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Mysterious Phenomena

This section of Ancient Origins will help you to discover some of the mysteries and unexplained phenomena of the world that remain unsolved even today.

An artist’s imaginary depiction of a pharaoh burning herbs in a ritual. Source: Fair use

Dealing in the Past: How Did Ancient Egyptians Get Nicotine and Cocaine?

The discovery of traces of nicotine and cocaine within 3,000-year-old human remains, which came to be known as Egypt’s cocaine mummies, raised curious questions amongst historians. Challenging...
Dr Valentina Rossi of University College Cork, Ireland, who led the research team which discovered that a 280-million-year-old lizard fossil is, in part, a forgery. Source: Zixiao Yang/University College Cork

The Oldest Fossil Reptile from the Alps is Declared an Historic Forgery

A 280-million-year-old fossil that has baffled researchers for decades has been shown to be, in part, a forgery following new examination of the remnants. The discovery has led the team headed by Dr...
Nestled within Koli National Park, the Pirunkirkko cave, known as the Devil's Church in English, has become renowned for its purported connection to the spirit realm. Source: University of Eastern Finland

Researchers Unpack Science Behind Unique Presence of Devil in Finnish Cave

Thousands of curious visitors venture to the Pirunkirkko or ‘Devil’s Church’ cave in eastern Finland, in the fervent hope of the contact with the spirit world, specifically, to ‘talk to the Devil’...
Experts conduct X-ray and CT scans on the Fiji mermaid in an attempt to unravel its genuine nature.    Source: Norse Media

Scans of ‘Frankensteined-Together’ Fiji Mermaid Reveal Its Origins

The mystery behind one of the infamous ‘Fiji mermaids’ may soon be solved by radiology testing. This bizarre creature seems to be part fish, part monkey, and part reptile, and has baffled scientists...
Experimental models of Aztec death whistles

Scientists Recreate Aztec Death Whistle’s Deathly Noise

Experts have recreated the terrifying sound of the Aztec Death Whistle - using a 3D printer. The whistle's design is based on the skull-shaped originals found in Mexico in the 1990s. Historically,...
This man underwent complete mummification in just over 16 days.  His mummified corpse was found near a railway in Bulgaria leaving scientists perplexed about this quick natural mummification.   Source:  Mileva B, Tsranchev I, Georgieva M, et al. /CC-BY 4.0

Man Discovered Mummified After 16 Days: Bulgarian Scientists Perplexed

Investigators in Bulgaria have been perplexed after finding “a complete mummified corpse,” just 16 days after the man was last seen alive. Sherlock once said, "Once you eliminate the impossible,...
Representational image representing a UFO flying over Rendlesham Forest in Suffolk. Source: fergregory / Adobe Stock

UFO Author Will Lead Exploration of Rendlesham Forest Encounters Site

One of the most celebrated and debated UFO incidents of all time took place in Rendlesham Forest near Suffolk, England just after Christmas in 1980. United States Air Force personnel stationed at two...
Priest conducting an exorcism. Source:  lunamarina / Adobe Stock

Demonic Possession and the Ancient Practice of Exorcism on the Rise?

Belief in malevolent spirits inhabiting the human body has persisted across cultures for millennia. During the Middle Ages, exorcisms were commonplace to rid individuals of supposed demonic...
Digital representation of a trap-feeding humpback, thought to be the phenomenon explaining Hafgufa and other sea monsters. Source: J. McCarthy/Marine Mammal Science

Medieval Sea Monster Was Likely a Whale, New Research Reveals

A team of Australian researchers has come up with an intriguing theory about a gigantic sea creature referenced in 13th century Norse manuscripts. Known as the Hafgufa in Norway, this huge sea...
The Enjuin temple mermaid mummy which has now been exposed as a hoax. Source: Kurashiki University of Science and the Arts

Mermaid Mummy at Japan Temple Exposed as Gruesome Man-Made Hoax

Medical tests performed on a mummified mermaid corpse on display at a temple in Japan have been exposed as a hoax, although it isn’t made of quite what was suspected. The so-called “mermaid mummy” is...
Close up portion of the newly released ‘best UFO photo’. Source: Reproduced with permission of Sheffield Hallam University/Craig Lindsay

‘Clearest Photo Ever’ of a Huge UFO, Advanced Military Tech, Or Just A Rock In Water?

