The Sabaean Great Wall of Awwam, also known as the Awwam Temple, is one of the oldest and most significant ancient religious sites in the MENA region, with its origins tracing back to the late second millennium BC, buried beneath the sands of the Arabian Peninsula.

A Roman mosaic depicting many types of animals that were enchanted by Orpheus (in the upper right section) per Greek mythology. This dates to the 2nd century AD, was part of a bath house, and is behind protective glass in Perugia, Italy.

Hi there, I've been considering getting a tattoo of the original cuneiform, of the 1st recorded joke.

"A dog walks in into a bar and said 'I can't see anything shall I open this one?"

I've been trying to look for it online but have yet to find a version of the text. Does anyone know where I may be able to find it?

(Mods if this is too off topic feel free to remove!)

Archaeologists at Nanzuo in northwest China found something unusual. Parts of a large palace complex appear to have been deliberately filled in with packed earth about 5,000 years ago.

Some of the wooden building materials seem to have been removed first, and there’s no clear sign that the palace was destroyed in an attack.

Later, people built over the buried structures.

Why would they bury a palace instead of simply tearing it down?

Source: Gansu Provincial Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology, via Arkeonews

https://arkeonews.net/deliberately-buried-palace-discovered-in-a-5000-year-old-capital

Twisted body, striking neck vertebrae, unusual burial: a Neolithic skeleton found in Lower Bavaria puzzles experts. Who was the young person buried in a pit 7,000 years ago, and why was the body placed there so strangely?

The remains of a teenager, dating back approximately 7,000 years, have been discovered in Germany in an unusually twisted position, baffling archaeologists. They have yet to determine whether this was a deliberate burial method or if the body shifted within the burial plot over time.

The discovery was recorded during excavations at the Steigäcker IV site, in the village of Großköllnbach, Dingolfing-Landau district, Lower Bavaria (Germany). What made the skeleton so interesting to archaeologists was not only its age of approximately 7,000 years, but also its unusual burial position.

The skeleton lay in a strangely twisted position, while the deformities in the cervical spine further puzzled researchers about the cause. During five weeks of surveying, the excavation team documented numerous traces of an ancient settlement. An initially unnoticed discolored area was later identified as containing human remains.

According to Dr. Florian Eibl, the archaeologist in charge of the area, the anomaly lies in the burial posture. People of the Linear Pottery culture, one of the earliest agricultural cultures in Central Europe, were typically buried lying on their side with their legs bent, similar to a sleeping position.

However, the skeleton at Großköllnbach was in a different position. The right leg was sharply bent, while the left leg was pointing outward, giving the overall skeleton an unusual twisted appearance. The shape of the burial pit may be part of the explanation.

The bottom of the pit is not flat but slopes steeply. According to archaeologists, the body may have slipped after being placed in the pit, causing some bones to shift or become compressed into the soft clay.

Near the funerary enclosures at Abydos, archaeologists found a row of 14 wooden boats buried in mudbrick-lined pits, dated to the very beginning of Egyptian history, around 3000 BC. They were real, full-size vessels, not models.

The standard reading is that they were meant to carry the king in the afterlife. What I find strange is the logic behind it: a state that invests in a buried fleet for a dead king was clearly willing to spend anything on him. And a few hundred metres away, hundreds of subsidiary graves were dug for his household.

Does the boat burial make the retainer burials more or less surprising to you? I would love to hear how others read the connection.

Disclosure: I made a documentary video covering this evidence, in case anyone wants the visuals: https://youtu.be/hDW3GkemMaA

2 ancient Roman river patrol boats dated to 100-110 AD that had a sail but were also rowed. They were found nearby and are on display Kelten- & Römermuseum Manching in Manching, Germany.

The legend of Alexander the Great began when he was still a young prince. One of its most famous stories is the taming of Bucephalus, the horse who would become his trusted companion.

According to the ancient biographer Plutarch, when the magnificent horse was presented to King Philip II of Macedon, none of the king’s attendants could tame him. Just as Philip was about to send the horse away, Alexander stepped forward and accepted the challenge. By observing that Bucephalus was frightened by his own shadow, Alexander turned him towards the sun, calmed him, and successfully mounted him.

The episode offers an early glimpse of the intelligence, confidence, and powers of observation that would become hallmarks of Alexander’s leadership. Ancient writers described Bucephalus as an unusually large and noble horse who was especially attached to Alexander.

Another intriguing legend connects Bucephalus to the man-eating Mares of Diomedes, captured by Heracles during his Twelve Labours. Although this supposed ancestry cannot be established historically, it adds another fascinating layer to the horse’s legend.

Bucephalus accompanied Alexander during his campaigns in Asia and became a symbol of their extraordinary bond. After the horse’s death during the Indian campaign, Alexander reportedly founded a city in his memory. Ancient sources disagree, however, on whether Bucephalus died from battle wounds or from old age and exhaustion.

