Explore 741 Ancient Collections - Atlas Obscura
Places near me Random place

741 Items Tagged

Ancient

Share
This is not exactly how most animals react to an eclipse.
maps

Six Stories to Illuminate the Upcoming 'Ring of Fire' Eclipse

The annular eclipse will make its way across the Western Hemisphere on October 14.
April White October 6, 2023
Each night during his journey across the netherworld, the sun god Ra's barque crosses the desert Rostau, realm of the falcon god Sokar, borne by snakes.
maps

In Ancient Egypt, the Duat Was a Netherworld of Gods and Monsters

A guide called the Amduat helped pharaohs navigate the complex afterlife.
Nicky Nielsen October 3, 2023
Pontey, Italy

Strada del Sole ('Road of the Sun')

A former millstone quarry in the Italian Alps is strewn with rocks bearing distinct round shapes.
Arrizala, Spain

Dolmen of Sorginetxe

An ancient stone structure that, according to legend, was built by witches.
Atlatls use leverage to launch spears faster and farther than hand-thrown javelins.
ancient

How Ancient Dart Launchers Changed the Game for Early Female Hunters

A female archaeologist is challenging the idea of men as hunters and women as gatherers, one throw at a time.
Roxanne Hoorn September 5, 2023
Caral, Peru

Pyramids of Caral-Supe

A 5,000-year-old city in Peru holds the remains of a stunning set of astronomically-aligned pyramids.
Mochrum, Scotland

Drumtroddan Rock Art

Carved between 3500 and 1000 B.C., the distinctive carvings at this site are poorly understood.
Yoichi, Japan

Fugoppe Cave Petroglyphs

One of the only two archaeological sites in Japan to feature petroglyphs, which some believe to be a long-lost writing system of the gods.
An ancient wall with a path running through it under a metal roof
Yulin, China

Shimao Relics

A massive ancient Chinese city with stone walls and evidence of human sacrifices.
Bessans, France

Mont Cenis

From Carthage's Hannibal to riders of the Tour de France, many have crossed this scenic route through the Alps.
Tangier, Morocco

Roman Punic Necropolis

Ancient Phoenician and Roman tombs carved into the rock overlook the Moroccan coastline.
ancient

Podcast: The Complaint Tablet of Ea-Nasir

Turns out, beefing about bad service really is as old as time.
The Podcast Team July 12, 2023
Seoul, South Korea

Son Kee Chung’s Greek Helmet

This ancient Corinthian helmet is South Korea’s only national treasure of Western origin.
A damaged sarcophagus sits in a stone-walled burial chamber
Ibiza, Spain

Puig des Molins Necropolis

The largest and best preserved necropolis in the Western Mediterranean.
Esgos, Spain

Monasterio de San Pedro de Rocas

An abandoned 6th-century monastery features a medieval map of the known world.
The azimuth theodolite.
List

9 Observatories Where Ancient Humans Looked to the Stars

The mysteries of the night sky have captivated our species for millennia.
Diana Hubbell May 25, 2023
The massive complex of Monte d'Accoddi on the island of Sardinia is nearly 6,000 years old.
architecture

This Mysterious Ziggurat Was an Ancient European Pilgrimage Site

Sardinia's 'mountain of stones,' Monte d'Accoddi, is nearly 6,000 years old.
Jeffrey Biggers May 24, 2023
This ancient dodecahedron found in Avenches, Switzerland, once the Roman city of Aventicum.
objects of intrigue

The Mysterious Dodecahedrons of the Roman Empire

The first of many of these puzzling objects was unearthed almost three centuries ago, and we still don't know what they were for.
Frank Jacobs May 12, 2023