A recent study conducted by Xavier Landreau and other researchers has presented an innovative theory about the construction of the first Egyptian pyramid, the Pyramid of Djoser in Saqqara, proposing the use of a hydraulic system as a key tool in the construction process. The article, uploaded by its authors to Research Gate, is based […]
Architecture
Posted inMiddle Ages
Nan Madol, the ancient city built on 92 islets interconnected by canals in the Pacific Ocean
In the middle of the vast Pacific Ocean, in the Caroline Islands archipelago, lies one of the most enigmatic and fascinating archaeological sites in the world: Nan Madol. This complex of ruins, located off the island of Temwen, in Pohnpei (Federated States of Micronesia), has captured the imagination of explorers and archaeologists for centuries due […]
Posted inArt
The Largest Wooden Building in the World Houses a 16-meter-tall Buddha Statue
Previously, we shared the story of the Prinkipo orphanage, the largest wooden building in Europe which, however, is small compared to the Daibutsu-den or Great Buddha Hall, considered the largest wooden building in the world. It holds the record despite being 33 percent smaller today than when it was first constructed due to several renovations. […]
Posted inAncient Egypt
The Best Preserved Temple in Egypt Was Saved Because It Was Buried 12 Meters Under the Sand
When Auguste Mariette, who had been sent eight years earlier by the Louvre Museum to Egypt in search of ancient manuscripts, was appointed Conservator of Monuments by the Egyptian government in 1858, he initiated a frenetic excavation activity. In 1860 alone, he directed more than 35 new excavations while also maintaining the ones already started. […]
Posted inGeography
The Minneapolis Skyway System That Allows You to Traverse Downtown Without Going Outside
Can you imagine being able to walk down the street without having to endure harsh weather conditions? Traveling from one end of the city to the other safe from the rain, the scorching summer heat, or the freezing winter cold? Well, in Minneapolis, Minnesota, you can. Not on every street, of course, but on the […]
Posted inAntiquity, Middle Ages
Takht-e Soleymān, the Fortress that Housed the Most Sacred Place of the Sassanian Empire
Takht-e Soleymān, known as the Throne of Solomon, is one of the most fascinating archaeological sites in Iran, located in the West Azerbaijan province near the modern city of Takab. This fortified sanctuary, dating back to the Sasanian and early Islamic periods, has been recognized by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site since 2003, due […]
Posted inAncient Rome
The Temple of Hadrian at Cyzicus was the Largest Built in Antiquity, and its Corinthian Capitals the Largest Ever Sculpted
Founded by Greek colonists from Miletus in the 7th century BC and located on a peninsula in northwest Anatolia, the city of Cyzicus was one of the most thriving metropolises of the ancient world, flourishing in the shadow of the imposing Dindymus mountain massif and bathed by the waters of the Propontis strait, which connected […]
Posted inMiddle Ages
The Enigmatic Ring Forts of Ireland and Great Britain, Home to the Fairies and Giants from Legends
Scattered across the landscapes of Ireland, Great Britain, parts of Scandinavia, and northern Europe are enigmatic fortified structures known as ringforts. These circular or oval enclosures, bounded by earth walls and ditches, mostly date from between 500 and 900 AD, a period that spans the late Bronze Age to the early Middle Ages in these […]
Posted inAncient Greece
The Legendary Tomb of King Minos in Sicily Is the Highest Tholos in the Mediterranean
When discussing the death of the famous King Minos of Crete, who had imprisoned Daedalus and his son Icarus in the Labyrinth of the Minotaur, Diodorus Siculus relates that after their escape (and Icarus’s tragic death), Minos pursued them across all the cities of the Mediterranean. To find Daedalus, he proposed a riddle to the […]
Posted inArt, History
The Impregnable Fortress of Vilars d’Arbeca, Built in the Iron Age with 5-Meter Thick Walls
The Fortress of Vilars d’Arbeca is a unique archaeological site in Iberian and European protohistory due to its impressive defensive features, which was discovered in 1975. Located in an alluvial plain about 4 kilometers from the town of Arbeca in the Catalan province of Lleida (Spain), the fortress was founded around 775 B.C., during the […]