ancient history tours of europe

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Ancient History Tour

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Travel back in time with Eurail and uncover the wonders of the world! The Ancient History Tour shows you the archaeological highlights of Italy and Greece, from Pompeii's ruins to Mount Olympus's slopes.

Itinerary highlights 

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1. Rome, Italy

Start your journey in Rome, the Eternal City that was built on seven hills. Make sure to wear comfy shoes!

Take a full day to visit the Colosseum and walk through the ruins of palaces and temples on the Roman Forum .

Take your pick out of hundreds of ancient Roman sites, but don't miss out on the majestic Pantheon .

"I found Rome a city of bricks and left it a city of marble." -Augustus Caesar

2. Naples, Italy

Take a train to Naples at the foot of Mount Vesuvius . Climb to the top of this active volcano for a great view!

Overlook and visit the ruins of Pompeii , the Roman city that was buried in ash after Vesuvius erupted in 79 AD.

The many stunning mosaics found at Pompeii are safely stored in the Archeological Museum of Naples .

"The universe was plunged into eternal darkness." -Pliny the Younger

3. Brindisi, Italy

Travel to Brindisi, and get off in Barletta to visit Cannae , where Hannibal defeated the Romans in 216 BC.

A large Roman column marks the end of the Via Appia , the ancient road that connected Brindisi with Rome.

Visit nearby Ostuni , nicknamed 'The White Town', beautifully located on a hill amidst olive plantations.

"The Appian Way, the queen of the long roads." -Statius

4. Patras, Greece

Take a ferry to Patras on the Peloponessus, where the Greek leg of your Ancient History Tour begins.

Climb up to Patras Castle and visit the Roman Odeon, where concerts are still held in the summer.

Travel by bus to Olympia , the sanctuary where the original Olympian Games were held in honor of Zeus.

"For what thing without Zeus is done among mortals?" -Aeschylus

5. Corinth, Greece

Travel by train to (New) Corinth, and overlook the ancient city from the top of the Acrocorinth Citadel.

Take a day trip to see the archaeological treasures of Argos  and the historic seaport town of Nafplio .

In the nearby ruins of legendary Mycenae , you'll find the Tomb of Agamemnon and the famous Lion Gate .

"On the road to Argos, you see left the ruins of Mycenae." -Pausanias

6. Athens, Greece

Travel onwards by train to Athens, the cradle of Western civilization and the birthplace of democracy.

You simply can't miss the majestic Parthenon temple , built on top of the Acropolis in the 5 th century BC.

Take a few days to discover Athens' monuments and museums, and watch the sunset from Areopagus Hill .

"Athens deserves to be admired." -Pericles

7. Thessaloniki, Greece

Your last stop is Thessaloniki, a popular tourist destination full of Roman and Byzantine monuments.

Visit the White Tower , the symbol of the city that houses an exhibition on its rich history.

Still got those comfy shoes? Go hiking on Mount Olympus , mythical home of the Olympian Gods.

"Is that which is holy loved by the gods because it is holy, or is it holy because it is loved by the gods?" -Plato

Which Eurail Pass should I get?

The perfect Eurail Pass for this Ancient History Tour is the Eurail Global Pass ( 10 days within 2 months ). Let Eurail take you on an adventure of Homeric proportions!

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TravelAwaits

Our mission is to serve the 50+ traveler who's ready to cross a few items off their bucket list.

5 Fascinating Historical Tours of Europe You Need To Plan For

• Activities and Interests
• Destinations
• History and Culture
• Ruins and Archaeology

Visiting ancient sites in Europe is a unique and rewarding experience that can transport you to a different time and place. Each site has its own story and history lovers can immerse themselves in the continent’s diverse and cultural heritage. From the Ancient Theater of Philippopolis in Bulgaria to the Göbekli Tepe in Turkey, Europe is home to many ancient sites that offer visitors a glimpse into the past.

Exploring the ruins of ancient cities, admiring intricate carvings and paintings, and marveling at the advanced construction techniques used by ancient civilizations are just some things you can expect to experience. Many of these sites are UNESCO World Heritage Sites and require advanced tickets, so planning ahead is essential.

Overall, visiting ancient sites in Europe is a fascinating journey through time that can leave you with a deep appreciation for the achievements of our ancestors and a renewed sense of wonder about the world around us.

1. Ancient Theater Of Philippopolis, Bulgaria

The Ancient Theater of Philippopolis , situated in Plovdiv, Bulgaria, is a fascinating historical site. This open-air theater dates back to the 2nd century AD and could seat 7,000 spectators.

The theater has been beautifully preserved and the intricate details of its architecture are a testament to the skills of its ancient builders. Visitors can still see the stage, orchestra, and seating areas, which give a glimpse into the grandeur of the performances that took place here.

The theater has panoramic views of the city of Plovdiv. It is a lovely spot to enjoy a performance or take in the scenery. The Ancient Theater of Philippopolis is a gratifying place for anyone who appreciates ancient architecture and culture.

2. Brú Na Bóinne, Ireland

Brú na Bóinne is a Neolithic site on the River Boyne in eastern Ireland . The area is home to three prehistoric passage tombs constructed in 3,200 BC. The tombs — known as Newgrange, Knowth, and Dowth — are among the most important Neolithic sites in the world. The collection of Megalithic art is the largest in western Europe.

The tombs were constructed using large stones and the intricate carvings and designs on them show the builders’ skills.

When visiting Brú na Bóinne, you can take a guided tour to explore the tombs and learn about their history and significance. Pre-booking tickets is a must for this interactive site.

3. Hal Saflieni Hypogeum, Malta

The Hal Saflieni Hypogeum in Paola, Malta, is an underground burial chamber from 2,500 BC. This ancient structure is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the most intact prehistoric sites in the world. The chamber was discovered in 1902 when builders excavated it for a new housing development.

The hypogeum showcases advanced construction techniques used by the ancient Maltese. The walls and ceilings of the chamber are adorned with intricate carvings and paintings depicting human figures, animals, and geometric patterns. The chamber’s acoustics are also remarkable, with sounds echoing and reverberating throughout the space. The hypogeum requires advanced tickets for a set time of day. Only eight small group tours are conducted each day.

4. Butrint National Archaeological Park, Albania

Butrint National Archaeological Park is a stunning UNESCO World Heritage Site in southern Albania. This ancient city has a rich history that dates back to the Greeks and Romans, and it is considered one of the most significant archaeological sites in the Balkans. The park has impressive ruins, including a Roman amphitheater, a Byzantine basilica, and a Venetian castle .

You can explore the site on foot and enjoy views of the surrounding landscape while admiring the ancient architecture and intricate mosaics. The park is home to diverse flora and fauna, making it an excellent destination for nature lovers. Overall, Butrint National Archaeological Park will satisfy history lovers, culture buffs, and natural beauty enthusiasts.

5. Göbekli Tepe, Turkey

Göbekli Tepe is a UNESCO World Heritage Site located in Turkey’s Mount Germuş. Many consider Göbekli Tepe one of the most important archaeological discoveries of the 21st century. The site dates to the 10th millennium BC. It is believed to be one of the earliest examples of a human-made religious structure.

Göbekli Tepe consists of a series of stone structures created by ancient hunter-gatherers. They depict various animals and symbols. The site is surrounded by a large number of stone pillars that are adorned with intricate carvings and reliefs.

The significance of Göbekli Tepe lies in the fact that it challenges our understanding of early human civilization and suggests that humans were capable of more complex social and cultural structures than previously thought.

Visiting ancient European sites is a unique opportunity to explore the continent’s history and cultural heritage. These sites provide a window into our ancestors’ lives, beliefs, and achievements, allowing us to better understand our shared human experience.

The rewards of visiting these sites are immeasurable, from the intricate architecture of the Ancient Theater of Philippopolis to the stunning Megalithic art at Brú na Bóinne. They offer a chance to connect with the past, appreciate the present, and inspire the future. You can visit some of these sites from home with a virtual tour .

Covering 'off-the-beaten path,' 'not well-known,’ and 'in the shadow of' locations is Mary’s passion. She delves into art, music, food, libations, architecture, museums, parks, well-curated tours, history, agriculture, and the unexpected in micro-towns and big cities, both domestic and international.

As a lifelong traveler, her nomadic mother often handed her the map and asked her to choose the destination and route, granting her the nickname, Mary Go.

Today she travels by train, plane, bus, boat, shoe sole, and her Honda, Patty. Mary digs into culture, people, and history wherever she goes, sharing her experiences through words, photos, and video.

APRIL SALE:   Discover and book at   up to 60% off!

Historical Tours & Trips in Western Europe

Step back in time and learn the secrets of ancient times on a historical tour of Western Europe. With 2930 adventures, you're sure to visit the best historical places packed full of stories from days long ago.

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250+ historical tour packages in western europe with 34,026 reviews.

• Coach / Bus

Classic Europe

The Classic Europe tour with Expat was amazing. Everything was very convenient and well organised. Adam our tour guide and Florin our driver did wondeful jobs to make sure we saw and did everything on schedule and gave us special treats with some extra free times to enjoy the places where they could. We had such a great time with the tour itself and the people we met in the tour group were very lovely and we kept in touch. This tour sets such a high standard for our next trips! Definitely 5 stars service and we will definitely join Expat tour again in future.

• 10% deposit on some dates Some departure dates offer you the chance to book this tour with a lower deposit.

• Christmas & New Year

Genuine Europe

It was a very good vacation the transfer, the hotels and the guide Clara Ruiz its a very good company to travel again thank you for a wonderful travel

From Copenhagen to Helsinki

The whole tour from start to finish was very good, the guide sometimes were not very professional with the group and did not consider the disability of some people. I guess she is young and not very experienced. All the hotels were top class. Maybe more time in Oslo, was a bit rushed. Overall a tour to be recommend.

European Cavalcade (End Paris, 18 Days)

Excellent 18 days itineraries!

Best of Western Europe

The tour was fantastic! Great destinations, well-organized, perfect balance between group tours and free time. I highly recommend it.

• Sightseeing

European Experience (12 Days)

European Horizon (Start London, End London, 11 Days)

• €100 deposit on some dates Some departure dates offer you the chance to book this tour with a lower deposit.

European Whirl (Start Amsterdam, Classic, 18 Days)

• In-depth Cultural

Scandinavia Explorer

i traveled to Scandinavian countries with Russia on 5th may2017for 15 days.Veena world is tour operator.well organized,beautifully managed,no skipping any mention ittenary,timely food given.i had experienced with Thamos cook, Cox & kings, vacation exatica, i feel ,my opinion Veena world is the best

Play & Pause: Intro to Europe

• €75 deposit on some dates Some departure dates offer you the chance to book this tour with a lower deposit.

Play & Pause: Central Europe Highlights

• Train & Rail

Barcelona to Berlin (15 Days) (11 destinations)

European Splendour (End London, 12 Days)

Road to Rome (Classic, Start London, 12 Days)

Gotta-See Europe: Germany, Austria, Italy

I had q wonderful experience. The trip showed em a lot of cool places that I wanna go back to. I met a lot fo cool people in the tour group that I am still keeping in touch with. I definitely recommend this tour. My only issue was my tour guide David H. He always disappeared and creeped me out a little too. But other than that it was an amazing time! Very grateful for this tour.

