Cathedral

9 January, 2019 - 01:42 Ed Whelan

Cathedral of the Holy Savior of Congo In Angola Is A Christian Landmark in Sub-Saharan Africa

Angola is a country that is rarely visited and its tourist industry is underdeveloped. This is in part due to the devastation caused by the wars of independence and civil wars that only ended in 2002...

Hidden carvings have been found on the tomb of Bishop Robert Cardeny at Dunkeld Cathedral.

27 December, 2018 - 23:05 Ed Whelan

Medieval Stone Carvings on Bishop's Tomb Lie Unseen for 600 Years

Many amazing discoveries have been made entirely by accident and Scottish experts have just announced one such discovery. During conservation work they have unexpectedly found medieval stone carvings...

Dozens of skeletons found underneath Westminster Abbey lavatory block. Credit: Dan Kitwood

6 November, 2018 - 22:58 Ed Whelan

Fifty Ancient Skeletons Found Crammed Together under Westminster Abbey Toilet Block

Westminster Abbey, the traditional place of coronation and burial for English monarchs, is one of the most popular historic sites in England. During a recent excavation in the great Abbey, some fifty...

The church on top of Rock of Cashel, Ireland. Credit: Ioannis Syrigos

9 July, 2018 - 14:01 dhwty

Rock of Cashel: From 2,000-Year-Old Royal Stronghold to Symbol of Christian Power

Steeped in mythology and immersed in over two millennia of history, the Rock of Cashel is one of Ireland’s most important archaeological sites. Prior to the arrival of the Normans, the Rock of Cashel...

The heart of Saint Laurence O'Toole, patron saint of Dublin, returned to Christ Church Cathedral, Dublin.

27 April, 2018 - 13:50 Gary Manners

Tip-off leads Dublin Police to the Stolen Holy Heart of St Laurence

An 800-year-old relic that was taken from Christ Church Cathedral in Dublin, Ireland, has been returned by the gardai (police) 6 years after it was stolen. The religious item is believed to be the...

Remains of the original apse built in 1077 was unearthed during excavation work at St Albans Cathedral.

21 March, 2018 - 00:46 aprilholloway

1,000-Year-Old Norman Cathedral Ruins Unearthed Beneath Church in England

The foundations of a Norman cathedral have been found under just 3ft (90cm) of soil during excavations at St Albans Abbey, the oldest place of continuous Christian worship in England. They are dated...

13 February, 2018 - 13:41 dhwty

The Tragic Fall of Solovetsky Monastery: From Religious Order to Labor Camp

Located on the Solovetsky Islands of Russia’s White Sea, the Solovetsky Monastery is a fortified monastic complex that dates back to the 15 th century. Initially, the monastery was home to a small...

15 January, 2018 - 22:59 Theodoros Karasavvas

Impressive Neo-Romanesque Church Destroyed by Mining Company in Germany

A 19th century Catholic Church in Germany was demolished last week by an energy company that destroyed an entire village in order to make way for coal mining in Immerath, Western Germany. The company...

26 September, 2016 - 14:46 Alicia McDermott

300-Year-Old Child Mummy Appears to Open Her Eyes in Creepy Video Shot in Mexican Cathedral

Rumors are swirling about paranormal events surrounding a young Catholic saint in Guadalajara, Mexico. Called Santa Inocencia, the deceased martyr is said to have opened her eyes and looked into the...

13 August, 2016 - 21:51 Alicia McDermott

Once an Ancient Mine, The Breathtaking Underground Salt Cathedral of Colombia

From preserving the food and trade of a prosperous Pre-Hispanic civilizations, to funding a liberator’s fight for independence, all the way to astonishing modern tourists and worshippers with its...

3 April, 2016 - 03:52 ancient-origins

The Basilica of San Petronio: The Biggest Church in the World…if the Pope Had Allowed it

The Basilica of San Petronio is one of the most important churches in Bologna, the largest city (and the capital) of the northern Italian administrative region of Emilia-Romagna. The basilica is...

Chartres Cathedral, Eure-et-Loir, Centre, France. The north facade.

7 March, 2016 - 00:46 Natalia Klimczak

The Chartres Cathedral – A Sacred Site for Ancient Druids and Christians

The monumental Chartres Cathedral hides within its walls stories which connect the world of ancient Druids, the cult of the Divine Feminine and Christianity. It is located on a leyline linking...

Cathedral of the Transfiguration of the Savior in Pereslavl-Zalessky

16 January, 2016 - 14:15 aprilholloway

List of Medieval Killers found Inscribed on Cathedral Wall may help solve Murder Mystery

A group of restorers working inside the Cathedral of the Transfiguration of the Savior in Pereslavl-Zalessky, Russia, have discovered an ancient inscription on one of the walls which details the...

