For centuries, hieroglyphs have helped historians piece together the beliefs, rituals, and everyday lives of ancient civilizations. Yet some carvings remain deeply confusing. Etched into temple walls ...

An analysis of ancient “nailed heads” from Spain found some local skulls, likely symbols of respect, and foreign ones, likely symbols of intimidation. Photo from the Autonomous University of Barcelona ...

News of ancient Celtic symbols popping up in Spain might come as a surprise to those who think of the culture as being restricted to territories contiguous with Britain. But in ancient times, Celtic ...

Scattered across Armenia’s highest mountains are giant carved stones that seem wildly out of place. Some stand taller than a two-storey building, yet none of these mysterious vishaps or dragon stones ...

Cylinder seals from Ur, c. 2450 BC, Penn Museum, Philadelphia, USA In the first article of this series, I provided a brief historical overview of the Neo-Assyrian, Urartian, and Achaemenid empires, ...

Depiction of a relief from Khorsabad, the Assyrian capital during the time of Sargon II. For roughly two centuries, from ca. 900 -- 700 BCE, the Near Eastern empires of Neo-Assyria and Urartu ...