england

Medieval Queen, her King and knights in castle.

18 May, 2019 - 14:07 Ed Whelan

Bones of Powerful Medieval Queen Identified at Winchester Cathedral

Archaeologists have potentially made a very important discovery after tests on human remains from early medieval mortuary caskets in England. They examined a large number of human bones and believe...

10 May, 2019 - 01:58 dhwty

The Magnificent Treasures of Sutton Hoo, The Final Resting Place of Anglo-Saxon Royals

Sutton Hoo is an archaeological site located near the town of Woodbridge, in Suffolk, East Anglia, England. This site is best known for the Anglo-Saxon burial mounds that were discovered during the...

27 April, 2019 - 01:59 Michelle Freson

Urquhart Castle – Guardian of Loch Ness and The Site of Bloody Scottish Battles

Urquhart Castle, overlooking Loch Ness from a rocky outcrop, is strategically placed in terms of defense and saw a great many conflicts during its 500 years as a medieval fortress, embroiled as it...

23 April, 2019 - 02:00 dhwty

Saint George, The Dragon Slayer: The Legend Behind the Hero

St. George is perhaps one of Christianity’s most famous saints, and is best-known as the patron saint of England. Apart from this well-known fact, St. George is also the patron saint of a number of...

The Hambleden Hoard was found during a metal detectorists four day rally.

20 April, 2019 - 18:53 ashley cowie

Metal Detectorists Discover Stash of 550 Ancient Coins Worth £150,000

Four amateur metal detectorists partaking in a four day long rally in Buckinghamshire, England, have unearthed over 550 rare gold and silver coins , including 12 ‘extremely rare’ gold coins from the...

Stones in the South Circle viewed from the south-east quadrant bank. The tower of St James church is in the background.

12 April, 2019 - 00:33 Theodoros Karasavvas

Was the Massive Stone Circle of Avebury In Honor of a Humble Neolithic House? [New Report]

A peculiar square formation recently discovered within the Neolithic stone circle monument of Avebury henge is reshaping the traditional narrative of one of the wonders of the prehistoric world. It...

7 April, 2019 - 22:12 Theodoros Karasavvas

Ragnar Lothbrok: A Real Viking Hero Whose Life Became Lost to Legend

Ragnar Lothbrok was a fearless Viking hero who ransacked England and France and fathered the Great Heathen Army. However the historicity of the man with “hairy breeches” is subject to debate. Where...

Anne Greene was condemned to death by hanging.

5 April, 2019 - 18:51 dhwty

Anne Greene, The Accused Baby Killer Who Refused to Die

Anne Greene was a woman who lived in England during the 17th century. She is notable for having survived her own execution . This was hailed as an act of God and Anne was pardoned. After her failed...

Saltford Manor and Luddesdown Court. Which is the oldest house in England?

30 March, 2019 - 13:19 Sarah P Young

Competing for the Title of the Oldest House in England - Luddesdown Court and Saltford Manor

England is known for the huge number of surviving buildings from hundreds of years ago. From Roman lighthouses to Tudor palaces, there are hundreds of buildings which offer a glimpse into the...

24 March, 2019 - 11:28 Riley Winters

Ivar the Boneless: Viking Warrior, Ruler and Raider

One would expect "boneless" to describe a man without a lick of bravery. Or perhaps a man without a shred of compassion in a heart of ice. Yet in the case of the infamous Ivar the Boneless, son of...

Oliver Cromwell, Cromwellian Conquest of Ireland.

18 March, 2019 - 22:01 dhwty

Rebel Judge and Executioner? The Brutal Cromwellian Conquest of Ireland

In 1642, The English Civil Wars broke out. On one side were the supporters of the king, Charles I, while on the other were his opponents. In England, it was the Parliamentarians (supporters of the...

4 March, 2019 - 18:52 Ed Whelan

How the Welsh Flag Became the Coolest Flag in the World

One of the most striking national flags is that of Wales. In an online poll, it was voted the coolest of all the over 200 national flags around the globe. Its main feature is a dragon , that is meant...

Three key players in the Battle of Towton, the Earl of Warwick, Edward IV and Richard III are depicted in a painting by John Augustus Atkinson (1775-18833).