A skeleton of the one of the young men buried on what is now the University of Durham campus

3 September, 2015 - 21:51 Mark Miller

Discovery of 17th century mass grave reveals tragic remains of child soldiers

Archaeologists say they have verified that skeletons unearthed in a mass grave in northern England were Scottish prisoners, including child soldiers as young as 13, who died after capture in a 1650...

1 March, 2014 - 02:19 aprilholloway

Archaeologists discover oldest Carolingian cathedral in Germany

Archaeologists have found the 1,200-year-old remains of an old church beneath the “Old Cathedral” in Mainz, Germany, today known as the Evangelical Church of St John. The discovery is the only...

Myths & Legends

A coloured rendition of the Sun Stone Calendar - Atzec

The Aztec Calendar Wheel and the Philosophy of Time

The Aztec calendar wheels have been a source of fascination for centuries. It was not just a way to keep time - it was a complete philosophy of time in which every day had a religious significance...

The symbol of the Swastika and its 12,000-year-old history

Messengers of Misery: Mourning Women in Mythology

Helen of Troy, The Beauty Who Sparked the Trojan War

The Real Story of Medusa, the Snake-Haired Gorgon

The Ancient Pagan Origins of Easter

Human Origins

The origins of human beings according to ancient Sumerian texts

Sumer, or the ‘land of civilized kings’, flourished in Mesopotamia, now modern-day Iraq, around 4500 BC. Sumerians created an advanced civilization with its own system of elaborate language and writing, architecture and arts, astronomy and mathematics.

11 Mysterious Human Species That Most People Don’t Know Existed

Creation Myth of the Maori – New Zealand

The human skull that challenges the Out of Africa theory

Rh-Negative Blood: An Exotic Bloodline or Random Mutation?

The Secret Life of an Ancient Concubine

Ancient Technology

Norimitsu Odachi: Who Could Have Possibly Wielded This Enormous 15th Century Japanese Sword?

The Norimitsu Odachi is a huge sword from Japan. It is so large, in fact, that it was said to have been wielded by a giant. Apart from the basic knowledge of it having been forged in the 15th century AD, measuring 3.77 meters (12.37 ft.) in length, and weighing as much as 14.5 kg (31.97 lbs.), this impressive sword is shrouded in mystery.

Robots Guarded Buddha’s Relics in a Legend of Ancient India

Secrets Behind the Creepy Plague Doctor Mask and Costume

The revolutionary invention of the wheel

The Evidence is Cut in Stone: A Compelling Argument for Lost High Technology in Ancient Egypt

The High-Tech Stonework of the Ancients: Unsolved Mysteries of Master Engineers

Ancient Places

Were the Chislehurst Caves Originally Created By Druids?

The Chislehurst Caves are a series of man-made subterranean tunnels, rooms, and caverns located in the southeastern part of Greater London. The caves were originally chalk and flint mines, which were abandoned around the early 19th century.

Vikings in Ireland: Recent Discoveries Shedding New Light on the Fearsome Warriors that Invaded Irish Shores

First Feast? The Burial at the Hilazon Tachtit Cave Site

Khajuraho: The Sexiest Temples in India

Somalia: The Ancient Lost Kingdom of Punt is Finally Found?

How Ancient People Marked the Equinox Around the World

Opinion

The astronomical ceiling at the Pronaos, Detail of the first Band west from the center. From left to right: two wind creatures (the winged ram with four heads personifies the south wind), the snake- and frog-headed eight goddesses and gods of the Ogdoad who ruled the cosmos before the creation of the world and Osiris seated on a throne sails across the sky as personification of the full moon accompanied by the seated goddesses Nephtys (left) and Isis on the right (Maat stands near the bow of the ship). Siri

Changing Colors and Scampering Across the Night Sky: What Did the Ancients Say about Sirius?

In Egypt, Sirius was the Star of Isis, Isis being the companion and rescuer of the god Osiris. In a very deep way, Osiris was Egypt.

Cracking the Code to Discover Ancient Tarot Symbolism and Forgotten Universal Knowledge

The Secret Strategic Plans of Darius the Great

The Secrets of the Kabbalists Garden

Alchemy and Generating Lifeforce —Global Temples Made in the Shape of Lingams: Shaivite Bull Cult Part II

From Green Man to Bull Son, The Universal Shaivite Bull Cult – Part I

Our Mission

At Ancient Origins, we believe that one of the most important fields of knowledge we can pursue as human beings is our beginnings. And while some people may seem content with the story as it stands, our view is that there exists countless mysteries, scientific anomalies and surprising artifacts that have yet to be discovered and explained.

The goal of Ancient Origins is to highlight recent archaeological discoveries, peer-reviewed academic research and evidence, as well as offering alternative viewpoints and explanations of science, archaeology, mythology, religion and history around the globe.

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By bringing together top experts and authors, this archaeology website explores lost civilizations, examines sacred writings, tours ancient places, investigates ancient discoveries and questions mysterious happenings. Our open community is dedicated to digging into the origins of our species on planet earth, and question wherever the discoveries might take us. We seek to retell the story of our beginnings.