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Ancient Traditions

Ancient Origins brings you articles related to Ancient Traditions from all over the world. Find related articles in the sections of history, archaeology, human origins, unexplained, artifacts, ancient places and myths and legends.

The crowning ceremony of the Clan Buchannan chief was laced with recreated artifacts and symbols from ancient Scottish history. Source: The Clan Buchanan Society International

Scottish Clan Has a First New Chief Since 1681

The ancient Scottish Clan Buchannan has been without a leader since the 17th century. Now, the rightful heir to the clan has been crowned chief in a ceremony dripping with archetypes from Scottish...
Man hanging from an execution rope, a very technical method of execution. 	Source: zef art / Adobe Stock

The Gruesome History of Botched Executions

Capital punishment (death by execution) has been a part of human society since time immemorial. Even though it is a practice as old as human civilization, perhaps the most surprising thing about...
Humans have been bonding over popcorn and beer for centuries. What other ancient foods are we still eating today? Source: Nejron Photo / Adobe Stock

12 Ancient Foods That We Still Love Today

There are few things humans love more than food. For centuries, humans have been creating new, delicious recipes to enjoy. While we may eat somewhat differently nowadays (after all, I don’t think our...
Graphic of two kung fu fighters in moonlight. Source: silla5775 / Adobe Stock

The History of Kung Fu: A Modern Name for an Ancient Art

Martial arts have become increasingly popular over the last few decades. Out of all the martial arts, kung fu, popularized by stars like Bruce Lee and Jackie Chan, has become the most well-known...
Hands sprinkling salt. Humans have cultivated salt for centuries, but in some places, salt has covered the earth. Source: Left zlikovec / Adobe Stock

Salt Sowing: An Ancient Method to Settle Scores

Many people use salt to bring out the flavor in their food. Others spread it on icy roads and sidewalks to give vehicles or pedestrians some grip as they go about their day. It is, by most accounts,...
The Silk Road offered opportunities to explore, not only new lands, but new sexual adventures.	Source: Demian / Adobe Stock

Sexual Exploits and Exploitation along the Silk Road

The Silk Road created a convergence of cultures like no other. The route is deemed influential by historians because of the contributions it made to trade and the economy, as well as society in...
The most mystifying grave found during the July-August dig season at Pampa La Cruz in northern Peru held five children in a circle with their heads almost touching. Source: andina / Huanchaco Archaeological Program

76 Pre-Inca Child Sacrifices Found at Peru’s Pampa La Cruz site

Archaeologists working at the pre-Inca Pampa La Cruz site in Peru have found even more evidence of Chimu child sacrifice practices. The sacrificial remains of 76 more children have been discovered at...
Temple of the Great Jaguar at Tikal in Guatemala, where high levels of mercury have been found. Source: IBRESTER / Adobe Stock

Meta-Study Shows Ancient Maya were at High Risk of Mercury Poisoning

The Maya Empire dominated large swaths of Mesoamerica for more than 3,000 years. But despite their impressive record of survival, the Maya civilization did not live completely in harmony with their...
Jujutsu practitioner tightening their belt. Source: Soloviova Liudmyla / Adobe Stock

The Battleground Origins of Jujutsu

It’s likely that if you’ve ever seen a Hollywood action film you’ve probably heard of jujutsu. Thanks to films like The Matrix and the John Wick franchise, jujutsu is more in the public eye than ever...
Viking woman enjoying daily pastoral life on the homestead.             Source: selenit / Adobe Stock

Everyday Viking Life: More Farmers Than Fighters

The Vikings, the seafaring Norse pirates and traders from the Scandinavian region, left an indelible mark on history, particularly European history, as they raided, looted, pillaged, and conquered...
Vintage postcard showing European tourism destinations. Source: Freesurf/Adobe Stock

Tourism Through the Ages: The Human Desire to Explore

Although taking a summer vacation is now a standard aspect of modern-day civilization for many, it wasn’t always that way. Tourism was far less common in ancient times than it is today, but that...
The Duchy of Cornwall office in The Old Rectory, Newton St Loe, Bath, England is home to the centralized finance and property teams and members who manage the commercial property portfolio, the development sites, and the estates belonging to the Duchy. Source: Rwendland / CC BY-SA 3.0

Prince William Inherits Ancient Duchy of Cornwall Estate Worth $1.2billion!

