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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 elongated skull of a Peruvian warrior who underwent skull surgery 2,000 years ago. Source: Museum of Osteology
18 January, 2022 - 22:00 Cecilia Bogaard

2,000-Year-Old Peruvian Underwent Successful Skull Surgery

A skull housed at the Museum of Osteology in Oklahoma is causing quite a stir. The ancient elongated skull, dating back 2,000 years, once belonged to a Peruvian warrior. After being injured during...
On the left, photograph of ancient Egyptian child mummy from Tomb of Aline, discovered in Hawara. On the right, CT scan of soft tissue infection in the lower leg, showing a mass consistent with dried pus. Source: Panzer et. al / International Journal of Paleopathology
17 January, 2022 - 13:51 Nathan Falde

Scan of Child Mummy Reveals Bandages and Pus-Filled Wound

During a computed tomography (CT) scan of a child mummy belonging to a youngster who lived in ancient Egypt , archaeologists found something unique and most unexpected. The imagery they obtained...
Samples of Schinus mole discovered at Quilcapampa in Peru which were used by Wari culture to make an alcoholic drink. Source: Lisa Milosavljevic & Royal Ontario Museum / Antiquity Publications Ltd
12 January, 2022 - 00:00 Sahir

Wari Culture Used Alcohol and Drugs to Maintain Political Control

An altered state of consciousness to rule an ancient empire? Not a plot of a television series or a fantasy novella, but a page out of the fascinating book that is human history. A new study...
One of the Frankenstein mummies found at Cladh Hallan in Scotland. Source: Mike Parker Pearson / University College London
7 January, 2022 - 01:00 aprilholloway

Why Did Ancient Scots Prepare ‘Frankenstein’ Mummies?

In 2001, a team of archaeologists found a pair of skeletons at an archaeological site on the island of South Uist off the coast of Scotland. At first, it appeared to be a typical Bronze Age discovery...
The Bolivian celebration known as the Fiesta de las Ñatitas pays homage to the dead. Source: Carlillasa / CC BY-SA 4.0
6 January, 2022 - 21:59 Khadija Tauseef

Bolivia’s Fiesta de las Ñatitas: Venerating Human Skulls and the Dead

As the sun reaches its zenith, people begin to flood the streets of La Paz, holding in their hands glass urns containing — wait for it — skulls. Although to many cultures this practice may seem...
Assyrian relief panel, 883–859 BC. Source: Public Domain / Met Museum
1 January, 2022 - 14:01 Joanna Gillan

Mesopotamian Kings Were Slapped in the Face in the Ancient Akitu Festival

The Akitu festival was one of the oldest Mesopotamian festivals, dating back to the middle of the third millennium BC. It was during this twelve-day ceremonial event, which began at the first New...
Fireworks are popular in New Year's traditions around the world
1 January, 2022 - 00:59 Joanna Gillan

Amazing New Year’s Traditions Around the World

In many countries around the world, New Year’s Day is celebrated on January 1st with fireworks and festivities the evening before. But this is not the only type of New Year’s celebration and not...
Imperial succession in Japan is up in the air as the choices get more complicated: could be a woman or a young man. Japanese Emperor Naruhito at his enthronement ceremony in Kyoto, October 2019. Source: Imperial Household Agency / CC BY 4.0
31 December, 2021 - 22:00 Sahir

Japan’s Succession Crisis: No Male Heirs Means Ancient Monarchy May Soon Disappear!

The Japanese monarchy is the oldest continuous monarchy in the world, but it faces a clear succession crisis in the 21st century. Imperial descendance and inheritance is only passed through male...
There is a myriad of mythology surrounding mirrors. Source: MiaStendal / Adobe Stock
30 December, 2021 - 18:00 Phoenix Vald

Haunted Mirrors, Bloody Mary and Superstitious Mirror Mythology

A particular genre of mythology has formed around mirrors, made up of traditions and superstitions within cultures throughout the world. Researchers have tried to get to the bottom of these legends,...
Antarah ibn Shaddad representation from an old manuscript. Source: Public Domain
29 December, 2021 - 14:00 Abdallah Al Alfy

Antarah ibn Shaddad and the Origins of Chivalry in Pre-Islamic Arabia

When you think of concepts like honor, courtly love, and noblesse oblige, you likely conjure up images of European knights in steel-plate armor, mounted on giant destriers. European dress, European...
Declaration of Christmas Peace in 2014 in Porvoo, Finland. Source: CC BY-SA 3.0
24 December, 2021 - 22:00 ashley cowie

Christmas Peace: Finnish Criminals, You’ve Been Warned For Over 600 Years

An ancient Finnish law promising harsher sentences for Christmas criminals was read out to an empty town square. Christmas is nearly upon us, and if you haven’t already outright cancelled family...
Detail of a vintage Christmas postcard showing Christkind.
24 December, 2021 - 00:48 dhwty

Christkind: How Does this Christmas Gift-Bringer Differ from Santa Claus?

