Ancient History

Daily information about past eras, including Ancient Rome, Greece, Egypt, Mesopotamia, Aztecs, Incas, China and archaeology.

Mexico
Archaeologists Find First-Known Temple of ‘Flayed Lord’ in Mexico
smithsonianmag.com - Brigit Katz
Xipe Tótec, an important god to many pre-Hispanic Mesoamerican cults, was worshipped with a gruesome annual ritual: sacrificial victims, typically …
Pompeii
Pompeii horse found still wearing harness
BBC News - BBC World
The remains of a horse still in its harness have been discovered at a villa outside the walls of Pompeii, in what archaeologists are hailing as a find of "rare importance". The horse was saddled up and
British Museum
Everything you ever wanted to know about the Rosetta Stone
britishmuseum.org
What is the Rosetta Stone? The Rosetta Stone is one of the most famous objects in the British Museum. But what is it? The Rosetta Stone and a …
Egyptian Army
The Battle with No Winner: The Battle of Kadesh
stmuhistorymedia.org - Justin Garcia
The once calm and silent Egyptian landscape became flooded with the sounds of hooves crackling and wheels turning as the Egyptian imperial army …
Egypt unearths tomb of ancient high priest
msn.com
Egyptian archaeologists have discovered the tomb of a priest dating back more than 4,400 years in the pyramid complex of Saqqara south of the capital …
Chinese archaeologists unveil deluxe carriage from 2,500 years ago
china.org.cn - Jessica
Archaeologists at the archaeology research institute of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences have unveiled the details of a deluxe carriage …
Books
historyskills.com
Newly discovered caves may hold more Dead Sea Scrolls
timesofisrael.com - By TOI staff
Archaeologists believe a pair of recently discovered caves at the site where the Dead Sea Scrolls were found may contain additional religious texts …
Archaeology
Archaeologists discover eight ancient mummies in Egypt
independent.co.uk - Samuel Osborne
Archaeologists have discovered eight limestone sarcophagi with mummies inside around 25 miles south of Cairo, Egypt. The Antiquities Ministry said the …
How archaeologists found the lost city of Troy
National Geographic - Oscar Martínez
History Magazine The recent discovery of Tenea, an ancient Greek city believed built by survivors of the Trojan War, continues the public's fascination with the epic tales of Homer, a trend started by
Ancient Egyptian tomb unveiled
BBC News - BBC World
The treasures of an ancient Egyptian tomb, thought to be more than 3,500 years old, have been unveiled. An archaeological mission, affiliated with France's University of Strasbourg, made the discovery
Miniature Terracotta Army Discovered in China
archaeology.org - Jessica E. Saraceni
ZIBO, CHINA—Live Science reports that a miniature terracotta army, complete with hundreds of statues of cavalry, chariots, infantry, watchtowers, and …
10 things you (probably) didn’t know about ancient Egypt
historyextra.com
The land of the pharaohs is famous for its huge pyramids, its bandaged mummies and its golden treasures. But how much do you really know about …
A lost ancient city built by Trojan War captives has been found, Greek officials say
The Washington Post - By Amy B Wang
Mention the Trojan War, and what may first come to mind is the oft-told tale of Helen, wife of Sparta’s King Menelaus and possessor of a divinely bestowed beauty, falling in love with Paris of Troy. Their
Egypt unearths 7 pharaonic tombs near capital Cairo
xinhuanet.com
An archaeologist works in a tomb in Saqqara Necropolis in Giza Province, Egypt, on Nov. 10, 2018. Egypt's Minister of Antiquities Khaled al-Anany …
Roman dog with fur intact dug up at Vindolanda fort
BBC News - BBC World
The 2,000-year-old remains of a dog with its fur still intact have been found at a Roman fort. The rare find was made at Vindolanda, Hexham, near Hadrian's Wall in Northumberland, and has been sent for
New discovery throws light on mystery of pyramids' construction
The Guardian - Kevin Rawlinson
Egyptologists stumble across ramp that helps explain how huge blocks of stones were hauled into place The mystery of how, exactly, the pyramids were built may have come a step closer to being unravelled
A library fit for a king
britishmuseum.org
What is the Library of Ashurbanipal? The ‘Library of Ashurbanipal’ is the name given to a collection of over 30,000 clay tablets and fragments …
Pompeii dig finds intact skeletons of two women and three children huddled together
The Telegraph - By Nick Squires
Archeologists are piecing together the dramatic last moments of two women and three children whose skeletons have been discovered at Pompeii. Caught up in the terrifying eruption of Mt Vesuvius nearly
World's oldest intact shipwreck discovered in Black Sea
The Guardian - Kevin Rawlinson
Archaeologists have found what they believe to be the world’s oldest intact shipwreck at the bottom of the Black Sea where it appears to have lain undisturbed for more than 2,400 years. The 23-metre (75ft)
Pompeii: Vesuvius eruption may have been later than thought
BBC News - BBC World
Archaeologists in Italy have uncovered an inscription they say may show that the history books have been wrong for centuries. Historians have long believed that Mount Vesuvius erupted on 24 August 79 destroying
Ancient Greek shipwreck treasure trove found
BBC News - BBC World
Dozens of shipwrecks in the Aegean reveal a new story about ancient seafarers. Most of the wrecks date back to the Greek, Roman and Byzantine eras.
This major discovery upends long-held theories about the Maya civilization
The Washington Post - By Ben Guarino
In the autumn of 1929, Anne Morrow Lindbergh and her husband Charles flew across the Yucatán Peninsula. With Charles at the controls, Anne snapped photographs of the jungles just below. She wrote in her
British Museum
Cuneiform: 6 things you (probably) didn’t know about the world’s oldest writing system
historyextra.com
Cuneiform is an ancient writing system that was first used in around 3400 BC. Distinguished by its wedge-shaped marks on clay tablets, cuneiform …
Roman gold coins discovered in Italian theatre
thelocal.it
Hundreds of ancient Roman gold coins have been discovered on the site of an old theatre in Como in northern Italy, the Ministry of Culture said.
Archaeologists Have Discovered The Submerged Ruins Of Ancient Church Where First Council Of Nicaea Was Held
The Inquisitr - Kristine Moore
The church where Constantine I ordered the First Council of Nicaea to be held has been discovered submerged in Turkey's Lake Iznik and is held to be …
The Extremely Rare Head Of A Statue Depicting Roman Emperor Aurelian Has Been Discovered In Bulgaria
The Inquisitr - Kristine Moore
A statue head of Roman Emperior Aurelian, which was fashioned out of marbleized limestone, has been found in Bulgaria, in the ancient Roman city of …
Tourism
Ancient village that predates pharaohs discovered in Egypt
independent.co.uk - Josh Gabbatiss
One of the oldest-known villages in the Nile Delta, dating back to the Neolithic era, has been discovered in Egypt. Chief archaeologist Frederic Gio …
Mathematics
Babylonians developed trigonometry 'superior' to modern day version 3,700 years ago
independent.co.uk - Ian Johnston
The Ancient Babylonians knew about a form of trigonometry more advanced than the modern-day version – about 1,000 years before its supposed invention …