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Ancient Civilizations
Discover the world’s most mysterious ancient civilizations, from lost cities and megalithic structures to forgotten knowledge and unsolved archaeological puzzles.
Are there pyramids in America? Yes—but U.S. Indigenous platform mounds differ from stepped temple pyramids in Mexico, Guatemala and Peru. Explore the sites and their distinct building traditions.
Egypt is a land of wonders, secrets, and cyclopean monuments such as the Serapeum of Saqqara. Although most famous for its Pyramids at the Giza Plateau, Egypt has much more…
Perched above Cusco, Sacsayhuaman remains one of the clearest displays of what Inca builders could do with raw stone, steep terrain, and immense human labor. Its giant zigzag walls are…
None of the pyramids worldwide are as famous as the majestic ancient Egyptian pyramids. There are around 120 pyramids in Egypt, depending on what sources are consulted. Although many pyramids…
Located roughly some 50 kilometers from the world-famous site of Göbekli Tepe, in the Şanlıurfa Province in Turkey, lie the remnants of a site called Karhan Tepe. And it has…
After discussing the enigmatic Roman Flexible Glass, we continue our exploration of the ancient world with an object that, at least, exists physically – the Roman dodecahedron. Dating back to…
The Great Sphinx has watched over the Giza Plateau for millennia, but the old photographs in this gallery show a monument still partly buried and surrounded by a very different…
South America is known for its many incredible ancient civilizations. The oldest pyramids on Earth are believed to have been built on the edge of the Amazon river by a…
A 5,000-year-old sword discovered in a monastery in Venice turned out to be the world’s oldest sword. People have crafted weapons since time immemorial. Throughout history, we’ve seen how people…
How the ancients constructed the pyramids of Egypt remains one of the greatest archaeological enigmas in history. In fact, everything we think we know about the construction of the Egyptian…
The Great Sphinx at Giza is the largest single-stone monolith statue on the planet’s surface. Shrouded in mystery, despite having studied it for centuries, we’ve still not managed to solve…
Located on the Giza plateau, on the western bank of Egypt’s Nile River, the Great Sphinx stands guard. Carved out of a large block of limestone, the impressive monumental sculpture…
These monuments are earthen burial mounds built for emperors and nobles, often called ‘pyramids’ because of their shape. China has a collection of pyramid-shaped monuments that are often compared, in…
If you ask an Egyptologist about the Pyramids of Giza, their history, meaning, and purpose, the answer is straightforward. The pyramids were built as ancient tombs for the deceased Pharaohs.…
Some six miles south of Saqqara, on top of a spur of the Libyan Plateau overlooking the ancient site of Memphis, two stone pyramids at Dahshur rise proudly on the…
Of all the ancient Egyptian pyramids, none is as mysterious and unique as the Bent Pyramid. Believed to have been built by the greatest Pyramid builder ever, Pharaoh Sneferu, the…
Pharaoh Userkaf founded the Fifth Dynasty in ancient Egypt. During the Old Kingdom period in the early 25th century BC, he reigned for seven to eight years. It is thought…
The Great Pyramid of Giza is, without reason of a doubt, one of the most incredible feats of engineering in ancient times. Given its massive size, complexity, and aura of…
In the countries that first adopted the Gregorian calendar, Thursday, October 4, 1582, was followed by Friday, October 15. Ten dates were skipped to bring the calendar back into line…
There are Pyramids located all across the globe. Although the Great Pyramid of Giza is the most famous in the world, as many people believe it is, therefore, the oldest,…
A faded medieval map of Britain may reveal evidence of “long lost” islands detailed in Welsh mythology, a new study finds. The 650-year-old map shows two long-lost islands, now-submerged lands that…
Introduction The history of Ancient Macedonia is a fascinating topic that, even today, is still not well understood by many people. This fact remains a mystery because it has something…
The tomb, located in Herefordshire, England, is approximately 5,000 years old. Time has given it a certain mythical halo as it is linked to King Arthur, the very leader of…