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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.

Samurai and oriental temple in the background, samurai with armor, Generative AI Source: Kaleb/Adobe Stock
4 July, 2024 - 22:56 Robbie Mitchell

Ninja and Shinobi: Fact vs. Fiction (Video)

During Japan’s Sengoku Jidai era, espionage was integral to the strategies of various daimyos. The figure of Hiroyuki, a cook serving a local daimyo while secretly loyal to another lord, illustrates...
Roman baths, Bath, England. Source: ctj71081/CC BY-SA 2.0
4 July, 2024 - 22:49 Robbie Mitchell

How Were Roman Baths Cleaned? (Video)

Roman baths were integral to daily life, serving as communal spaces for exercise, socialization, and relaxation. These baths were architecturally diverse, ranging from small sheds to grand complexes...
Botticelli's illustration from Inferno XV is part of the third round of Inferno, depicting the punishment of those who acted violently against God, nature, and art. Source: Public Domain
3 July, 2024 - 22:50 Robbie Mitchell

How the Medieval Church Instilled Obedience Through Fear (Video)

In medieval Europe , the Catholic Church wielded immense power over the population, primarily through fear. The church used various methods to instill obedience among its followers, one of the most...
Top image: Entrance to Cloggs Cave. Source: David, B et al/Nature
1 July, 2024 - 17:44 Sahir

Longest Tradition: Australian Cave Holds Evidence of 12,000-year-old Ritual

In societies without writing, archaeologically tracing ethnographically known rituals back more than a few hundred years is rare. However, new archaeological evidence has been gleaned from the...
Top image: Medusa by Caravaggio, 1597, shocked ancient Greece. Source: Uffizi Gallery/CC BY-SA 2.0
30 June, 2024 - 19:46 Robbie Mitchell

10 Shocking Facts About the Ancient Greeks

The Ancient Greeks are often hailed as the founders of Western civilization. Celebrated for their advancements in philosophy, democracy, science, and the arts, we tend to view the ancient Greeks...
: Statues depicting the high dignitary Nefer and his wife (Abusir, Egypt). Source: Martin Frouz and the Czech Institute of Egyptology, Charles University/Nature
28 June, 2024 - 23:14 Nathan Falde

Ancient Egyptian Scribes Suffered from Arthritis & Other Skeletal Pain

A fascinating study of the skeletal remains of ancient Egyptian scribes from the third millennium BC has revealed the physical costs of this job. While the type of work they did might seem relatively...
Archaeologists at work in a large burial field in southeastern Norway, where 40 circular stone formations with cremated bone remains, mostly from children, were found placed in the middle. Source: Museum of Cultural History/Science Norway
27 June, 2024 - 14:48 Nathan Falde

Ancient Stone Circles Cover 2,800-Year-Old Graves of Children in Norway

An ancient burial field in Norway that features more than 40 circular stone grave markers has been found to contain the remains of mostly children, all of whom died more than 2,000 years ago, Norway’...
Portrait of a man dressed like Moctezuma.
26 June, 2024 - 23:57 Aleksa Vučković

The Social Hierarchy of the Aztec Empire: A Complex Human Mechanism

The Aztec Empire, known for its grandeur and sophistication, was one of the most powerful and influential civilizations in Mesoamerican history. Flourishing from the early 14th century until the...
Portrait of the royal Queen Elizabeth I. AI generated image. Source: AS Photo Family/Adobe Stock
25 June, 2024 - 22:11 Robbie Mitchell

Opulent Excess: The Elizabethan Ruff Trend (Video)

During the Elizabethan era , the trend of wearing oversized collars became synonymous with aristocracy and opulence. These massive collars, known as ruffs, were not merely fashion statements but...
AI image of Naram-Sin
24 June, 2024 - 22:50 Willem McLoud

Heroic Tales of a God-Emperor

Long before Homer retold the stories of the mighty deeds of the great warriors who took part in the Battle of Troy, similar tales were told and retold by Sumerian and Akkadian bards. The epic...
: A sambaqui on the coast of Santa Catarina: these mounds of shellfish debris, bones and other remains were burial sites. Source: Jéssica M. Cardoso/Plos ONE
24 June, 2024 - 14:50 Sahir

Study Revises History of Brazilian Coast Occupation From 2,000 Years Ago

A brilliant new study from Brazil has revised the historical narrative of human occupation along Brazil’s coast, offering new insights into the ancient sambaqui builders at the Galheta IV...
A statue of Yi Sun Shin 3
22 June, 2024 - 15:58 Aleksa Vučković

