fire

: A hooded Inquisitor in a Medieval torture chamber. Source: diter /Adobe Stock

24 November, 2018 - 22:44 dhwty

Medieval Torture: The Terrifying Threat of Twisting off Limbs and Burning Flesh

The Medieval period is often called (rightly or wrongly) one of the most brutal eras in European history. One of the most notorious features of the Middle Ages was the use of torture. Although...

Remains of The National Museum of Brazil.

4 September, 2018 - 13:55 ashley cowie

20 Million Artifacts In Latin America’s Largest Museum - Gone - In Blazing Inferno

Saint Christopher's Palace in the Quinta da Boa Vista park, in the city of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil had served as residence for both the Portuguese and Brazilian royal families before becoming the...

Many thousands of years ago, even before Homo sapiens evolved, humanoid people were using fire, according to Chinese scientists.

24 July, 2018 - 13:14 Mark Miller

Use of fire by Peking Man goes back 600,000 years, Chinese scientists say

Chinese scientists are saying an early human ancestor, Peking Man, set up fireplaces and cooked food about 600,000 years ago—the earliest evidence for fire use by a human species yet. They found...

: Human teeth from Qesem Cave. Credit: Prof. Israel Hershkovitz, Tel Aviv University

19 June, 2018 - 17:49 aprilholloway

Ancient teeth reveal evidence of 400,000 year-old manmade pollution in Israel

A multi-national team of researchers found the first known case of manmade pollution in a cave in Israel. The evidence was found in the hardened dental plaque of 400,000-year-old teeth, which had...

Burnt skeletons found at excavations in Plovdiv, Bulgaria

15 May, 2018 - 22:59 Alicia McDermott

Three Burnt Skeletons: Gruesome Evidence of Gothic Fires that Razed a 3rd Century Bulgarian City

Everywhere they turned they saw flames. The two adults didn’t know where to seek safety…if not for themselves at least for the three-year-old child they desperately wanted to protect. Yelling,...

Solar gods were worshiped in prehistoric Ireland.

20 April, 2018 - 19:02 lizleafloor

Was Prayer to the Ancient Solar Gods enough to Change the Renowned Irish Weather?

Ireland’s history is rich in dramatic myth and mysterious legends. The significance of the natural world, and most importantly the sun, was obvious in the daily lives of the pre-Christian Irish...

17 February, 2018 - 13:27 dhwty

The Abbey Library of St. Gall: One of the Oldest Working Libraries in the World

Founded during the 8th century, the Abbey of St. Gall has served both the Church and scholars over the years. Its library has a particular draw because it is one of the oldest and most important...

Handle of one of the wooden tools from the Poggetti Vecchi site.

6 February, 2018 - 22:56 ashley cowie

171,000-Year-Old Fire Forged Tool Discovered Beneath a Giant Elephant

171,000 years ago, in Tuscany, a set of ancient tools were crafted and forged with fire. Archaeologists in Florence, Italy, made an incredible discovery during construction work at Poggetti Vecchi. A...

Joshua’s armies depart a burning and looted Ai.

5 January, 2018 - 15:07 Cam Rea

Military Blunder and the Death of a King: Joshua’s Debacle at Ai – Part II

The battle of Ai is probably one of history’s most overlooked battles in which military trainees or cadets can learn valuable lessons. Joshua—new leader of the tribes of Israel, great military leader...

2 January, 2018 - 01:52 Riley Winters

The Fall of a Civilization: The Mysterious Collapse of the Mycenaean Bronze Age

"In most cases, collapse results from multiple, 'cascading' stress factors—politico-economic, demographic, and sociocultural as well as environmental…relational aspects, arguing that factors such as...

11 December, 2017 - 15:27 MartiniF

The Relationship that Started it All and Changed the World: The Yin Yang & Diagram of the Supreme Ultimate

Chinese mythology and cosmology rest on the concept that the universe is shaped and maintained by two fundamental forces called yin and yang. They are opposite yet complementary forces that interact...