What people love about Historical Tours in Western Europe

We had a great time. I am planning my next trip soon with tourradar. Your tour guides are fantastic, especially Gaetano, Filipo, and Lee

I was worried about the culturally mixed tour clients due to some negative reviews from previous clients. But I enjoyed the experiences of mixing with participants from Mexico and the Philippines. Yes sometimes bilingual guides’ presentations were not clear, and I had to ask for clarifications. Hotels were better than I had expected from the reviews; except in one-hotel the lightening was so bd

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Highlights of Classical Greece

• Visit Athens, the capital of Greece
• See iconic landmark in Athens
• Visit Archaeological site of Mycena
• See the charming town of Nafplion
• See iconic site in Olympia
• Explore Delphi, naval of the world
• See the rock formation in Meteora

Greece Island Hopping

• Visit the charming town of Naoussa
• Relax in Paros' beautiful beaches
• Capture the famous Santorini sunset
• Sample local wines in Santorini
• Enjoy the beauty of Santorini

Italy, Montenegro & Croatia

• Ride in a gondola in Venice
• Visit the town of Rovinj
• Call in at Kotor, Montenegro
• Join an optional tour to Pompeii

Mediterranean Gems: From Dubrovnik to Naples

• Explore Gerace
• Tour the Amalfi Coast
• Visit Pompeii
• Explore Dubrovnik

Classic Italy

• Ride the gondola in Venetian canals
• Discover the Sistine Chapel
• Explore the Vatican Museums
• Marvel at the architecture in Siena
• Savor authentic Tuscan cuisine
• Enjoy the Tuscan countryside

Highlights of Croatia

• Visit Ancient ruins in Spilt
• Visit Diocletian's Palace
• Enjoy the coastline of Split
• Explore the streets of Hvar
• Visit Hvar, a historic port town
• See Dubrovnik's historical sites
• Taste fresh oysters in Ston
• Explore the Sistine Chapel
• Snorkel at Palmarola
• Visit the medieval city of Kotor
• Cruise through Venice's canals

Mediterranean Enchantments

• Visit the site of Delphi
• Explore the Albanian Riviera
• Marvel at the town of Kotor
• Explore ports in 4 countries

Classic Croatian Adventure

• Visit Zagreb with guide
• See lakes and stunning waterfalls
• Sail the coastline of Split
• Visit the Diocletian's Palace
• Visit Dubrovnik's historical places
• Visit an Oyster Farm in Ston
• Visit Hvar, a popular island escape

Amalfi & Sicily

• Gaze upon the Sistine Chapel
• Visit a snorkeling heaven Palmarola
• Join Pompeii's historical excursion
• Wander through the grand Duomo

Aeolian Archipelago

• Discover Lipari and Salina
• Visit a local winery
• Enjoy a scenic hike in Vulcano
• Swim in Cala Junco nature reserve
• Take a walking tour in Stromboli
• Relax on the beaches of Salina

Jewels of the Cyclades

• Dine at traditional Greek Tavernas
• Enjoy a swim-stop at Poliegos
• Explore Delos's archaeological site
• Walk through Syros

Scotland's Highlands and Islands

• Sail through Loch Ness
• Visit medieval abbey ruins
• Hike in spectacular Cuillin Hills
• Discover ancient standing stones

British Isles: Legendary History & Wild Nature

• See Tresco, Bronze Age burial site
• Discover Tresco Abbey Garden
• Enjoy bird-watching in Rathlin
• Step inside the fortress Llanduno
• Visit the island of Staffa

Castles along the Rhine

• Tour the Kaysersberg village
• Wander through historic Strasbourg
• Enjoy wine tasting at Boppard
• Visit the Marksburg Castle

Scotland, The Faroe Islands, & Iceland: North Atlantic Saga

• Stand among Neolithic stones
• Shop for exquisite handicrafts
• See the volcanic Surtsey island
• Follow the routes of the Vikings

Paris & Normandy

• Visit the Château de La Roche-Guyon
• Walk through the city of Rouen
• Experience Honfleur by foot
• Tour Paris with expert guides

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• Netherlands
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*Prices below are per person based on double occupancy and include airline taxes, surcharges and fees of $0, which are subject to change until final payment is made. All tour prices (excluding airline taxes, surcharges, and fees) are guaranteed.

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Ancient Greece, with Santorini and Crete

Unearth the grandeur of the ancient world on this singular journey combining premier archaeological sites with the beauty and lore of the Aegean and her isles. As the ancient world comes alive in Athens and the Peloponnese, Crete and Santorini, we celebrate the glory that was Greece – and still is today.

Tour Details

From $6,092

Small Group Highlights

• Athens sightseeing, including Acropolis and Parthenon
• Excursion to ancient Delphi
• Tour of National Archaeological Museum, Athens
• Visits to archaeological sites of Corinth, Mycenae, and Epidaurus
• Half-day excursion to Hydra
• Heraklion’s Minoan Palace of Knossos and Archaeological Museum
• Private cruise to Spinalonga
• Tour and tasting at olive oil farm
• Two-night stay on island of Santorini
• Winery tour and tasting
• Archaeological site of Akrotiri

Day-by-Day Itinerary

The NJV Athens Plaza Hotel enjoys an ideal location in historic Syntagma Square opposite the houses of Parliament and within walking distance of popular sites such as the Plaka and the Acropolis.  This elegant, modern hotel offers a British-style bar, restaurant, café, health club with massage services (for a fee), laundry and dry-cleaning services (for a fee), and complimentary Wi-Fi internet access.  Each air-conditioned guest room includes a private bath with hair dryer, minibar, tea- and coffee-making facilities, in-room safe, TV, and phone.

With views across the glittering Bay of Nafplion to the fortified island of Bourtzi, the Amphitryon Hotel is nestled right on the coast, just steps from the heart of historic Nafplion.  The hotel takes full advantage of its excellent location, with a restaurant and lounge area overlooking the bay.  In addition to a restaurant, bar, and lounge, the Amphitryon includes laundry and dry-cleaning services (for a fee) and complimentary Wi-Fi internet access.  Each air-conditioned guest room looks out over the ocean and features private bath with hair dryer, minibar, TV, and phone.

The Aquila Atlantis Hotel sits in the heart of Heraklion, just a short walk from the harbor and the Castello a Mare.  The hotel offers a modern, airy atmosphere that includes a restaurant, bar, two swimming pools (one indoor and one outdoor with views over the harbor), full spa, laundry and dry-cleaning service (for a fee), and complimentary Wi-Fi internet access.  Air-conditioned guest rooms have private bath with hair dryer, in-room safe, tea- and coffee-making facilities, TV, and phone.   Please note: Due to the hotel’s location in a pedestrian zone that is not accessible by coach, a short uphill walk is required to reach the entrance.

The Santorini Palace Hotel is located in the village of Firostefani, within walking distance of downtown Fira, and just steps from the cliff of the island’s caldera, which offers stunning ocean views.  This contemporary hotel offers a range of amenities including a restaurant and bar, swimming pool with snack bar, fitness center, spa, sauna, hot tub, laundry and dry-cleaning service, and complimentary Wi-Fi internet access.  Air-conditioned guest rooms feature minimalist white walls and furnishings to match the island’s aesthetic, and include private bath with hair dryer, in-room safe, and phone.   Please note: Due to the hotel’s location in a pedestrian zone that is not accessible by coach, a short uphill walk is required to reach the entrance.

Tour Price Includes

• Round-trip air transportation from listed cities; all flights within itinerary
• 12 nights’ accommodations in Deluxe, Superior First Class, and First Class hotels
• 24 meals: 12 breakfasts, 5 lunches, 7 dinners
• Extensive sightseeing as described, including all entrance fees
• Services of an Odysseys Unlimited Tour Director
• Private motorcoach transportation throughout your trip
• Luggage handling for one bag per person
• Gratuities for local guides, dining room servers, airport and hotel porters, and all drivers
• $100 frequent traveler credit towards your next Odysseys Unlimited tour ($200 after three tours; $300 after 10 tours)

Average Daily High by Month (°F )

Average temperature (°f ), dates & prices.

Airline upgrades (subject to availability; pricing subject to change) on round-trip Trans-Atlantic flight: Business Class – $3,795 per person; Premium Economy – $1,595 per person

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Tour Directors

“We simply cannot say enough about Evi … Everything went like clockwork. All I needed to remember was when to be at the bus and she took care of everything else.”

Kimberly Matthews Hardeeville, SC

“Lina was absolutely amazing! We have been on several tours with other companies and guides who we thought were topnotch, but Lina is the best of all of them.”

Joanie King & Ray Boehm Payson, AZ

"Dora was extremely knowledgeable…But even more importantly, she was extremely competent as a tour director…She is an outstanding tour director and person."

Bobby & Lisa Edwards Munfordville, KY

“[Nancy] has a great sense of humor, is personable, intelligent, and well-versed in Greek culture. Top notch!”

Lisa Heaton Auburn, NY

"Gemma brought our tour alive with her eidetic memory of Greek history and art, her humor, her infectious enthusiasm and her ability to bring disparate individuals together.”

Mary & Lon Allan Monte Sereno, CA

“A wonderful tour director. Can’t say enough about her. Extremely knowledgeable, very organized, a friendly caring person. We would certainly recommend her.”

Loraine & Ian Perry Boynton Beach, FL

“Zanna is a very special tour guide… We enjoyed visiting with her over meals and learned so much during that time, as well. She is a friend to us and not just a guide.”

Catherine McGuigan Sugar Land, TX

“Maria was an outstanding guide … She was warm, friendly, and incredibly knowledgeable. She was also able to handle any situation and stayed calm and professional at all times.”

John & Jane Franchak Metuchen, NJ

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Physical Activity Level

• Walk 4-6 miles per day, including 1-3 miles at one time, often uphill, on uneven terrain especially at archaeological sites, and on marble surfaces that can be slippery
• Archaeological sites in Greece require walking on steep grades
• Occasional long walks from motorcoach drop-off to sights and hotels
• Many stairs of varying height throughout tour
• The Santorini Palace Hotel (Thira) does not have an elevator that has access to each floor

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Classical Greece

About this tour.

Discover the magnificent ruins of ancient Greece in their tranquil Mediterranean settings. This comprehensive journey explores Greece's most important ancient monuments, like the famed Temple of Zeus, the archaeological site of Olympia, and ancient artifacts of Delphi. Explore Athens on a comprehensive tour of the incredible Acropolis. Visit a local farm in the countryside to see how olive oil and wine are produced. Learn how to cook traditional Mediterranean cuisine during a cooking demonstration. Learn the history of this fascinating country from local experts on guided tours of Athens, Metéora, Delphi, and Olympia. This well-paced journey balances expeditions to Greece’s important historic sites with ample time to explore on your own.

Your Tour Includes

• 6 Handpicked Accommodations
• 2 Choice on Tour Options

Included Highlights

• The Acropolis and Parthenon

Your Tour at a Glance

9 Breakfasts

Travel Style

Best time for travel, customize your tour.

Optional Excursions

Starting at $115.00

Activity Level

• Level This Tour

For specific details about this tour's activity level and other info to know before you book your trip, click here.

Extension Style

Best time for travel classical greece.

While just about any month is great to visit Greece, there are a few prime times of the year for the Classical Greece tour. Here are some recommendations from our destination experts.

Winter: Picturesque Arachova, a ski town, attracts travelers to its slopes during the winter (December through March). Yet even on the coldest days, temperatures rarely dip below freezing.

Spring: This is the best time of year to see green landscapes and blossoming flowers carpeting Greece. It’s especially breathtaking near the Meteora monasteries.

Fall: By mid- to late October, the peak tourism season starts to wind down and sites are less crowded. A sky full of sunshine but without the summer heat make this a wonderful time of year to explore mainland Greece.

Travel Styles

Highlights and inclusions.

Must-See Inclusions:

Join a local expert to explore Athens and its famed sites.

Explore the grandeur of Olympia, birthplace of the Olympic Games.

View the Corinth Canal, one of the greatest engineering marvels of the 19th century.

Cultural Experiences:

• Come to know two breathtaking Byzantine monasteries in Metéora, built over 600 years ago.

Experience the Delphi Museum with its priceless collection of ancient artifacts.

Broaden your knowledge of traditional Greek music with a delightful Greek dance class.

Culinary Inclusions:

Taste olive oil and homemade jams at a local farm in the Peloponnese countryside.

Partake in a Mediterranean cooking experience followed by a traditional Greek lunch.

Visit a family-owned distillery producing ouzo since 1869.

• Greek Farm Visit
• Cooking Class
• Greek Dance Class
• Choice on Tour

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• *No Hassle Refunds
• Traveling Well Safety
• No booking fee, *no change fees
• Top Rated Travel Protection

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Getting Prepared

Know before you go, travel tips, enhance your tour.

• Choice On Tour

Pre and Post Night Stay

Unique Experience

Cultural Experiences

Enhance Your Trip

• Tour Extensions

Today you have the choice between 2 activities. Your first option is to visit ancient Mycenae, an archaic city once ruled by mythological King Agamemnon, commander-in-chief of the Greeks during the Trojan War. Explore the excavations during a guided visit featuring the Beehive Tombs and the Lion Gate. Your second choice is to linger in Nafplio, and join a walking tour of Greece’s first capital city. During your tour, enjoy views of the island fortress of Bourtzi, which the Venetians fortified in the 17th century to protect the town’s harbor. Nafplio’s mix of Venetian and Neo-classical architectural influences make it Greece’s most elegant city.

Hotel-Crowne Plaza Athens City Center

Experience Athens as a local! Join a local guide for a walking tour highlighting the cuisine of Athens. You'll make your way through three neighborhoods in the city, full of hidden gems that few travelers ever get to see. Be welcomed into several local restaurants, bakeries and markets to sample some of the area’s best culinary specialties and wine. Your guide will explain the significance each dish serves to the culture and region. You'll learn about common grocery items found in the markets and the importance of spices used in Greek cooking. Along the way, view the traditional architecture and see historic artifacts from ancient Athens that were recently discovered.

Come to know two breathtaking Byzantine monasteries in Metéora, built over 600 years ago.

Accommodations

Arrive earlier.

Pre Night: Crowne Plaza Athens City Center From $115 per night

Crowne Plaza Athens City Center

Grand hotel meteora, domotel anemolia resort & conference, europa hotel olympia, nafplia palace, stay longer.

Post Night: Crowne Plaza Athens City Center From $115 per night

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10 Ancient Destinations In Europe For History-Buff Travelers

History buffs around the world would probably love the chance to tour any of these destinations in person - and you actually can.

From cuisine and lifestyle to breathtaking natural scenery, Europe is brimming with attractions . However, the historical background is also where Europe thrives. The Ancient Region hosts several of the world's most significant magnificent ancient landmarks. It might be from the Romans, Greeks, or perhaps even Medieval architectural style . As a result of this rich past, there are various historical places that history enthusiasts will undoubtedly enjoy. To know further, here is the list of ancient sites in Europe for history-interest travelers.