The Ancient Korean Kingdoms: Silla, Goguryeo, and Baekje

The Korean Peninsula, a land rich in history and culture, was once home to three powerful and influential kingdoms: Silla, Goguryeo , and Baekje. These kingdoms, which existed from the late 1st...
The Origins of Welsh Bardic Scripts
17 June, 2024 - 18:33 Nigel Pennick

The Origins of Welsh Bardic Scripts

The entire body of ancient Celtic lore and legend was transmitted from mouth to ear, without being written down. The oldest written texts contain material that may have existed in oral form for...
14 June, 2024 - 18:10 Gary Manners

Hunnic burial Poland

In 2018, archaeologists made a significant discovery in the village of Czulice near Krakow, Poland. Led by Jakub Niebylski of the Polish Academy of Sciences, the team unearthed a 1,600-year-old...
El Castillo, also known as the Temple of Kukulcan
13 June, 2024 - 19:13 Theodoros Karasavvas

Beliefs on Chichén Itzá's Sacrificial Past Overturned by Ancient DNA

Recent genetic research has revolutionized our understanding of the ritual practices at Chichén Itzá, one of Mesoamerica's most iconic archaeological sites. Contrary to the long-held belief that...
Roman Baths in Bath, England. The house is a well-preserved Roman site for public bathing.
13 June, 2024 - 00:09 Robbie Mitchell

The Roman Baths Had Ancient Healing Powers

The history of the Roman Baths in Bath, England, unveils a narrative rich in intrigue and cultural significance. Bath , known for its elegant Georgian architecture today, has a murky origin tale...
Roman Elites Alone Wore Tyrian Purple, Maintaining Social Hierarchy
12 June, 2024 - 00:59 Kerry Sullivan

Roman Elites Alone Wore Tyrian Purple, Maintaining Social Hierarchy

Throughout history, the rich and powerful have attempted to control access to items considered luxurious or status symbols. Today, this is done through marketing and price setting (a prominent...
AI image of a praying Monk.
10 June, 2024 - 22:14 Aleksa Vučković

The Spread of Buddhism from India to East Asia - A Tale of How Peace Won

Buddhism, a spiritual and philosophical tradition founded by Siddhartha Gautama, the Buddha , in the 5th century BC, originated in the Indian subcontinent. Over the centuries, however, it transcended...
Roman Baths in Bath, England.
8 June, 2024 - 18:18 Nathan Falde

New Study Reveals Healing Properties of Water at Roman Baths in England

Few surviving Roman installations are as popular in England as the Roman Baths , which can be found in the appropriately named city of Bath, Somerset . Nearly 2,000 years after these public...
The Never-Ending Evolution of Time
7 June, 2024 - 23:21 Robbie Mitchell

The Never-Ending Evolution of Time (Video)

The concept of time, while deeply ingrained in human society, is a construct that has evolved over millennia. Early humans initially marked the passing of time by observing natural phenomena, such as...
Catholic church - Corpus Christi.
7 June, 2024 - 23:04 Robbie Mitchell

Exploring Corpus Christi: Faith, Culture, and Folk Tradition

The Feast of Corpus Christi, or the Dies Sanctissimi Corporis et Sanguinis Domini Iesu Christi, is one of the Catholic Church's most vibrant celebrations, celebrated across the world via an array of...
Depiction of cauldrons in the rock art of an Iron Age settlement in Minusinsk, Russia.
7 June, 2024 - 20:48 ancient-origins

Blood Sausages and Yak Milk: Bronze Age Cuisine of Mongolian Nomads Unveiled

University of Basel Bronze cauldrons were used by the inhabitants of the Mongolian steppe around 2,700 years ago to process animal blood and milk. This is shown by a protein analysis of...
Bronze statue torso detail of a butt-naked horseman
7 June, 2024 - 14:58 dhwty

Fighting in the Buff: Did Celtic Warriors Really Go to War Naked?

The Celts were known in ancient times to have been ferocious warriors. According to certain written sources, some of these Celtic warriors went a step further by going into battle carrying only their...
Modern and old money
7 June, 2024 - 01:03 ancient-origins

From Shells to Crypto: The Evolution of Money and Currencies

Money, in its various forms, has been an integral part of human civilization for millennia. From the earliest systems of trade to the digital currencies of today, the evolution of money reflects the...

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