Ancient Origins articles related to General in the sections of history, archaeology, human origins, unexplained, artifacts, ancient places and myths and legends.
An institute has been established in Tibet to preserve ancient texts written on the leaves of plants, known as pattra-leaf scriptures. Originally from ancient India, these cultural relics are...
Archaeologists have discovered the remains of a mass grave at the bottom of a 1,200-year-old well in the town of Entrains-sur-Nohain in Burgundy, France. It appears the discovery relates to the...
A New Year's resolution is a tradition, most common in the West but found around the world, in which a person makes a promise on New Year’s Eve to make certain changes or self-improvements in the...
This year, huge strides were made in unravelling some of the mysteries of our ancient ancestors. For example, in the first ever analysis of a virtually complete Neanderthal genome, scientists were...
The Egyptians are well known for their love of cats . Not only were they praised for controlling vermin and snakes, but the cat was a symbol of grace and poise. The goddess Mafdet, the deification of...
The Vatican will be opening an ancient Roman cemetery to the public early next year. The ancient burial site, which was discovered under a Vatican City car park 60 years ago, contains the remains of...
Last week we reported on the discovery of a very unusual rock panel in the Kharga Oasis, 175 kilometres west of Luxor in Egypt, which Egyptologist Salima Ikram claimed was a depiction of spiders...
One of the best things about archaeology is uncovering the unexpected. Some of the findings listed below certainly fit into this category – from elongated skulls to vampire graves, green slime, and...
Most depictions of angels show a blond-haired woman in a white gown with feathered wings and a glowing golden halo, but is this what angels really look like? According to ‘Angelogist’ Father Renzo...
For Iranians around the world, the winter solstice is not just the longest night of the year, it is also the time to commemorate the triumph of Mithra , the Sun God, over darkness in an ancient...
Earlier this month we reported on evidence to suggest that the oldest known writing system was based on geometric form in connection with astronomical phenomena. Now in an incredible new study...
When describing the discovery of an ancient love letter placed upon the body of a loved one, Chris Scarre, head of the archaeology department at the University of Durham, said: “archaeologists who...
While 2013 has seen a plethora of incredible archaeological discoveries and achievements, which will be showcased shortly, there are other events that have equally affected the archaeological world,...
The city of Caesarea, located on the Israeli coastal plain near the city of Hadera, is known for the lavish lifestyle of certain contemporary residents. But it is not just the rich and famous in...
The Hopi tribal mask is revered as a sacred ritual artefact by the Native American Hopi tribe in Arizona. The masks are worn by dancers during religious ceremonies and are considered as living beings...
New research has shown that Stone Age humans in Britain and France selected their ‘real estate’ in order to achieve the perfect diet. Ancient humans chose to live on islands in the flood plains of...
According to Egyptologists, the Valley of the Kings still contains many royal tombs and hidden treasures waiting to be uncovered. Their conclusion is based on one of the most extensive exploration...
The Bujang Valley, otherwise known as Lembah Bujang, is the richest archaeological site in the whole of Malaysia. Sprawling over an incredible 224 square kilometres, it is an ancient historical...
Two grave robbers ran into some bad luck on Monday when they became trapped in a burial chamber they were trying to rob and had to be rescued by police, who subsequently detained them. The pair was...
A debate is heating up in scientific circles regarding the use of lead bricks from ancient shipwrecks for use in experiments in particle physics. The question is whether destruction of artefacts is...
German archaeologists are currently embroiled in a dispute with Egypt’s antiquities ministry after they allegedly removed samples from the Great Pyramid and subsequently announced that the...
I just want to go to you. Please take me to where you are. My feelings towards you I cannot forget in this world and my sorrow knows no limit. Where would I put my heart now and how can I live with...
In a move that has attracted significant criticism and controversy, the St John Stoudios (Imrahor) Monastery in Turkey, the largest Byzantine monastery in Istanbul, will be converted into a mosque...
Archaeologists have unearthed what may be the largest and oldest wine cellar in the Middle East in Tel Kabri, Israel. The massive cellar contained forty jars, each of which would have held fifty...
