Gandhara Buddha, created sometime in either the 1st or 2nd century.

Rare Snowfall On The Acropolis In Athens, Greece

Workshop of Phidias (5th century BC), creator of the Statue of Zeus at Olympia, one of the 7 wonders of the world

~Wreath of oak leaves and acorns. Greek Late Classical or Early Hellenistic Period 4th century B.C.

The beauty and terror of the greatest of Sumerian goddesses comes through in this ancient statue. Inanna/Ishtar was at once lovely and terrible, seducing many great men and then killing them. Her unearthly white skin and glowing red eyes warn those who might answer her as she beckons with her right hand.

First Chinese murals might date back more than 4,000 years

A group of recently-discovered murals hinted that the basic production process and rendering techniques used to make Chinese murals might be more than 4,000 years old.

Since 2011, continuous excavations by Chinese archaeologists have found some 200 pieces of colorful murals in the Shimao Ruins, the largest completed urban construction in China dating from the late Neolithic (4,600 - 4,000 years ago) age in Shenmu county, Shaanxi province.

The Shaanxi Provincial Institute of Archaeology recently issued a report on the discovery, saying that following lab experiments and analysis, the basic production process and rendering techniques used on the murals in Shimao Ruin were similar to those used to make frescoes dating from the Han Dynasty (202 BC – 220 AD) and later dynasties. This indicates that the process and techniques were in use more than 4,000 years ago. Read more.

Rare ancient Roman frescos found in south of France

Extremely rare ancient Roman frescos, comparable to those found in the Villa of Mysteries in Pompeii, have been uncovered in the historic southern French city of Arles. Photos of the ancient painting were released Friday after the mural from a villa bedroom was found in April.

The first full mural in the Pompeii style in France from between 20 and 70 BC has been found in Arles.

Archaeologists from the Museum of Ancient Arles collections have been working to recover the remains of the Roman villa since 2014.

The fresco is unique as it is one of the only full murals that has been found outside Italy - others have simply been fragments. Read more.

The Persian Gate of All Nations, Persepolis, modern Iran. Construction on this monument began under Xerxes I (486-465 BC).

Photo taken by Matt Werner.

girls don’t want boys girls want to know who’s buried in the Amphipolis tomb

Amphipolis: Caryatids’ Full Body Revealed

The new discoveries from the tomb of Amphipolis in Greece, that keep coming to light, have caused admiration across the world.

Photos released by the Greek Culture Ministry on Thursday show that the archaeologists have revealed the whole body of the two Caryatids that were unearthed on Saturday.

The Caryatids were “buried” in the ground between the septal wall and the tomb’s sealing. The face of the eastern Caryatid was found in the ground during excavations and will be attributed to the statue.

On Thursday, the first wall, sealing the front of the Caryatids, was removed, revealing the continuity of the two sculptures’ robes. Read more.

Statue atop Mount Nemrut, Turkey. Here lay the remains the Hierotheseion (temple-tomb and house of the gods) built by King Antiochos I of Commagene (69-34 BC).

Photo taken by sabamonin.

Heracleion: Submerged City of Ancient Egypt

Heracleion, was an ancient Egyptian city near Alexandria whose ruins are located in Abu Qir Bay, currently 6.5 km off the coast. Its legendary beginnings go back to as early as the 12th century BC, but until recently the city had been known only from a few literary and epigraphic sources including the writings of such ancient Greek historians as Diodorus and Strabo, as well as Herodotus.

Heracleion reportedly grew in importance from the 6th to the 4th century BC, as revealed by numerous archaeological finds… during the waning days of the Pharaohs… when it became Egypt’s main port. The city was originally built on some adjoining islands in the Nile delta, and was intersected by canals.

It was believed that Paris and Helen of Troy were stranded there on their flight from the jealous Menelaus, before the Trojan war began, and was further suggested that Heracles, himself, had visited the city, and that Heracleion had gained its name from him. The city had a large temple of Khonsou, son of Amun, who was known to the Greeks as Heracles. Pharaoh Nectanebo I made many additions to the temple in the 4th century B.C.

The city sank in the 6th or 7th century A.D., probably due to major earthquakes and floods. The ruins submerged in the sea were finally located and rediscovered by the French underwater archaeologist Franck Goddio in 2000.