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Archaeologists at Déri Museum made a significant discovery: a fully intact lamellar armor was unearthed from a solitary Early Avar warrior burial, near the border of Ebes, Hungary. Source: Déri Museum/Hungarian Museums

7th Century Armored Avar Warrior Buried with Horse Uncovered in Hungary

Archaeologists from the Déri Museum have unveiled an exciting find: the burial of an Avar warrior accompanied by a fully intact ‘lamellar’ armor set within a solitary early Avar tomb. This discovery...
A mass grave of over 50 headless Vikings, known as the headless Vikings of Dorset. Source: Simon Fraser University / CC BY 2.0

Unraveling the Mystery of the Headless Vikings of Dorset

In June 2009, archaeologists made a shocking discovery in the seaside town of Weymouth in Dorset, England. While excavating in preparation for the anticipated Weymouth Relief Road, archaeologists...
Photograph of the Pocahontas statue in Historic Jamestown, Virginia, USA.                            Source: I, Rolfmueller/CC BY-SA 3.0

The Real Pocahontas: Tragedy Beneath the Jamestown Sky (Video)

The historical narrative of Pocahontas , popularized through the writings of English explorer John Smith, presents a complex and contested tale. Smith, a key figure in Jamestown's early days,...
The Roman funerary bed during excavations in London and a reconstruction of the bed. Source: MOLA

“Flat-Packed” Roman Funerary Bed Found in London

In 2019 I wrote a news article on Ancient Origins about the UK’s first “flat-pack” medieval home. Now, archaeologists in London have announced their discovery of an incredibly well-made, and...
Bas relief at Nagsh-e-rostam showing the investiture of Ardashir I, Province du Fars, Iran. Source: Fabienkhan/CC BY-SA 2.5

The Parthian Empire: Rome’s Greatest Enemy (Video)

The Parthian Empire, successor to the Persian legacy, emerged in 238 BC, springing from the Parni tribe's conquest of Parthia in modern-day northeastern Iran. Although initially subdued by the...
Homage of King Edward I (kneeling) to Philip IV (seated). As Duke of Aquitaine, Edward was a vassal to the French king, by Jean Fouquet (15th century) (Public Domain)

Clash Of Kings: England’s Edward Longshanks Versus France’s Philip The Fair

The Anglo-French war of 1294-1303 has not been the subject of a major study since the early 1900s. Recent histories tend to treat it as a sideshow compared to King Edward I’s wars in Wales and...
Baba Vanga, attributed mystic and healer who claimed to have foreseen the future and the Cave of Bastet in Bulgaria. Source: citaty.net /CC-BY-SA-3.0, Natalya/Adobe Stock

The Expedition Sparked by the Cryptic Tale of Baba Vanga's Prophecy

Shortly before her death, the Bulgarian prophetess Baba Vanga is said to have whispered an enigmatic prophecy: “ The time of miracles will come, and science will make great discoveries in the field...
Representative image of a soldier from the Abbasid Caliphate. Source: Harry / Adobe Stock

From Splendor to Ruin: The Epic Tale of the Abbasid Caliphate

The Abbasid Caliphate was an Arabic dynasty that ruled over much of the Muslim world for over 500 years. It rose from bloody beginnings to become the center of the Muslim world during the Islamic...
Ancient Uçhisar Castle in Turkey. Source: Parilov / Adobe Stock

Uçhisar Castle, the Enigmatic Stone Village of Cappadocia

Uçhisar Castle stands as an iconic geological formation and historical marvel nestled in the heart of Cappadocia, Turkey. Carved into the unique landscape of the region, this fortress-like structure...
The skull of Paranthropus boisei, known as KNM ER 406, photographed at the Nairobi National Museum in August 2012.                    Source: Bjørn Christian Tørrissen/CC BY-SA 3.0

Paranthropus-Our Most Mysterious Extinct Cousins (Video)

In the tapestry of human evolution , the enigmatic Paranthropus emerges as a parallel cousin to our Homo ancestors. Discovered in South and East Africa in the late 1930s, these hominins, including...
Divination was an important aspect of everyday life in ancient Mesopotamia. Source: breakermaximus / Adobe Stock

Divination and Omens in Mesopotamian Society

Ancient civilizations, throughout history, depended on the skill and intricacy of their diviners. Divination is the method of ritually foreseeing the future and the outcome of big events. In this way...
A computer generated image of what the iron age workshop might have looked like. 	Source: DigVentures

