Far Horizons Blog
Sites to See on an Archaeological Tour of Ireland
Ireland is a country rich in legend, myth, and history. Its thousands of castles, ancient monasteries, and megalithic tombs call out to our imaginations, to historians, archeologists, and storytellers. Ireland has many stories to tell and Far Horizons’ Ireland...
Essential Sites to See on an Archaeology Tour of the US Southwest
Do you want to learn more about the history of the US southwest? This part of the United States is home to some of the best ancient sites, ruins, and petroglyphs in the Americas. At Far Horizons, we provide tours all around the world led by renowned scholars, ensuring...
Essential Sites to See on an Archaeology Tour of the UK
The earliest evidence of humans living in what is now the United Kingdom dates back to the Last Glacial Period. From this point to medieval times, a succession of cultures arrived, including the Romans, Saxons, and Normans. Each new arrival brought a different way of...
5 Sites to See on an Archaeology tour of Turkey
Turkey has an incredibly deep and significant history that stretches back into the classical era, and even further. It was the birthplace of Aesop, St Paul the Apostle, and Herodotus — the father of history. Turkey’s exciting, vibrant history makes it one of the most...
Essential Sites to See on an Archaeology Tour of Peru
When you think of archaeological sites in Peru, Machu Picchu and the Inca Trail will likely come to mind first. And that’s understandable given their iconic status. But as one of the six cradles of civilization, Peru is practically overflowing with fascinating relics...
Karahantep – in Eastern Turkey – maybe older Göbekli Tepe
Karahantepe, along with world-famous Göbekli Tepe, is part of a cluster of Neolithic settlements spread over 125 miles of southeastern Turkey between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers. The monumental structures carved out of the bedrock contain T-shaped pillars and...
Ancient Golden Mask From 1,000 Years Ago Hides a Gruesome, Bloody Secret
Photo: Example of a Sicán funerary mask painted red. (The Met Museum) Ancient Golden Mask From 1,000 Years Ago Hides a Gruesome, Bloody Secret By Tessa Koumoundouros (link to full article -...
Sicily: The Heart of the Mediterranean
By Heather Stoeckley “To have seen Italy without seeing Sicily is to not have seen Italy at all, for Sicily is the clue to everything.” These words from the poet Johann Wolfgang Goethe (who traveled to Sicily 1786-1788) have been the playing in the back of head since...
Unlocking the past in Mexico City
By Heather Stoeckley Mexico City is bursting with color! From the purple-blooming Jacaranda trees that line Reforma Avenue, to the yellow and orange dome that tops Palacio de Bellas Artes, everywhere you turn you are acutely aware of how this place epitomizes sun and...
Sri Lanka: Land of Serendipity
By David Eckel In 1754, the English essayist Horace Walpole coined the term “serendipity” to refer to “a happy and unexpected discovery.” The source for his new word was a Persian story about three princes from Serendip, an island in the Indian Ocean that was known to...
Life aboard a Turkish Gulet
By Jennifer Tobin, Study Leader I’m an early riser so my day begins at dawn. I put on a bathing suit under my sundress and leave my small wooden cabin, climbing the stairs to emerge on deck. Long cushions occupy the stern of the boat and I snuggle into some pillows...
Chaco Canyon – Did You Know?
Located in the northwest corner of New Mexico, Chaco Canyon is 70 miles from the nearest town and reached only by rutted dirt roads. And yet, throughout the valley floor are vast stone edifices some towering as high as 4 or 5 floors and containing hundreds of rooms....
Did You Know about Iceland?
Iceland has one of the first democratic parliaments in the World?
Traveling through Bulgaria
A post-trip interview with tour manager, Kelly Bryson How long was your trip to Bulgaria and where did you visit? The trip was just over two weeks long and we made a circuit of the entire country, including stops at Sofia, Ivanovo, Madara Rider, Varna, Nessebar, Stara...
Did You Know about the Egyptians?
The oldest international peace treaty was between the Egyptians and the Hittites?
Who Were the Hittites? Tour Western Turkey with Far Horizons!