10 Kronborg Castle, Denmark

One of Northern Europe's most spectacular Renaissance fortresses and one of Denmark's top locations to visit is Kronborg Castle . This 16th-century fortress, with aristocratic rooms, a large dining hall, and significant links to William Shakespeare, gives a glimpse into the region's sovereign background. The charge of regular admission towards the fortress changes depending on the weather; however, tourists can purchase tickets available on the internet or on the day at any period of the year. Tourists visiting during the summer season are advised to pre-book online to avoid long lines at the customer service desk.

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9 Stonehenge, UK

One of Europe's most renowned but intriguing historical landmarks is Stonehenge. Nobody knows the underlying reasons how the ancient people of Britain constructed these stones almost thousands of generations ago. Nobody knows whether this was a religious prayer site or a tomb monument. Tourists may visit this location, be impressed by these great stones, and ponder how they were made. Furthermore, guests cannot go behind or feel the stones because they are safeguarded. Tourists can watch it from an adjacent observation deck, which is enough to be adequately amazed by its creation.

8 Tonsberg Fortress, Norway

Tonsberg is Norway's longest-running community and the site of the country's best-preserved unassailable fortress. Even though a substantial portion of the stronghold is no longer standing, the Tonsberg Fortress remains the most famous attraction in Norway and Europe. Tourists unfamiliar with Tonsberg should know that it was Norway's center for a long time. Furthermore, this stronghold has been one of the oldest in Scandinavia, and that history-interest traveler would surely love.

7 Gediminas Tower, Lithuania

Gediminas Tower has been the final surviving relic of Upper Vilnius Castle . It has three fortresses in Vilnius, but they were all wrecked throughout the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries after multiple raids. Gediminas Tower is now one of Vilnius' most prominent tourist destinations. Moreover, tourists will discover the Vilnius Castle Museum within the tower, an intriguing site with many unique items, including a replica of how the Castle initially appeared.

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6 State Hermitage Museum, Russia

The State Hermitage is a tourist attraction in Russia that houses the most remarkable historical objects. The State Hermitage Museum itself is not only Russia's most vital storehouse of history, art, and culture but also the world's second-biggest museum. Catherine the Great founded the State Hermitage in 1764, and its archives of artworks and some other ancient items have been made available to tourists since 1852. Tourists may explore the exhibits, which range from ancient times to technologically advanced artwork of Russia and to include works by artists like Leonardo da Vinci and others.

5 Newgrange, Ireland

Before Stonehenge or even the Egyptian pyramids exist, Newgrange has always been a historical place and one of Europe's earliest historical sites. Newgrange comprises a massive circular pattern hillock attached to the innermost caverns by an internal stone corridor. Historians and archeologists are still uncertain about Newgrange's significance. However, it is usually assumed that the landmark was religious in nature. In any event, tourists searching for intriguing historic locations in Europe should indeed include Newgrange on their itinerary.

4 Acropolis, Greece

The magnificent architecture of the Ancient Greeks was used to build the Acropolis. The Acropolis is without a doubt Greece's crowning achievement. This old Castle, perched high above Athens, has been the epicenter of liberty, literature, crafts, and architecture in the vibrant Ancient Greek civilization. Tourists may explore this fantastic historical site, which contains breathtaking buildings like the famed Acropolis and the Acropolis Museum's enormous exhibits. Moreover, every day of the week, from 8:00 a.m. to sundown, the Acropolis in Athens is open. Summer and winter shutdown times differ.

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3 Butrint, Albania

Butrint has been a historical settlement and is home to a number of ancient civilizations, including the first indications of humanity. The settlement was once part of Epirus and was captured by the Greeks, Byzantines, Venetians, and Romans over the years, as evidenced by the spectacular heritage monuments in the area. It was also the location where refugees fled following the overthrow of Troyes. Today, Butrint is a National Historic Landmark and among the most famous attractions throughout Albania.

2 Kalemegdan, Serbia

This Castle has been one of Belgrade's most popular tourist sites. It's right in the center of town, next to Knez Mihailova. Kalemegdan Fortress is Belgrade's most extensive parkland, and it's a great site to overlook the Danube and Sava rivers. Tourists can also visit the Military Museum at Kalemegdan Fortress. The museum showcases hundreds of historical and contemporary artifacts, ranging from Roman spears and shields to recent combat histories. Furthermore, Kalemegdan attracts thousands of tourists each year and is open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

1 The Alhambra, Spain

The Alhambra was among the most stunning fortresses worldwide, not just in Europe. During the Moorish rule of Spain throughout the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries, the palace was developed by Islamic Emirs. The palace contains several stunning ponds, greenery, colonnades, quadrangles, as well as unique Islamic embellishments and elaborate carvings. The landmark is in the southern Spanish city of Granada, and tourists may generally purchase a ticket first at the entrance. However, it's a wise option to obtain Alhambra tickets in advance online due to the crowds.

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Europe's historic islands you shouldn't miss

From ancient cultural sites to precious artefacts, Europe’s islands are filled with historical intrigue and fascinating insights into the past.

You’ve trundled the ash-swept streets of Pompeii. You’ve climbed the steps up to the mighty Acropolis — you’ve even welled up when the sun rose for the solstice at Stonehenge. Europe’s ancient pin-ups certainly deserve their hype. Relics of civilisations lost to time, they’ve helped scholars of all disciplines to understand the modern world we live in — from the recently discovered 2,000-year-old Pompeiian still-life painting whose possible depiction of pizza blew the minds of food anthropologists, to the 700,000-year-old stone tools uncovered in a coal mine on the southern Peloponnese peninsula last summer.  

Due to islands’ natural geographic isolation, they’ve often developed flourishes of floral and faunal evolution — Madagascar’s endemic giant, the elephant bird, was testament to that before its extinction. A degree of artistic licence could then be granted to apply that theory to human cultures. On Europe’s islands is where you’ll find evidence of unique civilisations who thrived for many centuries, developing a way of life unlike anywhere else as attested by their food, art, music and languages.  

Each of these destinations have something to offer travellers, from military history and culinary heritage, to art history and insights into our ancient natural world.

Modern history It’s difficult to separate Malta from its military history after centuries upon centuries of invaders exploiting the island’s geopolitical advantages. Despite this, the Maltese have proudly protected their unique culture. Though English is still widely spoken as one of Malta’s official languages — installed during 150 years of British rule which also left behind left-hand driving and glossy red post boxes in the otherwise baroque capital of Valletta — impassioned calls for revival saw Maltese become the official language again in 1934.  

Maltese is an ancient Semitic language probably derived from Siculo-Arabic, with a large amount of loanwords from other languages — linguists will delight in eavesdropping on morning chatter at cafes and bakeries, where many familiar words punctuate conversations. Dating to the 19th century, Caffe Cordina is a perennial favourite where you can do just that — ideally out of high season. Visitors can learn more about Malta’s military history at the National War Museum.  

There’s hardly a time of year when the Maltese aren’t celebrating something — but modern history buffs should head out for 21 September which marks Malta’s Independence Day. The island nation’s sovereignty was hard-fought for and finally won in 1964. Celebrations take place at St John’s Cathedral in Valletta and at the Granaries in Floriana. Check out the tourism board’s website for planned events.  

Valletta’s Teatru Rjal is a must-see. Until Luftwaffe bombers obliterated its 1877 form — which was designed by Edward Middleton Barry, also the architect of London’s Royal Opera House — it was among the capital’s most iconic and opulent buildings. Its skeletal remains, soft-lit by honey-coloured lamps in the evening, ooze with a sultry atmosphere that elevates the performances still taking place within its new open-air set-up.  

How to do it: Fly direct from the UK to Valletta with multiple airlines. The Casa Rocca Piccola is a 16th-century palace situated in the heart of Valletta’s Old Town.

2. Isle of Skye, Scotland

Musical history We’re all familiar with the harp — but we may not have heard of its distant relative, the lyre. Those who have are more likely to associate the stringed instrument with the Middle East’s ancient Sumerian civilisation, where a 4,500-year-old lyre was discovered in modern-day Iraq. It’d be a surprise, then, that a lyre said to be just 500 years younger was found quite a distance away, on Scotland’s Isle of Skye. The 2012 discovery tugged on the heartstrings of islanders whose past has been underpinned by a love of traditional folk music, often featuring stringed instruments.  

Today, it’s players of fiddles, accordions and bagpipes who pick up gigs at one of Skye’s many live music venues — and they’re fiercely committed to preserving their proud Celtic roots. See a variety of acts at Skye Live , the island’s annual music festival with hours of traditional Scottish rhythms to sing and dance to, including many in the Gaelic language. The festival features ceilidhs (traditional Scottish gatherings, often involving dancing), barrels of Scotch whisky and an impressive backdrop of the Old Man of Storr — Skye’s immense rocky outcrop that stands precariously on a glacial landslip and looks out over the Sound of Raasay.  

Skye has always been synonymous with folklore — the island’s striking natural landscapes, including its so-called ‘fairy pools’, have provided settings for storytellers’ tales since time immemorial. The Old Man of Storr is a constant fixture. Legend has it Skye was once a land of warring giants, but following the demise of a particularly vicious giant king, the earth swallowed his body whole, leaving just a thumb poking out of the ground (or something a tad more private). Tour operator Rabbie’s runs single- and multi-day tours discovering the storied landscapes of Skye.  

How to do it: Reach Skye by ferry — the closest train station is Mallaig on the nearby mainland, servicing the West Highlands Line. Skye has no airport. Kinoch Lodge , a 17th-century former hunting lodge, is among the island’s most historic hotels.  

3. Crete, Greece

Culinary history Saki once said, “The people of Crete unfortunately make more history than they can consume locally” — and the Victorian novelist made a good point, which is why consumable history is usually a great idea. Especially in the case of the Minoans — a Cretan people widely credited as Europe’s first recorded civilisation — who are believed to have brought olive oil production to the continent around 4,500 years ago. Cretan cuisine still drips in the stuff — see for yourself on a cookery experience with Minoan Tastes , where you’ll devour food inspired by recipes as old as Crete’s mythical palace of Knossos. The Olive Tree Museum in Vouves not only dives into the history of the industry but is also home to an olive tree at least 2,000 years old, possibly even up to 4,000 — it’s touted as the world’s oldest.  

One of Crete’s most ubiquitous traditional dishes is dakos saláta (dakos salad), which scooped the number one spot on Taste Atlas’s list of the world’s best salads in 2023. In this dish, the briny tang of olives and capers meets the robust flavours of ripe tomato and heady oregano; this is then combined with feta or mizithra cheese and chunks of barley rusk, or sometimes, carob rusk. The carob tree, whose fruit produces a malty and almost chocolatey flour (among other products), is an icon of Crete, which is why some locals are campaigning for it to be inscribed on UNESCO’s list of Intangible Cultural Heritage. Crete is home to large populations of wild carob trees — during periods of war, particularly the Second World War, and subsequent food scarcity, Cretans relied heavily on carob fruit for survival. As such, its presence on the island is one deeply tied to locals’ cultural identity.  

If you’re hungry for more history, there are ancient sites spilling from every corner of Crete. Take a trip to Heraklion’s Archaeological Museum , which holds one of the world’s most important collections of Minoan art.  

How to do it: Fly to Heraklion from the UK on multiple airlines. The Domus Renier Boutique Hotel is located in Chania’s Old Town, with decor to match the Renaissance building.  

4. Fårö, Sweden

Silver screen history Ingmar Bergman is widely credited by cinephiles as being among the world’s most important screenwriters and film directors. And this titan of the silver screen — whose acclaimed works include Summer with Monika (1953), Wild Strawberries (1957) and The Seventh Seal (1957) — spent much of his life on Fårö, a Baltic Sea island, until his death in 2007. His legacy is writ large there — the Bergman Center holds his eponymous week of festivities annually at the end of June. For five days, films, music, creative workshops and lectures are held for the public, often with special celebrity guests. There are permanent exhibitions, guided tours and a cinema at the centre, too. Many of Bergman’s films were shot on the island — the popular Bergman safaris take you on a whistle-stop tour of some of the most iconic film locations.  

How to do it:   Fårö is reachable by ferry from its larger island neighbour, Gotland. Stora Gåsemora offers stylish digs inside a 19th-century former windmill.  

5. Sardinia, Italy

Art history The Giants of Mont’e Prama — 15 giant sandstone heads said to be 3,000 years old — were discovered by farmers in the 1970s. Their age links them to the island’s mysterious Nuragic civilisation, who inhabited Sardinia around 20,000 years ago, right up until Roman invasion in the third century BCE. Few to no written accounts of the civilisation have been found, which is why their discovery was all the more significant. The heads, with bizarre concentric circle eyes, depict warrior-like figures, with some holding bows and arrows. Being found close to a necropolis points to their possible use in funerary or ritualistic practice. See the figures at Cagliari’s National Archaeological Museum. Within the same museum lie other important finds: Nuragic bronze statuettes, whose metal-wrought figures depict everyday scenes and thus help to paint a picture of the civilisation’s livelihoods, as well as the Nora Stone — so far the oldest Phoenician inscription discovered outside of the Levant, dating from the ninth century BCE.

How to do it: Many UK airlines fly direct to the island’s capital, Cagliari. The Antico Borgo di Lu Puleo hotel is a rustic former farming estate.  

