Free Republic

This carved relief from Nimrud, a major city of the ancient Assyrian Empire in present-day Iraq, regularly drifts around the internet as purported evidence for scuba diving nearly 3,000 years ago. But the wall panel actually depicts an army crossing a river, and soldiers are navigating the waves with the help of ancient flotation devices.The gypsum panel is one of several excavated in the 1840s from the Northwest Palace, which was built on the Tigris River around 865 B.C. on the orders of King Ashurnasirpal II. Originally located around the interior walls of the throne room and royal apartments, the...

The world's first pandemic, known as the Plague of Justinian after the sitting Byzantine emperor, killed an estimated 25 to 100 million people between a.d. 541 and 750... historical sources from the period suggest that it may have begun around Pelusium, Egypt, before spreading rapidly throughout the Middle East and the Mediterranean world. According to a statement released by the University of South Florida (USF), researchers participated in an interdisciplinary study that has uncovered -- for the first time -- direct genomic evidence pinpointing the bacterium Yersinia pestis as the cause of the plague. The team sequenced genetic material from...

A Purdue University professor has confirmed the historical existence of 53 biblical figures mentioned in the Bible, lending new weight to discussions about the Bible’s connection to real-world history. Lawrence Mykytiuk, emeritus professor of library science, has spent decades analyzing ancient inscriptions to determine whether they refer to the same biblical figures recorded in Scripture. His findings include kings, pharaohs, governors, and scribes — names that appear both in archaeological records and biblical accounts. The confirmed names span multiple ancient empires, including Egypt, Babylon, Persia, and the kingdoms of Israel and Judah. Mykytiuk’s list includes well-known rulers such as King...

A mysterious manuscript hidden for centuries in Shakespeare’s childhood home has just been reattributed—and it wasn’t written by who everyone thought. =============================================================== Portrait Of William Shakespeare. Credit: Britannica | The Daily Galaxy --Great Discoveries Channel A centuries-old manuscript once thought to be the work of William Shakespeare’s father has been reattributed to his sister, Joan Shakespeare Hart, in a new peer-reviewed study published in Shakespeare Quarterly. The findings challenge longstanding beliefs about the Shakespeare family’s religious affiliations and offer a rare glimpse into the intellectual life of a woman previously all but erased from history. The research, led by Dr....

A civilization confident in itself reads the Iliad. A civilization in decline denounces it. Guess which one we are. A confident civilization does not quake at the sight of Homer. It does not avert its gaze from Pericles or issue trigger warnings before mentioning Caesar. It does not treat the Iliad like some toxic spill to be cordoned off by hazmat crews. Yet ours does. As Victor Davis Hanson and John Heath warned in Who Killed Homer?, the gravest threat to the classics is not public indifference but professors themselves—men and women who, having ceased to teach Homer, now cower...

Science reports that recent analysis of an Inca recordkeeping device in the collection of the University of St. Andrews is upending what archaeologists previously thought about the pre-Columbian South American civilization. Hundreds of years ago, the Incas developed a unique system, using knotted cords known as khipus to record information such as dates, numbers, and transactions. These were typically made from long strands of llama or alpaca hair. It had been thought that the job of creating and maintaining these complicated tools was held by highly educated and elite administrative men who were among Inca society's upper echelon. A new...

Hieroglyphs appear beautiful but baffling. However, these ancient Egyptian signs are not as complicated as they seem. Once you realise that they can simply spell out words just like our alphabet does, hieroglyphs become much easier to understand. Let me show you how. Many thanks to Ilona Regulski of the Egyptian Museum at Berlin's marvellous Neues Museum. CORRECTION: At the end I get my quail chicks and my sparrows mixed up. The sparrow meant "small", not the quail chick. Sorry. Hieroglyphs are easier than they look | 21:22 RobWords | 723K subscribers | 576,945 views | August 23, 2025

Prior to construction of a highway through eastern Bohemia, archaeologists unearthed a 2,000-year-old Celtic settlement that is being called one of the most significant archaeological discoveries in Czech history, reports Radio Prague International. Located outside of Hradec Králové, the site is spread across 65 acres, making it more than 10 times larger than most sites in the area at the time, and comparable with the largest Celtic sites found in all of central Europe. The settlement was likely built by the Celtic Boii tribe, from which the name Bohemia derives, and was a major regional center of commerce, production, and...

Archaeologists unearthed a massive trove of gold coins in the Czech Republic, minted by a long-lost civilization — with the site described by officials as "exceptional." The discovery was announced by the Museum of Eastern Bohemia in Hradec Králové. The Celtic settlement was found along the route of a future highway, the July release said. The site dates back to the La Tène period, with archaeologists finding that the settlement peaked in roughly the second century B.C. It served as a "supra-regional trade and production center" that linked Central Europe to far-flung corners of the ancient world. The La Tène...

Ancient Chinese written documents record that by the second century a.d., a vast trade network had already been established connecting peoples and goods from the Mediterranean, the Near East, India, and Asia. This has been confirmed by archaeological excavations throughout Southeast Asia, which have uncovered various items such as Indian jewelry, Roman glass, and Persian pottery. According to a Science News Today report, however, a comprehensive new study has revealed that silver coinage may be the key to truly understanding just how interconnected these distant regions actually were. Found at many archaeological sites across this region, the coins feature a...