27 February, 2019 - 02:57 Mark Miller

England's Bloodiest Battlefield: The Battle of Towton and the Battered Remains of a Medieval Knight

The Battle of Towton was the largest, longest battle on English soil. Thousands of people died in the Wars of the Roses, but this10-hour battle was particularly deadly. It’s believed the day of...

Excavation of two quarries in Wales by a UCL-led team of archaeologists and geologists has confirmed they are sources of Stonehenge's 'bluestones'– and shed light on how they were quarried and transported.

20 February, 2019 - 01:52 ancient-origins

The Where, When and How of Quarrying Stonehenge 'Bluestones' Is Revealed in New Report

Geologists have long known that 42 of Stonehenge's smaller stones, known as 'bluestones', came from the Preseli hills in Pembrokeshire, west Wales. Now a new study published in Antiquity pinpoints...

Two Roman lead coffins were recently discovered in a quarry in Surrey.

9 February, 2019 - 19:00 Ed Whelan

Two Roman Coffins with Celtic Motifs, One Containing an Adult and Infant, Found in England

Archaeologists in England have made the rare discovery of two lead caskets from the Roman era but with clear Celtic influence. One of the coffins contains the remains of an adult and infant, probably...

The bed could be a possible English National Treasure.

4 February, 2019 - 23:01 Ed Whelan

Bed Bought Online for £2200 May be 15th Century Bridal Bed of King Henry VII

A bed bought online by an antiques dealer in Britain for just £2200 (US$ 2500) may actually be the only surviving example of royal furniture from the Tudor Era. It is believed that the ornately...

Pages

Myths & Legends

The Epic of Gilgamesh. Source: Luca Oleastri / Adobe.

The Epic of Gilgamesh Unveiled: Searching For a Way to the Home Planet

In contrast to many theorists, this unconventional retelling of key parts of the Epic explores the idea that Gilgamesh was not searching for life eternal on Earth, as has been suggested as the theme of the Epic, but was instead searching for the means of transport to return to his goddess mother Ninsun’s home planet in the heavens.

Say the Magic Word: The Origins of Abracadabra

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

The Epic of Gilgamesh Unveiled: Enlightenment and Source of Religions

The Nature and Dangers of the Legendary Kobold

The Menhune of Hawaii – Ancient Race or Fictional Fairytale?

Human Origins

The Pagan Wheel of the Year: What Elaborate Rituals and Events Mark this Sacred Cycle?

Although it may be a long time (if ever) before pagans reclaim their Yule from Christmas or their Samhain from Halloween, it is worthwhile to explore these ancient religious traditions. The Wheel of the Year follows the cycle of pagan festivals.

The Epic of Gilgamesh Unveiled: Enlightenment and Source of Religions

The origins of human beings according to ancient Sumerian texts

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

Pharaoh Akhenaten: An Alternative View of the Heretic King

Are the Distinctive Kalash People of Pakistan Really Descendants of Alexander the Great’s Army?

Ancient Technology

An ancient Roman road at Leptis Magna, Libya

Ancient Journeys: What was Travel Like for the Romans?

It was not uncommon for the ancient Romans to travel long distances all across Europe. Actually during the Roman Empire, Rome had an incredible road network which extended from northern England all...

The incredible earthquake detector invented nearly 2,000 years ago

Mummy Brown – the 16th century paint made from ground up mummies

Romans in Pompeii Repaired the Roads with Molten Iron

Why Are There 365 Days in a Year? Organizing Dates with an Ancient Egyptian Calendar

Secrets Behind the Creepy Plague Doctor Mask and Costume

Ancient Places

Royal Palace at Ebla. Source: CC BY-SA 3.0

First Kingdoms: The Forgotten Mesopotamian Kingdom of Ebla

Spectacular things were happening in Mesopotamia in the period we call the Early Bronze Age, particularly in the southern part of it, commonly called Babylonia.

Sumer: Where Written Language, Arithmetic and Civilization Were Born

Homer’s Iliad Casts Doubt on the Aegean Location of Troy

Explaining the Fall of the Great Akkadian Empire

The Great Ziggurat of Ur

The Incredible Subterranean City of Kish

Opinion

Mysterious Worlds: Travels to the Faerie and Shamanic Realms

There are many accounts of a land of immortality and eternal youth in world myths and legends, as well as shamanic and indigenous spiritual traditions. Mysterious Worlds Writing in his recent work,...

Pharaoh Akhenaten: An Alternative View of the Heretic King

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

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

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.