6. Menorca, Spain

Ancient history Just for a little while, Europe’s stalwart sites of classical antiquity can step aside to allow Menorca a moment in the sun. The Balearic Islands’ Talayotic sites , dating from 1600 BCE, finally made the UNESCO World Heritage List in late 2023. The inscription draws well-deserved attention to the little-known prehistoric population that flourished on the island for many centuries (until the Romans marched in at the turn of the first millennium). The Talayotics were prolific builders — the remains of their villages, possibly fortified with curious chamber-like talayots, are scattered across the island as totems of their presence. Guided tours of the sights are advertised on the website of the island’s tourism board, while specialised talks and exhibitions are posted on the Talayotic Menorca website.  

How to do it:   Several UK airlines fly nonstop to Menorca. The Santa Ponsa is a 17th-century country palace turned luxury boutique hotel.  

7. The Azores, Portugal

Natural history   Upwellings of volcanic magma saw this Portuguese archipelago begin to bubble to the surface of the North Atlantic around eight million years ago — and thanks to these nine islands’ unique biogeography, many endemic flora and fauna species have emerged, too. Islands and endemism go hand in hand — think of the Galápagos tortoise or Madagascar’s ring-tailed lemur. On the smaller (but no less fascinating) European island equivalent, you’ll find the Azores noctule bat — the island’s only endemic mammal, not only capable of speedy 30mph flights, but unusually often diurnal, meaning it can be observed hunting during daylight hours. Other attractions for wildlife fans include the Azores bullfinch, found only on the island of São Miguel, and the Santa Maria goldcrest, found only on the island of Santa Maria. You’ll need hawk eyes to spot these and other elusive Azores species, but a guided wildlife tour with the biologist founders of Endemic Azores will help to lift the veil on this mysterious archipelago and the evolutionary history of its species.  

How to do it: Fly direct from the UK to São Miguel. Solar de Lalém boutique hotel is situated in a 17th-century manor house.  

Related Topics

• HISTORY AND CIVILIZATION
• LIVING HISTORY
• MODERN HISTORY
• ENVIRONMENT AND CONSERVATION

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Experience Greece Archaeology & History Tours & Activities in Greece

For anyone with the slightest interest in the past, Greece has an incredible history that spans many thousands of years. But it is the archaeology of the last four millennia, the sites of the Minoans, Romans, Arabs, Latin Crusaders, Venetians, Slavs, Albanians and Turks, that the country is better known. From the breath-taking site of Delphi in the mountains of mainland Greece to the fanciful reconstruction of Knossos on the island of Crete, there are tours and cruises that take in these and many more iconic ancient and historic sites of Greece.

Disclaimer: for some of the following tours , not all,  we may earn a commission for introducing you. This commission is taken off the advertised price, it is never added to your account.

Multi-Day Tours of Archaeology & History Sites in Greece

2-Day Trip to Meteora from Athens by Train

Although the UNESCO listed monasteries of Meteora can be visited from Athens in a day by train, why not take an overnight trip to Kalambaka. With two days you can visit all six monasteries. Enjoy a sunset and a dawn in this inspiring geological landscape, while staying in a 3/4* B&B. The price includes transport, accommodation and a guide, but not meals.

2-Day Trip to Meteora from Thessaloniki by Train

Enjoy a two-day excursion to see the dramatic geological landscape that is the setting for the UNESCO listed monasteries of Meteora. Take the train to Kalambaka from Thessaloniki, and stay overnight in a 3/4* hotel. With two days you will visit all six monasteries. The price includes all transport, overnight accommodation and your guide, but meals are not included.

4-Day Tour of Mycenae, Epidaurus, Olympia, Delphi & Meteora

From Athens take a 4-day trip to explore five of Greece’s most popular archaeological and historical sites. After a photostop at the Corinth Canal, visit the ancient city of Mycenae, and second the ancient settlement of Epidaurus with its impressive Hellenic theatre. Spend time in Nafplio, Modern Greece’s first capital city, before heading to Olympia and Delphi.  From there head to Meteroa.  Accommodation, breakfast and dinner, transport and a guide are included.

5 of Greece's Historical Giants

Starting in Athens, this 4-day itinerary takes you on a journey to five of the finest archaeological and historical sites in Greece. With other landmarks along the way. The five are: the prehistoric Bronze Age site of Mycenae; the Classical sites of Epidaurus, Olympia and Delphi; as well as the breathtakingly situated Eastern Orthodox monasteries at Meteora.

5-Day Trip in Mykonos & Santorini from Athens

These may be two of the most visited islands in Greece, but going to each allows you to see two of the most spectacular archaeological sites in Greece. On Santorini visit the Mycenaean site of Akrotiri, covered by volcanic ash in the 17th century BC. While on Mykonos take a ferry to the island of Delos, an important sacred site in Classical Greece.

7-Day Grand Tour of Greece: from Prehistory to Modern Times

A perfect tour of Greece that includes all the major sites, from Prehistory to the classical period, the Roman and Byzantine Empires, the Crusades, and on into the history of the modern period. The itinerary takes in such must-see sites as Corinth, Epidaurus, Olympia, Delphi, Meteora, Thessaloniki, to name a few.

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Historical Walking Tours in Europe

Discover europe's interesting past on an eye-opening walking holiday.

Become immersed in Europe's fascinating history on a walking tour that is sure to appeal to history buffs. Explore the museums, galleries and historical sites from modern times, such as the beaches of Normandy, the palaces of Portugal, or the castles of Bavaria. Or step back in time and learn about the ancient world of Greece, the otherworldly Cappadocia in Turkey, or the Roman ruins in the United Kingdom.

Find your ideal historical walking holiday in Europe below. We've showcased the hiking tours that focus on the historical aspect of the destination, however in Europe you cannot escape the engrossing past, whichever walking trip you take. 

Ancient History Walking Tours

Ancient Greece on Foot

Introductory to Moderate

The Crusader Trail - Cathar Castles Walk

Hadrian's Wall Walk From Whitley Bay - 8 Days

Hilltop Towns of Italy

Cappadocia on Foot

Crete: Mountains and Coast

Western Sicily on Foot

Exploring Tuscan Hilltop Towns

Modern history walking tours.

Normandy on Foot

Portugal Palaces and Coast Walk

Bavaria: King Ludwig's Way

Smugglers Trails of the Sierra de Aracena - 8 Days

Dubrovnik and Islands Walk

Normandy Coastal Walk

Do you have further questions about walking tours in Europe with a historical focus? Contact our friendly team below and they will be happy to assist you.

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Self-Guided Walking

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Art & Culture Travel Blog

20 archaeological sites you have to visit in europe.

• Tea Gudek Šnajdar
• Cultural Tourism

Besides visiting museums, one of the best ways to learn about local history and culture while travelling is by exploring the archaeological sites. Since there are so many of them around Europe, I asked some of my fellow travel bloggers to share with me their favourite places. And we’ve created this list of 20 archaeological sites you have to visit in Europe for you.

Archaeological sites you have to visit in Europe

#1 – capitolium & roman forum in brescia, italy.

The Capitolium Temple, together with the Republican Sanctuary and the Roman Theatre that form the rest of the archaeological complex in Brescia, are some of the best-preserved ruins in northern Italy.

The main temple, the remains of which can still be explored today, was built in 73 AD by the Roman emperor and founder of the Flavian dynasty, Vespasian. Standing prominently in ancient Brescia (then Brexia), the temple was damaged in 462 AD when Attila the Hun destroyed Brescia along with Verona , Bergamo, and Vicenza, and was then buried by a landslide. The temple wasn’t rediscovered until an 1826 excavation. Today, a portion of the main façade, courtyard and columns still stand.

Underneath the temple, you’ll find the oldest structure in the complex, a very well preserved Republican sanctuary. It was built in 1st century BC and was buried in 73 AD when the Capitolium Temple was built on top of it. The fact that it was buried for so long kept it very well preserved over the centuries. The sanctuary has been excavated and restored, but still has the original mosaic floor and the frescoes on the walls, which is incredible given how long ago it was built!

The last structure you can visit is the Roman Theatre, found east of the Capitolium building. As one of the largest theatres in northern Italy, the theatre could house up to 15,000 spectators in its prime. It was severely damaged in an earthquake but has since been restored and is lovely to explore and visit.

The Capitolium can be found on Via dei Musei, very close to the Brescia’s city centre and the Castello di Brescia. Tickets to visit all three sites are 8 euros and can be purchased online or from the ticket office on site.

Ioana from The World Is My Playground

#2 – Palatine Hill in Rome, Italy

Palatine Hill is one of the most ancient sites in Rome and was one of the most desirable places to live in Roman times. Standing forty metres above the Roman Forum on one side and the Circus Maximus on the other, it is the most famous of Rome’s seven hills.

Emperor Augustus was born and lived there, in House of Augustus, one of the best-preserved buildings on the hill, together with his wife’s House of Livia. Other Roman Emperors lived on the Hill too, in Domus Augustana, a vast palace that was built in two levels.

Palatine Hill is a great place to escape the hustle and bustle of the city, where you can relax while you stroll and discover this historic site. If you have at least two days in Rome , Palatine Hill is a must-visit. Highlights you must not miss are the Domus Flavia, an area used for public functions, the Temple of Cybele, the centre of a fertility cult, and the impressive Stadium, which was part of the imperial palace.

The Hill can be accessed from the Roman Forum, from Via dei Fiori Imperiale, or from Via di San Gregorio. Admission to the Palatine Hill is included in a combined ticket that also includes the Colosseum and the Roman Forum.

Teresa from Brogan Abroad

#3 – Acropolis in Athens, Greece

A  visit to the Acropolis  should be on every culture lover’s travel bucket list. Possibly the most important site in ancient Greece, it looms large in the imaginations of people living the world over.

Rising high above Athens, you can see the Parthenon atop the Acropolis from all over the city. Other interesting sites on the Acropolis include the Propylaia, the Erechthion, and the Odeon of Herodes Atticus.

Ancient Greeks have been using the site since 5000 BC, though the most famous buildings here were erected during the age of Pericles, which has been given the nickname the “Golden Age of Athens,” during the 5th century BC. Astonishingly, the Parthenon was built in just ten years.

When you visit, make sure to buy a skip-the-line ticket if you plan on visiting during the high season, especially from June through August (though it can be crowded even in April and October).

You’ll also want to make sure you spend time visiting the Acropolis Museum, which is the dedicated museum that houses the artefacts that have been recovered from the Acropolis. Preserving them here keeps them from being damaged by weather, and you’ll also learn great historical context to the items as you walk around the building.

Stephanie from Sofia Adventures

#4 – Roman Baths in Bath, England

Although Bath looks like a classic English town on first glance, it houses one of Europe’s most beautiful ancient ruins. Located about an hour and a half west of London by train, the city’s famous Roman Baths are an incredible archaeological site worth visiting.

The Roman Baths, known as Aquae Sulis in ancient times, date back to 70 AD and represent the blending of the religion and customs of the Romans with the Celts. The Baths served primarily as a social gathering spot for the Romans, and over time became known for its healing powers.

The Roman Baths would become one of the most sought-after baths outside of Italy. Even the future Queen Anne made a  trip to Bath  during the late seventeenth century in the hope of curing various ailments, namely gout. Today you can head next door to the Pump Room for a glass of this water, which contains 43 minerals.

Thought to be one of the best-preserved Roman ruins in the world, the Baths have been excavated to show us a picture of what daily life would have been like in those early days. A museum has been built around the ruins to give visitors an even clearer picture of what Roman life would look like. The Roman Baths are open daily to visitors, except on December 25th and 26th, and are open as late as 9:00 p.m. in the summer. Visiting in the evening could be a nice romantic experience.

Theresa from Fueled By Wanderlust

#5 – Baths of Caracalla in Rome, Italy

Some of Rome’s most fascinating ruins, the Baths of Caracalla are also a working archaeological site. They were built in the 3rd century AD and were used for over 300 years by the people of Rome as their primary public bathing facility. In their prime, the baths could accommodate 1,600 bathers who enjoyed three main bathing chambers, open-air swimming pools and gardens as well as a huge public library. It was a huge site built with millions of bricks and comprising of at least 252 columns.

An earthquake in 847 destroyed the baths, but they are the most significant Roman bathhouse ruins to survive the centuries. Today you can visit the site and admire the elaborate mosaics, sculptures and frescoes that once adorned the bathhouse. For the best experience, be sure to pick up a virtual reality guide from the information centre. This impressive virtual reconstruction of the site will help you visualise the remarkable scale of the baths in all their glory. It’s also interesting to watch the archaeologists at work uncovering new treasures at the ancient baths.

The Baths of Caracalla are just a short walk from Circus Maximus, with the closest metro stop being Circo Massimo.

Katy from Untold Morsels

⤷ Read more about some things to do in Rome in my blog post here

#6 – Zaragoza, Spain

Zaragoza is a city located in north-eastern Spain, with a history dating back thousands of years, to the “Caesaraugusta” period – over 2,050 years ago. It’s easy to visit from Barcelona or  Madrid to Zaragoza by train,  and visit it on a day trip.

Although the city is famous for its street art, square in the old town with its famous fountain and Basilica, it also has one of the most impressive archaeological sites in Europe. Its rich Roman history is definitely one of the biggest surprises in the city.

