ancestry

Ezekiel’s vision ‘The Valley of Dry Bones”. Source: loswl / CC BY-SA 2.0.

17 June, 2019 - 23:00 Dr. Eran Elhaik

Resurrecting the Ancient Israelites From the Valley of Dry Bones

The Vision of the Valley of Dry Bones prophecy is one of the most powerful prophecies of the prophet Ezekiel . In this vision, Ezekiel finds himself in a valley full of dry human bones of Israelite...

The ancient Crusaders' DNA can help us understand historical events. Source: Alessandro Cristiano / Adobe.

19 May, 2019 - 18:58 ancient-origins

A History of the Crusades As Told by Crusaders' DNA

History can tell us a lot about the Crusades , the series of religious wars fought between 1095 and 1291, in which Christian invaders tried to claim the Near East. But the DNA of nine 13th century...

14 January, 2019 - 22:54 ancient-origins

DNA Tool Allows You To Trace Your Ancient Ancestry

University of Sheffield Scientists at the University of Sheffield studying ancient DNA have created a tool allowing them to more accurately identify ancient Eurasian populations, which can be used to...

Genealogy of the Incas by Cuzco School. 18th or early 19th century.

28 May, 2018 - 18:58 ashley cowie

Creation Myths Hold Hard Facts About Our Ancient Origins

The largest pre-Hispanic civilization in the Americas was the Inca Empire and from their capital city of Cusco, rulers known as Sapa Inka (Quechua for "the only Inca”) controlled a vast territory...

Close up of the model of Cheddar Man rendered by Kennis & Kennis Reconstructions

7 February, 2018 - 18:38 ashley cowie

Blue Eyed, Black Skinned British Hunter Closes Race Debate

A 10,000-year-old hunter had “dark to black” skin, a groundbreaking DNA analysis of Britain’s oldest complete skeleton has revealed. The Cheddar Man fossil was unearthed in Gough’s Cave in Somerset...

King Arthur monument in Tintagel, Cornwall.(left), Excalibur in Brocéliande Forest, Brittany, France.(right)

17 January, 2018 - 18:52 Anthony Murphy

Has the King Arthur Gene Been Traced?

If stories of King Arthur and his knights are based on real people their DNA markers should still be with us today. New DNA research has perhaps found the King Arthur gene. The Genetic Lead R1b-L513...

Rock art in central Northumberland, northern England. (Author provided)

22 December, 2017 - 01:58 ancient-origins

What Neolithic Rock Art Can Tell Us About the Way Our Ancestors Lived 6,000 Years Ago

The British and Irish countryside is often celebrated for its wealth of unique places of heritage, significance and interest. But not many people know that this heritage includes thousands of ancient...

16 May, 2017 - 19:01 Mark Miller

Sorry European racial “purists,” it turns out your ancestors were African and Middle Eastern

People throughout history have taken pride in their ancestral roots, but new studies of migrations of people into Europe and elsewhere are showing that no one’s heritage is “pure.” Or if humanity’s...

30 January, 2017 - 19:49 Carly Silver

Were the Merovingians Descended from a Monster? Meet the Quinotaur

You’ve probably heard of a Minotaur (half-man, half-bull), but what about a Quinotaur? In early Frankish history, there was a “beast of Neptune,” which was said to look like a creature called a...

31 March, 2016 - 03:52 ancient-origins

Where in the World are our Neanderthal and Denisovan Ancestors?

Most non-Africans possess at least a little bit Neanderthal DNA. But a new map of archaic ancestry--published March 28 in Current Biology--suggests that many bloodlines around the world, particularly...

Hans Makart's painting of Charlotte Wolter in Adolf Wilbrandt's tragedy, Arria und Messalina.

1 February, 2016 - 00:57 Natalia Klimczak

Questioning the Dramatic Story of the Empress Messalina, Was She a Cruel Doxy or the Victim of a Smear Campaign?

In Ancient Rome, Valeria Messalina was a symbol of vanity and immorality. For centuries, people identified her as one of the most demoralized women in history, but how much of what we know about...