The Hittites occupied the region of Anatolia (also known as Asia Minor, and is now modern-day Turkey) prior to 1700 BCE. It is well thought that they developed a culture from the indigenous Hatti people.
Traveling through Ethiopia
A post-trip interview on Ethiopia with tour managers, Kelly Bryson and Heather Stoeckley Welcome to this post-trip interview with the tour managers behind our Ethiopia Tour: The Wonders of the Horn of Africa. Our experiences often last over two weeks and can be a...
Did you know this about Iceland?
More books are written, published and sold per person per year in Iceland than anywhere else on the planet.
Why Bulgaria?
Bulgaria, bordered by Romania to the north, Serbia and North Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, and the Black Sea to the east, is a cultural melting pot. Greek, Slavic, Ottoman, and Persian influences are displayed in their wealth of fascinating...
Did You Know?
Remember the fable of mythical Icarus who, on wings crafted of feathers and wax, flew too close to the sun? Made of feathers and wax, the sun melted them and Icarus fell and died. His father, Daedalus, a great inventor who is credited with creating the Great Labyrinth...
Megalithic Temples on Malta
Travel with Far Horizons and visit the Hal Saflieni Hypogeum, located in Paola, Malta; A prehistoric temple inscribed on the UNESCO world Heritage list.
New Discoveries at Pompeii
Archaeologists have found new graffiti that may end the debate about the exact date of the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius that destroyed Pompeii in 79 AD. In one of his letters to the Roman historian Tacitus, Pliny the Younger documented the event twenty five years after it...
New Discoveries in Turkey’s Göbekli Tepe
Built several millennia before Stonehenge or Egypt’s great pyramids, Göbekli Tepe is acclaimed as the world's oldest temple at around 12,000 years old. Listed as a UNESCO World heritage property in 2018, this stunning sanctuary complex in south-east Turkey overturns...
What is an Egyptian Dahabiya?
Herodotus said it 2,500 years ago: "Egypt is the gift of the Nile" - and what a gift it is - a narrow strip of cultivatable land teased from barren expanse of desert that is home of one of the greatest civilizations the world has ever known. The Nile, from the Sudan...
Etruscan Goddess Inscription at Poggio Colla in Italy
Photo by Mugello Valley Project At the Etruscan sanctuary of Poggio Colla archaeologists are working on deciphering a rare inscription found on a temple stone. The translation of the sacred text has revealed the name of a female goddess, Uni. It is thought that she...
Tomb of a goldsmith found near Egypt’s Valley of the Kings
Photo by Khaled Desouki (Agence France-Presse - Getty Images) In Draa Abul-Naga, a necropolis for noblemen and rulers not far from the Valley of the Kings, a 3,500-year-old tomb has been unearthed by archaeologist Mostafa Waziri and his team. The occupant of the tomb...
Cooperative Government and the Ancient Olmec
A strong centralized monarchy, evidenced by a single plaza, characterizes the Olmec sites of San Lorenzo and La Venta. At Tres Zapotes, however, this form of government appears to have been adjusted in order to distribute power between several groups. Archaeologists...
Sport and Politics in the Ancient Maya World
Drawing by Christophe Helmke Two carved stone panels discovered in 2015 by Christopher Andres of Michigan State University and his colleagues at the site of Tipan Chen Uitz in Belize depict ballplayers and are the first of their kind to be found in Belize. One of the...
Discovery at Nim Li Punit in Belize
Photo by Professor Geoffrey Braswell A large carved jade pendant likely made for the Maya king Janaab’ Ohl K’inich has been found by Professor Geoffrey Braswell of University of California, San Diego and his team at the site of Nim Li Punit in Belize. Measuring 7.4...
What is the difference is between ‘whiskey’ and ‘whisky’?
The Scots spell it whisky and the Irish spell it whiskey, with an extra 'e'. This difference in the spelling comes from the translations of the word from the Scottish and Irish Gaelic forms. Whiskey with the extra 'e' is also used when referring to American whiskies....