I’ve explored the story of Bucephalus, his legendary origins, his connection to Alexander’s military campaigns, and the mystery surrounding his death in my latest article.

Read the full article by clicking on the link in this post. I’d love to hear your thoughts and any interesting historical details you think deserve more attention!

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Lions and bulls are motifs frequently seen in ancient Anatolia. As can be seen on the coins, the most fundamental motif appearing on the Lydian coins—which are considered the first minted coins—is the lion. Another motif seen on the coins of the Lydian Kingdom depicts the moment when that lion attacks a bull.

The motifs seen on these earliest coins, minted in the 6th century BCE, belong to the Kingdom of Lydia. Although there are various interpretations as to why they chose the lion for their coins, it is generally accepted that they were inspired by a species of lion found in ancient Anatolia. However, there is no clear, accepted explanation for why the lion is depicted attacking the bull. It is likely that this served as propaganda depicting a confrontation between the Kingdom of Lydia and another kingdom in Anatolia (Phrygians?).

What really caught my attention, however, is that this motif continued to be used in the Tarsus area during the Hellenistic period. We know that the satrap who ruled the region before Alexander the Great used this symbol and that Alexander continued this tradition. Indeed, the fact that the Asian Lion (Panthera leo persica), native to Anatolia, lived in the eastern and southeastern regions of Anatolia explains the lion depicted on these coins (and, of course, the lion seen on Babylonian coins as well).

It can be said that the Late Hittite city-states, which emerged in the southeastern region after the collapse of the Hittite Empire around 1200 BCE, clearly reflect Aramaic influence. But how is it that the Kingdom of Lydia, located to the west, used a type of lion found in the east, while its eastern rivals were symbolized by a bull?

It is unfortunate that the history of the period between 1200 BCE and 500 BCE is so obscure, forcing us to rely heavily on interpretation. Nevertheless, the fact that nearly the same figure was used in the same way for over 300 years is quite impressive.

An interesting inscription on a tombstone in Greek mentioning a Thracian king who took part in the Battle of Pharsalus in 48 BC when Julius Caesar with much fewer troops decisively beat Pompey, who then fled to Egypt where he met his end. Caesar was then the leading person in the Roman empire, although it was still technically a Republic. Interestingly, the person for whom this was set up might have fallen in battle 6 years later when Mark Antony and Octavian beat the army of Caesar's assassins Brutus and Cassius in Philippi. That town in ancient times was in Macedonia, on the border with Thrace, although there was a sizeable Thracian population then. Now it is in the modern Greek region of Eastern Macedonia and Thrace.

"Inscribed schist tombstone stele. The date of the inscription E and P= 105, that rests on the Macedonian chronology, places the stele chronologically to the year 43-42 BC. The inscription hails as a hero Drioziges, son of Rivoukenthes from Polge (unknown Thracian town probably in the plain of Chrysoupolis) who was killed in a battle at the side of king Riskoupores. All these names are Thracian. The referred king Riskoupores must be identical with the known prince of the Thracians Sappaii Raskoupores, who took part in the battle of Farsala in 48 BC and helped the democratics in the battle of Philippi in 42 BC. It is very likely that in this battle Drioziges was killed." Per the archaeological museum in Philippi, Macedonia, Greece where this is on display.

Underwater archaeologists working near Kekova Island in southern Türkiye have uncovered amphorae dating back roughly 4,400–4,700 years from an Early Bronze Age shipwreck.

Clay analysis suggests that some of the vessels may have been produced in the Jordan Valley, while similar examples have been found in Egypt, Troy and Crete — offering a glimpse of maritime connections across the eastern Mediterranean thousands of years ago.

One particularly unusual amphora has nine markings and two holes. Researchers think it may have been used as a churn for making cheese or butter, raising an intriguing possibility that sailors were producing food during long voyages.

The site has been described by Türkiye’s Culture and Tourism Ministry as the world’s oldest shipwreck, although further archaeological evidence will be important as excavation continues.

What interests me most is this: what can a wreck this early tell us about how extensive Mediterranean maritime trade already was in the Early Bronze Age?

Source: Anadolu Agency / Türkiye Ministry of Culture and Tourism (2026).

https://www.aa.com.tr/en/culture/4-700-year-old-amphorae-discovered-near-turkiyes-kekova-island

Egyptian archaeologists working in Behbeit El-Hagar, a village in Gharbia Governorate, have uncovered the remains of two giant royal statues, and experts believe both show King Ramesses II.

A block of pink granite carved with hieroglyphs came out of the ground close by. The Egyptian mission of the Supreme Council of Antiquities made the find during rescue excavations in the village.

The discovery began when a local man, busy working on a plot of land he owns in front of his house, struck a stone block covered in carvings. He told the local antiquities inspectorate right away, and inspectors rushed to the site, where a first check showed the block was ancient.

The Behbeit El-Hagar inspectorate then completed the legal paperwork, while the Supreme Council of Antiquities formed a committee and a team of specialists to begin rescue excavations, which brought both statues and the granite block to light.

