Tag Archives: Ancient

The Hadrian’s Wall Pilgrims’ Way Start Housesteads Fort Finish Brocolita Roman TempleDistance 4¼ miles (use regular AD122 bus to shorten, if needed)Those who walk the whole 84 miles of Hadrian’s Wall in a week may refer to it as a type of pilgrimage. But in the last few years the …

With Stonehenge, Avebury and Salisbury Plain, Wiltshire is the English county most associated with Neolithic stone circles and barrows. Dorset, its southerly neighbour, has nothing on this scale, but there is an ancient quarry – the Valley of the Stones – and a number of smaller, but equally atmospheric archaeological …

Explore the Peak District’s ‘hermit’s cave’ Cratcliffe and Robin Hood’s Stride are a collection of gritstone crags and boulders nestled against a Derbyshire hillside not far from Bakewell. It’s a beautiful place with a magical feel. Carved into the base of the cliff is a small chapel – the “hermit’s …

Scientists have diagnosed Down syndrome from DNA in the ancient bones of seven infants, one as old as 5,500 years. Their method, published in the journal Nature Communications, may help researchers learn more about how prehistoric societies treated people with Down syndrome and other rare conditions. Down syndrome, which occurs …

The UK is blessed with countless ancient sites, many of which are easily accessible to the public, and often free to enjoy. Some are still being excavated and can offer us valuable new insights into what life would have been like for our distant ancestors. Whether it’s an iron age …

Sweden’s mystical iron-age monument Ale’s Stones in Sweden’s far south (Ales Stenar) may resemble Stonehenge, but instead of being surrounded by roads, Ale cleverly put his stones on cliffs, providing visitors with spectacular views. Ponder the competing theories of what the stones are: a burial monument, a sun calendar? After …

Stonehenge is one of the most recognisable landmarks in England – and one of the most visited. But while the debate rumbles on about how best to balance the demand for visitor access with the need to preserve the special character of this sacred site, there are thousands of unsung …

Images of toppled structures and debris emerge after the deadly earthquake tore through the UNESCO World Heritage site. Marrakesh, Morocco’s fourth-largest city, was rocked overnight by a powerful earthquake that destroyed historic buildings and left hundreds dead. The ancient city’s old town is reported to have been particularly affected with …

Being alive and having access to functioning internet these days means getting blasted in the face with updates about the highly anticipated fight between billionaires Mark Zuckerberg and Elon Musk. Both deep-pocketed men have been going along with the idea that this battle is actually going to happen but it’s …

Somehow, ancient civilisations gave birth to groundbreaking inventions that continue to influence our lives even today. 1. Wheel The wheel is one of humanity’s most transformative inventions. It traces back to ancient Mesopotamia around 3500 BCE and was initially used in pottery making. This simple yet ingenious circular device revolutionised …