ancient

8 February, 2019 - 13:51 Ed Whelan

Stolen 1200-Year-Old Bible with Gold-Encrusted Motifs Recovered in Anti-Smuggling Raid in Turkey

A rare 1200-year old bible has been seized from a group of antiquities smugglers in Turkey. In recent years there have been a sharp spike in the numbers of historic artifacts smuggled into the...

Limestone stela showing a man and woman standing next to each other, which shows signs of having been defaced.

20 January, 2019 - 18:47 Ed Whelan

Ancient Egyptian Carving of Couple Defaced in Revenge Attack to Deny Them a Happy Afterlife

Ancient Egyptian beliefs about the afterlife shaped every aspect of their culture and society. A find in a 3,500-year-old shrine is throwing new light on the beliefs of provincial Egyptians. Experts...

Wax diptycha or tablet, forming a schoolboy's Greek exercise book. The tablet contains two lines, written neatly above as a model and then copied twice betwen the ruled lines; the first line, and possibly the second, are from the poet Menander.

7 January, 2019 - 13:40 ashley cowie

Egyptian Child’s Greek Homework from 1,800 Years Ago Goes on Display

An ancient wax tablet containing “remarkable examples” of a child's Greek homework from 1,800 years ago includes spelling exercises, times tables and handwriting. This rare and valuable insight into...

5 January, 2019 - 18:55 ashley cowie

Ancient Shards Discovered at 3000-Year-Old Nabatean Mountain Top City of Sela

A team of researchers in Amman exploring the 3000-year-old Edomite-Nabataean mountain stronghold, Sela, located on the Edom Plateau, south of Jordan, between Tafila and Busayra have discovered Iron...

Roman busts found in an ancient cemetery outside the old city of Beit She'an, Israel

1 January, 2019 - 18:14 Ed Whelan

Woman Spots Stone Head Poking Out of the Ground in Israel and Discovers Two 1700-Year-Old Statues

A woman walking through a cemetery in northern Israel has made a very important discovery. After heavy rains had washed away top soil, she chanced upon the top of a stone head, which turned out to be...

31 December, 2018 - 18:59 Ed Whelan

The Grave That Heals: Irish Folktale Proven True as Soil from Priest’s Grave Shows Key to Fighting Drug-Resistant Bacteria

Traditionally ancient folk remedies are not treated seriously by medical researchers and professionals. However, some scientists are taking a new look at these remedies because some are believed to...

Pattern of holes carved into ancient shelter in Azerbaijan are the remains of one of the world’s oldest games.

16 December, 2018 - 19:08 Ed Whelan

Holes Found Carved in Ancient Rock Shelter in Azerbaijan Belong to One of World’s Oldest Games

A major discovery has just been made in Gobustan, Azerbaijan - a rock carving of a game board that is believed to be one of the oldest that has ever been found. Dating back around 4000 years, the...

The remains of the Egyptian woman with her unborn child

18 November, 2018 - 13:02 ashley cowie

A Mother, With Her Unborn Child Inside Her Womb, Surface in Egypt After 3,500 Years

Egypt’s Supreme Council of Antiquities have announced that archaeologists have uncovered in Aswan, Egypt, the skeletal remains of a woman who died towards the end of her pregnancy, still holding the...

The remains of a sarcophagus containing mummified cats. Credit: Ministry of Antiquities

11 November, 2018 - 19:29 Joanna Gillan

Egyptian Tomb Yields Sarcophagi Filled with Mummified Cats and Beetles Plus Sealed Door Yet to be Opened

Archaeologists in Egypt have unearthed a fascinating tomb complex with rare finds in Saqqara. Within the complex they found dozens of mummified cats and an extremely rare collection of mummified...

3 November, 2018 - 00:52 ancient-origins

Why the Christian Idea of Hell no Longer Persuades People to Care for the Poor

Although many of us now associate hell with Christianity, the idea of an afterlife existed much earlier. Greeks and Romans, for example, used the concept of Hades, an underworld where the dead lived...

17 October, 2018 - 16:54 Bryan Hill

Legalized Marijuana: Canada Comes Round to the Wisdom of Ages

In 1997, a hemp rope dating back to 26,900 BC was found in Czechoslovakia, making it the oldest known object to be associated with marijuana. Since that time, hemp has played an important role in...

8 October, 2018 - 14:17 dhwty

Beltany Stone Circle: Bronze Age Megalithic Site is a Gem in Ireland’s Ancient Landscape

Beltany Stone Circle is an impressive megalithic site located in County Donegal, in the Irish province of Ulster, and is one of Ireland’s largest stone circles. Thought to have been erected during...

Representations in the Boxer Codex of two of the ethnic groups of people living in the Pre-Colonial Philippines - A Zambal Couple (Public Domain) and Pintados of the Visayas (Leyte or Samar). (Public Domain)

1 October, 2018 - 23:04 Caleb Strom

The Rarely Told Story of Pre-Colonial Philippines

The Philippines were ruled by Western powers - first the Spanish and later the United States, for some 350 years. Except for a few religious minorities, the Philippines has also become thoroughly...

28 September, 2018 - 01:43 Robin Whitlock

The Little Known Ancient Korean Sites of the Baekje Kingdom Finally Receive Worldwide Recognition

Eight areas in Korea that used to be part of ancient Baekje Kingdom were included in the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2015. They were registered at Number 12 on the list, which covers over 1000...

