Italian Police have announced the recovery of looted artifacts stolen from a necropolis in Italy, according to a statement from the Italian Ministry of Culture. The artifacts, from Umbria in central Italy, date to the 3rd century BC and are Etruscan, a civilization which controlled central Italy before Rome was the dominant power in the
Researchers from Zayed National Museum have found something hidden in the Blue Qur’an, a world famous manuscript and stunning example of Islamic calligraphy dating from 800-900 AD. Hidden behind a layer of gold leaf were hidden lines of verse, words from the Surah An-Nisa, the fourth chapter of the Qur’an. According to the press release,
A new discovery in Gibraltar may finally confirm a long held theory about Neanderthals. While we know they knew how to make fire, now we know to make ovens too. Existing theories abound about neanderthal hearths and the structures built around them to capture and enhance their heat, primarily for extracting tar which they used
Musical instruments are near universal across all cultures, ancient and modern, but the music they make is not always pleasant. Aztec skull whistles, extremely versatile instruments from 500 years ago, are certainly not. Such whistles were used for more than 250 years from around 1250 AD by the Aztecs of Central America, producing a combination
A new analysis of a vase from ancient Egypt has revealed what we think everyone already knew: ancient Egyptians loved their psychedelics. The vase, fashioned in the likeness of the Egyptian party god Bes, contains a heady cocktail of hallucinogens and other mind-altering substances. The study, headed up by Professor Davide Tanasi of the University
The wheel and axle is among the most important invention in human history. It transformed our ability to carry heavy loads, allowing for the large-scale transportation of goods from farmlands to cities. It directly supported the rise of urban centers, and through them the birth of civilization. Traditionally it has been thought that the wheel