With Britain’s longest reigning monarch, Queen Elizabeth II, passing last week, most of the Royal Estates passed to the next sovereign, King Charles III. However, the line of succession ensures that...
A recent study has revealed that one particular Scottish settlement in the early Neolithic period didn’t use manure-based fertilizers though farmers adjacent to them did. Cow manure like this is still highly recycled and used all over Africa and Asia. Source: wisawa222 / Adobe Stock

Why One Neolithic Scottish Settlement Didn’t Need Any Fertilizer

People living in Western Europe and on the British Isles during the Neolithic Period (10000 to 2200 BC) had already discovered the powers of manure-based fertilizer to increase crop yields. In fact,...
Image illustrating the divorce by combat rules, from a fencing manual composed in 1459 by Hans Talhoffer. Source: Public Domain

Medieval Divorce by Combat: Guaranteeing ‘til Death do us Part’

Divorce is a subject that has provided endless material for drama and comedy writers through the ages, from Euripides to Shakespeare to today’s New York Times bestseller list. When Kenneth Hodges, a...
A man in black shirt sitting and doing qigong with his hands directing his body's life energy or qi.        Source: Anna / Adobe Stock

The Ancient Chinese Healing Art of Qigong

Visit any park in China over the last few hundred years and you’re likely to see dozens of people practicing qigong. What started as a traditional Chinese treatment over 4,000 years ago has become a...
St. Edward's Crown, the centrepiece of the Crown Jewels of the United Kingdom. Credit: The Royal Collection Trust

St. Edward’s Crown to Be Worn Again at King Charles III’s Coronation

The royal coronation of the newly proclaimed King Charles III will take place a few months from now. During this ancient ritual, which dates back nearly 1,000 years, the king will have placed upon...
Depiction of fishermen jousting in the Mastaba tomb of Niankhkhnum and Khnumhotep, Saqqara, Egypt. Source: kairoinfo4u / CC BY-NC-SA 2.0

Fisherman Jousting: An Ancient Egyptian Sport with a Violent History

Ancient history is full of examples of violence, not only in the form of torture and killings, but also in entertainment and sports. From the bloody gladiatorial combats of ancient Rome, to the Maya...
Two men practicing karate	Source: Andrey Burmakin / Adobe Stock

Friends to Foes: The Surprising Origin and Evolution of Karate

When you think of martial arts, karate is probably one of the first that comes to mind. It has appeared in countless action films, TV shows, and video games. Today, parents all over the world send...
There are strange jobs, like cleaning toilets, and then there are really strange jobs, like the early barber surgeons of Europe, who drained you of blood, tore your mouth apart, and even stranger things. A sadistic tooth-drawer frightening his patient with a hot coal causing him to pull away violently in an 1810-AD color etching by J. Collier. Source: Wellcome Images / CC BY 4.0

11 of History’s Weirdest Jobs

There have been lots of interesting jobs throughout history, but some are certainly weirder than others. With changing technologies and shifting social norms, strange jobs have taken the forefront of...
Medieval alehouses were often a community gathering space.  Source: Eco-Pim studio / Adobe Stock

East Yorkshire Site Yields a Possible Medieval Alehouse or Hostel

At a site in East Yorkshire, an archaeological dig has been in progress for three weeks to uncover the secrets of a medieval village. Now, archaeologists believe they have discovered a centuries-old...
Chinese knife money. Source: sytilin / Adobe Stock

Chinese Knife Money: Making Markets feel Murderous?

The days of ‘cash as king’ are fading. Today, credit, debit, and digital currency have begun to slowly replace cash as the primary forms of payment, but it was not always so. For centuries, paper...
Alexander driving off elephants with war pigs and musical instruments in a detail from a French illuminated manuscript from 1420’. Source: The British Library / CC BY 4.0)

War Pigs: A Flaming History of Nature’s Cutest Creations in Battle

Throughout human history, animals have been effectively domesticated and used as an extension of the territorial desires of human beings. While dogs and cattle became effective elements in the...
A mural from the tomb Inkherkhau (TT359) on the West Bank of Nile - Thebes, Luxor, depicting a funerary procession with ancient Egyptian priests performing libations, the first one wearing leopard skin. Source: Svetlaili /Adobe Stock

A Day in the Life of an Ancient Egyptian Priest

We can learn a lot about a civilization from its dominant religion. Ancient Egypt is a good example. The religion of ancient Egypt had a far-reaching effect on every aspect of daily life. If you want...
Representation of a ritual human sacrifice on an altar. Source: archangelworks / Adobe Stock

Blood for the Gods: 10 Cultures that Engaged in Ritual Sacrifice

Since the dawn of humanity, countless civilizations have engaged in ritual sacrifice. Often, these sacrifices involved other humans, and were so common they were considered a normal aspect of life...

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