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Ashley Cowie

Ashley is a Scottish historian, author, and documentary filmmaker presenting original perspectives on historical problems in accessible and exciting ways.

He was raised in Wick, a small fishing village in the county of Caithness on the north east coast of Scotland, and he went on to study filmmaking in Glasgow. In his early-20s he began exploring ancient landscapes in the remote North Highlands and presented his archaeological findings to the Orkney International Science Festival and has since written four non-fiction books about his discoveries. Ashley became an elected member of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland, incorporated by Royal Charter in 1783, and became the Resident Historian on Scottish television’s The Hour Show. He presented 46 episodes of The People’s History Show while teaching filmmaking and television presenting at the University of the West of Scotland. He also markets his family restaurant, Captain’s Galley, which for almost two decades has been one of the most highly-awarded sustainable and ethical restaurants in the world. In North America Ashley wrote, presented and produced NBC's hit-adventure series Legend Quest following his global hunt for lost historical treasures and featured on PBS’s documentary series Great Estates; listed on Amazon’s 2016 top-ten most downloaded documentaries. In 2018 Ashley filmed an extreme-cyclist racing from South America to Alaska on the Pan American Highway Challenge; filmed a treasure hunt in Scotland with Discovery Channel’s Josh Gates for Expedition Unknown; searched for Inca mummies in Argentinian mountain caves with Travel Channel’s Ramy Romany on Mummies Unwrapped and he filmed a team of 12 explorers in Colombia searching for petroglyphs on sacred hills. Today, Ashley writes news and research features for various history and archaeology platforms and produces weekly short films exploring the archetypes of myths, folklore and fairytales on his Clan Mythology platform. And 2020 brings new documentaries such as Ancient Botanics exploring the lost eco-traditions of Pre-Colombian cultures and Highlander’s Gold searching for lost Jacobite war-chest in Scotland.

Website: https://historyfuzz.com/

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Representational image of a cuneiform tablet from Hattusa, Turkey. Source: torocat / Adobe Stock

Previously Unknown Language Found on Ancient Hittite Tablets in Turkey

In the midst of artificial intelligence and cutting-edge language models, a significant archaeological discovery has unfolded in Boğazköy-Hattusha ( Hattusa ), the old Hittite capital in Turkey...
The perfectly preserved bronze mirror found in a shallow grave alongside the Hellenistic escort. Source: Yoli Schwartz / Israel Antiquities Authority

High-Class Hellenistic Escort Remains Found At Roadside

The body of a Greek Hellenistic woman has been discovered in a shallow grave beside the highway to Jerusalem. Laid to rest with a rare box mirror, this was no ordinary female, as she was a highly-...
This man underwent complete mummification in just over 16 days.  His mummified corpse was found near a railway in Bulgaria leaving scientists perplexed about this quick natural mummification.   Source:  Mileva B, Tsranchev I, Georgieva M, et al. /CC-BY 4.0

Man Discovered Mummified After 16 Days: Bulgarian Scientists Perplexed

Investigators in Bulgaria have been perplexed after finding “a complete mummified corpse,” just 16 days after the man was last seen alive. Sherlock once said, "Once you eliminate the impossible,...
Fyrkat viking ring fortress in Denmark. Source: dudlajzov/Adobe Stock

Over 40 New Sites Added to UNESCO’s World Heritage List

This week, anticipation and excitement filled the air at a prestigious conference held in Saudi Arabia as UNESCO, the vanguard of global cultural preservation, proudly expanded its prestigious list...
Cllr Paul Hodgkinson, Cotswold District Council Cabinet Member for Leisure, Culture and Health and Emma Stuart, Corinium Museum Director. Proudly exhibiting the Roman swords recently found during a detectorist rally. Source: Cotswold district Council

Two Out of Place Roman Swords Dug Up By Cotswolds Detectorist

A treasure hunter participating in a metal detectorist rally in England’s Cotswolds District unearthed not one, but two ancient Roman swords. These two weapons are unlike most Roman swords discovered...
Archaeologists have found an ancient canoe in Lake Neuchâtel. This find holds significant importance in advancing our knowledge of the region's prehistory.	Source: Cantonal Archeology of Vaud

