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Hermitage of San Bartolomé. Source: Al Carrera / Adobe Stock.

Why Did the Templars Mark This Mysterious Spot On the Map? (Video)

Nestled within the majestic Rio dos Lobos Canyon stands the 12th-century hermitage of San Bartolomé, a hidden gem veiled in secrets and symbolism. This enigmatic chapel holds a significant place in...
Church of Santa Maria do Olival in Tomar, Portugal. Source: milosk50 / Adobe Stock.

The Tiny Church at the Heart of the Knights Templar (Video)

Hidden within the charming town of Tomar, Portugal, lies a hidden gem of historical significance - the tiny church of Santa Maria do Olival. Dating back to the 13th century, this Gothic church holds...
1,300-Year-Old Solid Gold Pommel Is Like No Other

1,300-Year-Old Solid Gold Pommel Is Like No Other

A one-of-a-kind golden sword pommel was discovered by a metal detectorist in Scotland in 2019. Depicting a rare mix of Christian symbols with mythological creatures, the treasure has just been valued...
Phallic megalith covered with glyphs and author in the Pohnpaid meadow (Image © 1992 Carole Nervig)

Glyphs Upon A Stone Altar: The Petroglyphs Of Mu

Awareness of Nan Madol as a world class archaeological site has grown exponentially over the last decade, especially since achieving World Heritage Site status in 1996. Constructed upon an offshore...
Depiction of a knight vs snail battle from Brunetto Latini's Li Livres dou Tresor from circa 1315 to 1325. Source: British Library

Medieval Manuscripts Are Full of Knights Fighting Snails

The next time you’re looking through an illuminated manuscript, keep an eye out for images of medieval knights fighting off snails. Of all the villains in the world, these may not have been the first...
Killer rabbit in the Smithfield Decretals, c. 1300, British Library, London, UK. Detail. (British Library/CC BY 4.0)

Killer Rabbits Terrorized the Pages of Medieval Manuscripts

In early medieval art and literature fluffy white rabbits, bunnies, and hares were typically motifs of innocence, venerability, and purity. However, more in sync with these animals’ rate of...
Can Hair Act as a Sixth Sense, Protecting us from Danger

Legendary Locks: Can Hair Act as a Sixth Sense, Protecting us from Danger?

Humans have always styled their hair in a multitude of creative and symbolic ways, and the various cuts, colors, and presentations reflected across the ages are nearly unlimited. But does hair serve...
Totem poles

Every Totem Pole Tells a Story

Totem poles are a type of monumental structure carved from the trunks of huge trees, especially the Western Red Cedar. These monuments are found in North America, specifically along its north-western...
Experts Still Stumped By Child Buried With A Bird In Its Mouth

Bizarre Burial: Girl With A Bird Skull In Her Mouth

Between the 18th and 19th century in Poland, a child was given an unusual burial involving bird skulls within the Tunel Wielki Cave. A ritualistic burial like this surely would have been a spectacle...
East Meets West: Little Red Riding Hood Versus Japan’s Okuri-Inu

East Meets West: Little Red Riding Hood Versus Japan’s Okuri-Inu

Throughout history the dark of the night has always brought fear. The quiet forests, roads or paths were a place where imagination would run wild as to what goes bump in the night. In the West,...
Phoenix bird

Symbolism of the Mythical Phoenix Bird: Renewal, Rebirth and Destruction

Ancient legend paints a picture of a magical bird, radiant and shimmering, which lives for several hundred years before it dies by bursting into flames. It is then reborn from the ashes, to start a...
The Route to Secular Art through the Kwakiutl Hamatsa Dance

The Route to Secular Art through the Kwakiutl Hamatsa Dance

“Magic preceded art, art served magic, and art was then liberated from magic.” This was among a number of sometimes controversial assertions made by Scottish anthropologist James Frazer in his 19 th...
Reading the Rich Symbolism in Aboriginal Art

How to Read the Symbolism in Aboriginal Art

For thousands of years, an art form has existed that includes works in a wide range of media, including bark painting, ceremonial clothing, painting on leaves, rock carving, watercolor painting, and...
Sarcophagus of Tutankhamun with close up on the crook and flail. 	Source: Public Domain

Why Did the Humble Crook and Flail Symbolism Appeal to the Pharaohs?

