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Ed Whelan

My name is Edward Whelan and I graduated with a PhD in history in 2008. Between 2010-2012 I worked in the Limerick City Archives. I have written a book and several peer reviewed journal articles. At present I am a full-time freelance writer and researcher and live in Gillogue, County Clare.

I am from Limerick in the Republic of Ireland. I have a lifelong love of history and have been fascinated by the subject from an early age. I attended the University of Maynooth 2003-2008 and studied history and classical studies. I obtained a BA from Maynooth and was admitted to the History PhD program. Based on my BA results I was awarded two scholarships and during my post-graduate studies I worked as a tutor.

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Burana tower located on famous Silk Road, Kyrgyzstan Source: Pavel Svoboda / Adobe Stock

3 September, 2020 - 01:28 Ed Whelan

Burana Tower, Kyrgyzstan’s Ancient and Last Monument to a Lost City

Central Asia has been home to various cultures and empires, and many of their materials remains can still be seen. One of the most important in the Republic of Kyrgyzstan is the Burana Tower. This...

An ancient Chinese anatomy text and acupuncture needles. Source: Yu Lan / Adobe Stock

2 September, 2020 - 22:13 Ed Whelan

Rare Chinese Anatomy Text Links Earliest Dissections and Acupuncture

Researchers studying ancient Chinese texts have found that they are anatomical works. These Chinese anatomy texts are possibly one of the earliest anatomical atlases of the human body. The...

A domesticated New Guinea singing dog, singing. Source: R.G. Daniel / CC BY 2.0

2 September, 2020 - 00:00 Ed Whelan

Singing Dogs Study May Tell Us More About Human Vocalization

A new study of a rare, unique breed of domesticated dog , originally from Papua New Guinea and believed to be extinct decades ago, has found that they still exist in the wild. The domesticated...

Battle axes from the Battle of Grunwald have been discovered during a sweep by volunteer metal detectorists in Poland. Source: Zwiadowca Historii

1 September, 2020 - 14:00 Ed Whelan

Perfect Battle Axes From Battle of Grunwald Found in Poland

A group of Polish detectorists have uncovered an exciting collection of artifacts on the historic site of the Battle of Grunwald which took place in 1410. It includes two perfectly preserved battle...

Detail of illuminated art in the Sherborne Missal. Source: Public Domain

30 August, 2020 - 13:58 Ed Whelan

Sherborne Missal: 44-Pound Medieval Masterpiece Goes Digital

The British Library has digitized one of the most remarkable medieval books ever made in England. The Sherborne Missal contains many paintings on a vast array of subjects. Many of the images are...

29 August, 2020 - 04:06 Ed Whelan

Canaanite Stronghold From the Time of the Judges Found in Israel

An ancient Canaanite stronghold has been unearthed in Israel. It is believed to date back to the time of the Judges whose history is recounted in the Bible. The discovery is telling experts a lot...

Viking helmets are special and few have been found but the Viking mercenary district warriors of Bathonea would have surely worn them as they fought for and protected the Byzantine emperor. Source: Helgi Halldórsson from Reykjavík, Iceland / CC BY-SA 2.0

27 August, 2020 - 18:16 Ed Whelan

Evidence Of Viking Mercenary District Found Near Istanbul

Archaeologists in Turkey have found what they believe to be a Viking mercenary district near Istanbul . The area dates back to the Middle Ages when Istanbul was known as Constantinople, the capital...

One of the Russian Viking coins found in Ireland. Source: Robert Carley

27 August, 2020 - 13:53 Ed Whelan

Rus Viking Coins Unearthed by Strong Rainstorms in Ireland

It is not uncommon for ancient coins to be found in buried hoards around the world, but some discoveries are rarer than others, such as an unusual find of what seem to be Kievan Rus coins unearthed...

Irish historic sword found by 10-year old Fionntan Hughes in Northern Ireland with his new metal detector on his first day of treasure hunting. Source: Brian Quinn / Clonoe Gallery

27 August, 2020 - 02:04 Ed Whelan

Boy With A Metal Detector Finds Historic Irish Sword On A Riverbank

A young boy with a metal detector has made an amazing discovery in Northern Ireland . With the detector, given to him on his birthday, he found an Irish historic sword that could be up to 300 years...

Circular graves discovered in the southern part of the Umedahaka Japanese burial ground in Osaka’s Kita Ward.

26 August, 2020 - 18:43 Ed Whelan

Strange Historic Japanese Burial Ground Found In Downtown Osaka

In Japan , a graveyard has been unearthed in the heart of Osaka City . The Japanese burial ground is believed to have been an important historic graveyard that dates back several hundred years. The...

The full skeleton of one of the Indian pet monkeys found by Polish researchers in a pet cemetery in the ancient port of Berenice, Egypt. Source: Marta Osypińska / Science in Poland

25 August, 2020 - 19:32 Ed Whelan

Pet Monkeys Buried Like Children In Ancient Egypt

Polish archaeologists have uncovered several skeletons of monkeys that were pets of ancient Greeks and Romans who lived in Egypt in the first and second century AD. The remains of these pet monkeys...

Archaeological site Jabal Maragha in Sudan has been destroyed by industrial-scale looting. Illustrative image from Jebel Bakal across the Sudanese desert with the pyramids. Source: Frank / Adobe Stock

25 August, 2020 - 18:55 Ed Whelan

Industrial-Scale Looting Destroys Ancient Sudanese Site

A 2000-year-old historic site has been destroyed in Sudan by illegal treasure hunters using construction-sized excavators to search for buried gold. In Sudan many of the country’s archaeological...

Qutub Minar, the tallest brick minaret in the world, New Delhi, India. Source: kingslyg / Adobe Stock

25 August, 2020 - 01:40 Ed Whelan

Qutb Minar, the Incredible Victory Tower of the Mamluk Dynasty

Islamic culture has left an indelible mark on India’s celebrated architectural heritage. One of the most remarkable examples is the Qutb Minar , also known as the Victory Tower and the tallest...

Teenage volunteers taking part in a summer holiday excavation discovered an impressive hoard of rare 24-carat gold coins in Israel dating back to around 1,100 years ago. Source: Yoli Schwartz / Israel Antiquities Authority

24 August, 2020 - 21:23 Ed Whelan

Teenagers Find Hoard of Islamic Gold Coins in Israel

A couple of teenagers volunteering on an archaeological site have uncovered a treasure trove of gold coins in Israel . The cache of 24-carat gold coins is said to date back over a thousand years. It...

Students on site during excavation works at Tas-Silġ, Malta. Source: Times of Malta

23 August, 2020 - 18:01 Ed Whelan

Roman Temple Discovered Under a Farmhouse in Malta

Malta lies at the very heart of the Mediterranean and it has many historic ruins and sites attesting to that fact. Now another feature has been added to the list. While working on a restoration...

Ruins of the biblical Beersheba, Tel Be'er Sheva, Israel Source: lic0001 / Adobe Stock

22 August, 2020 - 22:58 Ed Whelan

Israel’s Rare Artifacts from the Ancient Biblical City of Be’er Sheva

Israel has many fascinating and important archaeological sites, and many have biblical associations. One of the most popular is Tel Be’er Sheva archaeological park. This holds the remains of a city...

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