Depiction of punishment in ancient Egypt

20 September, 2018 - 04:03 Mark Miller

Analysis of Skeletons Reveals Harsh Punishment in Ancient Egypt

Egyptian kings and pharaohs conquered entire nations, but if a person stole so much as an animal hide he could be whipped with 100 lashes and stabbed five times in the back… and then be sent back to...

30 August, 2018 - 16:51 dhwty

Choquequirao: The Alternative to Machu Picchu for Those After Adventure Not Just Selfies

Choquequirao is known as the ‘sacred sister’ of Machu Picchu, as it is similar to this site both in structure and architecture. With demand ever high to trek the now well-worn Inca trail to Machu...

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Myths & Legends

Right: Detail of a statue of a reclining Attis. The Shrine of Attis is situated to the east of the Campus of the Magna Mater in Ostia. Statue of Jesus Christ as a shepherd with a lamb.

The Pagan Attis and Christian Jesus: A Spurious Connection?

Recently, it has been popular to suggest in some circles that Christianity was influenced, or even derived from, the ancient Roman mystery religions – religions often known to have orgiastic rituals and connection to a personal god.

The symbol of the Swastika and its 12,000-year-old history

Magu: The Hemp Goddess Who Healed Ancient Asia

Ten Mythological Creatures in Ancient Folklore

The Ballad of Hua Mulan: The Legendary Warrior Woman Who Brought Hope to China

Lilith: Ancient Demon, Dark Deity or Sensual Goddess?

Human Origins

Detail of ‘Ashkenazi Jews praying in the Synagogue on Yom Kippur. (1878 painting by Maurycy Gottlieb)

Where are Ashkenazi Jews from? Their Origins May Surprise You

Ashkenazi Jews are a Jewish ethnic group who have their earliest ancestors from the indigenous tribes of Israel…at least on one side of the family tree. A study published in 2013 in Nature Communications has shown their maternal lineage comes from a different, and possibly unexpected, source.

The origins of human beings according to ancient Sumerian texts

Rh-Negative Blood: An Exotic Bloodline or Random Mutation?

Facing the Facts: Just How Accurate Are Facial Reconstructions?

The human skull that challenges the Out of Africa theory

Drugs in Ancient Cultures: A History of Drug Use and Effects

Ancient Technology

Stone of the Pregnant Woman, an example of ancient high-tech stonework in Hajar al Hibla at Baalbek in Lebanon.

The High-Tech Stonework of the Ancients: Unsolved Mysteries of Master Engineers

There are many stone artifacts from the ancient world made from the hardest stone on the planet such as granite and diorite, which have been cut and shaped with such quality, precision and accuracy that the standard explanations of their manufacture are simply inadequate.

Both a Princess and a Priestess, What Did the First Known Author Have to Share with the World?

The revolutionary invention of the wheel

Ten amazing inventions from ancient times

The Ancient Invention of the Water Clock

150,000-Year-Old Pipes Baffle Scientists in China: Out of Place in Time?

Ancient Places

Buda Castle: Hidden Walls, Subterranean Chambers and Medieval Structures

Castles hold a particular fascination for many modern tourists and travelers. They are a unique way to understand the past and relive history. Ranked among the top ten most impressive castles in...

Were the Women of Petra More Important Than the Men?

Hill of Crosses: A Hundred Thousand Times Lithuania Has Stood Up

The Where, When and How of Quarrying Stonehenge 'Bluestones' Is Revealed in New Report

The Marvelous Mayan Zoomorph Monoliths of Quiriguá

The White Slaves of Barbary

Opinion

The astronomical ceiling at the Pronaos, Detail of the first Band west from the center. From left to right: two wind creatures (the winged ram with four heads personifies the south wind), the snake- and frog-headed eight goddesses and gods of the Ogdoad who ruled the cosmos before the creation of the world and Osiris seated on a throne sails across the sky as personification of the full moon accompanied by the seated goddesses Nephtys (left) and Isis on the right (Maat stands near the bow of the ship). Siri

Changing Colors and Scampering Across the Night Sky: What Did the Ancients Say about Sirius?

In Egypt, Sirius was the Star of Isis, Isis being the companion and rescuer of the god Osiris. In a very deep way, Osiris was Egypt.

Cracking the Code to Discover Ancient Tarot Symbolism and Forgotten Universal Knowledge

The Secret Strategic Plans of Darius the Great

The Secrets of the Kabbalists Garden

Alchemy and Generating Lifeforce —Global Temples Made in the Shape of Lingams: Shaivite Bull Cult Part II

From Green Man to Bull Son, The Universal Shaivite Bull Cult – Part I

Our Mission

At Ancient Origins, we believe that one of the most important fields of knowledge we can pursue as human beings is our beginnings. And while some people may seem content with the story as it stands, our view is that there exists countless mysteries, scientific anomalies and surprising artifacts that have yet to be discovered and explained.

The goal of Ancient Origins is to highlight recent archaeological discoveries, peer-reviewed academic research and evidence, as well as offering alternative viewpoints and explanations of science, archaeology, mythology, religion and history around the globe.

We’re the only Pop Archaeology site combining scientific research with out-of-the-box perspectives.

By bringing together top experts and authors, this archaeology website explores lost civilizations, examines sacred writings, tours ancient places, investigates ancient discoveries and questions mysterious happenings. Our open community is dedicated to digging into the origins of our species on planet earth, and question wherever the discoveries might take us. We seek to retell the story of our beginnings.