Ancient Civilizations

Josiah Wedgwood, of Wedgwood pottery fame, was also a staunch abolitionist and designed this medallion to further the cause.

This Anti-Slavery Jewelry Shows the Social Concerns (and the Technology) of Its Time

The 'Wedgwood Slave Medallion' was the first modern piece of protest jewelry

One of the tablets found at the fort

Cache of Roman Messages Found Near Hadrian's Wall

The 25 well-preserved wooden tablets include a soldier's request for time off

NASA's Earth-orbiting satellite Hinode observes the 2011 annular solar eclipse from space.

How Eclipse Anxiety Helped Lay the Foundation For Modern Astronomy

The same unease you feel when the moon blots out the sun fueled ancient astronomers to seek patterns in the skies

The White Horse at Uffington, Oxfordshire

Against All Odds, England's Massive Chalk Horse Has Survived 3,000 Years

Cleaning up the Uffington Horse is the neigh-borly thing to do

The Huey Tzompantli

Aztec "Skull Tower" Contains Remains of Women and Children

The tzompantli were once believed to only contain the skulls of conquered male warriors

The statues and carvings from Gobekli Tepe were found with fragments of carved skull from thousands of years ago.

Unprecedented Carved Skulls Discovered at a Stone Age Temple in Turkey

Three carved skull fragments from Gobekli Tepe offer tantalizing hints about the lives of Neolithic people

It is not uncommon for highlands churches to be situated within caves. Mekina Medhane Alem, built of wood and layered stone, contains 800-year-old paintings but is believed to be centuries older.

A Legendary Photographer Visits an Isolated Christian Community in Ethiopia

High in the mountains of eastern Africa, an ancient way of life continues apace

British Camp Hill Fort in Herefordshire

Explore Ancient British Isles Hill Forts with a New Online Atlas

The atlas lists over 4,000 of the structures that dot the landscape, used as gathering spots for Bronze and Iron Age Britons

The Cairo Toe

This 3,000-Year-Old Wooden Toe Shows Early Artistry of Prosthetics

Crafted from leather and wood, the ancient Egyptian prosthesis was was adjusted to precisely fit its wearer's foot

The advantages of coins as currency were clear.

Making Cents of Currency's Ancient Rise

Cash has been king for over 40,000 years

Aerial view of the wooden circle site

Massive Wooden Fire Monument Is Older Than Stonehenge

Carbon dating shows that the site dates back to 3300 B.C.

Terrace rice fields in Yunnan Province, China.

Domestic Rice Was Grown in China 9,400 Years Ago

A new study offers evidence that prehistoric villages in the area of Shangshan were growing half-domesticated rice

Head of Acheolus on the cauldron

Researchers Analyze Burial of Ancient Celtic Prince

French researchers are looking at the construction, composition and origin of artifacts found with the 2,500-year-old skeleton

Ancient Engineering That Kept One of the Driest Cities Wet

The ancient Nabataeans' water storage and irrigation system was a marvel of engineering

Did a Flood Wipe Out the Mysterious Ancient City of Petra?

Why did the ancient Nabataeans desert the city of Petra? The answer lies in traces of white sand found in its rubble, suggesting a massive flood

Entrance into the newly discovered pyramid

New Pyramid Discovered in Egypt

Earlier this week the interior structure of pyramid was uncovered at the Dahshur Necropolis, home to some of Egypt's earliest pyramids

One of the submerged walls found in Ampelakia Bay

Naval Base Believed to Have Been Used in the Legendary Battle of Salamis Found

Researchers have discovered the harbor in Salamis' Ampelakia Bay where the Greek fleet prepared to battle the much larger Persian navy

Rock art from the Ennedi Plateau

Vandals Deface Rock Art In Chad's Ennedi World Heritage Site

Names were written in French and Arabic on some of the area's rock art, which can date back as far as 8,000 years

A Roman amphitheater in Bosra, Syria. Bosra, a UNESCO World Heritage site, has been damaged by civil war.

Scientists Shoot Stones to Study War's Impact on Heritage Sites

The bullets caused hidden networks of fractures beneath the stones' surfaces

The remnants of a Viking barn still stand at what had been the settlement of Gardar.

Why Did Greenland's Vikings Vanish?

Newly discovered evidence is upending our understanding of how early settlers made a life on the island -- and why they suddenly disappeared

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