Zaragoza is home to two archaeological sites that could be visited. The first one is Roman theatre ruins at Museo del Teatro Romano de Caesaraugusta. And the other one is the forum museum, Museo del Foro de Caesaraugusta, where visitors can see the excavated remains of the city right under the main square of modern-day Zaragoza. It looks like there is an entire city just beneath today’s city structure.

Mikkel from Sometimes Home

#7 – Vindolanda, England

Vindolanda was a Roman fort town south of the eastern section of Hadrian’s Wall in northern England. It was occupied for about 300 years and was the residence of Roman soldiers, their families, and supporting services.

Two excellent museums of Roman artefacts are located near the site. The Roman Army Museum features several exciting finds, including the only surviving Roman Army helmet crest. The museum also plays a 20-minute film dramatizing what life was like for soldiers on the northern frontier of the Roman Empire.

At the Vindolanda ruins, you can see archaeologists digging at the extensive site. The site is quite broad and deep. It’s estimated that, at the current rate of excavation, the site won’t be uncovered entirely for more than 100 years. Because many of the artefacts were buried more than six meters deep, they were found in a remarkable state of preservation due to the lack of oxygen.

The museum at Vindolanda conserves and displays such finds as Roman shoes, armour, jewellery and coins. Perhaps the most interesting are wooden writing tablets. Among the tablets is the earliest known example of a woman’s handwriting – a birthday party invitation from one Roman noblewoman to another.

Tom from Travel Past 50

#8 – Stonehenge, England

Stonehenge is one of the best-known archaeological sites in Europe and is visited easily as a day trip from London .

Stonehenge is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is one of the most famous attractions in the United Kingdom. The Stone Circle is believed to have been constructed during the Bronze Age. There are still many questions regarding the construction and the purpose of the stones.

At the Stonehenge Site, there is a visitor’s centre with a museum dedicated to the history of the stone circle, archaeological objects discovered on the site, and what life was like during the era in which Stonehenge was constructed. There are also Neolithic houses nearby the visitor’s centre, where you can learn about what life was like over 4,500 years ago. From the visitor’s centre, there is a shuttle that will take you to the Stone Circle.

Stonehenge can be visited either through a guided tour or via public transportation. If you’re visiting Stonehenge from London, you can take the train from London Waterloo Station to Salisbury. From Salisbury, there is a Stonehenge Tour Bus (£16 for adults) that will take you directly to the site. This bus is a hop-on-hop-off style bus that will also take you to various locations around Salisbury.

Sydney from A World In Reach

#9 – Glanum, France

Just outside the beautiful town of Saint-Rémy-de-Provence in  Southern France lies the remains of another ancient city, Glanum. This Roman town dates back to the 2nd century BC, but it lay hidden mainly after being abandoned in 260 AD until excavations began at the beginning of the 20th century.

What archaeologists discovered after thousands of years of neglect are today some of the most revered historical sites in Provence. The city wears evidence of many changes of rule, and these styles of architecture overlap to create the spectacle you’ll visit today. You will find the remains of both Hellenistic and Roman settlements clearly visible, and the effect is mesmerising. Walk down the ‘main street’ with its covered drains still trickling with water, visit the thermal baths, gaze up at the twin temples and peer into the various caves and wells. The entire site doesn’t take long to discover – around two hours will suffice – but it’s a joy to witness such grand artistry and delve into this ancient civilisation for a brief moment in time. Visit in spring, and you’ll be rewarded with an even more colourful scene as the entire town is punctuated with blossoming trees.

There’s a modest fee to enter (€8 for adults), but it’s free for children, which means visiting Glanum as a family won’t break the bank. Just be warned that you will need to pay for parking unless you walk a small distance from Saint-Rémy-de-Provence. The reception staff will equip you with a map in your language so you can make your way around the site at your own leisure, or you can purchase an audio guide for 3 euros. On-site facilities include a small museum, gift shop and café.

Nadine from Le Long Weekend

⤷ Read more about places related to Vincent van Gogh in Saint-Rémy-de-Provence

#10 – The Neapolis Archaeological Park of Syracuse, Italy

The Neapolis Archaeological Park of Syracuse is one of the most important sites of Ancient Greek history in Italy. Located in the south-east of Sicily, the large park contains a well preserved Greek amphitheatre (5th – 3rd century BC) which is still used today for theatrical events. There are many ancient quarries in the park, including the Ear of Dionysius, a cave-like space where visitors can recreate the echoes of prisoners once held captive there by the Emperor Dionysius.

There is a less well preserved 2nd century Roman amphitheatre which was partly destroyed by the Spanish who used the stone to build the city of Ortigia. Also of interest is the huge sacrificial altar of Hieron II dating back to the 3rd century BC.

The park is, without doubt, one of the  highlights of visiting Syracuse . It is two kilometres north-west of Ortigia (the historical heart of the city) and can be reached from there by public transport or car, and parking is available close by. The archaeological park is open daily while the nearby Museo Paolo Orsi (10 minutes walk) which contains many artefacts from the park, is closed on Mondays.

Annabel from Smudged Postcard

#11 – Brú na Bóinne, Ireland

Brú na Bóinne is a group of ancient passage tombs and monuments in eastern Ireland that showcase the architectural ingenuity, artistic endeavours, and sacred ceremonies of the people that settled near the River Boyne during the prehistoric period.

The archaeological complex consists of an impressive collection of megalithic art, numerous ceremonial sites, and some sizeable grassy mounds concealing tombs older than the Egyptian pyramids. The three largest passage graves are Newgrange, Knowth and Dowth, but only Newgrange and Knowth can be visited with a guided tour.

During a tour of the passage graves, you can see engraved kerbstones and peer down long passageways leading into the tombs. At Newgrange, visitors even get to go inside the tomb’s chamber and discover its astronomical alignment. The site also has a visitor centre with informative exhibits, including a full-scale replica of the interior of Newgrange and a Neolithic house.

Brú na Bóinne is located about 40 km north of Dublin , in County Meath, so can easily be visited as a day trip from the city . The closest communities are the village of Donore and town of Drogheda.

Rhonda from Travel? Yes Please!

⤷ Read more about Brú na Bóinne on a link here

#12 – Minoan Palace of Knossos, Greece

One of the oldest cities in Europe, Knossos, is located on the Greek island of Crete, 5 kilometres from Heraklion. It was the centre of Minoan civilisation, and the first settlers lived there as early as the Neolithic period. At its peak, it hosted around 100,000 people. Knossos was abandoned at around 1,380–1,100 BC.

One of the most famous legends about the place is related to Minotaur. He was depicted as a half-bull, half-man monster living in a maze. A young prince from Greece came to Crete and had to fight Minotaur. The daughter of the local king Minos fell in love with the prince and gave him a ball of yarn before he went into the labyrinth. So the prince could find his way out of the maze after he had killed Minotaur. The labyrinth of stone walls and the painting of a bull in Knossos strongly resemble this legend.

Currently, the Palace of Knossos is available for visitors. The first excavation of the site was started in 1878, and the restoration has continued since then. Tourists can enjoy the impressive multi-story building fragments which reveal the imposing palace of the past. There are enormous columns, staircases, and a maze of walls. It’s possible to go on a self-guided tour or join a group with a guide at the info centre. There are several other archaeological places nearby that can be included in a  road trip day in Crete .

Una from Wandernity

#13 – Herculaneum, Italy

Not far from Naples, in the shadow of Vesuvius, you’ll find one of Europe’s best archaeological sites. The Roman town of Herculaneum was destroyed by the same volcanic eruption that buried Pompeii, but in a different way. While Pompeii was buried in rocks that destroyed the roofs of its buildings and almost everything above the ground floor, in Herculaneum the town was hit by a 100 mph storm of superheated ash and poisonous gas.

What that means for visitors to Herculaneum is that the site is far better preserved than Pompeii. Many houses still have their upper floors, and even wooden balconies and shop fittings have survived. Even better, although the excavations at Herculaneum are far smaller than the site at Pompeii (much of the ancient town is buried under modern Ercolano), Herculaneum receives only ten per cent of Pompeii’s visitor numbers, meaning that it’s possible to visit and have its atmospheric streets almost to yourself.

There’s a small museum at Herculaneum, and you can hire audio guides. However, it’s good to read as much as you can about the site before your visit. Visiting Herculaneum is also easily combined with climbing Mount Vesuvius. Seeing the still-smoking crater, then  visiting Herculaneum  is a perfect day exploring one of the most impactful archaeological sites in Europe.

Helen from Helen On Her Holidays ​

#14 – Pompeii, Italy

Of the archaeological sites in Italy, Pompeii may be the most morbidly fascinating. Located 242 km south of Rome, Pompeii was once a thriving ancient metropolis with about 20,000 residents. Today, it’s a well-preserved ghost town that gives tourists and archaeologists alike a glimpse into the lives of those who lived there thousands of years ago.

Pompeii is situated at the foot of Mount Vesuvius, which is still an active volcano. When it erupted in 79 AD, Pompeii was buried under nearly 12 meters of ash and lava. While bad news for the residents then, the effect was that Pompeii was frozen in time until it was rediscovered in 1748.

Today visitors can wander down its eerie cobbled streets and explore former homes and businesses. There are two main theatres that you can visit, as well as the oldest surviving Roman amphitheatre in the world. Tourists can even marvel at several of Pompeii’s famous human plaster casts.

The easiest way to get to Pompeii is via train from Rome’s Termini Station. Take the high-speed train to Naples, and from Naples take the Circumvesuviana train to the Pompeii Scavi station.

Maggie McKneely from Pink Caddy Travelogue

⤷ Read more about Pompeii on a link here

#15 – Cenobio de Valerón on Gran Canaria, Spain

Cenobio de Valerón on the Spanish island of Gran Canaria  is one of the most fascinating archaeological sites in Europe. The island is located on the north-western coast of Africa. The fact that the island has so much to offer in terms of history, nature and weather, makes it all the more an attractive destination for discovering ancient sites.

The Cenobio de Valerón, also known as the Caves of Valeron or Monastery of Valeron, is an ancient complex system of caves. The caves are located on the northern part of the island in the Municipality of Santa Maria de Guia, directly on the cliff.

In short, it is the largest pre-Hispanic collective granary (with 298 compartments and 350 storage places). It was actually built before the Roman era. However, the natives of the islands used the caves until the late 15th century, right up until the island got conquered. The incredible size of these caves just demonstrates the historical importance of the islands’ agriculture.

Michelle Minnaar from Greedy Gourmet

#16 – Roman Forum in Zadar, Croatia

Built between the 1st century BC and the 3rd century AD under the directive of the first Roman emperor Augustus, the Roman Forum in Zadar is the largest one in Croatia. Zadar was a Roman settlement from the 1st century BC until the 5th century AD when the Roman Empire fell. Viewing the remnants of the once-magnificent forum is one of the most  exciting things to do in Zadar , especially if you love architecture, history and culture.

Only discovered in the 20th century, the ruins show the layout of an impressive space that was the centre of public life during Roman times, much as it was in Rome. One intact pillar at the site is reported to have been used as a pillory in Medieval times. You can see the remains of columns and walls. Interestingly, some of the stone from the Roman structures was used in later construction, such as in the Medieval Church of St. Donatus.

At the site, there was an impressive temple built to honour Jupiter, Juno, and Minerva. You can see the remains of columns from the facade of the temple. To learn more about the Zadar Roman Forum, and to see a scale model of the forum in all its glory, visit the nearby Archaeological Museum. It is only a 3-minute walk away, and the admission fee is modest.

Dhara from It’s Not About The Miles

⤷ Read my Ultimate Croatia Travel Guide on a link here

#17 – Kato Paphos Archaeological Park, Cyprus

If you’re looking for a truly fantastic collection of archaeological sites all in one convenient place, you absolutely cannot go wrong with a visit to the Kato Paphos Archaeological Park, which is one of the  best places to visit in Paphos, Cyprus .

This archaeological park is home to numerous ruins dating from the Hellenistic to the early Christian period and is an excellent place for both history buffs and classics geeks to explore. While the park houses numerous impressive sites including ruined churches and bathhouses, an ancient Odeon and Forum, the most famous and well-known artefacts are undoubtedly the collection of Hellenistic-era mosaics. Scattered around the ruins of important villas, the mosaics display scenes from Greek mythology, beautiful designs, and some simple depictions of everyday life.

The Kato Paphos Archaeological Park is located in the centre of Old Paphos and entry into the area is €4.50 per person. To see everything that is encompassed in the area, plan to spend at least two hours exploring. Keep in mind that there is little shade in the park, so it is best to bring lots of water, especially if you’re visiting in the summer months.

Maggie from The World Was Here First

#18 – Colosseum and Roman Forum in Rome, Italy

The Colosseum and the Roman Forum in Rome are world-renowned and indeed so impressive and historically significant to deserve their fame. They are located in the heart of the modern city, and they sit side by side in what is now one of the most famous archaeological parks in Europe open to the public.

The same ticket allows you to visit both, but entrance rules differ: the Colosseum operates a timed entrance system with mandatory booking, while the forum runs on a first-come-first-served basis.

