In traditional Andean cosmovision, the natural world and the divine are united, and offering ceremonies are seen as a part of the reciprocity system between the material and spiritual worlds...
Something unexpected from the early Neolithic has been found in Turkey. During excavations in an ancient cemetery, a team of archaeologists from several institutions unearthed more than 100 small...
In the annals of history, we have witnessed a myriad of unique, and at times, bizarre traditions that have defined civilizations and their leaders. One such tradition that stands tall in its peculiar...
In Kerala , a state nestled in the southern part of India, the age-old tradition of Theyyam persists, defying the relentless march of time. This ritualistic form of worship, deeply ingrained in the...
The ancient 'zar' ritual of Egypt is a captivating and enigmatic cultural practice that dates back centuries. Rooted in ancient beliefs and folk traditions, the zar ceremony is performed to exorcise...
In a remote part of the Pyrenean foothills, where Spain borders France , a centuries-old ceremony commemorates a treaty that is believed to be one of Europe's oldest international agreements still in...
The Torajan people, living in Sulawesi, Indonesia, have a unique funeral tradition . According to their beliefs, a person isn't truly dead until water buffalo have been sacrificed at their funeral,...
The Mescalero Apache reservation in New Mexico holds a time-honored rite of passage for its young girls every Fourth of July. The four-day ritual involves a series of tests that challenge the girls'...
Cominh this weekend, King Charles III’s coronation will be the 39th coronation ceremony of a British monarch at Westminster Abbey. It is an ancient ritual that dates back over 900 years and is the...
The Star Carr archaeological site, located in the North of England, has yielded some of the most remarkable discoveries in recent times, providing insight into the lives of Mesolithic people. One of...
Sati, the practice of a widow self-immolating on her husband's funeral pyre, remains one of the most controversial and emotive issues in South Asian culture. While some view it as a sacred funerary...
The unforgettable Tana Toraja is a regency located in the picturesque mountains of South Sulawesi in Indonesia. This region is home to the indigenous Torajan people, whose way of life is deeply...
When King Charles III is crowned in June 2023, the accompanying ceremony will be a decidedly streamlined affair and will strip back a lot of the ancient traditions it usually entails. This is in...
The ancient Scottish Clan Buchannan has been without a leader since the 17th century. Now, the rightful heir to the clan has been crowned chief in a ceremony dripping with archetypes from Scottish...
If you’ve ever seen firewalking in person or online, you may have been amazed by the control and skill of individuals performing such a risky act. Since ancient times, the ability to walk barefoot...
The mayor of the Mexican town of San Pedro Huamelula, in the state of Oaxaca, has just done something pretty extraordinary. In a special wedding ceremony steeped in deep traditional beliefs, Mayor...
Ancient tombs are fascinating finds, especially when they’re intact. They can provide us with clues on how a person died, social status, burial styles, and funerary rites. The last of these is...
The ancient Mediterranean belief of the evil eye still has its adherents today. Those who have the “eye” are thought to give bad luck unintentionally to anything or anyone that they are envious of...
Archaeologists excavating near the village of Biddenham in Bedfordshire, England, have uncovered several ancient structures dating back 6,000 years. But most recently, a huge ritualistic monument has...
“Magic preceded art, art served magic, and art was then liberated from magic.” This was among a number of sometimes controversial assertions made by Scottish anthropologist James Frazer in his 19 th...
Major archaeology and cultural sites are starting to re-open across the world. Machu Picchu, one of the most famous archaeological sites in all of Latin America, has reopened with the spectacle of an...
The coronavirus pandemic has disrupted daily life around the world. It has also interfered with many historic traditions and ceremonies . A 1000-year-old swearing-in of a sheriff was not able to take...
Daily life has been heavily disrupted by the outbreak of COVID-19 or coronavirus . However, one British town is determined to carry on as normal as possible. They are committed to continuing a...
A cloud of mystery looms over the ringforts that speckle the countryside of Ireland. More than 45,000 ringforts have been documented throughout Northern Europe and yet little is known about the date...
