Courtesans

India, Rajasthan, 13th-14th century (Public Domain) and A 12th-century sandstone statue of a dancing Apsara from Uttar Pradesh, India.

27 November, 2017 - 15:22 MartiniF

What Really Happened in the Celestial Palace? Daughters of Pleasure, Courtesans of the Gods

It takes much willpower to resist the temptation of the asparas ; beautiful dancing women in the court of Indra, king of the gods, in the celestial palace in Hindu mythology. They are the heavenly...

8 June, 2016 - 16:00 MartiniF

The Four Great Beauties, and the Arts of the Courtesans in Ancient China

The Four Great Beauties are four ancient Chinese women renowned for their beauty which they skillfully exercised to influence Chinese history. Although each of the Four Great Beauties frequently...

Myths & Legends

The Cat Came Back: A More Than Mythical History – Part I

Cats have been on the human scene for 9,000 years. We came out of the caves, and they were there with us. Ever since, cats have been immortalized in art. They have been painted in fresco, sculpted in...

Charon, Son of Night and Shadow, Ferrier of the Dead

Does the Brewer Cave Story Unlock a Hidden History?

Wayland the Smith: The Lost Germanic Legend of the Flying Blacksmith

The Bringer of Souls: The Stork Myth In Ancient Pan-European Beliefs

The Real Story of Medusa: Protective Powers from a Snake-Haired Gorgon

Human Origins

Representational image of human skeletons. The discovery of anomalous skeletons suggests humanity may be older than we think.

Ancient Anomalous Human Skeletons: Humanity Could be Much Older Than We Think

There are many reported human skeletal finds which are in discordance with current evolutionary beliefs dating back to anomalously ancient geological periods in the distant past, way before it is accepted that human beings ever existed.

The Cat Came Back: A More Than Mythical History – Part I

Where are Ashkenazi Jews from? Their Origins May Surprise You

The origins of human beings according to ancient Sumerian texts

Sky Burial: Tibet’s Ancient Tradition for Honoring the Dead

Do you dare enter a fairy ring? The mythical mushroom portals of the supernatural

Ancient Technology

The Medieval ring found in Kavarna, Bulgaria (Image: Kavarna Municipality)

Jewelry to Die For: 14th-Century Bulgarian Ring with a Killer Dose

When a medieval ring was uncovered by Bulgarian archaeologists excavating the remains of the medieval fortress on Cape Kaliakra, near the town of Kavarna on the Bulgarian Black Sea coast, they were surprised to discover that it was not a simply a decorative piece but looked to have been designed for the far more sinister use of murder.

Uncovering Ancient Pyramid Science at Teotihuacan, Where Men Become Gods

Beaver's teeth 'used to carve the oldest wooden statue in the world’

Etruscans Transported Bees by Boat to Reach the Best Flowers!

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

Defenders of the Dutch Polders: The Kinderdijk Windmills

Ancient Places

Tombeau de la chretienne, Tipasa. (tomb of the Christian Woman – an alternate name of the Royal Mausoleum of Mauretania).

The Royal Mausoleum of Mauretania: Deadly Wasps Once Prevented its Destruction

In almost any culture, an ancient royal couple would have been expected to have provided themselves with a superior, monumental, or otherwise unique final resting place. Such was the case with Juba and Cleopatra Selene II.

Tunnels to the Sun: Exploring the Mysterious Ravne Tunnels in Bosnia

Uncovering Ancient Pyramid Science at Teotihuacan, Where Men Become Gods

A Storybook Setting: The Famous German Fairytale Castle of Neuschwanstein

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

The Dispilio Tablet - the oldest known written text

Opinion

Trojan War scene. Achilles dragging the dead body of Hector in front of the gates of Troy

Was There Ever a Trojan War?

Was there ever a Trojan War? That is, the almost legendary battle fought between Greeks and Trojans. This question continues to go unanswered by the academic and archaeological world. If we read from...

Floki and the Viking Discovery of Iceland

Messiah on Temple Mount: Are We Nearing the End of Time?

3 Problems to Remember When Trying to Find Atlantis

Naupa Iglesia: An Egyptian Portal in the Andes?

The Nephilim: Giant Offspring of the Sons of God and the Daughters of Man?

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.

We’re the only Pop Archaeology site combining scientific research with out-of-the-box perspectives.

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.