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Hubert Vos' painting of a young Manchu man. Manchu shaman were important cultural icons

The Heavenly Legacy of the Ancient Manchu Shaman

The Manchu people are an ethnic minority in China sometimes called "red-tasseled Manchus", a reference to the ornamentation on traditional Manchu shaman’ hats. Shamanism was the dominant religion of...
Massimo Osanna at the shrine in Pompeii.

An Elegant Shrine Rises From The Volcanic Ash Of Pompeii

An ancient shrine swallowed by the ashes of Mount Vesuvius almost 2,000 years ago has been uncovered in the ancient city of Pompeii . The sacred altar space was discovered in a near perfect state of...
Medea with her children. The children became the focus of a hero cult in ancient Greece.

Baby, Baby, Baby: Why Did the Ancient Greeks Turn Dead Children into Heroes?

When we use the term “hero” today while discussing Greek mythological figures, it usually designates a man whose superhuman exploits and semi-divine parentage make him a person of legend. But in real...
Triumphant Diagoras held aloft by his sons by Auguste Vinchon.

Mistaken Belief has Turkish Locals Seeking Blessings at Olympic Boxer’s Tomb

According to reports from the Greek City Times and other news outlets, a 2,300-year-old tomb in Turkey once revered as a holy man’s shrine is no such thing. Instead, the ‘shrine’ is actually the...
Two Sides to Every Story: The North American Martyrs Shrines and Indigenous/ Roman Catholic Relations – Part II

Two Sides to Every Story: The North American Martyrs Shrines and Indigenous/ Roman Catholic Relations – Part II

Read Part 1 Jerome Lalemant, the second Superior of the Huron mission, said there were so few converts because no Jesuit had been martyred yet. It is stated more than once that if the “glorious crown...
Head of Marcus Aurelius found at Aswan/Site of the newly discovered shrine at Luxor,

The Head of an Emperor, the Shrine of a God: Two Contrasting Finds at the Egyptian Sites of Luxor and Aswan

Recent discoveries at two of the major ancient sites in Egypt emphasize the diversity of culture and power that existed in the region over time. In Aswan, the head of a marble statue of the Roman...
Aerial view of Nahualac lake when dry. Image: Arturo Cruz, Terrasat Cartografía.

Has a Millennium Old ‘Floating’ Replica of the Aztec Cosmos Been Found In Mexico?

Mexican archaeologists claim to have unearthed a stone sanctuary in a small lake on the side of a volcano east of Mexico City that may have been created as a miniature model of the universe. Stone "...
The Maiden Tower is the most recognized structure in the Old City of Baku, Azerbaijan.

A Fiery Maiden Guards Her Secrets

“At the beginning of the 1st millennium BC, there was raised an 8-storied towered temple (Maiden’s Tower) devoted to seven gods, grandiose for those day… [possessing] seven sacred levels, [and] wall-...
Domes of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.

Why is the Holiest Shrine in Christianity Guarded by Two Muslim Families?

The Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem is considered to be the holiest site in Christianity. According to tradition, this was the place where Jesus Christ was crucified, buried, and...
Why Do We Ignore the Ancient Treasures on top of Mediterranean Mountains?

Why Do We Ignore the Ancient Treasures on top of Mediterranean Mountains?

Jason König / The Conversation The mountains of the Mediterranean are permanent reminders of the past. The ancient Greeks climbed to their summits to offer sacrifices to the gods for centuries, even...
 Inside Shah Cheragh.

Shah Cheragh and The Dazzling Dome of Mirrors

Shah Cheragh is a religious monument located in Shiraz, the capital of the Fars Province in the southern part of Iran. The story of its founding and its awe-inspiring decoration have made it one of...
A reconstruction of what the Vine Street courtyard house might have looked like in the late 3rd century AD. It was discovered during excavations for the John Lewis car park in 2006.

