficult. Bad weather conditions often meant tragedies. One example of a difficult journey comes from February 1642, when a ship was crossing from...
A 16th century bezoar in the Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienne

Bezoars: The Sought After Ancient Jewels Made from Animal Stomach Growths

There is an urban legend fueled by the movie Beverly Hills Cop that people have around 5 pounds of undigested meat in their stomach by the time they are middle-aged. Not so. But bezoars, which are...
Closeup Image of Orion's Belt (Public Domain) and Vucedol Pot (oocities.org)

The Oldest Known Calendar in Europe is based on the Orion Constellation

In the late 1970s during the construction of an atomic bomb shelter, a shattered pot was found amongst the rubble. Archeologists were baffled by the strange patterns on the vessel, which dates back...
The Mysterious Moche Icon of the Iguana, Companion to the Sky God Wrinkle Face

The Mysterious Moche Icon of the Iguana, Companion to the Sky God Wrinkle Face

The iguana was an important animal in the mythology of the powerful Moche civilization. This creature is often depicted as a companion of a figure known as Wrinkle Face, who is sometimes thought to...
The Dunvegan Cup, Fairy Flag, and Sir Rory Mor's Horn are heirlooms of the MacLeods of Dunvegan. This photo was taken sometime before 1927.

The Mysterious Fairy Flag of Clan MacLeod and its Legendary Protective Powers

The Fairy Flag is one of the treasures kept by the chief of Clan MacLeod, a Highland Scottish clan associated with the Isle of Skye. Today, the flag resides in Dunvegan Castle, the seat of the clan’s...
Mini Golden Coffin Found in Crypt May Hold Skull Bone of Buddha

Mini Golden Coffin Found in Crypt May Hold Skull Bone of Buddha

When archaeologists were excavating the Grand Bao’en Temple of Nanjing, China in 2008 they came across a significant find – a relic linked to Buddha, Siddhartha Gautama. The artifact was a skull bone...
Götz von Berlichingen.

16th Century Prosthetic Iron Hand: The Story of Gotz von Berlichingen

Gotz von Berlichingen was a German mercenary knight who lived during the 16 th century. This knight was known also as Götz of the Iron Hand, due to the fact that after his right hand was severed...
The Spectacular War Helmet of Meskalamdug, the Powerful King of Kish

The Spectacular War Helmet of Meskalamdug, the Powerful King of Kish

The war helmet of Meskalamdug is an artifact that was discovered in one of the graves in the Royal Cemetery at Ur. This grave was found to have belonged to an ensi (roughly translated as ‘ruler’) of...
Carnyx from the recently discovered Tintignac group.

The Carnyx: Ancient Trumpet Leading Celtic Warriors to Battle

The carnyx is an ancient musical instrument that best-known to have been used by the Celts during the Iron Age. Between 300 BC and 200 AD, the carnyx was used in many parts of Europe. In the ancient...
Unraveling the Mystery behind the Raimondi Stele

Unraveling the Mystery behind the Raimondi Stele

The Raimondi Stele is an artifact that was made by the Chavín culture, which was a prehistoric civilization that developed between 1500 and 300 BC in Peru. The Raimondi Stele is said to have been...
Chiseling Away at the Mystery of the Neanderthal Mask of La Roche-Cotard

Chiseling Away at the Mystery of the Neanderthal Mask of La Roche-Cotard

A piece of flat flint may have been shaped by the hands of a Neanderthal who once lived near the cave La Roche-Cotard in the territory of Langeais, France. Many people see a face in this artifact,...

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