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Ancient Writings

There are literally thousands of incredible texts that have survived from the ancient world, which are etched onto copper, beautifully inscribed on papyrus, chipped onto tablets, and even written using the ink of ground down gold and precious stones. Here we feature many ancient writings, which have served to open a window onto the daily lives of our ancestors and enhanced the knowledge we hold about our ancient past.

The Hittite royal seal

Hittite Royal Seal Found in Büklükale Warns ‘Whoever Breaks This Will Die’

During extensive excavations in Büklükale, a historically significant site believed to have served as a crucial military base for the Hittites, archaeologists unearthed a remarkable seal belonging to...
Dunhuang Silk Road History. AI illustration.

Dunhuang Manuscripts: Insights into Ancient China

Dunhuang is situated in the northwestern part of Gansu province in the west of China. The ancient town occupied a strategic position at the crossroads of the ancient Southern Silk Route and the main...
Dated Rock Art Panel at Leang Karampuang	Source: Provided by Griffith University /Nature

Earliest Narrative Cave Art Discovered in Sulawesi: A 51,200-Year-Old Marvel

A groundbreaking discovery in Sulawesi, Indonesia, has unveiled the oldest known narrative cave art, dating back at least 51,200 years. This revelation, published in the journal Nature , not only...
An enhanced view showing some of the rock art found in Venezuela.  Source: José Miguel Pérez-Gómez/Simón Bolívar University

4,000-Year-Old Rock Art From Unknown Culture Uncovered in Venezuela

An archaeological team in Venezuela has uncovered 20 ancient rock art sites in Canaima National Park, consisting of both pictograms and petroglyphs, estimated to be around 4,000 years old! Located in...
A collection of over 3,000 years old endangered prehistoric engravings Source: Author provided

History Sleuth Explores Cordillera's Little Known 3,500-Year-Old Alab Petroglyphs

Carved on a boulder resting at Mt. Data of Alab Oriente, Bontoc, Mt. Province is a remarkable plethora of 2 nd millennium BC petroglyphs. The oldest and only kind of engravings that is discovered by...
Golden Bull of 1222.			Source: Public Domain

Golden Bull of 1222

The Golden Bull of 1222: Hungary's Magna Carta The Golden Bull of 1222, issued by King Andrew II of Hungary, is one of the most significant legal documents in medieval European history. Often...
Images of the slate recovered

New Paleo-Hispanic Alphabet Discovered in Spain

R esearchers in have announced a groundbreaking discovery at the Tartessian site of Casas del Turuñuelo in Guareña, Badajoz, Spain. A slate tablet inscribed with what appears to be a third southern...
 The Cyrus Cylinder

The Cyrus Cylinder and Ancient Persia

The Cyrus Cylinder, discovered in 1879 during a British Museum expedition to Babylon , encapsulates the grandeur and complexities of ancient Persia under the reign of Cyrus the Great. Crafted over...
Earliest Manuscript of Gospel about Jesus

Earliest Manuscript of Gospel about Jesus's Childhood Discovered

For decades, a papyrus fragment with the inventory number P.Hamb.Graec. 1011 lay unnoticed in the archives of the Hamburg Carl von Ossietzky State and University Library. This fragment has recently...
Earliest Manuscript of Gospel about Jesus's Childhood Discovered
Sheet 15 from the Crosby Schoyen Codex

Crosby-Schøyen Codex, the Oldest Privately Owned Book Sells For $3.9million

By M J C Warren The  Crosby-Schøyen Codex , an important early Christian book containing five distinct texts all copied by the same scribe, is going  up for auction in June  at Christie’s in London...
Vesuvius eruption devastating Pompeii

New Narrative of Pompeii Survivors Revealed Through Records

Steven L. Tuck /The Conversation On Aug. 24, in AD 79, Mount Vesuvius erupted, shooting over 3 cubic miles of debris up to 20 miles (32.1 kilometers) in the air. As the ash and rock fell to Earth, it...
A variety of the giant petroglyphs discovered along the Orinoco River

Giant Petroglyphs in South America May Mark Territorial Borders

In the 18th century, explorers navigating the vast Orinoco River, a major waterway spanning the northeastern corner of South America, reported sightings of numerous rock engravings of snakes adorning...
One of the text from Roman centurions.        Source: K. Braulińska/PAP

Roman Centurions Leave Mark in Egypt With Papyrus Letters and Pet Cemetery

Polish archaeologists in Berenike have discovered papyruses listing Roman centurions stationed in Egypt, found alongside pottery from Italy, Roman coins, and a distinctive coat buckle, possibly...
Left; Ramesses II statue, Right; Long side of the granite sarcophagus of Ramesses II.

