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History & Archaeology

We bring you all the latest historical news and archaeological discoveries relating to ancient human history. Read more history news from around the world here at Ancient Origins.

The Byzantine coins found near Jerusalem have been dated to around the time of a 614 siege.

1,400-Year-Old Coins are the Forgotten Remnants of a Terrifying Siege on Jerusalem

Israeli archaeologists have announced the discovery of a hoard of rare Byzantine bronze coins from a site dating back to 614 AD. The coins were discovered during excavations for the widening of the...
A gold seal was one of the many treasures recovered from the Minjiang River in Sichuan, China.

Underwater Treasure Found in Southwestern China Makes Reality out of 300-Year-Old Mythical Battle

Chinese archaeologists announced yesterday the discovery of an immense underwater treasure. They stated that they recovered more than 10,000 gold and silver items which had been sitting at the bottom...
The facial reconstruction of Context 958

Face of ‘Ordinary Poor’ Man from Medieval Cambridge Graveyard Revealed

New facial reconstruction of a man buried in a medieval hospital graveyard discovered underneath a Cambridge college sheds light on how ordinary poor people lived in medieval England. The audience of...
An Ancient Australian Connection to India?

An Ancient Australian Connection to India?

Darren Curnoe / The Conversation When was the remote Australian continent first settled? Where did these ancient Australians come from? Was the island settled once, or on multiple occasions? Is there...
Have We Got a Temple, Theater, and Gate? Check! New Details Emerge on Roman Urban Planning in Central Italy

Have We Got a Temple, Theater, and Gate? Check! New Details Emerge on Roman Urban Planning in Central Italy

Archaeologists have discovered a magnificent ancient Roman temple the size of St Paul's Cathedral in central Italy. The discovery took place with the help of a radar device that was attached to the...
Alfred the Great. (19th century).

Was Alfred the Great Just a King that was Great at Propaganda?

Stuart Brookes / The Conversation The Last Kingdom – BBC’s historical drama set in the time of Alfred the Great’s war with the Vikings – has returned to our screens for a second series. While most...
Where Did It Begin? Gathering Place for the Battle of Salamis is Found

Where Did It Begin? Gathering Place for the Battle of Salamis is Found

Archaeologists think they have found where the Greek fleet gathered before the 480 BC Battle of Salamis, fought between Greeks and Persians in the bay of Ampelakia. The team studying the area found...
Crusader Shipwreck Yields Coins and Other Artifacts from the Final Years of a Holy Land Fortress

Crusader Shipwreck Yields Coins and Other Artifacts from the Final Years of a Holy Land Fortress

Marine archaeologists have discovered some intriguing artifacts in the wreck of a ship belonging to the Crusaders in Acre, Israel. It dates to the time of the valiant last stand by the few remaining...
2,000-year-old Warrior Armor Made of Reindeer Antlers Found on the Arctic Circle

2,000-year-old Warrior Armor Made of Reindeer Antlers Found on the Arctic Circle

By: The Siberian Times Reporter The ceremonial suit was embellished with decorations and left as a sacrifice for the gods by ancient bear cult polar people, say archeologists. The discovery is the...
Will It Work? Greece Is Willing to Loan Archaeological Treasures in Exchange for the Parthenon Marbles

Will It Work? Greece Is Willing to Loan Archaeological Treasures in Exchange for the Parthenon Marbles

Despite a strong desire to return the Parthenon Marbles to their rightful home in Athens atop the Acropolis , the Greek government decided against taking legal action against the UK last year. Some...
Quarrying and Blasting May Destroy 2100-Year-Old Castle Site and Statue of Mother Goddess in Turkey

Quarrying and Blasting May Destroy 2100-Year-Old Castle Site and Statue of Mother Goddess in Turkey

Blasting and quarrying of rock at a site near the ancient Kurul Castle in Turkey have endangered the structure and a precious statue of the ancient goddess Cybele. The castle, which dates back about...
Why Do We Ignore the Ancient Treasures on top of Mediterranean Mountains?

Why Do We Ignore the Ancient Treasures on top of Mediterranean Mountains?

Jason König / The Conversation The mountains of the Mediterranean are permanent reminders of the past. The ancient Greeks climbed to their summits to offer sacrifices to the gods for centuries, even...
Detail of the face on the mummy shroud from around 9 BC which was recently recovered from a hidden package in the National Museum of Scotland’s collections.