The Roman forum is the most ancient of the two sites and dates back to the very origins of Rome and Republican times. Ruins here are not particularly well signposted, but audio guides are available at the ticket booth. They are invaluable to understand the site and much-needed support in an otherwise beautiful but user-unfriendly attraction! The most impressive ruins here are the temple of Antonino and Faustina and the emperors’ palaces on the Palatine Hill, immediately above the forum and accessible from it

The Colosseum is better equipped: you can visit with a guide (audio or tour), but it also has good info panels and exhibitions which help to dig into the history of the amphitheatre. If you can, get a tour with access to the upper tier: the view from it is stunning!

Marta from Mama Loves Rome

#19 – Delos, Greece

The archaeological site of Delos is one of the most significant in the whole of Greece due to its sheer size and range of architecture and artefacts found. Not only was the whole island a holy sanctuary, political centre and major trading location, but it was also the birthplace of Apollo and Artemis and features a temple to Zeus.

Delos allows visitors to delve into history by looking at excavated sites such as the House of Dionysus, the Temple of the Delians and the Terrace of the Lions. Archaeologists believe that the site has been inhabited since the 3rd millennium BC, and it is absolutely fascinating to witness the scope of the remains and piece together an image of what life would have been like here centuries ago!

Located in the heart of the Cyclades, just next to Mykonos island , Delos is easily accessible, which makes it an absolute must as a day trip from Mykonos or Naxos. It’s recommendable paying the little bit extra to get a tour guide for your time in Delos as the scale of the island is quite overwhelming and you’ll learn so much more by having a professional guide you around the site. The island features a small museum, café and information point.

Chrissy from Travel Passionate

#20 – Nîmes, France

In ancient times the city of Nemausus, now known as Nîmes, was located on the Via Domitia, which was one of the first Roman roads built in Gaul. Nîmes was a significant city due to textile production and as a thoroughfare to the rest of Roman Gaul. It reached its peak in the 1st century AD during which its two most noteworthy sites were constructed, Maison Carrée and the massive Arènes, or Amphitheatre.

These are both important archaeological sites and they are in excellent condition and still in use today. Maison Carrée is located at the centre of the city and is described as the only entirely preserved temple of the ancient world. Meanwhile, the two-story-tall Amphitheatre was one of the largest in Roman Gaul capable of seating more than 23,000 spectators. Other Roman archaeological sites to visit include Porte Auguste, Porte France, and Tour Magne.

Lastly, be sure to venture just outside the city to visit a true masterpiece of ancient architecture, Pont du Gard. It is an ancient aqueduct also built in the 1st Century AD to carry water over 50 km to the Nemausus. Pont du Gard is the highest of all Roman aqueduct bridges and one of the best-preserved. Together with Pont du Gard, archaeological sites of Nîmes are designated a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Harvey from My Normal Gay Life

Have you visited any of these archaeological sights in Europe? Would you add any to our list? Let me know in the comments below!

Archaeological Sights , Archaeology , croatia , france , Greece , Ireland , Italy , spain , UK

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Ancient human evolution is “unparalleled” in nature

Evrim Yazgin

Evrim Yazgin has a Bachelor of Science majoring in mathematical physics and a Master of Science in physics, both from the University of Melbourne.

Interspecies competition in ancient humans saw an evolutionary trend that is the complete opposite of almost all other vertebrates, according to a new study.

For years, scientists assumed the main driver of the rise and fall of hominin species (which includes humans and our direct ancestors) was climate change. It is known, however, that interspecies competition is also at play as it is in most vertebrates.

New research published in Nature Ecology & Evolution examines the rate at which new species of hominin emerged over 5 million years. This speciation in our lineage , they found, is unlike almost anything else.

“We have been ignoring the way competition between species has shaped our own evolutionary tree,” says lead author Dr Laura van Holstein from the University of Cambridge, UK. “The effect of climate on hominin species is only part of the story.”

In most vertebrates, species evolve to fill ecological “niches.”

“The pattern we see across many early hominins is similar to all other mammals,” van Holstein says. “Speciation rates increase and then flatline, at which point extinction rates start to increase. This suggests that interspecies competition was a major evolutionary factor.”

But van Holstein describes as “bizarre” the evolution of the  group Homo which includes modern humans and emerged about 2 million years ago with Homo habilis .

The trend of speciation was completely reversed.

First database of Indigenous Australian message sticks

“The more species of  Homo  there were, the higher the rate of speciation. So, when those niches got filled, something drove even more species to emerge. This is almost unparalleled in evolutionary science.”

The closest comparison is in beetle species living on islands where contained ecosystems can produce unusual evolutionary trends.

“The patterns of evolution we see across species of  Homo  that led directly to modern humans is closer to those of island-dwelling beetles than other primates, or even any other mammal,” van Holstein explains.

Van Holstein created a database of every hominin species to be found and dated so far: 385 records in total.

She sought to overcome the incompleteness of the fossil record through modelling. This gave her new timelines of when species emerged and disappeared.

Among van Holstein’s findings is that several species thought to have evolved through anagenesis – when one species slowly turns into another – might actually have “budded,” meaning the new species branched off the existing one.

For example, the hominin species  Australopithecus afarensis  was believed to have evolved from  Australopithecus anamensis through anagenesis. But the model suggests they overlapped by about half a million years.

Early hominins may have evolved to expand their niche. For example, Paranthropus might have adapted their teeth to consume different foods. But the pattern in Homo species suggests that technology played a far greater role in speciation.

“Adoption of stone tools or fire, or intensive hunting techniques, are extremely flexible behaviours. A species that can harness them can quickly carve out new niches and doesn’t have to survive vast tracts of time while evolving new body plans,” van Holstein explains.

Originally published by Cosmos as Ancient human evolution is “unparalleled” in nature

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The Opening Days of Trump’s First Criminal Trial

Here’s what has happened so far in the unprecedented proceedings against a former u.s. president..

This transcript was created using speech recognition software. While it has been reviewed by human transcribers, it may contain errors. Please review the episode audio before quoting from this transcript and email [email protected] with any questions.

It’s the first day of the Trump trial and just walking out the door in my house. It’s a beautiful day, 6:11 AM. The thing that keeps running through my head is it’s kind of amazing that hundreds of jurors are going to show up at the Manhattan courthouse. And some of them are going to know what they’re there for — probably talking to their friends, their relatives about it.

Some of them are going to learn this morning talking to other jurors in line, asking what all the fuss is about. But I really do imagine that there’s going to be at least one potential juror who, headphones on, getting into court. Here they’re going to be there for the first criminal trial of Donald J. Trump. And just, I mean, how would you react?

[MUSIC PLAYING]

From “The New York Times,” I’m Michael Barbaro. This is “The Daily.” Today, what it’s been like inside the lower Manhattan courtroom, where political and legal history are being made? My colleague, Jonah Bromwich, on the opening days of the first criminal trial of a US President. It’s Thursday, April 18.

Is that his mic? Hi, there.

Hello. How are you?

I’m doing good.

OK. Thank you for coming in, Jonah —

Thank you for having me.

— in the middle of a trial. Can you just explain why you’re able to even be here?

Sure. So we happen to be off on Wednesdays during trial, so.

We being not “The New York Times,” but the courts.

That’s right.

Which is why we’re taping with you. And because we now have two full court days of this history-making trial now under our belts. And the thing about this trial that’s so interesting is that there are no cameras in the courtroom for the wider world.

There’s no audio recordings. So all we really have is and your eyes and your notebook, maybe your laptop. And so we’re hoping you can reconstruct for us the scene of the first two days of this trial and really the highlights.

Yeah, I’d be happy to. So on Monday morning, I left the subway. It’s before 7:00 AM. The sun is just rising over these grandiose court buildings in lower Manhattan.

I’m about to turn left onto Center Street. I’m right in front of the big municipal building.

And I turn onto Center Street. That’s where the courthouses are.

I’m crossing.

And I expected to see a big crowd. And it was even bigger than I had anticipated.

Here we go. Here we go. Here we go. Now, I finally see the crowd.

You have camera banks. You have reporters. You have the beginnings of what will eventually become a protest. And you have this most New York thing, which is just a big crowd of people.

[CHUCKLES]: Who just know something is going on.

That’s right. And what they know is going on is, of course, the first trial of an American president.

All right, I’m passing the camera, folks. Camera, camera, camera, camera. Here we go.

Let’s start with Sharon Crowley live outside the courthouse in Lower Manhattan.

I want to get right to ABC’S Aaron Katersky who’s outside of the courthouse.

Robert Costa is following it outside the courthouse in Lower Manhattan. Bob, I saw the satellite trucks lined up all in a row. Good morning.

Talk to us how we got here exactly.

So this is the case that was brought by the Manhattan district attorney. So prosecutors have accused Donald Trump of covering up the actions of his former fixer, Michael Cohen, after Cohen paid hush money to Stormy Daniels. Stormy Daniels had a story about having had sex with Donald Trump, which Trump has always denied.

Cohen paid her money, and then Trump reimbursed Cohen. And prosecutors say that Trump essentially defrauded the American people because he hid this information that could have been very important for the election from those people when he reimbursed Cohen.

Right. And as I remember it, he also misrepresented what that reimbursement was. Claimed it was a legal fee when, in fact, it was just reimbursing Michael Cohen for a hush money payment.

Exactly, yeah. He definitely didn’t say reimbursement for hush money payment to Stormy Daniels. It’s a cover up case. It’s a case about hiding information you don’t want people to see.

Right. And of course, the context of all this is that it is in the middle of a presidential election. It’s 2016. Trump wants to keep this secret, prosecutors allege, so that the American public doesn’t know about it and potentially hold it against him.

Right. And prosecutors are telling a story about election interference. They’re saying that Trump interfered with an election. And Trump himself is also using the phrase “election interference.” But he’s painting the trial itself as election interference as he now runs again in 2024.

Fascinating.

And because we’re in Manhattan, and because the jury pool is going to be largely Democratic, and the judge is a Democrat, and the district attorney is a Democrat, Trump keeps claiming he cannot get a fair shake. This is democrat central. And in democrat central, Trump doesn’t have a chance.

OK. So, what happens once you actually enter the courthouse?

Outside, there’s all this fanfare. But inside, it’s a little bit business as usual. So I go up to the 15th floor, and I walk into the courtroom, and I sit down, and it’s the same old courtroom. And we’re sitting and waiting for the former president.

Around 9:30, Trump walks in. He looks thin. He looks a little tired, kind of slumping forward, as if to say with his body like let’s get this over with. Here we go.

The judge walks in a little bit after that. And we think we’re all set for the trial to start, but that’s not what happens here. And in fact, there are a series of legal arguments about what the trial is going to look like and what evidence is going to be allowed in.

So, for example, prosecutors ask that they be allowed to admit into evidence headlines from “The National Enquirer” that were attacks on Trump’s 2016 opponents — on Ted Cruz, on Marco Rubio, on Ben Carson.

Because prosecutors are in some sense putting Trump’s 2016 campaign on trial. These headlines are a big part of that because what prosecutors say they show is that Trump had this ongoing deal with “The National Enquirer.” And the publisher would promote him, and it would publish damaging stories about his opponents. And then crucially, it would protect Trump from negative stories. And that’s exactly what prosecutors say happened with Stormy Daniels. That “The National Enquirer” tipped Cohen off about Stormy Daniels trying to sell her story of having had sex with Donald Trump, which he denies. And that led to the hush money payment to her. So what prosecutors are doing overall with these headlines is establishing a pattern of conduct. And that conduct, they say, was an attempt to influence the election in Trump’s favor.

And the judge agrees. He’s going to admit this evidence. And this is a pretty big win for the prosecution. But even though they win that one, they’re not winning everything.

They lose some important arguments here. One of them was that after the Access Hollywood tape came out, there were allegations of sexual assault against Donald Trump. And you know this, Michael, because you reported two of them — two of the three in question at this very trial.

Prosecutors had hoped to talk about those during trial in front of the jury to show the jurors that the Trump campaign was really, really focused on pushing back against bad press in the wake of the Access Hollywood tape in which Trump seemed to describe sexual assault. That was a big problem for the campaign. Campaign did everything it could to push back, including against these allegations that surfaced in the wake of the tape.

But the judge, saying that the allegations are hearsay — that they’re based on the women’s stories — says absolutely not. That is incredibly prejudicial to the defendant.

Interesting.

And that Donald Trump would actually not get a fair trial were those allegations to be mentioned. And so he will not let those in. The jurors will not hear about them.

So this is a setback, of course, for the prosecution, a victory for Trump’s legal team.

It’s a setback. And it also just shows you how these pre-trial motions shape the context of the trial. Think of the trial as a venue like a theater or an athletic contest of some sort. And these pre-trial motions are about what gets led into the arena and what stays out. The sexual assault allegations — out. “The National Enquirer” headlines — in.

OK. And how is Trump sitting there at the defense table reacting to these pre-trial motion rulings from the judge?

Well, as I’ve just said, this is very important stuff for his trial.

Right. Hugely important.

But it’s all happening in legal language, and I’m decoding it for you. But if you were sitting there listening to it, you might get a little lost, and you might get a little bored. And Trump, who is not involved in these arguments, seems to fall asleep.

Seems to fall asleep — you’re seeing this with your own eyes.