Ramesses II - Original Sarcophagus Identified Within the Valley of Kings

Archaeologists from Sorbonne University have identified the original sarcophagus of Ramesses II, or Ramesses the Great, from a tomb complex designated KV7 in the Valley of Kings. This tomb was near...
The Victory Stele of Naram-Sin. Source: Left; Rama/CC BY-SA 3.0, Right; Louvre Museum/ CC0

Victory Stele of Naram-Sin: A Mesopotamian Masterpiece

The Akkadian Empire rose as one of the first great powers in Ancient Mesopotamia, the cradle of civilization. Succeeding the venerable culture of Sumer, this empire was centered on the great city of...
The Cyrus Cylinder. Source: Prioryman/CC BY-SA 3.0

The Cyrus Cylinder and the Ancient Proclamation of Human Rights

More than 2 millennia before the French Revolution introduced the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizens , an ancient Near Eastern monarch issued a charter that is considered to be the...
Stellar rock art map from Sevsar astronomical observatory. Source: Courtesy of the author �� Lilit Mkhitaryan

Celestial Maps of Gegham Mountain: The Unique Rock Art of Armenia

In the volcanic Gegham and Vardenis Mountains of Armenia, architect Suren Petrosyan discovered unique and mysterious astrological rock art paintings. Experts have different opinions on the creation...
Left; Ogham script on Bambie Thug cheek, Middle; translation, Right; Ogham stone found in Coventry. 	Source: Left, center; Reddit Right; The Herbert Art Gallery and Museum

Ogham Script Not Only Found on Eurovision Contestants Bambie Thug

Bambie Thug have kicked up a storm for having a Palestinian protest message hidden in plain sight during their performances in the run up to the Eurovision final this Saturday. The messages were...
Late 19th century drawings of the eagle and bull symbols published by French excavator Victor Place. 	Source: New York Public Library

Unknown Assyrian Symbols Solved as ‘Tag’ of Sargon II

Ancient symbols on a 2,700-year-old temple which have baffled experts for over a century have been explained by Trinity Assyriologist Dr Martin Worthington. The sequence of ‘mystery symbols’ were on...
Ibn al-Haytham ("Alhasen") on the left pedestal of reason [while Galileo is on the right pedestal of the senses] as shown on the frontispiece of the Selenographia (Science of the Moon; 1647) of Johannes Hevelius. 	Source: Public domain provided by the author

Study Reveals the Influence of 11th Century Scientist On Modern-day Physics

By University of Sharjah Scientists from the University of Sharjah and the Warburg Institute are poring over the writings of an 11th century Arab-Muslim polymath to demonstrate his impact on the...
Archeologists and historians examining petroglyphs in the Zhambyl Region. Source:  Department of Internal Policy of the Akimat of the Zhambyl Region

4,000-Year-Old Petroglyphs Discovered on Rock Outcropping in Kazakhstan

While laboring in southern Kazakhstan in the Karatau Mountains as part of a crew involved in an environmental restoration campaign, a group of volunteers were shocked but delighted to discover a set...
The painted hieroglyphs unearthed in 2022 in the Yerkapı Tunnel in Hattusa, the capital of the Hittites, one of Anatolia's earliest civilizations.	Source: AA

Hieroglyphs at Hattusa Tunnel Reveal New Chapter in Hittite History

The discovery of painted hieroglyphs from 2022 in the Yerkapı Tunnel in Hattusa, the ancient capital of the Hittites, have now been deciphered. These Anatolian hieroglyphs have finally been unveiled...
AI image of Arab warrior assassin rushing through the desert with two curved sabers with which magical Arabian runes. Source: warmtail/Adobe Stock

How Arabian Script Infiltrated the Runes of Ancient Germany

Arabian archers in the Roman army had a surprising impact on the evolution of writing in ancient Germany at the dawn of our Common Era (AD). The old Germanic alphabet, known as runes – bolstered with...

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