Old Sarum is one of the most enthralling and historically important sites in southern England. Uniquely, it combines a royal castle and cathedral within an Iron Age fortification, and for 150 years was a major centre of both secular and ecclesiastical government. Neither castle nor cathedral was occupied for long: in 1226 the cathedral was moved to Salisbury, although the castle remained an administrative centre into the 14th century. Old Sarum lived on, however, as a notorious ‘rotten borough’ which continued to elect members of Parliament until 1832.

Psychoactive substances and child sacrifice seem to come together more often than not when it comes to examining the Mesoamerican cultures and their history. Earlier this month, 76 child sacrifice victims with their hearts ripped out were found in Peru, and to now add to that tally is a Nazca child’s trophy-head, examined in a new study. The single hair plucked from the child’s head reveals that they consumed a psychoactive cactus, amongst other substances, prior to execution, as a part of the ceremonial process!

The medieval toilet or latrine, then called a privy or garderobe, was a primitive affair, but in a castle, one might find a little more comfort and certainly a great deal more design effort than had been invested elsewhere. Practicality, privacy, and efficient waste disposal were all considered and, even today, one of the most prominent and easily identifiable features of ruined medieval castles is the latrines that protrude from their exterior walls. The term garderobe later came to mean wardrobe in French and its original meaning was because of space which in castle toilets was never bigger than necessary.

Is it possible that ancient cultures were interconnected thousands of years ago? According to thousands of underground tunnels that stretch from North Scotland towards the Mediterranean the answer is a big yes.

Cancun Underwater Museum or MUSA is an unusual exhibition of sculptures made by Jason DeCaires Taylor placed in the waters surrounding Cancun, Isla Mujeres and Punta Nizuc in Mexico.

Lindow Man is the preserved body of a man thought to be from between 2 BC and 119 AD, from either the Iron Age or Romano-British period. Lindow Man marked the first discovery in Britain of a well-preserved bog body.

First, the beer was named for the fossil.

Nature has always been a random architect. Entering Petralona Cave, which was formed in the limestone of Katsika Hill about a million years ago, makes this very clear.

In the annals of Babylon, the 4th to 3rd centuries BCE were marked by the flourishing presence of a priest-chronicler named Berossus. In his captivating

In the ever-evolving quest to unlock the mysteries of ancient civilizations, a new discovery has ignited speculation about the possibility of time travel

Nestled in the rugged landscapes of India, the Kondana Caves stand as a testament to the architectural ingenuity and cultural richness of ancient times.

You’ve visited the Colosseum in Rome, now it’s time to discover Roman Caerleon in south Wales! The Roman Baths and Museum in Caerleon may be on a smaller scale, but are no less interesting and

A two-year meticulous investigation into the mystery of an Edinburgh crypt has finally cast important new light on the turbulent and little-known history of the Dark Ages in Scotland.

Renowned for his gargantuan size and single eye, Polyphemus held a prominent place within Greek mythology.

Amenhotep III’s 37-year reign was peaceful and prosperous. His diplomatic relations allowed art and culture to flourish, and his building projects are legendary.

Ancient Greek Girl Buried With A Crown of Ceramic Flowers, Patras, 300-400 BC, from Museum of Patras, September 5, 2013//Credit: Wikimedia Commons-Fred Martin Kaaby-CC-BY-SA-3.0The skull of an Ancient Greek girl with a ceramic flower wreath has been discovered. These remains have been dated circa 400 to 300 B.C. This skull currently resides in The New Archaeological Museum of Patras in Greece.

Aмputated hands had Ƅeen laid oʋer the face of the decapitated skull and arranged opposite each other. (Iмage credit: Danilo Bernardo) Under liмestone slaƄs in a caʋe in…

The full tragic story revealed by mummified remains of a female teenage mummy of just 14-17 years old, who died during childbirth, has been discovered by archaeologists in Egypt.

In th𝚎 h𝚎𝚊𝚛t 𝚘𝚏 D𝚎nm𝚊𝚛k, 𝚊 𝚋𝚛𝚎𝚊tht𝚊kin𝚐 𝚍isc𝚘v𝚎𝚛𝚢 𝚛𝚎c𝚎ntl𝚢 𝚞n𝚏𝚘l𝚍𝚎𝚍—𝚊 3,000-𝚢𝚎𝚊𝚛-𝚘l𝚍 𝚙𝚛𝚎-Vikin𝚐 sw𝚘𝚛𝚍, 𝚛𝚎m𝚊𝚛k𝚊𝚋l𝚢 w𝚎ll-𝚙𝚛𝚎s𝚎𝚛v𝚎𝚍 𝚊n𝚍 still 𝚋𝚘𝚊stin𝚐 𝚊 𝚛𝚊z𝚘𝚛-sh𝚊𝚛𝚙 𝚎𝚍𝚐𝚎. This 𝚎xt𝚛𝚊𝚘𝚛𝚍in𝚊𝚛𝚢 𝚏in𝚍 𝚙𝚛𝚘vi𝚍𝚎s 𝚞s with 𝚊 𝚛𝚎m𝚊𝚛k𝚊𝚋l𝚎 𝚐lim𝚙s𝚎 int𝚘 th𝚎 𝚙𝚊st 𝚊n𝚍 th𝚎 𝚎xc𝚎𝚙ti𝚘n𝚊l c𝚛𝚊𝚏tsm𝚊nshi𝚙 𝚘𝚏 𝚘𝚞𝚛 𝚊nci𝚎nt 𝚊nc𝚎st𝚘𝚛s.

King Harald Bluetooth, who reigned from his royal seat in Jelling during the tenth century A.D., is a towering historical figure, credited with having established the state of Denmark. New research finds that his mother, Queen Thyra, about whom little is known, was also seen as an extremely important personage in her time. Thyra’s name appears on two runestones at Jelling—one dedicated to her by her husband and Harald’s father, Gorm, and another raised by Harald to commemorate his parents. This is unusual, given that very few women are named on runestones in Denmark. Two other runestones, found in the nearby village of Laeborg and the town of Baekke, also include the name Thyra, though it was unclear whether they, too, referred to Harald’s mother.