After decades of searching, archaeologists have at long last discovered a gateway through the “Danevirke” (“work of the Danes”)  – a formidable wall running through the entire state of Schleswig-Holstein in Germany. Possibly begun by the Frisians as …

With the help of Google Earth, tracks that may date as far back as the 13th century have been found on a heath in Purbeck, Dorset, England. Covering an area of almost a mile, the tracks were formed over the years by carts and sledges, most especially i…

Measuring two feet tall and discovered without its head, a stone idol dating back to the 11th century was found in a riverbed near Vedaranyam in the district of Nagapattina, India. The figure of a Tirthankara (in Jainism, a human who achieves enlighte…

Known  as “thunderstones” and made from flint and other fire-starting rock, mysterious stones shaped like axe heads have often been found in Viking-age graves. Because they dated back thousands of years, they were once believed to be random artifacts…

In the medieval city of Kastritsi in Euxinograd, archaeologists from Varna have found a treasure trove of coins dating back to the 14th century. Among other artefacts, 166 silver coins in a small jug were found embedded in the floor of  the medieval …

While helping to survey the foreshore of the Thames near the Tower of London, a mudlark discovered a clay roof finial that may date as far back as the late 12th century. The finial is in the shape of an animal and would have decorated the ridges of a t…

When I was a sophomore in high school, I took a course in Western Civ that I really liked. I’m sorry to say that I can’t remember the teacher’s name, but she was enthusiastic and kept the course material interesting. For the first time in my school car…

For those of you who are just rolling in cash — and I know you’re out there somewhere — now might just be the perfect time to buy a castle. The asking price is only $25 million — a steal!…Read Full Post

Six meters below ground level at the ancient city of Myra, near present-day Demre, a Byzantine church believed to date to the 12th century has been unearthed. Though the dome of the church has been damaged, tiles at its roof are still intact, and the …

In 1989, an engraved, ivory-inlaid rosewood table was purchased for £6,000. The table was known to date to the 16th century and is a beautiful example of Renaissance craftsmanship. Since then, Sotheby’s specialists have discovered that the piece was p…