All  

Iraq Banner Desktop

Store Banner Mobile

Latest News

All the latest news on finds, advancements, and research in archaeology and ancient history, from the No 1 Ancient History website in the world

News

Two of the creepily preserved Venzone mummies. With normal decomposition, teeth tend to fall out several weeks after death. Source: Left; Joadl / CC BY SA 3.0 Right; Joadl / CC BY SA 3.0

What Caused the Natural Mummification of the Mummies of Venzone?

Italy is famous for many things, but did you know it’s also famous for mummies? The Venzone mummies are a collection of over forty mummies found in Venzone, Italy in the 17th century. Although these...
Metal detectorists have unearthed a hoard of medieval coins, like this Edward I penny. Source: Public domain

Scottish Detectorists Swoop Over 8,000 Medieval Coins

Metal detectorists in Scotland have unearthed thousands of 13th and 14th century coins. Dubbed the Dunscore hoard, this amazing find is the largest hoard of medieval coins to have been discovered in...
The extensive Roman road network has contributed to 2,000 years of economic prosperity for cities and towns that maintained them, according to a recent study. Source: Sean Gladwell / Adobe Stock

Study Reveals Lasting Prosperity Along the Roman Road Network

Some 2,000 years after the Romans established their extensive road network, regions lying along it remain the most affluent, a recent study has found. The Roman road network links contributed to...
Left: front view of the Helmet of Coțofenești Right: Side view of the mythological creatures on the helmet.      Source: Left: National Museum of Romanian History, GFDL Right: © Radu Oltean / Wikimedia Commons

Demystifying the Famous, Fierce, Golden Helmet of Coțofenești

In 1929, a small child discovered an intricate golden helmet in the Poiana Coțofenești village of Romania. Archaeologists determined that it was a stray find from a group of Thracian tribes that...
Ulysses (Odysseus) and the Sirens of Greek mythology in a painting dating to circa 1909 by Herbert James Draper. Source: Public domain

Seductive Sirens of Greek Mythology and How Heroes Resisted Them

Sirens are a type of creature found in ancient Greek mythology. Commonly described as beautiful but dangerous creatures , the sirens are remembered for seducing sailors with their sweet voices, and,...
Lady Brook’s medieval gold ring, up for auction at Noonans Mayfair. Source: Noonans

Metal Detected Medieval ‘Love Ring’ Might Fetch Over $40K

An English metal detectorist has unearthed a medieval “love ring” made of gold and diamonds. With its noble heritage known, this rare golden artifact has been valued at a show-stopping $40,000...
Irish castle Source: Christie’s International Real Estate

10,000 Years of History Up for Sale: Fancy Your Own Irish Castle?

Southern Ireland is peppered with hundreds of historic stone castles from different time periods. While most are crumbling into the sea, Blackwater Castle has been maintained continuously for over...
Recovered in Bolivia in 1932 the “Bennet monolith” is often referred to as the “Pachamama stela” and is believed to depict the Earth Mother goddess (Pavel Špindler/ CC BY-SA 3.0)

Transformation Of Andean Earth Goddess Pachamama Into The Virgin Mary

The blessed Virgin Mary has a long and dignified reputation within the Catholic church ever since her first appearance in the Biblical narrative of the Annunciation (Luke 1:26), where she is...
The modern paleo diet is also called the caveman diet, as it’s inspired by Paleolithic eating habits. But is this meat-heavy depiction of ancient diets accurate?          Source: Gorodenkoff / Adobe Stock

Three Ancient Diets That Are Still Popular Today

There is no denying that the weight loss and diet industry in the Western world is huge. For many people, inspiration comes from our very early ancestors, who are believed to have eaten a simple,...
Wax likeness of Madame Tussaud with her guillotine victims of the French Revolution in Paris, on display at the Royal London Wax Museum in British Colombia. Source: Herb Neufeld / CC BY 2.0

Madam Tussaud’s Breathtaking Waxworks Have a Blood-Soaked History

Behind the glitz and glam of modern-day waxworks of the likes of Donald Trump or Michael Jackson, lies the blood-soaked history of the French Revolution. In fact, the renowned Madam Tussaud franchise...
A second reconstructed roundhouse has been built by University of Dublin Centre for Experimental Archaeology students, after the first was subject to arson. Dr. Aidan O’Sullivan, crouched in the entryway of the roundhouse his students built. Source: UCD Centre for Experimental Archaeology

Roundhouse Rises from the Ashes Bringing Medieval Age to Life

Three years ago, arsonists in Ireland destroyed a recreated medieval roundhouse. Now, a team of students from the University College Dublin ( UCD ) have rebuilt it on campus. During the medieval...
The backboard of the Kiribati armor was designed to protect from rear attacks (British Museum / CC BY SA 4.0)

Kiribati Coconut Armor - Not as Nutty as it Sounds!

