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History & Archaeology

We bring you all the latest historical news and archaeological discoveries relating to ancient human history. Read more history news from around the world here at Ancient Origins.

A selection of 29 rare Greek coins recently unearthed at ancient Tenea, Corinth, Greece.	Source: Greek Ministry of Culture

Unearthing the Lost City Built By Prisoners Of The Famous Trojan War

In a remarkable display of historical unraveling, a research program, led by archaeologist Dr. Elena Korkas, has completed its systematic archaeological research in Chiliomodi, Corinth, exploring the...
A lidar map of the city of Kunguints in the Ecuadorian Amazon reveals ancient streets lined with houses.

Oldest Known Ancient Amazonian Cities Uncovered in Ecuador!

An extensive civilization like nothing ever discovered before has been revealed in the Amazon jungle of Ecuador! This latest discovery is believed to be the oldest human settlement known in the...
Reconstruction view of the northern part of walled oasis fortification of Khaybar around 2000 BC. Source: © Khaybar LDAP, M. Bussy & G. Charloux/ Journal of Archaeological Science

Vast, 4,000-Year-Old Oasis Fortification Discovered in North Arabia

Researchers have found a 4,000-year-old fortification defending an oasis in the North Arabian Desert, at the ancient Khaybar Oasis. It is officially one of the longest known structures - 14.5...
Old photo of one of the tombs in the Nubian cemetery discovered in 1908. 	Source: University of Manchester

Records from Early 20th Century Nubian Excavations Miraculously Rediscovered

A researcher combing through the archives at the University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom discovered a set of 115-year-old documents that were believed to have been permanently lost eight...
Left; the Artemis Amarynthos temple, Right; an array of artifacts found at the site. Source: Swiss School of Archaeology in Greece

Glorious 7th Century BC Artemis Temple Uncovered on Greek Island of Euboea

Excavating a temple at the Artemis Amarynthos sanctuary on the Greek island of Euboea, a collaborative four-year effort between Swiss and Greek archaeologists has uncovered a beautiful temple of...
Prof Alice Roberts with Jacqueline Mckinley and Ceri Boston from Wessex Archaeology with human remains from the Anglo-Saxon cemetery, Lincolnshire.	Source: © Wessex Archaeology

Anglo-Saxon Cemetery Secrets Unlocked on BBC's 'Digging for Britain'

In an exciting development in the world of archaeology, a new episode of BBC's "Digging for Britain" is set to showcase the recent discovery of an Anglo-Saxon cemetery in rural Lincolnshire, in the...
Two of the mummies found in rock-cut tombs in Al-Bhanasa. Source: Egypt Ministry of Tourism & Antiquities

Heart-pounding Tomb Discovery In Egypt Shakes Up Ptolemaic/Roman Traditions

Archaeologists in Egypt have made a heart-pounding discovery in Al-Bhanasa, Minya, unveiling a significant slice of ancient history. This latest find includes rock-carved graves from the Ptolemaic...
An aerial image depicting the interior walls of a Roman temple found in Spello, Italy, which experts believe to be an ancient pagan temple of fourth-century Italy and the late Roman Empire. Source: Douglas Boin/Saint Louis Univiersity

Pagan Temple Shifts Rome's Narrative of Rapid Conversion to Christianity

The ruins of an ancient pagan temple under a parking lot in central Italy 70 miles (112.65 km) north of Rome, sheds light on the cultural shift during the transition from Roman imperial theology to...
Some of the figures at Adamkayalar. Source: Oleg Znamenskiy/Adobe Stock

Treasure Hunters Damage Ancient Rock Carvings After Non-existent ‘Hidden Treasures’

The Adamkayalar reliefs, located in Mersin Province’s southern region, near the southern coast of Turkey, have recently suffered damage from treasure hunters and need urgent protection to avoid...
The Middle Bronze Age “Faraglioni” village at Ustica and the long and arched defensive wall.	Source: Drone photo by V. Ambrosanio, 2022/Science Direct

Discovery of Bronze Age Fortifications on Ustica Island

Archaeologists studying the ruins of a Middle Bronze Age site on the remote island of Ustica in the Tyrrhenian Sea north of Sicily have uncovered detailed information about the construction...
Reconstruction of the Piltdown Man hoax hominin by Cicero Moraes et al.	Source: (© Cicero Moraes et al.)

Hoax Hominin ‘Piltdown Man’ Could Equally Be ‘Piltdown Woman’

The Piltdown Man scandal is arguably the greatest scientific fraud ever perpetrated in the UK, with faked fossils being claimed as evidence of our earliest ancestor. It is highly likely that an...
An aerial view captures a standard segment of the Mongolian Arc wall. Researchers investigating this lesser-known portion of the Great Wall of China have unveiled fresh perspectives on its historical significance. Source: Khaltaryn Balgas (MA21)/Journal of Field Archaeology

‘Mongolian Arc’ Study Reveals Reason for Gaps in the Great Wall of China

For the first time ever, scholars have conducted an analysis of a segment of the Great Wall of China that reaches into Mongolia. Stretched across 405 kilometers (252 mi), this wall, known as the "...
The intricate Anglo- Saxon artifact has a diameter of only 19.4mm (0.7 in) and features a depiction of an animal at the top, most probably a horse. Source: ANDREW WILLIAMS/NORFOLK COUNTY COUNCIL

