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A royal child from the Middle Ages. Source: liyasov / Adobe Stock

7 Amazing Glimpses into the Ancient Lives of Children

Over the centuries, historians have told us in detail about the rise and fall of civilizations, the leaders and rulers of our world, dramatic battles and magnificent monuments, but the history of...
Fakes and Controversy on the River Clyde: The Case of Dumbuck Crannog

Fakes and Controversy on the River Clyde: The Case of Dumbuck Crannog

In 1898 the eccentric artist and archaeology enthusiast William Donnelly (1847 – 1905) discovered the Dumbuck Crannog site on the banks of the River Clyde in Scotland . Its excavation proved fruitful...
Tiara of Saitaphernes postcard

The Tiara of Saitaphernes: Wow Antique? Fake? Fine Art? Find Out

Some objects are especially prized because the story about them is so precious. The Tiara of Saitaphernes is certainly one of these “priceless” objects and its story is long and surprising. The Tiara...
Breakthrough Discovery: Karahan Tepe is Older Than Göbekli Tepe

Breakthrough Discovery: Karahan Tepe is Older Than Göbekli Tepe

Researchers in Turkey are about to embark on an excavation at the ancient site of Karahan Tepe and they believe it’s much older than Göbekli Tepe, the famous “zero point of world history.” Until now...
Ancient person eating. Credit: Gorodenkoff / Adobe Stock

Pot Residues Reveal Secrets of Ancient Cuisine

A team of archaeologists from the University of California, Berkeley, have published a new research paper in the journal Scientific Reports , which presents evidence that unglazed ancient ceramics...
Who Were the Ancient People that Built the Remarkable Megalithic Tombs of Malaga?

Who Were the Ancient People that Built the Remarkable Megalithic Tombs of Malaga?

Thousands of years ago, a series of megalithic tombs were built in the breathtaking landscape of Malaga in Spain. The magnificence of the constructions attracts thousands of tourists every year. The...
British archaeoastronomer claims that the Blidworth Druid Stone “might” have been deliberately aligned with the sun, and that it “may” have been a central feature in ancient druid rituals. But more archaeological study is needed before reaching any conclusions. Source: Deborah McDonald / CC BY-SA 2.0

Blidworth Druid Stone: Sacred Altar or Lifeless Rock?

Referred to locally as the “Druid Stone” or “Altar Stone,” this monumental stone stands about 4 meters (13 feet) high on private land in the village of Blidworth, England, and is viewable from a...
King Arthur. Detail. Charles Ernest Butler, 1903.

Archaeologists May Have Discovered the Birthplace of King Arthur: Legends Come to Life?

The discovery of 1500-year-old ruins at Tintagel in south-west England made headlines around the world. What appear to the be the walls of a Dark Age palace have been found in the exact place, and...
The Army of Saladin, Guillaume de TyrParis, 1337. Source: Public domain

Battlefield Where Richard the Lionheart Defeated Saladin Located

An Israeli archaeologist has identified the long-lost battlefield of Arsuf. This was a battle that took place during the Crusades between the legendary figures of Richard the Lionheart and Saladin...
The discovery that a collection of shells were threaded onto 120,000-year-old strings, at a cave in Israel is an important discovery which advances our understanding of human evolution. Source: Bar-Yosef Mayer et al/Plos One/PA Wire

Evidence of 120,000-Year-Old String Discovered in Israeli Cave

A team of archaeologists excavating a cave in Israel have made the incredible discovery of a collection of shells that were once threaded onto strings and worn by humans as beads 120,000 years ago...
Stamp seal found in the excavation of a parking lot in Jerusalem depicts a person believed to be a king sitting on a chair, with columns which probably represent the Babylonian gods Nabu and Marduk. The finds may provide clues as to the resettlement of the city by the Jews after the Babylonian Exile. Source: (Shai Halevy / Israel Antiquities Authority)

Seals Tell of Jewish Return to Jerusalem After Babylonian Exile

In Jerusalem, the discovery of two homemade seals may provide unprecedented insights into an extremely critical period in Jewish history and the Bible . The artifact is showing that the city remained...
The planned LEGOLAND park will be built on Jungdo, an Island in Chuncheon, 2 hours east of Seoul, South Korea.        Source: efired / Adobe Stock

