Religion

Pietas affiliate groups have built temples across Italy.

When I Celebrated the Summer Solstice With Ancient Roman Gods and Goddesses

Members of a group in Italy called Association Pietas are reviving the ancient religion of Rome

An alkaline hydrolysis machine at White Rose Aqua Cremation in Escondido, California

Could Water Cremation Become the New American Way of Death?

A sustainable option for what to do with our remains is trickling into popular consciousness

The Israelite commander Barak depicted in the Huqoq synagogue mosaic

Cool Finds

Earliest Known Images of Two Biblical Heroines Unearthed in Israel

Found in an ancient synagogue, the 1,600-year-old mosaics tell the stories of Deborah and Jael

Screenshot of news coverage of the demolition of Georgia Guidestones

The Georgia Landmark Known as 'America's Stonehenge' Is Destroyed in an Explosive Attack

The mysterious granite monoliths have been the source of conspiracy theories for almost half a century

This blue-pigmented figurine was found buried with the oldest child.

Four Aztec Burials Found in Mexico

Even after the fall of the Aztec Empire, new discoveries reveal that some traditions survived

Archaeologists continue to dig around the Roman temple complex in the Netherlands.

Cool Finds

In the Netherlands, Volunteer Archaeologists Find Roman Temple Complex

The site was likely used by soldiers near the Roman Empire's northern border

Discovered beneath the Baths of Caracalla, the two-story home dates to between 134 and 138 C.E.

Cool Finds

An Ancient Home Found Beneath the Baths of Caracalla Is Now on Display

The second-century structure has frescoed ceilings and depictions of both Roman and Egyptian deities

Communist revolutionary Rosa Luxemburg speaking at a conference in Stuttgart, Germany, in 1907

History of Now

The 20th-Century History of Anti-Semitic Attacks on Jewish Politicians

Russian rhetoric against Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy echoes the language directed toward Jewish leaders in post-WWI Europe

The mosque was found in the Bedouin town of Rahat in Israel’s Negev desert.

Cool Finds

In Israeli Desert, Archaeologists Find One of the Oldest Known Mosques

The seventh-century structure provides clues about a region in transition

The Canton Synagogue, founded in 1531

Inside the Effort to Restore Synagogues in Venice's 500-Year-Old Jewish Ghetto

A new project focuses on three 16th-century synagogues in the Italian city, where the Jewish population has dropped to 450

The depiction of a young Maya maize god is consistent with other portrayals of beheaded Maya deities. 

Cool Finds

1,300-Year-Old Corn God Statue Shows How the Maya Worshipped Maize

The deity was linked to renewal and creation in Mesoamerican culture

Thieves targeted a $2 million, 18-carat gold tabernacle in a Catholic church this week. 

Thieves Took a $2-Million Tabernacle From a Brooklyn Church

Sacred objects can tempt would-be burglars

Hundreds of sarcophagi have been excavated from the Saqqara archaeological site thus far.

Cool Finds

Archaeologists Uncover Hundreds of Colorful Sarcophagi at Saqqara—and They're Not Done Yet

The 2,500-year-old coffins are the latest in the site’s seemingly endless parade of ancient treasures

The ceiling was once so filthy, these depictions of Egyptian goddesses could not be seen.

Temple Restoration Reveals Vibrant Art of Vulture-Like Egyptian Goddesses

Millennia of grime, soot and bird poop had covered up—and preserved—the archaeological treasure

Judy Chicago’s 1985 painting The Creation shows a woman birthing the world. 

Global Cultures Have Always Worshipped—and Feared—Women

A new explores two sides of female divinity

The Parthenon sculptures are also known as the Elgin Marbles. 

Past Imperfect

Can Greece and the U.K. Finally Broker a Deal to Return the Elgin Marbles to Athens?

New talks raise old questions about the ancient Parthenon sculptures

The Neolithic-Era henge was completely obscured by overgrown vegetation. 

Cool Finds

Volunteers Uncover Rare, 4,800-Year-Old Stone Circle in England

Ground scans at Castilly Henge revealed seven pits where ancient stones once stood

This statue was looted from the Koh Ker temple complex in Cambodia in the 1970s.

Cambodia Asks U.K. Cultural Institutions to Return Looted Statues

British museums contain hundreds of allegedly stolen temple treasures

Workers discovered the massive complex after coming across a hidden access point during restoration work on a historic house.

Cool Finds

This Huge Underground City May Have Been a Refuge for 70,000 Early Christians

The complex may have been used as a shelter during Roman rule in Turkey

The newly-discovered limestone statuette is over 4,500 years old.

Cool Finds

Palestinian Farmer Digs Up 4,500-Year-Old Goddess Sculpture

While working his land, Nidal Abu Eid uncovered a statue of Canaanite deity Anat

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