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Ancient Origins Tour IRAQ

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vase

An ancient Egyptian Bes vase once contained a potent hallucinogenic concoction. Source: Neuroshock / Adobe Stock /Overlay; Tanasi et. al / CC BY 4.0

Hallucinogenic Substances Detected in 2,200-Year-Old Egyptian ‘Bes’ Vase

An exciting new study has revealed long-hidden secrets contained within an ancient Bes vase dating back to Ptolemaic era Egypt. Researchers conducted exhaustive chemical analysis of the second...
The discovery of the word escencia has led historians to believe that the vase once belonged to the kakure kirishitan, or hidden Christians. Source: Nagasaki Prefectural Government

Hidden Christians’ Illicit Sacred Vase Brought to Light in Japan

A centuries-old relic associated with ancient Christian practice in Japan is causing a stir in the Japanese media. The item is believed to be an artifact preserved by Japan’s “kakure kirishitan” or...
Two gladiators bear-baiting also depicted on the Colchester vase. (Carole Raddato / CC BY-SA 2.0)

Colchester Vase is First Proof of Gladiator Tournaments in Roman Britain

New research has revealed evidence that gladiatorial combat took place in Roman Britain in the late second century AD. The evidence of these bloody battles was found on a vase discovered in a Roman...
Maya Animation? Breathing Newfound Vitality into Ancient Maya Art

Maya Animation? Breathing Newfound Vitality into Ancient Maya Art

This article presents a major breakthrough in Maya art and archaeology, revealing the sophisticated way that Maya artists animated ancient artworks. There is a lot of excitement surrounding the...
Left: The Qianlong Emperor (public domain). Right: The vase which was bought from a charity shop for £1 could sell for £80,000 (Picture: Sworders /BNPS)

Man Buys Vase for £1, Finds Out it is £80,000 Treasure Belonging to Chinese Emperor

A rare and beautiful Chinese vase was bought from a charity shop for £1 but is about to go up for auction with a reserve price of £80,000 after the lucky buyer found out it belonged to a Chinese...
Digitized image of the Komkom Vase.

Hieroglyphic Vase Reveals Amazing Insights into Maya and Eventual Collapse of Civilization

The discovery of an ancient Maya vase painted with hieroglyphs is the longest Pre-Columbian text ever found in Belize and is offering new information about this once powerful civilization including...
5,000-year-old musical scene found on pottery in Israel

5,000-year-old musical scene found on pottery in Israel may reflect sacred marriage ritual

Archaeologists from the Israel Antiquities Authority working at Bet Ha-‘Emeq have discovered a shard from an early Bronze Age storage vessel depicting scenes from what seems to be a ‘sacred marriage...
The Qing dynasty period porcelain vase

A Chinese Porcelain Vase Found in a Shoebox is Sold for $19 Million at Sotheby’s Paris

It has been reported by the BBC that a Chinese porcelain vase that was discovered in a French attic has been sold for millions at an auction - over 16 million euro or 19 million dollars. The price...
Ancient Greek Vase Celebrates the Exaltation of Our Ancestors as Gods

Ancient Greek Vase Celebrates the Exaltation of Our Ancestors as Gods

In 2016, Christie’s sold the Greek vase depicted above—a red-figure bell krater used for mixing wine with water—to a buyer in London for $220,000. It dates from 410 BC. For a mythology buff, what a...
Loutrophorai: Greek, Attica, c.440BC, (Penn Valley); Greek, Classical Period, 450–425 BC (MFA);Greek, South Italian, Early Hellenistic Period c.320–310 BC

From Cremated Ashes to Holy Water for a Bride’s Ritual Bath, The Loutrophoros Was No Ordinary Vase

A loutrophoros is a distinctive type of Greek pottery characterized by an elongated neck with two handles. It is a specific type of amphora , which was a type of Greek container used as early as the...
Peeking Behind the Veil: Unique and Decorative Burial Urns with Faces in the Pomeranian Culture

Peeking Behind the Veil: Unique and Decorative Burial Urns with Faces in the Pomeranian Culture

The Pomeranian culture is one of the most mysterious Pre-Christian cultures which lived near the Baltic Sea. Although many of their sites have been lost, the story behind their decorative urns...
The Greek amphora analysed in the study

Russian scientists use a mass spectrometer to look inside an ancient Greek amphora

Russian scientists have identified the components of the oldest bitumen sample to be found in an ancient vase and made an accurate estimate of its age. In their article in the Journal of Mass...
The 2500-year-old vase with Amazon woman depiction.

Amazon Warrior Woman on Horseback Discovered on 2,500-Year-Old Vase

The 2,500 year old figure of an ancient Amazon woman has been discovered on a small vase preserved in an American museum. The figure was found painted on to a white pyxis , a cylindrical box often...