Kings and queens, monarchs, emperors and rulers all over the world, through time immemorial, have had the responsibility of leading their people and defending their kingdoms. Monarchs are viewed as...
One of the two stone monuments found in Guatemala.

Monuments Depicting Olmec 'Descent of the Grandfather' Myth and the Rise of Mayan Writing Found in Guatemala

Two large carved stone monuments found in an archaeological park in the Central American country of Guatemala have proven to be more significant than originally believed. The finds were made in the...
77,000-year-old engravings from Blombos Cave used in cognitive experiments. Source: Original Rock Art / CC BY-SA 4.0

Cognitive Experiments Give a Glimpse into the Ancient Mind

By Aarhus University Symbolic behavior - such as language , account keeping, music , art, and narrative - constitutes a milestone in human cognitive evolution. But how, where and when did these...
Do the Unicorn Tapestries Tell Christ’s Story?

Is the Story of Christ Portrayed in the Unicorn Tapestries?

The Unicorn Tapestries (known also as The Hunt of the Unicorn ) is a set of seven tapestries housed today at the Cloisters, in Fort Tryon Park, northern Manhattan, New York. Incidentally, the...
Sunset at the Great Pyramid of Cheops in Egypt. Source: Patryk Kosmider /Adobe Stock

Hidden Chambers and Meaning: Is the Great Pyramid for a King or Priests?

When I first thought of elements in the pyramid, I had no idea that I would end up postulating the existence of another hidden chamber. Can we locate it more precisely and find out how to get into it...
The Pyramid of Cheops illuminated by the sun in backlight, with people entering inside to visit it. The area with the great pyramids of Giza, Egypt. Source: Alfredo /Adobe Stock

The Great Pyramid: New Theory on God Symbolism and the Hidden Chambers

Architecture is language of form, of three dimensional images reflecting the function of a building and the time it was built. At best it demonstrates the builders’ beliefs regarding life and the...
Flamingoes have been admired throughout history.   Source: CC BY 2.5

The Ancient Admiration of Birds: Flamingos as Masterpieces of Art and Food

In the ancient past, relationships between humans and animals were stricter than today and included the sphere of the imaginary and the sacred. Investigations on how the ancients approached different...
Colored Giza Casing Stones, Menkaure's Pyramid.

Stones of Diverse Colors: Symbolic and Astronomical Significance in the Very Fabric of the Giza Casing Stones

Most casual students of ancient history know that the outer casing stones of the Giza pyramids were constructed of highly polished Tura limestone blocks that caused them to gleam like a trio of...
Apollo 11 Cave Stones, Namibia

Namibia’s Apollo 11 Cave – How We Gained Insight Into The Minds Of Our Ancestors

Despite its name, the Apollo 11 cave in Namibia has nothing to do with space exploration. It’s the location of prehistoric art, some of the earliest examples of art in human history, and it has...
Engraving found in Crimean cave on flint flake from Kiik-Koba layer IV.

Engraved Crimean Stone Artifact May Demonstrate Neanderthal Symbolism

A flint flake from the Middle Paleolithic of Crimea was likely engraved symbolically by a skilled Neanderthal hand, according to a study published May 2, 2018 in the open-access journal PLOS ONE by...
Serpent Mound

Symbolism of the Great Serpent in the Adena and Hopewell Cultures – Part II

Recently, a debate has developed in the Ohio archaeological community over the age and cultural affiliations of the Great Serpent Mound in Adams County, Ohio. So, what does the evidence really show...

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