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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.

A new multidisciplinary study has looked at Roman winemaking from the ground up through the analysis of residues found at the bottom three Roman wine amphorae. A group of amphorae recovered from the sea off the coast of Tuscany, Italy. Source: Salvatore / Adobe Stock
30 June, 2022 - 18:59 Sahir

Secrets of Roman Winemaking Revealed By Pollen-Charcoal Residue Analysis

The Roman empire has historically been associated with wine and winemaking. Now more about just how they produced the beverage that was consumed by practically all in the nation, rich or poor, has...
Backgammon as depicted from the 14th century Codex Manesse. Source: Public domain
29 June, 2022 - 15:00 Mark Brophy

The 5,000-Year-Old Ancient History of Backgammon

Despite its modern popularity, not many know that backgammon is actually one of the oldest board games known to man. The story of backgammon stretches back 5,000 years and around the globe, spanning...
Top image: Romans believed that gladiator blood cured epilepsy. Source: Mariyana M / Adobe Stock
26 June, 2022 - 14:48 Sahir

Romans Drank Gladiator Blood as an Epilepsy Cure!

The ancient Romans were known for enjoying violent forms of entertainment - public executions, animal hunts, chariot racing, and gladiatorial games. However, the blood and gore didn’t stop with the...
The Macedonian Tomb of Lyson and Kallikles has long fascinated art scholars and more than a few see Roman stylistic influences in the ancient tomb. Source: Ancient painters of Macedonia / Public Domain
23 June, 2022 - 18:56 Mark Johnston

The Tomb of Lyson and Kallikles: A Roman-style Macedonian Grave?

The Tomb of Lyson and Kallikles is the smallest of the four Macedonian Tombs of Lefkadia and holds a mystery that has become the subject of debate amongst scholars of art and architectural history...
The history of true crime consumption can be traced all the way back to the early 1500s. Source: Sved Oliver/ Adobe Stock
21 June, 2022 - 01:48 Lex Leigh

Morbid Fascination: The Birth of the True Crime Genre

For many true crime junkies, podcasts are the way to go to get your next fix. But before podcasts and streaming documentaries, what did people do to get their true crime docs? When did true crime...
The Urdubegis were female warriors tasked with protecting the Mughal emperor and his harem. Representational image. Source: Public domain
20 June, 2022 - 22:45 Khadija Tauseef

Urdubegis: The Forgotten Female Fighters of the Mughal Empire

When we think of the empowerment of women, we usually think about Western culture. Nevertheless, the East has had its fair share of female role models. While Islam has historically given men the role...
The interior of a mudhif in southern Iraq. Source: TasfotoNL / Adobe Stock
18 June, 2022 - 01:40 Robbie Mitchell

Saving Iraqi Mudhif Reed Architecture from Oblivion

Take a look around someone’s house and you can learn a great deal about their way of life and their culture. This is true for historic dwellings as well, and the Iraqi mudhif reed house is no...
An empty toilet paper holder! Source: Lasse Kristensen / Adobe Stock
16 June, 2022 - 01:47 Brendan Beatty

No Toilet Paper! Do Any of these Ancient Methods Work for You?

Can you imagine waking up in a world with no toilet paper? What would you use? Can you imagine what people did before toilet paper became so ubiquitous? Toilet paper is among the most essential...
Prescription drugs to combat stress and stay awake. Source: Victor Moussa / Adobe Stock
14 June, 2022 - 01:42 Sahir

Drugs in War: A Long, Troubled History

When we hear the two words, “drugs” and “war,” used in the same sentence, we might think of the “War on Drugs” but what about drugs during war or drugs after war? Addictive drugs and armed warfare...
Witch on a broomstick. Source: T.Den_Team / Adobe Stock
11 June, 2022 - 18:39 Mark Brophy

The Cringeworthy Reason Witches are Shown Riding Broomsticks

What comes to mind when you think of a witch? For most people, the first image that comes to mind is of a witch flying through the night sky on a broomstick. Ever wondered why witches have been...
A honey collecting honey hunter in Nepal. Source: Andrew Newey
11 June, 2022 - 01:48 Joanna Gillan

The Ancient Art of Honey Collecting on the Himalayan Cliffs of Nepal

The Gurung tribespeople of Nepal have been collecting honey from Himalayan cliffs for centuries, risking their lives in an ancient tradition that has been passed down over many generations. But now...
A knight taking a serf bride off to fulfill his right of jus primae noctis, or first night intercourse. Source: diter/Adobe Stock
10 June, 2022 - 14:47 Jake Leigh-Howarth

Jus primae noctis: Did Medieval Lords Really Sleep With Serf Brides First?