Every Curator’s Dream? 2000-Year-Old Mummy Shroud Discovered at the National Museum of Scotland

Curators at the National Museum of Scotland have made an exceptional discovery inside a World War II service envelope with a hand-written note. The writing distinguishes the contents, a remarkably...
An artist’s impression of the El Sidron Neanderthals who were likely gathering much of their food, rather than hunting large game. Source: CSIC Spain, Author provided

The New Paleo? The Staples of Neanderthal Diets Unlocked by Looking at the Gunk in Their Teeth

Alan Cooper & Laura Weyrich / The Conversation The typical vision of Neanderthals has not been particularly flattering, often featuring a giant club and spear and unfortunate sartorial choices...
A buckle and part of a strap were found with the metal pieces. Credit: Border Archaeology

Scientists Solve Mystery of Iron Strap and Buckle Unearthed in Medieval Cemetery

Archaeologists digging at Gloucester Cathedral, UK, have unearthed a strap for a medieval “false leg.” The metal pieces from the prosthesis band were discovered with a skeleton in the old lay...
The statue of King Amenhotep III in the ruins of his temple in Luxor

Archaeologists find Magnificent Statues of Pharaoh Amenhotep III and His Protector, the Lioness Goddess of War

Archaeologists working in Luxor have unearthed a magnificent statue of King Amenhotep III of ancient Egypt and several statues and statue parts of the cat goddess Sekhmet meant to protect him. The...
Did Nomads and their Herds Carve Out the Silk Road?

Did Nomads and their Herds Carve Out the Silk Road?

Nearly 5,000 years ago, long before Marco Polo traversed the vast east-west trade routes of the Great Silk Road, nomads were carving the foundations for these trans-Asian interaction networks. “Our...
The statue of a pharaoh found in a Cairo mud pit. It is believed to depict Ramesses II.

How Did an Enormous Statue of an Egyptian Pharaoh End Up Fragmented in a Mud Pit?

A team of archaeologists have unearthed fragments of a gigantic statue, possibly portraying Egyptian pharaoh Ramesses II, in a muddy pit at the ancient Heliopolis archaeological site in Cairo, as...
You Never Know What You’ll Find Down the Rabbit Hole! Were the Spooky Caynton Caves a Secret Templar Sanctuary?

You Never Know What You’ll Find Down the Rabbit Hole! Were the Spooky Caynton Caves a Secret Templar Sanctuary?

There is a fascinating and creepy underground sanctuary located in Shropshire, England known as the Caynton Caves. Allegedly linked to the famous Knights Templars and black magic rituals, legends say...
A Roman sarcophagus that was once used as a garden ornament is now restored and displayed in Blenheim Palace.

Could This Be the Most Expensive Flowerpot in England? $364,000 Roman Sarcophagus Was a Garden Ornament

An ancient Roman sarcophagus worth up to 345,000 Euros ($364,000) has been found in England. The precious marble coffin was discovered on the grounds of Blenheim Palace, a monumental country house...
Peasants Fighting

Violent Water and Filth? People Fought Dirty in the Medieval Streets of Aberdeen, Scotland

City of Aberdeen, Scotland Medieval records show people took fighting dirty to a whole new level as they may have been throwing urine and feces at one another during arguments. Newly discovered...
Was It Just a Boss Spying on His Workers? First Viking Age Tower Found in Denmark

Was It Just a Boss Spying on His Workers? First Viking Age Tower Found in Denmark

Archaeologists have recently excavated a very tall structure that can only be elucidated as a tower, in Jutland, Denmark. The “tower” was placed next to larger hall-type buildings, and a possible...
Valuable Enough to Kill For: 4,000-Year-Old Mine Which Was Hijacked by Foreign Forces Uncovered in Spain

Valuable Enough to Kill For: 4,000-Year-Old Mine Which Was Hijacked by Foreign Forces Uncovered in Spain

Archaeologists in Spain have uncovered sophisticated mining operations in Munigua, which were in operation as long ago as 4,000 years, but first Carthage and then Romans hijacked them for the vitally...
Will Discovery of Ancient Tombs in Poland Halt a Proposed Coal Mine?

Will Discovery of Ancient Tombs in Poland Halt a Proposed Coal Mine?

Locals opposing a new coal mine in Wielkopolska, central Poland, got help from an unexpected source: their ancestors. Burial mounds more than five thousand years old belonging to the Funnelbeaker...

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