Terracotta

Some of the ancient idols found alongside a riverbank in Kerala, India.

28 December, 2018 - 22:50 Ed Whelan

Flood Reveals Ancient Idols Holding Secrets to Early Hinduism and a Long-Lost Civilization

Indian authorities have announced a dramatic discovery on a riverbank in the south-west of the country. Fishermen found some Hindu idols on the banks of the Pamba River in Kerala State and it is...

5 July, 2018 - 22:45 lizleafloor

Excellently preserved, complete crossbow from 2,200 years ago found at Terracotta Warrior site

In an astonishing find, archaeologists in China located a 2,200-year-old crossbow in pristine condition buried with the vast army of terracotta warriors at the excavation pit at Xi’an, Shaanxi...

29 November, 2017 - 01:58 johnblack

Terracotta Army Weapons Were Genuine, Military Grade and State of the Art

It was 1974, Xi’an, China and one of the most phenomenal archaeological discoveries ever occurred. It was the moment when more than 8000 full scale warriors cast of clay were reintroduced to the...

24 November, 2016 - 03:57 ancient-origins

Why There Is So Much Backlash to the Theory that Greek Art Inspired China’s Terracotta Army

Archaeological discoveries in China rarely get noticed. Recently, though, mitochondrial DNA tests conducted on human remains from Xinjiang, China’s westernmost province, got the attention of...

21 November, 2016 - 14:57 Natalia Klimczak

The Tecaxic-Calixtlahuaca Head: Evidence for Ancient Roman Transatlantic Voyages, a Viking Souvenir, or a Hoax?

A mysterious terracotta artifact known as the Tecaxic-Calixtlahuaca head was discovered in Mexico, but it looks exactly like well-known Roman artifacts. How did this enigmatic object arrive in Toluca...

12 October, 2016 - 21:44 aprilholloway

Controversial New Theory Suggests Ancient Greeks Helped Build Terracotta Army in China

New research suggests that Western explorers reached China more than 1,500 years before Marco Polo’s historic trip to the East, making it the first documented contact between Western and Chinese...

Part of a Naval Battle Scroll from the Imjin War.

21 March, 2016 - 02:23 dhwty

Not a Shot in the Dark: How Crossbows Changed War in Ancient China

The crossbow is a missile weapon that had a major impact on the way battles were fought in the ancient world. Prior to the widespread use of crossbows, it was the bow and arrow that was the...

17 July, 2015 - 14:00 dhwty

The Lydenburg Heads: The Earliest Iron Age Art South of the Equator

The Lydenburg Heads are a set of terracotta heads discovered in the eastern Transvaal of South Africa. One of the heads has been dated to around 500 AD, and it is believed that the rest of the heads...

30 April, 2015 - 14:56 aprilholloway

New Dig at First Emperor Mausoleum Expected to Yield up to 1400 More Terracotta Warriors

Chinese archaeologists have just launched an exciting new excavation project in a burial pit at the world famous tomb of the First Emperor of China in Xi’an. Previous excavations revealed that the...

19 November, 2014 - 21:54 lizleafloor

Technology Reveals Chinese Terracotta Warriors Were Likely Replicas of Real Soldiers

When Chinese farmers uncovered an ancient site while digging a well in 1974, they had no idea they were to encounter a giant army of warriors. The Terracotta Army of Emperor Qin Shi Huang had lain in...

20 December, 2013 - 21:39 aprilholloway

Stone armour found in the tomb of China's first emperor

Archaeologists have made a new discovery in the tomb of China’s first emperor , who is well-known for having the greatest mausoleum in the world and the incredible army of 8,000 terracotta warriors...

10 December, 2013 - 23:03 aprilholloway

Terracotta Army may have been inspired by Ancient Greek Sculpture

New research suggests that the 8,000 life-size statues of soldiers, known as the Terracotta Warriors, which were built to ‘protect’ the First Emperor of China in the afterlife, were actually inspired...