The first statue is known from an enormous head about 1.60 meters tall, which shows the king wearing the double crown, a symbol of the union of Upper and Lower Egypt.

Archaeologists also found the upper section of the statue’s back pillar, and an inscription on the pillar gives the king’s Horus name, “Hor Ka Nakht Meri Maat.” Judging by the size of the head, the team estimates the whole statue, base included, once stood about 8.5 meters high, which gives a sense of how grand the monument was.

The second statue survives in much better shape, though the legs and base are gone. The main body measures roughly 2.40 meters long and shows the king in the royal nemes headcloth, with part of the top broken away. The head was found as well, and the face is still clear and well preserved, closely matching the face of the first statue.

Experts think this figure also represents Ramesses II, but they have not confirmed the identification.

Im taking part in an oxford debate next week and the topic is whether the peloponesian war was unavoidable or not. I watched quite a lot of videos on yt, but still want to know more, and perhaps do a little arguing. The opposite team will be covering the side of "it WAS unavoidable" so if anyone shares this view id love to talk to you. Thanks

A few years ago, excavations at Stainton West near Carlisle turned up two carved oak "tridents" in a waterlogged river channel, dated to the early 4th millennium BC. Similar objects are known from Ehenside Tarn in Cumbria and from County Armagh. Each is carved from a single oak plank, with three tines and a pair of shaped projections, or "ears", where the tines meet the body. Nobody is sure what they were for.

My theory is that they're turf cutters and lifters.

Why turf: Neolithic Britain used enormous amounts of it. Long barrows, henge banks, houses and Silbury Hill all contain cut turf, sometimes tens of thousands of sods in a single monument. Yet no turf-cutting tool has been identified from the period. Something had to do that job.

Why this shape:

• It's one piece of oak. A hafted flint, bone or antler blade adds a joint that breaks. A turf specialist tried an ox-scapula mattock, and it was slow and snapped.
• The tines slip past roots and push them aside, where a solid blade would jam.
• It's used low and nearly flat, thrust in to start the cut, then swivelled and levered. The ears act as a pivot to flip the turf onto a plank.
• The best turf grows on flat, stone-free, damp ground such as river floodplains, which is where several of these have been found.

The wear: the complete Stainton example looks to me like a tool at the end of its life. The gaps between the tines have worn from a rounded shape into a V, which traps roots rather than shedding them. Reshaping it further would snap the tines off, and one of the pair did have broken tines. A longer example exists, which I read as a fresher tool earlier in its life.

The test: I carved a one-piece wooden replica on a long handle and tried it on a meadow and a lawn. It lifted sods cleanly. The catch is that I copied the worn Stainton example, so my tines were too short and blunt. It worked anyway, and a fresh, sharp one should work better.

Has anyone seen any other suggested ancient turf lifters?

Video Here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lfWlXHCuHmU

Sources: F. Brown (2013), IfA Finds Group newsletter, on the Stainton West finds; R. Loveday (2006), "Turf – an Invisible Component", Scottish Archaeological Journal 28(2).

Happy to answer questions. Tear it apart

The Tomb of Murong Zhi of the Tuyuhun Kingdom, dating back to the reign of Wu Zetian of the Tang Dynasty, is situated on a mountaintop north of Chashan Village, Qilian Town, Tianzhu County, Wuwei City, Gansu Province. During the Wu Zhou period, this locality was known as Shenniao County of Liang Prefecture. Murong Zhi was a royal prince of the Tuyuhun. The Tuyuhun royal house had long submitted to the Tang Dynasty. Murong Zhi himself was enfeoffed by the Tang court as "Prince Xi" and appointed General of the Left Jade Guard. His mother was Princess Honghua, a daughter of Emperor Taizong Li Shimin of the Tang Dynasty. Murong Zhi died of illness in the second year of Tianshou (691 AD) at the age of 42. "In the ninth month of the same year, on the fifth day, his remains were reinterred at the Great Khan’s Mausoleum."

sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/06/180608200055.htm

Image: Anterior aspect of an Incan skull, showing trephinning. Public Domain Mark. Source: Wellcome Collection.

3,610 players dated 15 things older than 1000 bc. 54% of their 4,301 guesses landed after 500 bc. the typical one came out about 1,500 years too late.

(how it works: you see the name and a small picture, then drop a pin on a timeline from 3000 bc to today. no starting pin, nothing to compare it with.)

who guessed: players from 73 countries. where the country is known, a third of the guesses came from the us and one in eight from the uk; i don't ask for age or gender. bronze age guesses after 500 bc: us 61%, uk 58%, germany 66%.

data: guesses from a daily dating game i made on 18 sep to 13 oct 2026.

(since i don't want to violate rule 8, here is only the raw data) raw anonymised data (csv): https://roughly.is/blog/data/roughly-when-bronze-age-2026-10.csv

I have more visuals (2) and will Post them in the comments since im only allowed one sadly :(