What we’re seeing, overall, including our colleague, Maggie Haberman, who’s in the overflow room and has a direct view of Trump’s face — I’m sitting behind him in the courtroom, so I can’t see his face that well.

You guys are double teaming this.

That’s right. I’m sitting behind him, but Maggie is sitting in front of him. And what she sees is not only that his eyes are closed. That wouldn’t get you to he is asleep.

And we have to be really careful about reporting that he’s asleep, even if it seems like a frivolous thing. But what happens is that his head is dropping down to his chest, and then it’s snapping back up. So you’ve seen that, when a student —

I’ve done that.

(CHUCKLES) Yeah. We all kind of know that feeling of snapping awake suddenly. And we see the head motion, and it happens several times.

Lawyers kind of bothering him, not quite shaking him, but certainly trying to get his attention. And that head snapping motion, we felt confident enough to report that Trump fell asleep.

During his own criminal trial’s opening day.

Does someone eventually wake him up?

He wakes up. He wakes up. And in fact, in the afternoon, he’s much more animated. It’s almost as if he wants to be seen being very much awake.

Right. So once these pre-trial motions are ruled on and Trump is snapped back to attention, what happens?

Well, what happens in the courtroom is that the trial begins. The first trial of an American president is now in session. And what marks that beginning is jurors walking into the room one by one — many of them kind of craning their necks over at Donald Trump, giggling, raising their eyebrows at each other, filing into the room, and being sworn in by the judge. And that swearing in marks the official beginning of the trial.

The beginning is jury selection, and it’s often overlooked. It’s not dramatized in our kind of courtroom dramas in the same way. But it’s so important. It’s one of the most important parts of the case. Because whoever sits on the jury, these are the 12 people who are going to decide whether Trump is guilty or whether Trump is innocent.

So how does jury selection actually look and feel and go?

So, jury selection is a winnowing process. And in order to do that, you have to have these people go through a bunch of different hurdles. So the first hurdle is, after the judge describes the case, he asks the group — and there are just short of 100 of them — whether they can be fair and impartial. And says that if they can’t, they should leave. And more than half the group is instantly gone.

So after we do this big mass excusal, we’re left with the smaller group. And so now, jurors are getting called in smaller groups to the jury box. And what they’re going to do there is they’re going to answer this questionnaire.

And this part of the process is really conducted by the judge. The lawyers are involved. They’re listening, but they’re not yet asking questions of the jurors themselves.

And what’s on the questionnaire?

Well, it’s 42 questions. And the questions include, their education, their professional histories, their hobbies, what they like to do whether you’re a member of QAnon or Antifa.

Whether you’re far left or far right.

That’s right. Whether you’ve read “The Art of the Deal,” Trump’s book, which some prospective jurors had.

Right. It was a bestseller in its time.

That’s right. And some of it can be answered in yes/no questions, but some of it can be answered more at length. So some of the prospective jurors are going very, very fast. Yes, no, no, no, yes.

Right. Because this is an oral questionnaire.

That’s right. But some of them are taking their time. They’re expanding on their hobbies. So the potential juror in seat 3, for example, is talking about her hobbies. And she says some running, hiking. And then she said, I like to go to the club, and it got a huge laugh. And you get that kind of thing in jury selection, which is one of the reasons it’s so fun. It’s the height of normality in this situation that is anything but normal.

Right. The most banal answer possible delivered in front of the former president And current Republican nominee for president.

Well, that’s one of the fascinating parts about all this, right? is that they’re answering in front of Trump. And they’re answering questions about Trump in front of Trump. He doesn’t react all that much. But whenever someone says they’ve read “The Art of the Deal —” and there are a few of those — he kind of nods appreciatively, smiles. He likes that. It’s very clear. But because there are so many questions, this is taking forever, especially when people are choosing to answer and elaborate and digress.

This is when you fall asleep.

This Is. When I would have fallen asleep if I were a normal person.

And by the end of the day. Where does jury selection stand?

Well, the questionnaire is another device for shrinking that jury pool. And so the questionnaire has almost these little obstacles or roadblocks, including, in fact, a question that jurors have seen before — whether they would have any problem being fair and impartial?

Hmm. And they ask it again.

They’re asked it again. And they’re asked in this more individualized way. The judge is questioning them. They’re responding.

So, remember that woman who said she liked to go to the club got a big laugh. She reaches question 34. And question 34 reads, “Do you have any strong opinions or firmly-held beliefs about former President Donald Trump or the fact that he is a current candidate for president that would interfere with your ability to be a fair and impartial juror?” She said, yes, she does have an opinion that would prevent her from being fair and impartial. And she, too, is excused.

So that’s how it works. People answer the questionnaire, and they get excused in that way, or they have a scheduling conflict once they reach the jury box. And so to answer your question, Michael. At the end of day one, given all these problems with the questionnaire and the length of time it’s taken to respond to and people getting dismissed based on their answers, there is not a single juror seated for this trial.

And it’s starting to look like this is going to be a really hard case for which to find an impartial jury.

That’s the feeling in the room, yeah.

We’ll be right back.

So Jonah, let’s turn to day 2. What does jury selection look like on Tuesday?

So when the day begins, it looks almost exactly like it looked when the day ended on Monday. We’re still with the questionnaire, getting some interesting answers. But even though it feels like we’re going slow, we are going.

And so we’ve gone from about 100 people to now there’s about 24 the room there’s 18 the jury box. And by the time we hit lunch, all those people have answered all those questions, and we are ready for the next step in the process.

Voir dire. And what it is the heart of jury selection. This is the point where the lawyers themselves finally get to interview the jurors. And we get so much information from this moment because the lawyers ask questions based on what they want out of the jurors.

So the prosecution is asking all these different kinds of questions. The first round of wajir is done by a guy named Joshua Steinglass, a very experienced trial lawyer with the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office. And he’s providing all these hypotheticals. I’ll give you one example because I found this one really, really interesting. He provides a hypothetical about a man who wants his wife killed and essentially hires a hitman to do it. And what he asked the jurors is, if that case were before you, would you be able to see that the man who hired the hitman was a part of this crime?

And of course, what he’s really getting at is, can you accept that even though Michael Cohen, Trump’s fixer, made this payment, Trump is the guy who hired him to do it?

That’s right. If there are other people involved, will jurors still be able to see Donald Trump’s hands behind it all?

Fascinating. And what were some of the responses?

People mostly said, yes, we accept that. So that’s how the prosecution did it.

But the defense had a totally different method of voir dire. They were very focused on their client and people’s opinions about their client.

So what kind of questions do we get from them?

So the lawyer, Todd Blanche, is asking people, what do you make of President Trump? What do you think of President Trump?

And what are some of the responses to that?

Well, there’s this incredible exchange with one of the jurors who absolutely refuses to give his opinion of Donald Trump. They go back and forth and back and forth. And the juror keeps insisting you don’t need to know my opinion of him. All you need to know is that I’m going to be fair and impartial, like I said. And Blanch pushes, and the guy pushes back. And the only way the guy budges is he finally kind of confesses almost at the end that, yes, I am a Democrat, and that’s all we get.

And what ends up happening to this potential juror?

Believe it or not, he got dismissed.

[LAUGHS]: I can believe it. And of course, it’s worth saying that this guy and everybody else is being asked that question just feet from Trump himself.

That’s right. And you might think you were going to get a really kind of spicy, like, popcorn emoji-type exchange from that. But because these are now jurors who have said they can be fair and impartial, who, to some extent, want to be on this jury or at least wouldn’t mind being on this jury, they’re being very restrained.

Mostly, what they are emphasizing — much like that guy just described dis — is that they can be fair. They can be impartial. There’s one woman who gives this really remarkable answer.

She says, I thought about this last night. I stayed up all night. I couldn’t sleep, thinking about whether I could be fair. It’s really important to me, and I can.

What ends up happening to that particular juror?

She’s also dismissed. And she’s dismissed without any reason at all. The defense decides it doesn’t like her. It doesn’t want her on the jury. And they have a certain number of chances to just get rid of jurors — no questions asked.

Other jurors are getting dismissed for cause — I’m doing air quotes with my hands — which means that the lawyers have argued they actually revealed themselves through their answers or through old social media posts, which are brought up in the courtroom, to be either non-credible, meaning they’ve said they can be fair and they can’t, or somehow too biased to be on the jury.

Wait, can I just dial into that for a second? Are lawyers researching the jurors in real time going online and saying — I’m making this up — but Jonah Bromwich is a potential juror, and I’m going to go off into my little corner of the courtroom and Google everything you’ve ever said? Is that what’s happening in the room?

Yeah, there’s a whole profession dedicated to that. It’s called jury consultant, and they’re very good at finding information on people in a hurry. And it certainly looked as if they were in play.

Did a social media post end up getting anybody kicked off this jury?

Yes, there were posts from 2016 era internet. You’ll remember that time as a very heated one on the internet, Facebook memes are a big thing. And so there’s all kinds of lock him up type memes and rhetoric. And some of the potential jurors here have used those. And those jurors are dismissed for a reason.

So we have these two types of dismissals, right? We have these peremptory dismissals — no reason at all given. And we have for cause dismissals.

And the process is called jury selection. But you don’t actually get selected for a jury. The thing is to make it through all these obstacles.

You’re left over.

Right. And so when certain jurors are not dismissed, and they’ve made it through all these stages, by the end of the day, we have gone from zero juror seated to seven jurors who will be participating in Donald Trump’s trial.

Got it. And without going through all seven, just give us a little bit of a sketch of who so far is on this jury. What stands out?

Well, not that much stands out. So we’ve got four men. We’ve got three women. One lives on the Upper East Side. One lives in Chelsea. Obviously, they’re from all over Manhattan.

They have these kind of very normal hobbies like spending time with family and friends. They have somewhat anonymous jobs. We’ve got two lawyers. We’ve got someone who’s worked in sales.

So there’s not that much identifying information. And that’s not an accident . One of the things that often happens with jury selection, whether it be for Donald Trump or for anyone else, is the most interesting jurors — the jurors that kind of catch your attention during the process — they get picked off because they are being so interesting that they interest one or the other side in a negative way. And soon they’re excused. So most of the jurors who are actually seated —

Are not memorable.

Are not that memorable, save one particular juror.

OK. All right, I’ll bite. What do I need to know about that one particular juror?

So let me tell you about a prospective juror who we knew as 374, who will now be juror number five. She’s a middle school teacher from Harlem. And she said that she has friends who have really strong opinions about Trump, but she herself does not. And she insisted several times, I am not a political person.

And then she said this thing that made me quite surprised that the prosecution was fine with having her on the jury. She said, quote, “President Trump speaks his mind, and I’d rather that than someone who’s in office who you don’t know what they’re thinking.”

Hmm. So she expressed approval of President Trump.

Yeah, it was mild approval. But the thing is, especially for the defense in this trial, all you need is one juror. One juror can tie up deliberations in knots, and you can end with a hung jury. And this is actually something that I saw firsthand. In 2019, I was the foreperson on a jury.

How you like that?

Yeah. And the trial was really complicated, but I had thought while we were doing the trial, oh, this is going to be a really easy decision. I thought the defendant in that case was guilty. So we get into deliberations, but there’s this one juror who keeps gumming up the works every time we seem to be making progress, getting a conversation started.

This juror proverbially throws up his hands and says, I am not convicting. This man is innocent. And we talked and we talked. And as the foreperson, I was trying to use all my skills to mediate.

But any time we made any progress, this guy would blow it up. And long story short, hung jury — big victory for the defense lawyer. And we come out of the room. And she points at this juror. The guy —

The defense lawyer.

The defense lawyer points at this juror who blew everything up. And she said, I knew it. I knew I had my guy.

OK. I don’t want to read too much into what you said about that one juror. But should I read between the lines to think that if there’s a hung jury, you wonder if it might be that juror?

That’s what everyone in the courtroom is wondering not just about this juror, but about every single person who was selected. Is this the person who swings the case for me? Is this the person who swings the case against me?

These juries are so complex. It’s 12 people who don’t know each other at the start of the trial and, by the end of the trial, have seen each other every morning and are experiencing the same things, but are not allowed to have talked about the case until deliberations start. In that moment when deliberations start —

You’re going to learn a whole lot about each other.

That’s right. There’s this alchemical moment where suddenly, it all matters. Every personality selected matters. And that’s why jury selection is so important. And that’s why these last two days are actually one of the most important parts of this trial.

OK. So by my math, this trial will require five more jurors to get to 12. I know also they’re going to need to be alternates. But from what you’re saying what looked like a really uphill battle to get an impartial jury or a jury that said it could be impartial — and Trump was very doubtful one could be found — has turned out to not be so hard to find.

That’s right. And in fact, we went from thinking, oh, boy, this is going awfully slowly, to the judge himself saying we could be doing opening arguments as soon as Monday morning. And I think that highlights something that’s really fascinating both about this trial and about the jury selection process overall.

One of the things that lawyers have been arguing about is whether or not it’s important to figure out what jurors’ opinions about Donald Trump are. And the prosecution and, I think, the judge have really said, no, that’s not the key issue here. The key issue is not whether or not people have opinions about Donald Trump.

Right. Who doesn’t have an opinion about Donald Trump?

