• A series of tales of ancient worlds

Tales of ancient worlds

There’s nothing better than exploring the ancient past. Our history is a never-ending fountain of incredible tales, brilliant adventures and fantastically glorious people. We believe that when we understand our past, we understand ourselves a little better too. It can help us appreciate the beautiful world that we live in.

But what is archaeology? Archaeology is the study of the physical things humans leave behind as they go through life. Our houses, our bones, our teeth, etc. As we go through life we leave these little bits behind, sprinkling clues all over the Earth, almost like a puzzle.

Archaeologists use the most advanced scientific tools available to give us insights into the lives of our ancestors. Radar that can scan the ground, lasers that can tell us the age of artefacts and drones that whizz above the desert – like something out of a sci-fi movie!

In this series we’re going to take a dive into how archaeologists have used these tools to put together the pieces of our jigsaw puzzle. We’re going to explore the entire earth, travelling back in time millions of years to our earliest ancestors. We will be recreating the lives of ancient kings and queens and even a grumpy merchant. We’ll explore ancient cities that sank beneath the waves or were swallowed by dense jungles and we’ll travel the oceans with intrepid explorers. Along the way, expect some funky gods, mind-blowing treasures and grisly warriors.

Are you ready for an adventure?

A tale about the first humans

The first humans emerged in Africa around two million years ago, long before the modern humans known as Homo sapiens appeared on the same continent.

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Read about the Skull of Jebel Irhoudand other fascinating archaeological finds.

Western Morocco is a hot and dry region of Africa. On the side of a dusty rock face another clue to humanity’s origins was found – a skull. Read about this and other fascinating archaeological finds.

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Read about the Farmers of the Neolithic Period

Read about how the Neolithic Era began when some groups of humans gave up the nomadic, hunter-gatherer lifestyle completely to begin farming.

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Read about the Age of Cities

What was life like in the earliest cities? This question has been pondered over for centuries. With modern technology, scientific explorers have been able to gain insight into the past.

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Unlock the secrets of Emperor Qin’s Tomb - are you ready for an adventure?

Buried deep under a hill in central China, surrounded by an underground moat of poisonous mercury, lies an entombed emperor who’s been undisturbed for more than two millennia. Will we ever get to see inside?

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Learn about the cities founded in the historic region known as Mesopotamia.

The first cities appeared thousands of years ago in areas where the land was fertile, such as the cities founded in the historic region known as Mesopotamia. Learn about the history of the great cities of Ancient Mesopotamia in this story.

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Explore ancient empires in this story.

From Gupta to Babylonian Empires, explore ancient history timelines from around the world. Explore timelines of ancient history and ancient empires in this story.

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A tale about the dangers of rising water

In this story we discover the dangers of rising water and learn about the mightiness of the Roman Empire! Put on your boots and snorkles and get ready for another adventure!

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An ancient tale in the shadow of the volcano

Did you know that the residents of Pompeii had no idea that their town would be destroyed, or that fierce female warriors fought to keep nomadic raiders from plundering their towns, and the Celts kept gruesome trophies after warfare.

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An ancient world tale - The Reign of Horses

Did you know that Horses play a large role in the life of the Mongols? It is said that “A Mongol without a horse is like a bird without the wings”. Mongolia holds more than 3 million horses, an equine population which outnumbers the country’s human population.

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Tales of ancient worlds - The Worshipping of Animal Gods

Some animals are fast, some can fly, and some are kind of creepy – the animal kingdom is full of wonders. With so many creatures it’s no surprise that animal gods and spirits feature prominently in both ancient and modern beliefs.

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The Vikings left some surprising clues

Welcome to the Age of Discovery! Our final adventures are the most adventurous of them all! The next few stories take place a smidge over 1000 years ago. The Viking were sailing the North Atlantic, leaving behind some pretty smelly clues!

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Tales of ancient worlds - A Stink at the Bank

Just to warn you here, this story is not for the faint of heart! Archaeologists uncovered a Viking village in York. They found thousands of pieces of pottery and Viking houses. But by far the most intriguing (and stinkiest), was a preserved Viking poo!

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The Watchman of Rapa Nui

On the Polynesian island of Rapa Nui, also known as Easter Island, some of the most amazing and unique statues stand guard over the island. The tallest is almost 10 m (30 ft) tall and weighs as much as 50 cars.

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The World of the Mississippi

Nine hundred years ago in North America, the Mississippian culture was thriving. The corn-loving, game-playing, arrowhead-making Mississippians were a fascinating bunch.

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