Exquisite Silver Gilded Anglo-Saxon Artifact Unearthed, Baffles Experts

A stunningly crafted and gilded silver Anglo-Saxon artifact, skillfully made by someone with a keen sense of beauty, has left experts puzzled as to its purpose and utility. This exquisite artifact,...
Composite of excavations, burials and artifacts from the Roman necropolis recently uncovered near Rome. Source: Soprintendenza Archeologia Belle Arti Paesaggio Etruria Meridionale

Opulent Tombs & Untold Wealth Revealed at Newly Found Roman Necropolis

Archaeologists involved in a two-year-long excavation project at the site of a planned solar energy plant near Rome unearthed something astonishing and totally unexpected. While exploring under a...
One of the medieval skeletons found at the Fonmon Castle site cemetery, Cardiff.  Source: ©Andy Seaman

Bizarrely Positioned Burials Uncovered In Early Medieval Cemetery, Wales

Archaeologists in Wales have uncovered an early medieval cemetery, dating back to the 6th or 7th century. So far, 18 out of an estimated 70 graves have been excavated, revealing remarkably well-...
  Cerne Abbas Chalk Figure Now Identified As the Greek Hero Hercules Researchers have been speculating for centuries about the meaning and origin of a gigantic 180-foot (55-meter) human figure carved into a chalky hillside near the village of Cerne Abbas in Dorset, England. While many explanations have been offered purporting to explain who this man really is, a new study published in the medieval history journal Speculum asserts that the mystery has been solved. The answer to this timeworn question appears

Cerne Abbas Chalk Figure Now Identified As the Greek Hero Hercules

Researchers have been speculating for centuries about the meaning and origin of a gigantic 180-foot (55-meter) human figure carved into a chalky hillside near the village of Cerne Abbas in Dorset,...
A network of ancient tunnels was unearthed at Houchengzui Stone City gate, China.	 Source: Chinese Academy of Social Sciences / China Archaeology Network

Experts Blown Away by Ancient Tactical Defense Tunnels Unearthed in China

Entering the ancient stone city of Houchengzui over 4,000 years ago was a tryst, with an elaborate fortification system, layers and layers of defensive walls and the overpowering of the armed...
AI representation of a Neanderthal man surveying the landscape. Source: Dr_Microbe/Adobe Stock

15 Leaps Forward in Our Understanding of Human Evolution in 2023

2023 could likely be viewed as a coming-of-age story for our Neanderthal cousins, as they further shed their brutish image, revealing themselves as skilled hunters and surprising artisans. We learned...
Burial of tall medieval man with longsword in Sweden.          Source: Kulturmiljö Halland

Huge 500-Year-Old Longsword Recovered from Medieval Grave on Swedish Coast

Researchers digging at the Lilla Torg site in the western Swedish port city of Halmstad unearthed something extraordinarily rare. While excavating a grave in a medieval era cemetery, archaeologists...
Archaeologists excavating skeletal remains at Çatalhöyük in Turkey. Source: Anadolu Agency

Evidence of 8,500-Year-Old Head Surgery Excavated at Çatalhöyük

During ongoing excavations at the 9,000-year-old extinct Anatolian city of Çatalhöyük in central Turkey, a team of archaeologists discovered something remarkable. While examining the skeleton of a...
One of the 48 burials found at Cima de San José, along with an array of votive deposits. Source: INAH Tamaulipas Center

Major Human Burial Discovery Unveiled at Cima de San José, Mexico

In a huge archaeological discovery, authorities in Mexico have announced the recovery of the largest osteological sample of ancient inhabitants from the southwest region of Tamaulipas. The site,...
The teenage girl, who was not more than 17 years old, was buried alongside the decapitated baby in a tomb. This led experts to speculate that she might have been unaware of her pregnancy with twins. Right; Rradiograph of mummified fetus found lodged within the teenage girl’s pelvis.  Source: Francine Margolis, David R. Hunt/onlinelibrary.wiley.com

Teenage Mummy Found with Fetus Trapped in Her Pelvis Shows Harsh Reality of Childbirth

The full tragic story revealed by mummified remains of a female teenage mummy of just 14-17 years old, who died during childbirth, has been discovered by archaeologists in Egypt. What makes the find...
(Left to Right), archaeologist Federico Bernardini and astronomer Paolo Molaro at Castelliere di Rupinpiccolo, holding what could be the oldest celestial map ever discovered. Source: INAF

Is This Really an Ancient Celestial Map, Or a Case of “The Selection Effect”?

A pair of researchers report they have identified an ancient celestial map carved on a circular stone at an Italian Bronze Age hillfort. But having taken several leaps of faith, and lacking a...
Montage of some of 2023’s most impressive archaeological finds. Source: Credited in the article.

Ancient Origins' Most Extraordinary Archaeological Treasures of 2023

This year’s archaeological discoveries have presented a wide journey through time and across diverse cultures. This all too brief listing brings you our choice of the most astonishing archaeological...

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