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.

Ancient Egyptians - Jewellery From Meteorites

2 June, 2013 - 09:38 aprilholloway

Ancient Egyptians Crafted Jewellery From Meteorites

Scientists have discovered that an ancient Egyptian jewellery item found in a 5,000 year old tomb was carved from a meteorite. The tube-shaped iron beads were originally uncovered over a hundred...

2 June, 2013 - 01:44 aprilholloway

The Mysterious Gardens of Babylon may not have been in Babylon at All!

According to new research, the legendary Gardens of Babylon , famous for being one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, may not have been in Babylon at all, but rather 340 miles north of that...

1 June, 2013 - 13:42 aprilholloway

Scientists Reveal Contents of 2,000-Year-Old Roman Pill

A team of Italian scientists have conducted a chemical analysis on some ancient Roman medicinal pills discovered in the Relitto del Pozzino, a 2000-year-old submerged shipping vessel which sank off...

1 June, 2013 - 11:22 aprilholloway

Shaman 'Rainmaking' Center Discovered in South Africa

Archaeologists in South Africa have stumbled upon an ancient shamanic rainmaking site atop a 1,000-foot-tall hill at Ratho Kroonkop,(RKK) Zimbabwe, while investigating rock art. The shamans would...

31 May, 2013 - 12:09 aprilholloway

Dead Sea Scrolls Being Sold off to Private Buyers

A family who owns pieces of the Dead Sea Scrolls has been causing uproar amongst archaeologists and academics for selling off postage stamp sized fragments of the ancient documents to private buyers...

30 May, 2013 - 11:01 aprilholloway

20 Han Dynasty Tombs Found Near Three Gorges Dam

Archaeologists in the Fengdu region of China have discovered twenty tombs which date back more than 2000 years. The tombs, which were found on the banks of the Yangtze River close to the Three Gorges...

29 May, 2013 - 05:19 johnblack

How Internet helps to decode Mayan scripts

The Mayan civilization was an advanced Mesoamerica civilization which developed art, agriculture, written language as well as mathematical and astronomical systems. People know the Maya mainly from...

28 May, 2013 - 07:54 johnblack

Breakthrough Discovery at Machu Picchu is blocked by the Government

Any new major discovery always has to face those who control the dissemination of information in our world today, as well as those who hold the power. Unfortunately very few things go out to the...

27 May, 2013 - 13:00 aprilholloway

Mysterious Man Made Structure Found in The Sea of Galilee Perplexes Scientists

A massive man-made structure was found, using a sonar scan, at the bottom of the Sea of Galilee in Israel in 2003 and has been perplexing archaeologists ever since. However, researchers are now...

27 May, 2013 - 05:08 aprilholloway

Ancient Egyptian Land at Risk of Destruction

Ancient and valuable land in Egypt is at risk of destruction as illegal building gathers pace near the Black Pyramid at Dahshur, 25 miles south of Cairo. The land of the Pharaohs is being excavated...

25 May, 2013 - 08:32 aprilholloway

Archaeologists Discover Nearly 5,000 Cave Paintings in Mexico

Archaeologists in Mexico have found 4,926 cave paintings in north-east Mexico in Burgos providing new information about the presence of pre-Hispanic people in a region which was previously believed...

23 May, 2013 - 07:05 aprilholloway

Archaeologists unearth one of the world’s oldest civilizations in Bahrain

When people think of ancient civilizations they usually conjure up images of Egypt, China, the Mayans, the Indus Valley or Mesopotamia. Very few will think of Bahrain, which is actually home to one...

21 May, 2013 - 11:20 johnblack

Second Temple Mount during Herod’s era has been found

We all know how the Temple Mount is the most important Jewish religious site and has been used for thousands of years. And why is it so important? Because it is the place where people go to...

21 May, 2013 - 07:22 johnblack

The Mystery of the Lion Man sculpture

In 1939 in Germany, in a cave inside a mountain, the oldest sculpture in the world was found . It represents a lion head human and it is carved out of mammoth ivory and is about 30cm in height. At...

20 May, 2013 - 15:01 johnblack

Early humans and the evolution of hunting skills

It is very common to take things for granted, however if we get into the habit asking ourselves the question ‘Why’ to things that we think we know, we will probably realize that we do not have the...

20 May, 2013 - 13:21 aprilholloway

Archaeologists Reveal Details about Lifestyle of First New Zealanders

A new study published in the international journal, PLOS ONE, has revealed new information about the diet, lifestyles and movements of the very first New Zealanders by analysing their bones and teeth...

Pages

Myths & Legends

Jason and the Legendary Golden Fleece

One of the most fascinating stories of ancient Greek mythology is the story of the Argonauts and the Quest for the Golden Fleece. The story takes place in the era before the Trojan War, when Hercules...

The Lost City of Aztlan – Legendary Homeland of the Aztecs

The Powerful Symbol of the Swastika and its 12,000 Year History

The gentle and benevolent Qilin of Chinese mythology

Lilith: Ancient Demon, Dark Deity or Sensual Goddess?

The Dramatic True Story Behind Disney's Mulan

Human Origins

Religion Isn’t The Enemy of Science: It’s Been Inspiring Scientists for Centuries

Take notice of any debate in the media and you’ll see that science and religion are, and always were, at loggerheads. Science is about evidence-based fact, religion is about faith-based belief.

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

Where are Ashkenazi Jews from? Their Origins May Surprise You

The Outstanding Story of Osiris: His Myth, Symbols, and Significance in Ancient Egypt

The Exodus – Scientific Evidence

The origins of human beings according to ancient Sumerian texts

Ancient Technology

The Ancient Invention of the Water Clock

Today, the ability to keep track of time seems to be taken for granted. One just simply needs to glance at a watch, clock, or mobile phone to know the exact time, even down to the nearest second...

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

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

The Man Who Stopped a Desert Using Ancient Farming

Defenders of the Dutch Polders: The Kinderdijk Windmills

Romans Mastered Nanotechnology and Used it for Eye Catching Decoration

Ancient Places

Kailasa Temple: How Was This Massive Hindu Temple Carved out of a Single Rock?

The Kailasa Temple has been dubbed as ‘Cave 16’ of the Ellora Caves, and is notable for being the largest monolithic structure in the world that was carved out of a single piece of rock. Apart from the temple’s impressive size, it is also remarkable for its sculptures, as well as for the fine workmanship of its other architectural elements.

The White Slaves of Barbary

The Immortals: An elite army of the Persian Empire that never grew weak

The tragedy of Queen Ankhesenamun, sister and wife of Tutankhamun

The Lost Tribe of Clover Hollow – Oldest Civilization in the World Found in Appalachian Mountains?

The Grim Reality of the Brothels of Pompeii

Opinion

Nephilim - Giants - Sons of God And Daughters Of Man

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

Who were the nephilim ? The word nephilim appears twice in the Old Testament of the Bible. They are first mentioned in chapter 6 of the book of Genesis and then again in Number 13:33. But their brief...

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?

Cracking the Code to Discover Ancient Tarot Symbolism and Forgotten Universal Knowledge

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.