Ancient ways

Ancient ways Ancient ways take tours to England’s sacred sites encompassing spirituality history & connection t We also offer drugs & alcohol education in schools.

Native pathways will be offering workshops on bush-craft, survival skills & team building workshops. We also will be taking trips to Englands most sacred sights, sharing knowledge about their history & connecting with their ancestral linage. Bush-craft, survival & team building workshops for school children. For History talks & education in schools, we work closely with the wonderful portals to the past

28/10/2025

Carved into the bedrock of Kilmartin Glen, Scotland, are swirling rings and hollow cups that have puzzled archaeologists for centuries. 🌀

These carvings — known as the Achnabreck cup and ring marks — were made 4,000 to 6,000 years ago, during the Neolithic or early Bronze Age. Some are nearly 3 feet wide, making them among the largest and most intricate prehistoric rock carvings in Britain.

No one knows exactly what they meant. Were they ritual symbols? Maps of the stars? Markers of sacred ground? Whatever their purpose, they’ve endured for millennia — mysterious messages etched into stone by Scotland’s first farmers.

📍 Achnabreck, Kilmartin Glen – Scotland
📸 Historic Environment Scotland

03/10/2025

Hidden deep in the Colombian Amazon, archaeologists have uncovered one of the most extraordinary prehistoric art sites ever found. Stretching for 13 kilometers (8 miles) across cliff faces at Serranía de la Lindosa, thousands of ochre-painted images capture the life, wildlife, and rituals of early humans at the end of the Ice Age.
Dubbed the “Sistine Chapel of the Ancients,” this monumental discovery offers a vivid glimpse into a lost world — one where humans lived alongside mastodons, giant sloths, and other long-extinct megafauna.
What Was Discovered?
First documented in 2017 by British and Colombian researchers, the rock art remained hidden from the world until recent years. Tens of thousands of paintings cover cliff walls above three rock shelters. The images date back 11,800–12,600 years, just as the Ice Age was ending and the Amazon was transforming into the rainforest we know today.
The paintings depict:
Prehistoric megafauna: mastodons, giant sloths, palaeolama.
Familiar creatures: fish, lizards, porcupines, alligators.
Human figures: hunters, dancers, and individuals wearing masks.
Intriguing scenes of people appearing to leap from wooden towers — possibly scaffolds used to paint high walls.
Life in the Ice Age Amazon
Archaeological excavations in the shelters revealed bones, seeds, and plant remains that paint a picture of everyday survival: palm fruits, tree fruits, rodents like capybara and paca, piranhas, snakes, frogs, armadillos, and alligators.
The artwork reflects how these early communities adapted to a shifting environment. Rising global temperatures transformed a mosaic of savannas and scrublands into the lush rainforest we see today.
Challenges of Exploration
Studying the site was not easy. Researchers had to:
Secure access agreements with the Colombian government and local rebel groups.
Trek five hours on foot through dense forest to reach the shelters.
Work under tight conditions of safety and secrecy.
Even today, research progress is slow due to logistical difficulties and interruptions caused by the global pandemic.
Cultural Significance
“The paintings give a vivid and exciting glimpse into the lives of these communities,” explains archaeologist Mark Robinson of the University of Exeter. They are more than art — they’re evidence of human ingenuity, survival, and identity at a pivotal time in history.
Archaeologist José Iriarte adds: “It is likely art was a powerful part of culture and a way for people to connect socially.”
The site, part of the LastJourney project launched after Colombia’s 2016 peace agreement, is rewriting our understanding of when people first settled the Amazon and how their activities shaped biodiversity.
Why It Matters
The “Sistine Chapel of the Ancients” isn’t just a gallery — it’s a time capsule. These ochre images freeze a moment when humans hunted giant herbivores, adapted to changing ecosystems, and left behind a record of creativity that survived for 12,000 years.
The vast mural of life, myth, and survival promises to remain one of archaeology’s greatest discoveries — and a reminder that even the densest rainforests still hide secrets waiting to be revealed.

30/09/2025

Beneath layers of earth in the ancient city of Laodicea, Turkey, archaeologists recently uncovered a remarkably preserved marble statue dating back to the Roman Imperial period, around the 2nd century CE. Once a thriving metropolis of Asia Minor, Laodicea was renowned for its wealth, art, and cultural fusion, making such discoveries vivid windows into its past grandeur.
The statue’s delicate features—flowing hair, finely carved lips, and soft contours—reveal the exceptional craftsmanship of Roman sculptors, who combined idealized beauty with lifelike expression. Though buried for centuries by earthquakes and time, the marble still retains its elegance, silently testifying to the city’s devotion to art, religion, and public life. The surrounding soil that once concealed it has ironically preserved its details from erosion.
Emerging into the light once more, the figure seems almost alive, as if awakening from a long sleep. It reminds us that history is never fully lost, only waiting beneath the surface for rediscovery, where stone becomes voice and memory takes shape anew.

28/09/2025

The Sacred Well of Santa Cristina in Sardinia, Italy, holds an air of mystery that stretches back more than 3,000 years. Far from being a simple water source, this subterranean monument was engineered with astonishing precision. On the equinoxes, sunlight reaches deep into the well, illuminating its hidden waters, while once every 18.6 years, moonlight aligns perfectly to shine into the chamber during a major lunar standstill. Such an achievement suggests the Nuragic people possessed a cosmic knowledge that rivals our own, raising questions about what wisdom has been lost across the ages... #

28/09/2025

Spectacular Ancient Underground ‘Stonehenge’ Dolmen De Soto Reveals Its Secrets 😍 The Dolmen de Soto is a Neolithic subterranean tomb in Trigueros, Andalucía, Spain. It is estimated it was built between 2500 and 3000 BC. 🤩 - via Ancient Facts Hub

16/09/2025

A severe drought in Spain has uncovered something incredible, the Dolmen of Guadalperal, sometimes called the “Spanish Stonehenge.”

This megalithic monument is thought to be around 7,000 years old, which makes it much older than the Pyramids of Giza and Stonehenge in England. Normally it sits hidden under a reservoir in Extremadura, but when water levels drop, the stones rise back into view like a time capsule from the Neolithic world.

Archaeologists believe it was once used for ceremonies or burials, and seeing it emerge again is a rare chance to connect with one of Europe’s oldest mysteries.

History keeps surprising us, even from beneath the water. 🌍⏳

20/08/2025

Newgrange, located in County Meath, Ireland, is a monumental prehistoric passage tomb dating back to around 3200 BC. As part of the Brú na Bóinne complex alongside Knowth and Dowth it stands as one of the oldest surviving architectural wonders in the world. The large circular mound is constructed from alternating layers of earth and stone and is surrounded by a kerb of massive stones, many of which are intricately decorated with megalithic art. These features reflect the advanced craftsmanship and symbolic expression of Neolithic society.

One of Newgrange’s most remarkable aspects is its alignment with the winter solstice sunrise. On the shortest days of the year, sunlight passes through a special opening above the entrance, known as the roof box, and illuminates the inner chamber. This precise astronomical alignment demonstrates the sophisticated knowledge of the builders, who were deeply connected to natural cycles. Scholars believe that Newgrange served both as a burial site and as a place of ritual significance, linking celestial events with spiritual beliefs about life, death, and renewal.

Today, Newgrange is recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is celebrated as one of Ireland’s most important archaeological landmarks. Its survival for over 5,000 years provides invaluable insights into ancient engineering, ritual practices, and astronomy. The monument continues to attract archaeologists, historians, and visitors from across the world, standing as both a symbol of Ireland’s ancient past and a testament to humanity’s enduring fascination with the cosmos.

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