Huge and Extremely Ancient Intact Canoe Recovered From Swiss Lake

In 2021, using a small plane, a team of Swiss archaeologists surveyed Lake Neuchâtel and spotted an unusual geometric shape in the water. Now, a well-preserved and intact 2,500-year-old wooden canoe...
Tell es-Sultan in Jericho is an archaeological site that traces its origins to around 12,000 BC

UN Heritage Listing in Palestine Sparks Israeli Discontent

At a recent UN conference, the 12,000-year-old Tell es-Sultan archaeological site near Jericho, on the West Bank, was listed as a World Heritage Site “in Palestine.” This decision angered Israeli...
Left; One of the trenches during the excavation of the medieval palace in Scotland. Right; Previously dug walls at the site. Source: HARP /Ancrum Heritage

Medieval Palace Unearthed: Archaeologists Swarm Scottish Borders

Thirty years ago, a dowser identified lines of stones beneath a harvested field outside the village of Ancrum, in the Scottish Borders. Now, a team of archaeologists and students from around the...
Part of the Great Wall of China that has been damaged.        Source: Youyu Public Security Bureau

Workers Who Ripped Shortcut Through China’s Great Wall Detained

Two construction workers arrived at an opening in the Great Wall of China, but their excavator was too big to pass through. Rather than traveling further and going around, the pair ripped apart the...
Mysterious copper “cauldron” is now believed to be a 17th-century diving bell Source: Melvin Fisher Abt

Unidentified Object Off U.S. Coast: A 17th-Century Submersible?

For centuries, an unidentified disc-shaped object recovered off the Florida coast was presumed to be a 17th-century cauldron. Now, it appears that experts may have finally discovered its true nature...
The Neolithic cursus has been uncovered leading to the Isle of Arran’s complex of stone monuments, including the Machrie Moor standing stones. Source: dropStock / Adobe Stock

Huge Neolithic Cursus Linked with Isle of Arran's Sacred Stones Revealed

In August this year, within the rugged southwest of Scotland's Isle of Arran, researchers began excavating an ancient ceremonial monument dating back to between 4000 and 3000 BC. With its original...
The Iron Age child’s shoe found in an Austian salt mine. Source: Deutsches Bergbau-Museum Bochum

2000-Year-Old Child’s Leather Shoe Found in Austrian Salt Mine

This is not the first time German archaeologists have recovered well-preserved shoes from the Dürrnberg salt mine in Austria. However, what is a first, is the remarkable discovery of a child’s shoe,...
Mynydd Eglwysilan, the hill near the location of the damaged stone. Source: Colin Smith / CC BY-SA 2.0

Attention Seeker Destroys Ancient Monument And Posts Act On Facebook

It is disheartening to read about another Bronze Age cup and ring marked stone being destroyed in Wales. However, this story reaches a new level of repugnancy, because the 52-year-old-vandal filmed...
Archaeologists work on the ancient Upper-Level Second Temple Period Aqueduct, which provided the city with fresh water.      Source: Emil Aladjem/IAA

Second Temple Period Aqueduct Unearthed in Jerusalem

A 300-meter (984.25 ft) section of a late Second Temple Period aqueduct has been found in Jerusalem, illuminating ancient Roman engineering. The aqueduct's design reveals the innovation of that era,...
Pre-Inca wall has been discovered in Huaca Tomabal, Valley of Viru in Peru. It supported a ceremonial temple, experts explain. Source: University of Trujillo

4,500-Year-Old Andean Temple Polychrome Painted Wall Revealed

In 2020, archaeologists in northern Peru unearthed the crumbling remains of a 4,500-year-old wall. This wall is historically valuable because it was painted with geometric patterns, but what makes...
Artifacts excavated from the Goth graves in Poland have provided evidence of their funerary practices and cosmology. Source: Wdecki Park Krajobrazowy / Olaf Popkiewicz

Polish Digs Unveil Goth Graves Gleaming with Treasures

Wdecki Park Krajobrazowy , nestled near the village of Stara Rzeka in northern Poland, represents a unique environment wherein the pristine Wda River winds through lush forests, serene lakes and...

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