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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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Left; Female figurine found at Battifratta Cave. Right; archaeologists investigating at the cave. Source: Sapienza University of Rome

Enigmatic 7,000-year-old Figurine Found In Italian Cave Shocks Archaeologists

When archaeologists in Italy were exploring the spectacular Battifratta Cave, they did not expect to unearth “a rare” clay female figurine. And neither were they ready for the dating of the piece,...
The two earthquake victims found in Pompeii. Source: Archaeological Site of Pompeii

Earthquake, Not Volcano, Claimed Many Victims In Pompeii

Archaeologists in Pompeii have become acclimatized to uncovering the petrified remains of people who lost their lives in the 79 AD eruption of Mount Vesuvius. However, these two bodies provide...
Human skeleton in a grave (representational image). Source: Idanthyrs / Adobe Stock.

Teenage Colonist's 400-Year-Old Dumped Remains Found in Maryland

The skeleton of one of the first colonists in the U.S. has been discovered in a ‘haphazard’ burial in Maryland. It is believed that this teenager, who was buried with a shattered leg and no coffin,...
Excavation of a Neolithic tomb at the Nafūn site, central Oman.         Source: Roman Garba and Alžběta Danielisov/ Institute of Archaeology of the CAS in Prague

300,000yo Hand Axes, Tombs & Rock Art Discovered in Oman

In the deserts of Oman, two teams of scientists have made remarkable discoveries that shed new light on the earliest history of human civilization. From rare hand axes dating back to the first waves...
Below the deposits of sea mud, a marine archaeologist studies a road that once connected an offshore prehistoric settlement to mainland Korčula Island. Source: Sveučilište u Zadru

7,000-Year-Old Road Discovered in Croatia’s Adriatic Depths

Croatia’s Korčula Island is ringed with archaeological sites dating back to 20,000 BC. But the discovery of a 7,000-year-old road, that once connected an ancient site with the island, was completely...
The Piedras Blancas tomb with La Peña de los Enamorados behind it. Source: M. Ángel Blanco de la Rubia / Antiquity Publications Ltd

5,000-Year-Old Astro-Tomb Discovered On Spanish Giant

As archaeologists in Spain were researching a rock formation known as the Sleeping Giant, they noticed something curious. From a distance, they identified a feature on the giant’s chest, which turned...
Folded sword and Celtic scissors found in Munich, Germany. Source: Bayerisches Landesamt für Denkmalpflege

Cutting Edge Celtic Tech - 2,300-year-old Scissors Still Sharp and Shiny!

A German bomb disposal squad called in archaeologists after they found a curious wooden structure buried beneath a Munich suburb. The 2,300-year-old Celtic grave was found to contain not only a ‘...
Ancient Roman sculpture of Cleopatra VII in the Antikensammlung Berlin (Sailko/CC BY 3.0) ; Netflix Queen Cleopatra played by English Adele James (Netflix); Cleopatra by John William Waterhouse. (Public Domain)

Egyptian Authorities Push Back on Cleopatra Portrayal

The Egyptian Supreme Council of Antiquities (to be precise, Dr. Mostafa Waziri) has accused Netflix of the “falsification of Egyptian history.” They are pushing back, hard, after a new Cleopatra...
A refreshing looking glass of lager.	Source: Anastasiia/Adobe Stock

Study Shows How A Duke’s Jealousy Birthed Lager In 1602

Scientists scoured through old brewing documents searching for the origins of lager yeast. They discovered it was created in 1602 AD, when a jealous duke raided a brewery, after its childless owner's...
The Stone of Scone. Source: Imelde Corelli Gioielli

Charles III Will Be Crowned on the Stone of Scone. But Is It the Real Stone?

Scotland’s legendary “Stone of Destiny” or “Stone of Scone” was used to coronate the ancient kings and queens of Scotland for almost 400 years, before being taken by the English monarchy in 1296. 700...
Skeleton in ancient grave at archaeological excavation (representational). Source: Mulderphoto / Adobe Stock.

Lost For Two Millennia: Ancient Necropolis Found Beneath Paris Train Station

Beneath a bustling train station, archaeologists have found ancient graves loaded with artifacts that date back nearly 2,000 years. The burials belong to a lost necropolis of the Gallo-Roman town of...
1,000-year-old iron bars found in Norway. Source: Mildri Een Eide/ Innlandet County Municipality

Norwegian Basement Yields Norse Iron Treasures, Museologists Ecstatic!

A Norwegian man made a unique discovery back in the 80s while he was digging out a water well. His daughter was recently cleaning the basement of his house when she rediscovered what turned out to be...
The ancient Maya used their astronomical knowledge to create Mayan calendars and to predict celestial events such as solar and lunar eclipses. (James Thew / Adobe Stock)

New Evidence Reveals Full Astronomical Scope of Ancient Mayan Calendar

For years, scholars have been puzzled by the meaning of the 819-day count of the Mayan calendar in ancient glyphic texts. By examining the count over a 45-year period, researchers have discovered...
The small fortlet shown in a digitally generated image here, was located along the Antonine Wall in Scotland.  	Source: Historic Environment Scotland

Lost Roman Fortlet Rediscovered Near Scotland’s Clydebank

Behold! A wondrous discovery has been made in West Dunbartonshire in Scotland. Amidst the rugged Scottish terrain, a lost Roman ‘fortlet’ has been identified on the mighty Antonine Wall, that stood...
Carvings on the peak of the El Castillo pyramid (Structure A6) at Xunantunich, Belize (cjuneau /CC BY-SA 2.0)

11,000 Years Of Ancient Culture In Belize

Not even 50 years ago, Belize, in Central America, gained independence on September 21, 1981, but its history dates back to 9,000 years. In prehistory the territory was home to several ancient...
AI generated image of Greenland Vikings during extreme conditions of the Little Ice Age. Source: Jenar/Adobe Stock

How the Little Ice Age Caused Greenland Vikings to Jump Ship

A new study challenges previous ideas as to why Vikings abandoned their Greenland settlements. It found this northern exodus wasn’t sparked by political wrangling or social unrest, but by the Little...

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