Himyar

A photo showing some stelae found with Arabic inscriptions.

21 March, 2016 - 23:51 Sam Bostrom

Archaeologists Discover that Earliest Known Arabic Writing Was Penned by a Christian

The oldest known Arabic writing found in Saudi Arabia, from ca. 470 AD belong to a Christian context and predates the advent of Islam with 150 years. In December 2015, researchers from a French-Saudi...

Myths & Legends

Glastonbury Tor. Source: vlorzor / Adobe. Inset: Representational image of a skeleton.

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

When researching the reality of giants in the past, one story which has survived the ages is the apparent discovery of the ‘Glastonbury Giant’ which was allegedly unearthed in 1190, on orders of King Henry II, following rumors that the legendary King Arthur was in fact buried at that specific location.

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

Batman Existed in Mesoamerican Mythology and His Name Was Camazotz

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

Polyphemus - Whose Prayer for Revenge Was the Origin of the Odyssey

The Darker Side of Irish Fairy Lore: When Encounters Turn Dangerous

Human Origins

Pre-dating the Minoans: The Cycladic Civilization and Their Unusual ‘Modern’ Art

The Cycladic culture (known also as the Cycladic civilization) is an early Bronze Age culture located in the Cyclades. This culture thrived from around 3200 to 1100 BC, and predated two other major Bronze Age cultures in the Aegean, namely the Minoan and Mycenaean cultures.

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

The Secret Life of an Ancient Concubine

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

Easter Island’s Birdman Cult: A Story of Struggle and Survival

The origins of human beings according to ancient Sumerian texts

Ancient Technology

Secrets Behind the Creepy Plague Doctor Mask and Costume

The plague doctor mask is one of the most recognizable symbols of the Black Death. Though the image is iconic the relationship may be a little anachronistic. While plague doctors have been plying their trade since the Middle Ages, it was only after this period, during the 17th century, that they acquired their creepy trademark costume. But what does it mean?

Was the Baghdad Battery a medical device?

150,000-Year-Old Pipes Baffle Scientists in China: Out of Place in Time?

Ancient Stone Artifacts Could Tell the Story of When Early Humans Spread Out of Africa

A Step Closer to the Mysterious Origin of the Viking Sword Ulfberht

Ancient Chinese Earthquake Detector Invented 2,000 Years Ago Really Worked!

Ancient Places

Ottoman Warrior. Credit: ahmetnkececi / Adobe Stock

The Ottoman Empire: 600 Years of Domination

The Ottoman Empire was one of history’s largest and longest-lasting empires. It was founded around the end of the 13th / beginning of the 14th century and lasted for about six centuries.

Chichen Itza's Shadows: Unexpected Light Shed on Ancient Maya

Pindai Caves, Once Home to the Lapita People and Extinct Species

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

The Macabre Capela dos Ossos: Why was it Decorated with the Dead?

The Templar Tunnel: Knight’s Strategic Passageway Was Lost for 700 Years

Opinion

Naupa Iglesia: An Egyptian Portal in the Andes?

Halfway up a near-vertical ravine in the Andes, someone carved an inverted V-shaped entrance into the mountainside. Then they sliced the bedrock with great precision to create a shallow door that...

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

Mount Shasta: Spirits and Danger on a Sacred California Mountain

Mysterious Worlds: Travels to the Faerie and Shamanic Realms

Pharaoh Akhenaten: An Alternative View of the Heretic King

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

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.