Exactly. They’re going to. Automatically, they’re going to. The question is whether or not they can be fair and impartial. And the seven people we already have seated, and presumably the five people that we’re going to get over the next few days and however many alternates — we expect six — are all going to have answered that question, not I hate Trump; I love Trump, but I can weigh in on the former president’s innocence or guilt, and I can do it as fairly as humanly possible.

Now, Trump is not happy about this. He said after court yesterday, quote, We have a highly conflicted judge, and he’s rushing this trial.” And I think that he is going to see these beats of the system the criminal justice system as it works on him as he is experiencing it as unfair. That is typically how he talks about it and how he views it.

But what he’s getting is what defendants get. This is the system in New York, in the United States. This is its answer to how do you pick a fair jury? Well, you ask people can you be fair? And you put them through this process, and the outcome is 12 people.

And so I think we’re going to see this over and over again in this trial. We’re going to see Trump experience the criminal justice system.

And its routines.

Yeah, openings, witnesses, evidence, closings. He’s going to go through all of it. And I think, at every turn, it makes sense to expect him to say, well, this is not fair. Well, the judge is doing something wrong. Well, the prosecutors are doing something wrong. Well, the jury is doing something wrong.

But at the end of the day, he’s going to be a defendant, and he’s going to sit, mostly silently if his lawyers can make him do that, and watch this process play itself out. So the system is going to try and treat him like any other defendant, even though, of course —

— he’s not. And he is going to fight back like no other defendant would, like no other defendant could. And that tension, him pushing against the criminal justice system as it strives to treat him, as it would anyone else, is going to be a defining quality of this trial.

Well, Jonah, thank you very much. We appreciate it.

Of course. Thanks so much for having me. [MUSIC PLAYING]

PS, have you ever fallen asleep in a trial?

I have not.

[CHUCKLES]:

Here’s what else you need to know today.

It’s clear the Israelis are making a decision to act. We hope they do so in a way that does as little to escalate this as possible and in a way that, as I said —

During a visit to Jerusalem on Wednesday, Britain’s foreign Secretary left little doubt that Israel would retaliate against Iran for last weekend’s aerial attack, despite pressure from the United States and Britain to stand down. The question now is what form that retaliation will take? “The Times” reports that Israel is weighing several options, including a direct strike on Iran, a cyber attack, or targeted assassinations. And —

Look, history judges us for what we do. This is a critical time right now, critical time on the world stage.

In a plan that could threaten his job, Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson will put a series of foreign aid bills up for a vote this weekend. The bills, especially for aid to Ukraine, are strongly opposed by far-right House Republicans, at least two of whom have threatened to try to oust Johnson over the plan.

I can make a selfish decision and do something that’s different, but I’m doing here what I believe to be the right thing. I think providing lethal aid to Ukraine right now is critically important. I really do. I really — [MUSIC PLAYING]

Today’s episode was produced by Rikki Novetsky, Will Reid, Lynsea Garrison, and Rob Zubko. It was edited by Paige Cowett, contains original music by Marion Lozano, Elisheba Ittoop, and Dan Powell, and was engineered by Chris Wood. Our theme music is by Jim Brunberg and Ben Landsverk of Wonderly Lake.

That’s it for “The Daily.” I’m Michael Barbaro. See you tomorrow.

• April 19, 2024   •   30:42 The Supreme Court Takes Up Homelessness
• April 18, 2024   •   30:07 The Opening Days of Trump’s First Criminal Trial
• April 17, 2024   •   24:52 Are ‘Forever Chemicals’ a Forever Problem?
• April 16, 2024   •   29:29 A.I.’s Original Sin
• April 15, 2024   •   24:07 Iran’s Unprecedented Attack on Israel
• April 14, 2024   •   46:17 The Sunday Read: ‘What I Saw Working at The National Enquirer During Donald Trump’s Rise’
• April 12, 2024   •   34:23 How One Family Lost $900,000 in a Timeshare Scam
• April 11, 2024   •   28:39 The Staggering Success of Trump’s Trial Delay Tactics
• April 10, 2024   •   22:49 Trump’s Abortion Dilemma
• April 9, 2024   •   30:48 How Tesla Planted the Seeds for Its Own Potential Downfall
• April 8, 2024   •   30:28 The Eclipse Chaser
• April 7, 2024 The Sunday Read: ‘What Deathbed Visions Teach Us About Living’

Hosted by Michael Barbaro

Featuring Jonah E. Bromwich

Produced by Rikki Novetsky ,  Will Reid ,  Lynsea Garrison and Rob Szypko

Edited by Paige Cowett

Original music by Dan Powell ,  Marion Lozano and Elisheba Ittoop

Engineered by Chris Wood

Listen and follow The Daily Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music

Political and legal history are being made in a Lower Manhattan courtroom as Donald J. Trump becomes the first former U.S. president to undergo a criminal trial.

Jonah Bromwich, who covers criminal justice in New York, explains what happened during the opening days of the trial, which is tied to Mr. Trump’s role in a hush-money payment to a porn star.

On today’s episode

Jonah E. Bromwich , who covers criminal justice in New York for The New York Times.

Background reading

Here’s a recap of the courtroom proceedings so far.

Mr. Trump’s trial enters its third day with seven jurors chosen.

There are a lot of ways to listen to The Daily. Here’s how.

We aim to make transcripts available the next workday after an episode’s publication. You can find them at the top of the page.

The Daily is made by Rachel Quester, Lynsea Garrison, Clare Toeniskoetter, Paige Cowett, Michael Simon Johnson, Brad Fisher, Chris Wood, Jessica Cheung, Stella Tan, Alexandra Leigh Young, Lisa Chow, Eric Krupke, Marc Georges, Luke Vander Ploeg, M.J. Davis Lin, Dan Powell, Sydney Harper, Mike Benoist, Liz O. Baylen, Asthaa Chaturvedi, Rachelle Bonja, Diana Nguyen, Marion Lozano, Corey Schreppel, Rob Szypko, Elisheba Ittoop, Mooj Zadie, Patricia Willens, Rowan Niemisto, Jody Becker, Rikki Novetsky, John Ketchum, Nina Feldman, Will Reid, Carlos Prieto, Ben Calhoun, Susan Lee, Lexie Diao, Mary Wilson, Alex Stern, Dan Farrell, Sophia Lanman, Shannon Lin, Diane Wong, Devon Taylor, Alyssa Moxley, Summer Thomad, Olivia Natt, Daniel Ramirez and Brendan Klinkenberg.

Our theme music is by Jim Brunberg and Ben Landsverk of Wonderly. Special thanks to Sam Dolnick, Paula Szuchman, Lisa Tobin, Larissa Anderson, Julia Simon, Sofia Milan, Mahima Chablani, Elizabeth Davis-Moorer, Jeffrey Miranda, Renan Borelli, Maddy Masiello, Isabella Anderson and Nina Lassam.

Jonah E. Bromwich covers criminal justice in New York, with a focus on the Manhattan district attorney’s office and state criminal courts in Manhattan. More about Jonah E. Bromwich

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New Barrier Reef Find Proves Australians Didn’t Learn Pottery from Europe

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A new discovery off the northwestern coast of Australia has rewritten the history books. Up until now the academic consensus was that pottery was introduced to Australia by Europeans. This has now been proven wrong.

This new find shows us that Australians were making pottery items well before the Europeans arrived. Thousands of years before, in fact: archaeologists have uncovered numerous pottery fragments dating back 2,000 to 3,000 years.

This now marks the oldest pottery ever found in Australia , discovered only 50cm (20 inches) below the surface on an island situated off the coast of Cape York Peninsula. The geological analysis of these ceramics suggests they were crafted locally, utilizing clays and tempers sourced directly from Jiigurru (also known as Lizard Island).

So, if not from the Europeans , where did the Australians learn to craft pottery?

A Cross Cultural Exchange

In a recently published paper in the Quaternary Science Reviews , a comprehensive account unveils the discovery of 82 pottery fragments all sourced from a solitary excavation site found on this Great Barrier Reef island. The age of this pottery coincides with the era when the Lapita people residing in southern Papua New Guinea were renowned for their pottery-making skills. This correlation certainly hints at potential cultural exchanges or influences between these communities.

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Laser scanning being conducted at the site to preserve the in-situ data ( Science Direct / Ian J. McNiven )

“The evidence points to a history of deep connections across the Coral Sea, facilitated by advanced canoe voyaging technology and open-sea navigation skills, contradicting the outdated notion of Indigenous isolation,” said Monash University’s Professor Ian McNiven in a press release . “These findings not only open a new chapter in Australian, Melanesian, and Pacific archaeology but also challenge colonialist stereotypes by highlighting the complexity and innovation of Aboriginal communities.”

Amidst their excavations, researchers stumbled upon the remnants of shellfish and fish, evidence of sustenance gathered and consumed by ancient inhabitants of the island over 6,000 years ago. Jiigurru is now established as the earliest known offshore island settlement within the northern Great Barrier Reef region.

These pieces represent not just the earliest securely dated pottery found in Australia, but also an intricate web of trade and cultural exchange connecting Indigenous Australians to a vast network of seafaring communities stretching from Papua New Guinea to the Torres Strait and Pacific Islands. The paper highlights the existence of a vibrant "community of cultures across the Coral Sea”.

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Some of the pottery shards recovered from the site. They may be too small to tell how they were formed originally, but we know they were manufactured using local resources, and we know that they predate the arrival of Europe and therefore rewrite the history of Australia ( Science Direct / Steve Morton )

Archaeologists assert that these discoveries will require a rethink of cultural interactions across the entire western Pacific. The finds herald the start of a much deeper insight into the rich tapestry of ancient maritime civilizations in the region.

Understanding the Crafting Process

The process of understanding how these pots were crafted and their original appearance remains a substantial challenge. The shards, averaging less than 2cm (1 inch) in size, are fragmented, which makes their full form and function hard to guess.

Dingaal clan member and Walmbaar Aboriginal Corporation Chairperson Kenneth McLean added, “Working in collaboration with archaeologists and Traditional Owners and working on Country is something that's never been done before for my people, where we work together on Country, sharing each other's story on Country, and not only sharing this story from our people, the Old People, and from the archaeology side, scientifically, which is a good outcome that we can see. We can look after the Country together.”

These pottery pieces may be small but the story they tell is enormous indeed, which explains why the research journey has taken years before reaching publication, as noted by Ulm. The excavation, spanning from mid-2017 to 14 months later, disrupted a prevalent academic perspective, and they had to be sure.

The site itself has only been known for some two decades. The initial sighting of pottery fragments on Jiigurru was made by a vacationing archaeologist from New Zealand in 2006, while snorkeling in the shallow lagoon.

Efforts to accurately date these pottery fragments initially proved inconclusive, yet many scholars interpreted them as tangible evidence of the Lapita people's presence in Australia. Originating from the islands of eastern Papua New Guinea, the Lapita and their descendants embarked on an expansive migration across remote Oceania over several centuries.

Alongside their distinctive pottery, they introduced pigs, dogs, chickens, taro, and breadfruit to various regions, extending their cultural and agricultural influence to the Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, New Caledonia, Fiji , Tonga, and Samoa , reports The Guardian .

The researchers involved are hopeful that the discovery of ancient pottery on the Great Barrier Reef suggests the probable existence of additional remains, potentially including artifacts associated with the Lapita culture, dispersed throughout the extensive and largely unexplored northeastern Queensland coastline.

This revelation underscores the tantalizing prospect of uncovering further evidence that could significantly enrich our understanding of the region's ancient maritime civilizations and their interconnectedness.

“These networks facilitated the exchange of objects and ideas between Australian and New Guinean coastal communities over the past 3000 years. While some objects, like cone-shell body adornments and bamboo smoking pipes, indicate widespread sharing of culture and ideas, others, such as pottery, also suggest the sharing of technology,” conclude the research team.

Top image: The excavation site on Jiigurru where the discovery of ancient pottery has rewritten the history of Australia. Source: Science Direct / Ian J. McNiven .

By Sahir Pandey

Hinchcliffe, J. 2024 . Great Barrier Reef discovery overturns belief Aboriginal Australians did not make pottery, archaeologists say . Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2024/apr/10/great-barrier-reef-discovery-overturns-belief-aboriginal-australians-did-not-make-pottery

Tuhin, M. 2024. Aboriginal Australians Made Pottery Thousands of Years Before Europeans Arrived . Available at: https://archaeonews.net/aboriginal-australians-made-pottery-thousands-of-years-before-europeans-arrived

Ulm, S. et al. 2024. Early Aboriginal pottery production and offshore island occupation on Jiigurru (Lizard Island group), Great Barrier Reef, Australia . Quatenary Science Reviews. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.quascirev.2024.108624

Do we know for sure this was shared technology? It may have been that, but it may have also simply been Lapita/Papuan presence in the area which should hardly be surprising. If it was shared technology with a local Aboriginal tribe, the technology appears to have died out in Australia. There is not a single shred of good evidence for Aboriginal pottery at the tine of European exploration although, as good evidence and Australian anthropology long ago parted company, I guess that doesn't so much matter...

I am a graduate of History from the University of Delhi, and a graduate of Law, from Jindal University, Sonepat. During my study of history, I developed a great interest in post-colonial studies, with a focus on Latin America. I... Read More

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