At first sight, Kiribati armor might look a little strange, it is certainly not a suit of armor as we tend to think of it. It was surprisingly effective, given that it was made from coconut fibers,...
Panel 3 from Cancuen, Guatemala, representing Maya king T'ah 'ak' Cha'an. Source: CC BY-SA 2.5

Fake it Till You Make it: ‘Divine’ Maya Kings Exaggerated their Greatness

In the hieroglyphic records they left behind, the rulers of the Classic Period Maya city known as Tamarindito bragged about their exalted status as “divine lords” chosen by the gods to rule over...
Inside Egypt's oldest known example of a tomb aligned with the winter solstice. Source: University of Malaga

Oldest Egyptian Tomb is Aligned with the Winter Solstice

Precisely oriented to the rising sun of the winter solstice, researchers have found a tomb in the necropolis of Qubbet el-Hawa ( Aswan ) that registered the entire solar cycle related to rebirth...
The team exploring the cave system found in Kyiv. Source: Dmytro Perov

Ancient “Hieroglyphs” Discovered In Ukrainian Caves

A Ukrainian explorer followed his grandmother's clues and discovered a lost cave system in the middle of Kyiv. Professors are “amazed” that such a treasure was hidden in plain sight for thousands of...
The mysterious story of the Man from Taured. Source: MedRocky / Adobe Stock

The Mysterious Man from Taured – Evidence for a Parallel Universe?

The Man from Taured, sometimes referred to as the Taured Mystery or the Man without a Country, is an urban legend about a man who arrives at a Japanese airport from an unheard of country called...
The Falasarna archaeological site in Crete, with a representation of the façade of the temple dedicated to the Goddess Demeter. Source: Greek Ministry of Culture

An Abundance of Artifacts Unearthed at Falasarna Acropolis in Crete

Excavations at the acropolis in Falasarna (also Phalasarna) in the far west of Crete continue to produce rich archaeological bounty. Most recently, hundreds of artifacts including female clay...
Striking the Right Note - Rare Bone Flute Unearthed in Kent

Striking the Right Note - Rare Bone Flute Unearthed in Kent

A pre-development dig by Cotswold Archeology at Herne Bay in Kent, England, has uncovered evidence of settlement from the Bronze Age to the Roman period and again in the medieval period. One of the...
Top Image: On Carrington Moss, shows individuals gathering material for besoms by David Cox (1851) (Public Domain)

Hepatomancy In Ceremonial Beginnings: Finding An Auspicious Site

Beginning with a proper state of mind, augmented by proper rites and ceremonies, is essential for any enterprise. The most developed ceremonies of beginning are in European building traditions. One...
Fight with Cudgels by Francisco de Goya, circa 1820, resembles a bataireacht brawl   Source: Public Domain

Bataireacht: The Irish Stick Fighting Martial Art Making a Comeback

Many countries have martial arts that are closely associated with their national identity. Kung-fu and China, Tae Kwon Do and Korea, and Muay Thai and Thailand. Few people would ever associate...
These terracotta figurines were unearthed by archaeologists from the Datong Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology from a tomb dating to the Northern Wei Dynasty (386-534) in Datong, Shanxi province. Source: China Daily

Wei Dynasty Terracotta Figurines Enrich Our Knowledge of Ancient China

Datong, Shanxi province has now yielded a large number of terracotta figurines, dated 1,500-years-old in the latest round of archaeological finds - all from the tombs of the upper class. Due to where...
Medieval medicine understood that the placebo effect could induce self-healing. Source: GINGER_Tsukahara / Adobe Stock

Medieval Medicine Understood How the Placebo Effect Could Heal

Is it time to kill the term “placebo effect”? A researcher looking at questionable medieval medicines, that are today shunned as placebos, has shown how early physicians triggered patient’s brains...
Swear words in a speech bubble. Source: Yuliia / Adobe Stock

14 Old Swear Words That Should Totally Make a Comeback

Cussing has been around since the time we could stub our toes. Though we’re all familiar with the swear words of the modern age, what about swear words from before our time? Believe it or not, there...
Left; Pillar Hall at Buto Temple, Right; Engraved ivory found at the site.  Source: Ministry of Tourism & Antiquities

Pillars from 7th-Century BC Temple Discovered Under the ‘Mound of the Pharaohs’

A temple room including the remains of three standing pillars and many curious artifacts that date back to the seventh century BC have been uncovered from under a mound at the Tel al-Faraeen...

Pages