The jus primae noctis , droit du seigneur , or “right of the first night,” is an alleged medieval custom which permitted lords to engage in sexual intercourse with the brides of their male subjects...
The history of shaving reveals how ideals of beauty and body politics have changed over time. Source: master1305 / Adobe Stock
9 June, 2022 - 14:59 Robbie Mitchell

Style, Sanitation and Control: The Ever-Changing History of Shaving

Let’s face it, shaving is a total inconvenience, whether it be your beard, legs, or something else. Yet most of us regularly do it in some form or another. Why? When did this trend begin? Well,...
The concept of meditating in nature is based in beliefs in animism. Source: ittipol / Adobe Stock
7 June, 2022 - 22:59 Lex Leigh

The Meaning of Animism: Philosophy, Religion and Being Alive

In some cultures, life and sentience are believed to exist for only certain beings, such as humans, animals, and plants. In other belief systems, however, places and objects are also believed to have...
Legedzine in the Ukraine is home to the remains of remnants of the Cucuteni-Trypillian culture. Every year it hosts a festival organized by the Trypillian Culture State Historical and Cultural Reserve. Source: Александр Водолазский / CC BY-SA 4.0
7 June, 2022 - 01:58 mrreese

The Mysterious House-Burning of the Forgotten Cucuteni-Trypillian Culture

The discovery of ancient cultures, and artifacts related to those cultures, often brings for new and surprising information about how our ancient ancestors once lived. Some cultures are found to have...
The Swiss pikemen today in a Pike Square re-enactment during the 2009 Escalade in Geneva. Source: Rama / CC BY-SA 2.0 FR
2 June, 2022 - 22:59 Jake Leigh-Howarth

The Swiss Pikemen: Europe’s Most Deadly Middle Age Military Formation!

The medieval pike, around 3 kilograms (6.6 pounds) in weight and just under 5 meters (16.4 feet) in length, was a weapon supposedly invented in Turin, Italy in 1327 AD. However, its history was...
This sacrificed Inca child, known as the Llull Maiden #23, was found on a mountain in Argentina a number of years ago and shares similarities with the sacrificed child Inca mummies found on Ampato volcano, Peru. Source: © Johan Reinhard, Ph.D . (used with permission)
30 May, 2022 - 18:35 Sahir

Ritually Sacrificed Inca Kids Fed “Soothing” Coca and Caapi Cocktails

The medicinal use of plants and the collection, dissemination, and application of traditional knowledge surrounding plants (ethnobotany) is an indigenous practice from the Americas well documented to...
Researchers generated a virtual sequence to unfold a sealed letter protected via letterlocking. Source: Unlocking History Research Group / CC BY 4.0
26 May, 2022 - 18:56 Lex Leigh

Securing Ancient Secrets: The Fascinating History of Letterlocking

Communication through written word existed long before the days of text messages and DMs, and even then some kind of security was needed to protect people’s secrets. When we think of a handwritten...
Celebrity on a red carpet. Source: Tom Merton/KOTO / Adobe Stock
24 May, 2022 - 19:50 Sahir

The Red Carpet Treatment Goes Back Over 2,000 Years

Today, the red carpet is associated with VIPs, dignitaries, the heads of state, celebrities, film festivals. It conjures up images of flashing of camera lights and paparazzi, glitzy gowns and make-up...
The Fajada Butte Sun Dagger in Chaco Canyon in New Mexico is a spiral petroglyph that is lit up with brilliant streaks of focused Sunlight at key moments in the year. Source: YouTube screenshot / Mystery History
24 May, 2022 - 15:00 Caleb Strom

Connecting Heaven and Earth: The Sun Dagger of Fajada Butte, New Mexico

Near the entrance to Chaco Canyon, New Mexico, USA is an imposing butte that had sacred significance to the ancestral Pueblo culture, who inhabited Chaco Canyon up until about 1150 AD. On Fajada...
Painting ‘Combate de Mujeres’ by José de Ribera showing a female duel. Source: Public Domain
23 May, 2022 - 19:03 Sahir

Women Scrapping with Swords and Pistols: Famous Female Duels

The use of private duels as a way of settling questions of honor spread through Europe from Italy in the end of the 15th century, though the institutional practice was much older. These encounters...
Charcoal drawings from the Chauvet Cave in France, fabulous examples of artwork created by the Aurignacians. (Claude Valette / CC BY-SA 4.0)
22 May, 2022 - 18:58 Lex Leigh

Aurignacians: The First Artistic Culture?

Since the evolution of Homo sapiens approximately 1.8 million years ago, humans have advanced in many aspects of life, especially art. According to historians, the earliest record of humans engaging...
Grave with skeletal remains of a pre-Hispanic woman found at Palenque Archaeological Zone. Source: INAH Chiapas
21 May, 2022 - 14:57 Nathan Falde

Archaeologists in Chiapas, Mexico Unearth Remains of Maya Noblewoman

The Chiapas branch of Mexico’s National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) has just reported a notable find in the heavily excavated Palenque Archaeological Zone in the southern part of the...
Amphora dating to circa 540 BC made in Attica, Greece, depicting bees from ancient Greek mythology. Source: The British Museum / CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
19 May, 2022 - 18:53 Lex Leigh

Getting Buzzed: The History of Hallucinogenic Mad Honey

Everyone loves honey. A delicious, sweet treat, it can be used in recipes, cosmetics, or as a sugar substitute. However, not all honey is made the same. This is incredibly clear in Nepal and Turkey,...

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