Over the centuries, historic texts have recorded a large number of rituals – magical or religious – some of which have been preserved in modified forms, while others remain only in obscure, old books...
Pieces of ancient, bronze sword blades and spearheads have been unearthed by archaeologists in Scotland. The pieces had been intentionally broken and thrown into a freshwater loch some 3,000 years...
The image of a couple exchanging rings during a wedding ceremony is instantly recognizable, and is held as an ancient tradition. A ring on a certain finger indicates that the wearer is married, but...
A team of scientists, composed of members of the Tenerife University of La Laguna and in charge of carrying out an archaeological mission in Luxor, have recently discovered a ceremonial cup from the...
The sparse population inhabiting the area that is now the Southwestern United States and Northwestern Mexico during the eighth century AD regularly consumed drinks made from cacao—the plant that is...
In modern times, it is common to initiate a new building with what is known as a "ground-breaking" ceremony. This tradition symbolically marks the beginning of a new project in many cultures and is...
Ancient Egyptians took great care to mummify the bodies of high-status people and adorned and entombed them with some of the most beautiful objects ever made. However, in what appears contrary to the...
The iconic profile of the world renowned prehistoric monument Stonehenge, found in Wiltshire, England, is unmistakable. The hewed standing stones rise up out of the earth in a testimony to ancient...
Archaeologists in Peru have announced the rare discovery of a ritual sacrifice of children and young llamas dating back 600 years. The finding is believed to be linked with the Chimú culture, which...
By Tara MacIsaac , Epoch Times Funerary rites, like death, are a source of fascination tinged by mystery and fear. Closely related to how we view the afterlife and how we relate to one another, these...
A new analysis of a sandstone-walled pit in Mesa Verde National Park, known as Mummy Lake, has suggested that the channels were used by the Ancestral Puebloans for holding rituals , not for...
Members of the Mah Meri tribe of Malaysia have just completed their annual ancestor-worship ceremony, an elaborate ritual involving dancers with intricately-carved masks who perform the historic Main...
The Malagasy people of Madagascar have built a way of life around death – during the dry winter months, famadihana ceremonies, known as “the turning of the bones”, take place around various towns and...
Archaeologists have just announced a unique discovery made in Turkey last year – a set of relics that are believed to have been used in ancient rituals to ward off disaster. The artefacts were buried...