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Ancient Origins Tour IRAQ

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stelae

Archaeologists have unearthed an adorned stela at Las Capellanías complex in Cañaveral de León, Spain.       Source: University of Durham

Newly Discovered 3,000-Year-Old Stela in Spain Upends Gender Stereotypes

Archaeologists performing excavations at the 3,000-year-old Las Capellanías funerary complex in southwestern Spain have uncovered a decorated stela (standing stone slab) that features a unique and...
These Ethiopian megaliths in the Gedeo Sakaro Sodo area, photographed in 2014, have been dated to 1,000 years older than previously believed and everyone’s amazed!		Source: Ashenafi Zena / Washington State University

Phallic Ethiopian Megaliths Are 1000 Years Older Than Believed

Ethiopia’s Gedeo zone has the largest concentration of stone stelae in Africa. A new study published in the Journal of African Archaeology has pushed back the dates of megalithic stelae dotting the...
Mayan sculpture. Deciphering the story of Maya warrior Siyah K’ak’ at Tikal. Source: Marco Govel / Adobe Stock

Siyah Kʼakʼ, Warlord of Teotihuacan and his Conquest of Tikal

The pre-Colombian cities, monuments, and pyramids, found deep within the jungles and valleys of Mesoamerica are still shrouded in mystery. While academics are still trying to piece together the...
Tiya Stones, Intricately Carved Monoliths of Ethiopia

The Intricately Carved Tiya Megaliths of Ethiopia

The Tiya stones are part of an archaeological site located in central Ethiopia, in an area known as the Gurage Zone. The 46 large, decorated Tiya megaliths have been declared a UNESCO World Heritage...
Ancient mini Göbekli Tepe discovered in Turkey. Source: Cumhuriyet Gazetesi / Facebook

11,300 Year-Old Mini Göbekli Tepe Unearthed In Turkey

Archaeologists have unearthed a Neolithic-era temple with three almost-intact stelae similar in form to the famous and controversial Göbekli Tepe. The ancient temple was unearthed in the Ilısu...
View of the 2019 construction site and the alignment of steles, standing stones. Source: © SBMA - ARIA SA.

Rare Stone Steles With Unknown Figures Found At Neolithic Site in Switzerland

A remarkable series of standing stones have been found near one of the most important Neolithic sites in Switzerland , and indeed in the entire Alpine region of Europe. The unearthed stones are...
Ruins and obelisks at Axum, former capital of the Kingdom of Aksum

The Kingdom of Axum: Facts and Legends of a First Millennium Powerhouse

Located on the Horn of Africa, the ancient Ethiopian kingdom of Axum (also spelled Aksum) played a significant role in international relations around the time of the first millennium. At its height,...
Nabta Playa and the Ancient Astronomers of the Nubian Desert

Nabta Playa and the Ancient Astronomers of the Nubian Desert

Nabta Playa is a remarkable site composed of hundreds of prehistoric tumuli, stelae, and megalithic structures located in the Nubian Desert, approximately 100 kilometers west of Abu Simbel in...
Table Rocks in Nabta Playa

Religion, Sacrifice, and the Mystery of the Table Rocks in Nabta Playa

Read Part 1 Nabta Playa is a remarkable site composed of hundreds of prehistoric tumuli, stelae, and megalithic structures located in the Nubian Desert, approximately 100 kilometers west of Abu...
The Polovtsian Statues of the Eurasian Steppes

The Polovtsian Statues of the Eurasian Steppes

The Polovtsians (derived from the Ukrainian word polovtsy , meaning blonde) were nomadic warriors of the Eurasian steppes during the Middle Ages. In the area that is now Ukraine, the Polovtsians came...