Christkind is a Christmas gift-bringer in certain European countries. Like its more famous counterpart, Santa Claus, Christkind is said to leave presents for children under the Christmas tree on the...
The Medieval Origins of The Carol: How Christmas Songs Have Survived Through the Centuries
22 December, 2021 - 00:59 ancient-origins

How Christmas Carols Have Survived the Centuries

Singing and Christmas seem to go naturally together, like plum pudding and custard. Even those who would not normally attend a choir concert or church service throughout the year might happily...
The purest traditional Indian cuisine is created by following the principles of the ancient yogic saatvik diet. Source: Dash / Adobe Stock
20 December, 2021 - 22:00 Sahir

Health Concerns Drive Revival of Ancient Saatvik Foods in India

India, particularly when viewed from the Western lens, has always occupied a particular place in popular imagination. The Indian subcontinent was a land of mysticism, yoga, ayurveda, alternate...
Japan’s world-famous sumo wrestling has always been connected with its origins as a shrine spectacle offering to please the gods. With the rise of the Japanese merchant class in the 17th century sumo became the spectator sport it is today. Source: AQ-taro Images / Adobe Stock
18 December, 2021 - 22:00 Aleksa Vučković

Sumo Wrestling: From Ritual Origins to Honorable Sport

It is hard to think of Japan without sumo wrestling. This unique and very old sport has been one of the indivisible aspects of Japanese identity for over 1,500 years or more! Granted, sumo wrestling...
Iron Age bog body known today as Old Croghan Man and housed in the National Museum of Ireland. Source: Mark Healey / CC BY-SA 2.0
17 December, 2021 - 22:00 dhwty

Unravelling the Story Behind the Old Croghan Man’s Bog Body

Old Croghan Man is the name given to a well-preserved Iron Age bog body that was discovered in County Offaly, Ireland. The bog body derives its name from Croghan Hill , which is situated not far from...
Anglo-Saxon warriors lived by their Anglo-Saxon honor code. Source: warmtail / Adobe Stock
13 December, 2021 - 17:57 Meagan Dickerson

Honor, Loyalty, and Worth: The Anglo-Saxon Warrior Code

Every culture and society on Earth, both past and present, has their own ideas of what makes a person honorable or worthy. This is particularly true when it comes to warriors and their actions both...
Tongan warriors or Tongan athletes getting ready to play kasivaki underwater rugby in Tonga. Source: Tonga Rugby Union
6 December, 2021 - 17:57 Caleb Strom

Kasivaki: An Ancient Tongan Game That Was More Than Underwater Rugby

When most people think of the sport rugby, Tonga is not at the top of the list of competitors. But the island nation of the south Pacific appears to have had its own ancient version of the game with...
The smile of death in the ancient land of Haiti leads to conversations about zombies and Voodoo, both of which are still living beliefs. Source: corradobarattaphotos / Adobe Stock
6 December, 2021 - 13:58 Phoenix Vald

Zombies and Voodoo: The Living Dead Religion of Modern Haiti

On the list of the most well-known monsters from Hollywood movies, zombies clearly occupy one of the top positions. In their cinematographic version, they consume human flesh and brains with the...
Victims of Arrogance and Cruelty: The Pendle Witch Trials of 1612
2 December, 2021 - 00:48 Natalia Klimczak

Victims of Arrogance and Cruelty: The Pendle Witch Trials of 1612

Witch trials are among some of the cruelest events in European history. Thousands of innocent women were murdered by people who provided fake accusations. In England, one of the most famous witch...
Study finds effects of ayahuasca tea match that of placebo. Source: agsandrew / Adobe Stock
1 December, 2021 - 13:57 ashley cowie

Study Finds Hallucinogenic Ayahuasca Tea Trip Matches That of Placebo

About ten years ago, interest in hallucinogenic ayahuasca tea attracted thousands of European and North American tourists to South America, all looking for a trip in the high Andes or steamy Amazon...
Horseback archery is seeing a comeback in Malaysia. Source: lisheng2121 / Adobe Stock
1 December, 2021 - 00:57 ashley cowie

Horseback Archery Sees Revival Amongst Elite Malaysian Muslims

Horseback archery was commonly used in hunting and warfare in Malaysia for thousands of years. While the ancient discipline declined with the introduction of firearms, it is now seeing something of a...
Adi Shankara, 788-820 AD, founder of the Advaita Vedanta, the oldest extant sub-school of Vedānta, a tradition of interpretation of the Upanishads, by Raja Ravi Varma. Source: Raja Ravi Varma / Public domain
29 November, 2021 - 21:57 dhwty

India’s Vedic Sanskrit Upanishads: Foundation of Religions and Karma!

The Upanishads are a genre of texts that form the final and last section of the Vedas. The Upanishads were composed orally in Sanskrit, and the earliest surviving ones dating to the 1st millennium BC...
fosterage Source: trafa / Adobe Stock
21 November, 2021 - 17:57 Aleksa Vučković

Why Fostering Kids Was So Popular in Ancient Ireland

There were many complex laws and customs prevalent in the Celtic-speaking world of ancient times. In Ireland and the British Isles in general, these customs survived for many centuries, some as late...

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