Who Said Ancient People Had it Tough? Luxury Homes and Underfloor Heating Were a Part of Life in the Roman Province of Britannia

Archaeologists have uncovered a fantastic Roman mosaic and evidence of good living over 1,500 years ago in Leicester city centre in a home with underfloor heating. The team from the University of...
Top 10 Archaeological Discoveries of 2016: From Lost Cities to Ancient Tombs, Shrines, Maps and Unknown Species

Top 10 Archaeological Discoveries of 2016: From Lost Cities to Ancient Tombs, Shrines, Maps and Unknown Species

This year has provided an array of exciting, and sometimes puzzling, discoveries for archaeologists and ancient history enthusiasts. Looking back to our most ancient ancestors, a few of the...
Norwegian Archaeologists Have Found the Shrine of a Miracle-Making Viking King

Norwegian Archaeologists Have Found the Shrine of a Miracle-Making Viking King

Archaeologists think they have found a shrine dedicated to the Viking king Olaf Haraldsson in the ruins of a church in Trondheim, Norway. The team of archaeologists from the Norwegian Institute for...
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...
The Kusanagi: Unseen Legendary Japanese Sword

The Kusanagi: Unseen Legendary Japanese Sword

The Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi (translated as Grass-cutting Sword or Herb-quelling Sword ) is a legendary Japanese sword. This weapon, commonly referred to simply as The Kusanagi , is one of the three...
Extraordinary Buddhist Sculptures Unearthed in the Ruins of an Ancient City in Pakistan

Extraordinary Buddhist Sculptures Unearthed in the Ruins of an Ancient City in Pakistan

Archaeologists excavating the ruins of a city of the Kushan Empire in Pakistan have discovered an ancient shrine with statuary depicting the Buddha’s entry into the world of suffering people. After...
Obradoiro square in Santiago de Compostela, Galicia (Spain), Saint James the Greater.

Who is Buried in the Famous Shrine of St James in Santiago de Compostela?

The legend of the Apostle John’s brother is one of the most important stories in Spanish Christianity. According to legend, a man who was a friend of Jesus is buried in the cathedral in Santiago de...
One of three possible human faces carved into the Eagles’ Rocks in the Rhodope mountains in Southern Bulgaria.

Giant Face-like Rock Formations and a Rock Shrine Found in Bulgaria

Three huge rock formations that appear to depict human faces have been discovered in southern Bulgaria. They are estimated to be about 4,000 years old. The carvings, found in an area called Eagles’...
Doorway to Tomb 14, interior.

Previously Unreported New Kingdom Necropolis Revealed in Egypt

Dozens of tombs have been discovered by archaeologists working in Gebel el-Silsila in Egypt. Bones of men, women, and children of all ages have all been found in the rock-cut tombs. The necropolis is...
Part of the shrine showing Pharaoh Nectanebo I, who was the last native king to rule Egypt before the Greeks conquered.

Shrine dedicated to King Nectanebo I unearthed in Egypt

An Egyptian and German archaeological team sifting through the ruins of a temple dedicated to the ancient King Nectanebo I has found building blocks and parts of the ceiling, which was decorated with...
Seven-Branched Sword

The Seven-Branched Sword: The Mystical Ceremonial Sword of Japan

The Isonokami Shrine is a Shinto shrine believed to have been built in 4 AD. Located in in the foothills of Tenri in Nara prefecture, Japan, this shrine is culturally significant for it houses...
The holy egg at the Kunigami Shrine for healing haemorrhoids

The ancient Japanese shrine dedicated to curing haemorrhoids

Japan is known for having its fair share of unique and unusual ancient shrines and associated festivals, from the Mama Kannon temple dedicated to breasts to the Kanamara Matsuri (Festival of the...
Top Ten grisly Discoveries in 2013

Top ten grisly discoveries in archaeology

Archaeologists sometimes face the same gruesome discoveries that forensic scientists deal with today, having to unravel the stories behind brutal murders, sacrifices and other dark rituals. Here are...

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