LEGOLAND Korea Plows Ahead, Destroying Ancient Heritage Site

Here at Ancient Origins we receive many emails and social media messages accusing folks of willfully damaging archaeology and ancient sites of cultural heritage. Last year saw several cases of teen...
Representative example of an ancient log boat.        Source: Juhku / Adobe Stock

Irish Schoolboy Finds Ancient Log Boat While Out Paddling

In Ireland, a schoolboy went for a paddle and found a log boat that could date to the Stone Age . The boy, while playing in a nearby lake, came across a well-preserved boat that is possibly 4000...
Deciphering the Deities of Hinduism

Deciphering the Deities of Hinduism

There are no ancient civilizations that have not practiced some kind of religion. When we study the history of the oldest and the earliest civilizations, we do not find exact dates or traces of...
A probable Iron Age or Roman enclosed settlement (red arrows) and associated field system (blue arrows) revealed by LiDAR data but hidden today beneath woodland.       Source: University of Exeter

Armchair Indiana Joneses Find Ancient Sites Using LiDAR During Lockdown

Volunteer archaeologists working from home are revealing hitherto uncharted prehistoric burial mounds, Roman roads and medieval farms, using LiDAR technology. An innovative project is underway...
View at Machu Picchu, probably the most famous Inca settlement recorded by the big data archaeology model.          Source: fife76 / Public Domain

Big Data Used to Create Comprehensive Map of Inca Settlements

Parker VanValkenburgh, an assistant professor of anthropology, curated a journal issue that explores the opportunities and challenges big data could bring to the field of archaeology. PROVIDENCE, R.I...
Computer science graduate student and project manager Cameron Merrill explores a virtual archaeology cave excavation experience he helped create. Source: Fred Zwicky / University of Illinois

Virtual Reality Game Redefines Archaeology Education

Before they can get started at their field site -- a giant cave studded with stalactites, stalagmites and human artifacts -- 15 undergraduate students must figure out how to use their virtual hands...
Future archaeologists will find mainly neatly arranged human remains, study says.    Source: milkovasa / Adobe Stock

Future Archaeologists Will Mainly Discover Rows of Humans

A US scientist predicts that a yet-to-evolve intelligent species testing the fossil record on Earth will find mainly humans, lined up in rows. The new paper outlined in the journal The Anthropocene...
Oldupai (Olduvai) Gorge in Tanzania, one of Africa’s ‘cradles of humankind’.  Source: CC BY 2.0

Archaeological Discoveries Are Occurring Faster Than Ever

In 1924, a 3-year-old child’s skull found in South Africa forever changed how people think about human origins. The Taung Child, our first encounter with an ancient group of proto-humans or hominins...
Bible Old Testament: Joshua and the walls of Jericho.            Source: Archivist / Adobe Stock

The Walls of Jericho: How Accurate Was The Biblical Account?

Jericho is famous both to prehistorians and Biblical scholars. It is likely the oldest continuously inhabited permanent settlement in the world, known for ancient astronomical observatories,...
Three Ancient Shipwrecks Still With Cargo Found Off Greek Island

Three Ancient Shipwrecks Still With Cargo Found Off Greek Island

Three ancient Greek shipwrecks have been discovered off the small Aegean island of Kasos. In a statement released on Monday, Greece’s Culture Ministry said a subsea exploration funded by the Kasos...
An island in Scotland (supakit / Adobe Stock)

1000 Ancient Sites Revealed by Aerial Scan of Scotland’s Arran Island

Archaeologists in Scotland have concluded a cutting-edge archaeological project which has revealed around 1,000 previously unknown archaeological sites on the Isle of Arran. There is an island off...
Gladiator fresco found in Regio V, near Pompeii. Credit: Pompeii Archaeological Park

Gory Fresco of Gladiator Fight Found in Sleazy Pompeii Tavern

Archaeologists in Pompeii have unearthed a well-preserved fresco in a gladiators’ tavern illustrating the end of a fight in gory detail. The fresco of two gladiators fighting was discovered beneath a...
The Norte Chico Civilization: Ancient Peruvian Civilization or Complex Society?

Norte Chico: The First Civilization in the Americas?

The Norte Chico Civilization was an ancient civilization/complex society belonging to the Pre-Columbian era. This civilization flourished in Peru about 5000 years ago, and is believed to be the...

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