A team of British UFO researchers has released the “clearest UFO photograph ever”. However, sceptics say it’s a triangular rock reflected in water. For many, this photograph is the smoking-gun of...
Giant sinkhole that has opened up in the Atacama Desert, Chile. Source: Sernageomin

Giant Sinkhole Is Growing In Chile’s Atacama Desert

An enormous sinkhole that appeared on a plot of mining land in Chile’s Atacama Desert region has continued to grow. The gigantic cavity was first seen on July 30 in a rural area outside the town of...
After 900 years the cursed prophecy of the broken Killing Stone has come true in Japan, and many are worried about what comes next!		Source: ITmedia

Japan’s Killing Stone Has Cracked, Sparking Widespread Fear

A legendary volcanic rock in Japan associated with an ancient evil vixen-demon, has split in two. While geologists assure the occurrence is natural, others are convinced the chaotic fox spirit has...
Mermaid image with inset image of the Japanese mummified mermaid. Source: yukinya / Adobe Stock and Asahi Shumbun Company / Youtube

Mummified “Mermaid” CT Scanned by Japanese Scientists

The origins of a bizarre creature that resides in a Japanese temple are being studied. While the so-called mermaid is worshipped as such, a folklorist suspects this is another P. T. Barnum special...
Representational image of a lost city at the bottom of the ocean. Source: diversepixel / Adobe Stock

12,000-Year-Old Lost City Off New Orleans Coast or Imagination Gone Wild?

A self-proclaimed amateur archaeologist professes that mysterious granite stones found over the years by fishermen near the uninhabited Chandeleur Islands, located 50 miles east of New Orleans in the...
One of the natural mummies in San Bernardo, Colombia. Source: The Gringo / CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

The Natural Mummies of San Bernardo: Created by Earth, Gas or Fruit?

Were extremely well preserved natural mummies discovered in Colombia made by special high altitude climatic conditions, or was it the fruit they consumed? The mausoleum of San Bernardo is located...
Curious Tjipetir blocks have been turning up on beaches across Europe for decades. Source: Tom Quinn Williams / Tjipetir Mystery Facebook page

Mysterious Tjipetir Blocks Are Appearing on European Beaches

A woman was walking along the beach in Cornwall , England in 2012, when she by chance spotted a dark tablet in the sand. On closer inspection she noticed it was inscribed with a strange word, but...
Three men claim to have spotted a roaring Yowie in Queensland, Australia. Source: GARETH / Adobe Stock

Roaring Yowie Apeman Reported by Australian Work Crew

Three men from remote Queensland in Australia have reported an extended encounter with the legendary Bigfoot-like Yowie. But this was no normal Yowie experience, where people hear noises and find...
Mysterious Bigfoot figure in the forest. Source: Dave / Adobe Stock

Bigfoot: Giant Hoax or Giant Hominid?

Fact or fiction, Bigfoot has captured the world’s imagination after a road construction crew spotted giant 16-inch-long human footprints near Bluff Creek in northern California in 1958. The discovery...
NFT Image from 1947 Alien Autopsy Film For Sale for $1 Million

NFT Image from 1947 Alien Autopsy Film For Sale for $1 Million

A most extraordinary online auction is currently in progress , at the digital art auction house Rarible. Up for sale is an NFT (non-fungible token) image taken from an alleged 68-year-old alien...
Are Mermaid Myths Inspired by a Rare Medical Condition?

Are Mermaid Myths Inspired by a Rare Medical Condition?

Mermaids have occupied our imagination for thousands of years. The mesmerizing aquatic creatures, hybrid half-human and half-fish beings, have been spotted in seas around the world and appear in...
A UFO flying over the New Mexico desert.

A Secret Roswell Journal Becomes The Focus Of A New UFO Documentary

A secret journal offers new clues about the nature of the alleged 1947 AD UFO crash at Roswell in the New Mexico desert, or does it? Before we kick off, this isn’t one of these Reddit stories that...
Hidden Welsh Witchcraft Den And Demon Traps Discovered In Old Home

Hidden Welsh Witchcraft Den And Demon Traps Discovered In Old Home

A home full of occult objects has attracted enormous interest, recently. A hidden space beneath a staircase in a 16th-century Welsh home was filled with occult objects, including animal skulls and a...
After a ten year run of bad luck, an Irish farmer was advised by University College Cork to contact druids to perform a ceremony. Source: heywoody / Adobe Stock

Cursed Irish Farmer Calls in The Druids

A Cork farmer has employed the services of druids to end his decade of bad luck after a bull damaged an ancient standing stone on his land. The Irish farmer, Donal Bohane, owns a 30-acre (12.1 ha.)...

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