2 December, 2013 - 09:03 johnblack

Terracotta Army weapons were immensely powerful

In 1974, one of the most important archaeological discoveries in the world took place when more than 8000 life-size clay warriors were uncovered in Xi’an, China. They have become known as the ‘...

The mysterious ancient civilization of the Nok - Nigeria

22 July, 2013 - 06:23 aprilholloway

The highly advanced and mysterious ancient civilization of the Nok

The remarkable civilization of the Nok was first discovered in 1928 when a wealth of unique terracotta artefacts was unearthed by tin miners in the southern part of Kaduna state in central Nigeria...

2 April, 2013 - 16:02 johnblack

The Mysteries of the Chinese Terracotta Warriors

In 1974 the most important archaeological discovery in the world took place when more than 8000 life-size clay warriors were uncovered in Xi’an, China. The clay army lies in the greatest mausoleum in...

Myths & Legends

Camazotz Maya style Batman suit created by Mexican designer Kimbal

Batman Existed in Mesoamerican Mythology and His Name Was Camazotz

As social media is abuzz with who might be cast in the next Batman movie, with concerns that some of the candidates might not be menacing enough to fill those big black boots, it might be time to...

Kombucha: Revered For Millennia, But Is It Really A Life Saving Brew?

The Powerful Symbol of the Swastika and its 12,000 Year History

Decoding Viking Signs: Nine Norse Symbols Explained

Say the Magic Word: The Origins of Abracadabra

Tyr: The Norse God of Law and War Breaks a Promise

Human Origins

The Pagan Wheel of the Year: What Elaborate Rituals and Events Mark this Sacred Cycle?

Although it may be a long time (if ever) before pagans reclaim their Yule from Christmas or their Samhain from Halloween, it is worthwhile to explore these ancient religious traditions. The Wheel of the Year follows the cycle of pagan festivals.

The origins of human beings according to ancient Sumerian texts

Rh-Negative Blood: An Exotic Bloodline or Random Mutation?

Mysterious Worlds: Travels to the Faerie and Shamanic Realms

The Secret Life of an Ancient Concubine

The Epic of Gilgamesh Unveiled: Enlightenment and Source of Religions

Ancient Technology

Ancient Chinese Earthquake detector - Zhang (‘Chang’) Heng

The incredible earthquake detector invented nearly 2,000 years ago

Although we still cannot accurately predict earthquakes, we have come a long way in detecting, recording, and measuring seismic shocks. Many don’t realise that this process began nearly 2000 years...

The legacy of Dujiangyan: China’s ancient irrigation system

Advanced Ancient Architecture of Puma Punku Site is Fully Recreated With 3D Printing

A Step Closer to the Mysterious Origin of the Viking Sword Ulfberht

Ancient Journeys: What was Travel Like for the Romans?

The Indian Sage who developed Atomic Theory 2,600 years ago

Ancient Places

The White Slaves of Barbary

Much attention and condemnation has been directed towards the tragedy of the African slave trade , which took place between the 16 th and the 19 th centuries. However, another equally despicable...

Explaining the Fall of the Great Akkadian Empire

The Mithraic Mysteries and the underground chamber of San Clemente

First Kingdoms: The Forgotten Mesopotamian Kingdom of Ebla

The Houses of Pleasure in Ancient Pompeii

The Mysterious Dropa Stones – Fact or Fiction?

Opinion

Mysterious Worlds: Travels to the Faerie and Shamanic Realms

There are many accounts of a land of immortality and eternal youth in world myths and legends, as well as shamanic and indigenous spiritual traditions. Mysterious Worlds Writing in his recent work,...

Pharaoh Akhenaten: An Alternative View of the Heretic King

Changing Colors and Scampering Across the Night Sky: What Did the Ancients Say about Sirius?

Cracking the Code to Discover Ancient Tarot Symbolism and Forgotten Universal Knowledge

The Secret Strategic Plans of Darius the Great

The Secrets of the Kabbalists Garden

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