Iron Age Blacksmith Workshop in the Oxford Countryside Reveals Master Craftsman

Researchers have been “completely blown away” by the uncovering of an Iron Age workshop belonging to a "master blacksmith" in the English countryside, complete with bellow protectors and small metal...
The Salem Witch Trials: "Trial of George Jacobs, August 5, 1692" by Thomkins H. Matteson. Source: Public domain

Salem Witch Trial Hysteria and the Courageous Stance of Giles Corey

In Spring of 1692, a group of young girls in Salem Village, Massachusetts, accused others in their village of practicing witchcraft, unleashing a hysteria that caused the deaths of at least 24 people...
Mulan as depicted in the album Gathering Gems of Beauty (Qing dynasty, 18th century).	Source: Public Domain

Beyond Disney: The True History of Mulan (Video)

The rich history behind Mulan , beyond Disney's cinematic adaptations, spans over 1,500 years. Originating as an ancient Chinese ballad during the late Northern Wei Dynasty, the tale likely draws...
Rows of shallow pits drilled into rock are thought to be where ancient people played a version of the game Mancala.	Source: Courtesy of Veronica Waweru/Yale University

Yale Archaeologist Discovers Ancient Mancala Game Boards in Kenya's Highlands

In a remarkable fusion of local knowledge and academic expertise, Yale University's Veronica Waweru has uncovered what she thinks is an ancient "arcade" of Mancala game boards in central Kenya,...
Representational image of a marine archaeologist. Source: Microgen / Adobe Stock

New Project Will Search for Lost Stone Age Settlements on Sea Floors

An international team of researchers has been awarded a grant of more than £11.5 million (about $14.5 million USD) to organize an underwater archaeological survey of ancient ruins that are currently...
Modern human and Homo erectus man compared.   Source: AlienCat / Adobe Stock

Did a Superhuman Genetic Mutation Rewire Human Evolution? (Video)

Did a superhuman genetic mutation reshape human evolution ? The abrupt emergence of advanced human culture over a short period remains a mystery. Anthropological evidence suggests a radical shift in...
Detail from Nicolas Poussin’s depiction of the Biblical story of Joshua’s victory over the Amalek. Source: Public domain

Who Were the Biblical Amalek People?

If you’ve been following the news, you will have heard references to the use of the term Amalek which was cited by South Africa at the International Court of Justice in The Hague in January 2024. But...
The battle between the gods and the Titans. Source: Pubic Domain

What Caused the War of the Titans in Greek Mythology? (Video)

The War of the Titans , a tumultuous saga in Greek mythology, unfolds like a cosmic drama, blending familial strife, ruthless ambition, and the inescapable pull of destiny. Kronos, the cunning Titan...
Panoramic photograph of the rocky shore platform on the Larache area coast of Morocco where the 90000-year-old footprints were found. The area delimited by the dotted red line corresponds to the footprint discovery zone. Source: M. Sedrati, et al/Nature

90,000-Years-Old Footprints Discovered On Moroccan Beach

85 human footprints dating to 90,000-years-ago have been found on a beach in Morocco. But how did they get there, and what were the people doing? In 1964, when Margaret Fishback Powers wrote the...
An artistic depiction of the Maritime Archaic culture, at the Port au Choix Archaeological Site. The Maritime Archaic peoples were the first to settle Newfoundland. (David W Enstrom / CC BY-SA 4.0)

Maritime Archaic Culture: The Red Paint People Of Newfoundland

About 5,000 years ago, when the Phoenicians dominated the Mediterranean trade routes and were, perhaps, beginning to venture out into the Atlantic as far west as North America, and when a mysterious...
Records on the shelves of one of the Archives' storage areas, known as the Scaffali in Ferro, which contains 13 kilometers of shelving over two floors. Source: Vatican Apostolic Archives

The Extraordinary Tale of a Pope, a Pirate, and a Dead Bishop’s Treasure

Documents published from the Vatican archives in 2014 revealed an incredible tale of pirate attacks and corruption involving a 14th century bishop, whose lifelong accumulation of treasure was...
Ancient bas-relief on grave stele in Kerameikos in Athens, Greece depicting two wrestlers in action.	Source: National Archaeological Museum of Athens/ CC BY-SA 2.0 DE

From Ancient Greece to Now: the Bravado of Athletes Transcends Centuries

Peter J. Miller /The Conversation “I am the greatest. I said that even before I knew I was. I figured that if I said it enough, I would convince the world that I was really the greatest.” This quote...
Statue of Socrates    Source: araelf/Adobe Stock

Did the Ancient Greeks and Romans Experience Alzheimer’s?

Leigh Hopper /University of Southern California You might think age-related dementia has been with us all along, stretching back to the ancient world. But a new analysis of classical Greek and Roman...

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