In A Nutshell Regional divide: Northerners and Californians say “soda,” Midwesterners say “pop,” and Southerners use “coke” generically for any soft drink. Origins of soda: Began in the early 1800s as “soda water,” a health tonic sold at drugstore soda fountains and spas. Why “pop”? Likely from the sound of corks popping on bottled fizzy drinks; popularized in the Midwest by bottling companies like Faygo. Why “coke”? Coca-Cola’s dominance in the South made “coke” shorthand for any soft drink, much like Kleenex or Band-Aid became generic terms. Soft vs. hard drinks: “Soft drink” originally meant nonalcoholic, as opposed to “hard”...

A mosaic uncovered at the site of Hippos near the Sea of Galilee contains a message indicating that the city's ancient residents took extra special care of their senior citizens, according to Israel National News. Hippos belonged to the Decapolis, a group of 10 Hellenistic cities in the southern Levant, but became a major Christian center during the Byzantine period, serving as the bishop's seat and boasting at least seven churches. Archaeologists discovered the colorful mosaic near the entrance to a late fourth- or early fifth-century a.d. building near the ancient forum. It is decorated with images of Egyptian geese,...

It was one of many cool finds in a luxurious residence in Sicily. Here’s what you’ll learn when you read this story: A famed Roman villa offers a surprising find of a flip-flop-like sandal shown in ancient mosaics. Archaeologists continue to excavate what was once a luxurious residence in Sicily, Italy. The discovery comes alongside one of the most famous mosaic-filled Roman villas in the world. Discovering a fourth century A.D. mosaic of what appears to be modern-day flip-flops wasn’t what anyone expected during the excavation of a famed Roman villa in Sicily, Italy. But then again, this is the...

Vox News Albania reports that Kosovan Minister of Culture Hajrulla Çeku announced that a team of archaeologists uncovered a rare mosaic inscription linked with the Byzantine emperor Justinian I (reigned a.d. 527–565) at the site of Ulpiana. This find comes two years after the discovery of another inscription from the same time period. Ulpiana was a major urban center in the Roman province of Dardania and flourished from the first to the sixth century a.d. The city was flattened by an earthquake around a.d. 518 but was rebuilt by Justinian, a native of the area, during his reign. The first...

Renovations to the Karkoot Nag spring in Aishmuquam revealed a series of ancient stone relics likely belonging to a forgotten shrine that highlights the Kashmir Valley's deep religious and cultural history, Greater Kashmir reports. A team of municipal workers pulled about 21 Hindu idols and intricately carved fragments of relief sculpture from the sacred pond, including 11 Shivlings, or stone pillars that symbolically represent Lord Shiva. Preliminary observations indicate that the artifacts may date to the Karkota Dynasty that ruled Kashmir from around a.d. 625 to 855. This period is known for its architectural achievements, including the Martand Sun Temple...

Popular Science reports that German scientists used advanced technology to virtually unroll a delicate ancient Buddhist scroll. For centuries, Mongolian nomads often carried portable Buddhist shrines, known as gungervaa, with them wherever they traveled. These sometimes contained statues, decorative objects, religious relics, and spiritual keepsakes. Most notably, they often held dharanis, tiny scrolls featuring prayers that were commonly stored in silk pouches. During the Mongolian Revolution of 1921, this tradition was almost completely eradicated and many of these shrines were destroyed. One gungervaa, however, made its way into the collection of the Ethnological Museum in Berlin, where it remained in...

Two Israeli scholars have revealed the discovery of a rare four-line Aramaic inscription in a cave near the Dead Sea in the Judean Desert, a find they believe may date to the Bar Kochba Revolt against the Romans in the 2nd century CE.Unveiled at a major academic conference in Jerusalem, the inscription’s first line reads, “Abba of Naburya has perished.” Only fragments of the remaining text have been deciphered, with words such as “on us,” “he took,” and “the.”Cave already known for its ancient Hebrew inscription The cave, near Ein Gedi National Park in the Dead Sea region, was already...

“One of the most important discoveries made in Israel this century.” —Ariel David and Ruth Schuster, reporters for the Israeli newspaper Haaretz.1 “A stunning trio of early Christian (3rd century) inscriptions.” —Christopher Rollston, Professor of Northwest Semitic Languages and Literatures and chairman of the Department of Classical and Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations at the George Washington University.2 What is it that has these reporters and a linguistic expert so excited? It is the discovery and further study of three mosaic texts in pristine condition that were excavated in 2005 by Yotam Tepper3 on behalf of the Israel Antiquities Authority...

In the quiet woods near Kalisz, Poland, a group of amateur archaeologists uncovered not one, but three extraordinary treasures over the span of just five weeks this summer...The Denar Kalisz Group, in cooperation with the Voivodeship Office of Environmental Protection in Kalisz, conducted their exploration in the Grodziec Forest District of Zbiersk.Their work began in early June with the discovery of a Roman-period burial ground linked to the Przeworsk culture. Among the finds was the grave of a warrior, complete with a spearhead and shield boss.Just days later, they recovered a coin from the 11th century alongside a small ceramic...

Recent excavations at the site of Körzüt Fortress in eastern Turkey's Van province have uncovered several important archaeological features that are helping archaeologists gain a deeper understanding of the Urartian city's layout and history, Türkiye Today reports. The site, which is notable for its massive defensive walls measuring 30 feet wide, was purportedly built by King Minua, ruler of the Kingdom of Urartu between 810 and 786 b.c. New work at the site revealed a second temple building, a monumental entrance to the palace complex, and a network of pathways linking civilian areas with the central citadel. However, the most...