Santa with pipe and the knowing smile of ancient wisdom.

10 December, 2017 - 13:56 jim willis

Santa the Shaman Comes to the New World: The Shapeshifting Magic-Man from the Ancient Past

In 1626, a ship filled with folks from the Netherlands put into what would later be called New York Harbor and went about building a Dutch colony called New Amsterdam. The figurehead on the prow of...

Species of corn found in the American Southwest.

28 November, 2017 - 13:53 ancient-origins

Fire, not corn was key to prehistoric survival in the arid Southwest USA

Conventional wisdom holds that prehistoric villagers planted corn, and lots of it, to survive the dry and hostile conditions of the American Southwest. But University of Cincinnati archaeology...

It is estimated 95% of the Ventarrón archaeological site in Peru has been destroyed by fire, including one of the oldest murals in the Americas.

15 November, 2017 - 13:59 Alicia McDermott

Flames Ravage Peruvian Temple and one of the Oldest Known Murals in the Americas

A fire has destroyed much of a 4000-year-old temple site in Peru, including a wall painting which is said to have been one of the oldest known murals in the Americas. Almost 95% of the site has been...

Aerial view of the Iron Age roundhouse at Clachtoll broch in Assynt, Scotland.

2 September, 2017 - 01:58 Alicia McDermott

Iron Age House Fire Took Place When Neighbors Were Few and Far Between

A woman thumps a knocking stone in the kitchen to prepare grain in preparation for tomorrow’s big meal. Her family have all gathered and are busy at various tasks about the house – her husband has...

Hansanlu Lovers skeletons close up of torsos and skulls

30 August, 2017 - 19:01 Theodoros Karasavvas

The Eternal Kiss of the Hasanlu Lovers Throws Up Questions of Ancient Love: Romance, Bromance or Something More Familial?

Have you ever heard of the “The Hasanlu Lovers?” If not, don’t be too quickly seduced by the exotic and romantic sounding moniker this phenomenon has been awarded. Colorful and amorous images are...

Pages

Myths & Legends

Magu, Goddess of Longevity and immortal hemp maiden.

Magu: The Hemp Goddess Who Healed Ancient Asia

"Cannabis" and "criminal" are synonymous in many countries. While cannabis has been steadily weaving onto the "right" side of the law in recent years, the "high" people get from the plant is still often associated with negativity.

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

Ancient Symbolism of the Magical Phoenix

The Glastonbury Giant: Who Did the Mystery Bones of A Nine Foot Skeleton Belong To?

Ten Mythological Creatures in Ancient Folklore

The Real Story of Medusa and the Gorgons

Human Origins

Facing the Facts: Just How Accurate Are Facial Reconstructions?

There have been a number of high-profile reconstructions of historical figures recently and it seems like whenever a reconstruction is shared there is controversy and argument about whether the person it portrays really looked like their facsimile.

The origins of human beings according to ancient Sumerian texts

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

The human skull that challenges the Out of Africa theory

Australian Aboriginals - Creation Myth

Pangu and the Chinese Creation Story

Ancient Technology

Both a Princess and a Priestess, What Did the First Known Author Have to Share with the World?

The world’s first known author is widely considered to be Enheduanna, a woman who lived in the 23rd century BC in ancient Mesopotamia (approximately 2285 – 2250 BC).

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

Boggling Bannerstones of Ancient Americans: Were They a Function of Flight or More a Flight of Fancy?

The revolutionary invention of the wheel

Ten amazing inventions from ancient times

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

Ancient Places

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.

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.

Were the Women of Petra More Important Than the Men?

Spectacular Royal Han Tombs Reveal Wealth and Glory of China’s Golden Age

It Looks Like a Laser Cut But What Really Split the Ancient Al Naslaa Rock?

Axum: Legendary Kingdom of Ancient Ethiopia

The Construction of Venice, the Floating City

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.

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.