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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.

Outline of a Pictish burial found near Muir of Ord, Black Isle, Scotland.           Source: Tarradale Through Time

1,400-year-old Pictish Remains Finally Unearthed in Scotland

Human remains found at what is thought to be a Pictish-era cemetery near Muir of Ord on the Black Isle in the north east of Scotland, have led archaeologists to believe they belong to an ancient...
How the Viking mausoleum would have looked according to archaeologists. Source: Raymond Sauvage, NTNU Vitenskapsmuseet

An Abnormal Viking Mausoleum Shows Ship Burials Weren’t for Everyone!

Archaeologists have found a Viking burial house in central Norway. It was located in an area which is revealing many archaeological treasures, including a Roman-era bronze cauldron. The mausoleum is...
Ancient humans competed with fierce animals for the Denisova cave. Source: anibal / Adobe Stock.

Humans Competed with Fierce Animals for the Denisova Cave

Fossil animal droppings, charcoal from ancient fires and bone fragments litter the ground of one of the world's most important human evolution sites, new research reveals. The latest evidence from...
Infant drinking from a replica feeding vessel similar to the type investigated in the new study. Source: Helena Seidl da Fonseca, University of Vienna

Proof Infants Sipped Animal Milk From Prehistoric Baby Bottles

A study of some mysterious pottery vessels found in children’s graves from the Bronze and Iron Age period has made some remarkable findings. An international team of scientists now believe that these...
Drones are becoming useful new tools for archaeologists. Source: Monopoly919 / Adobe Stock

From Turning Stones to Launching Drones: Archaeological Surveys Take Flight

Drones are becoming ever more present tools for archaeologists looking to add to their survey and excavation toolkits. They’ve been used to get some great aerial views of archaeological sites and...
New research claims use of beasts of burden opened the doors to social inequality. Source: Aleksandar Todorovic / Adobe Stock

How Oxen Plowed the Way for Social Inequality

Inequality became rooted in ancient societies with the rise of ox-drawn plows. Ancient societies across Eurasia as far back as 7000 years ago experienced the rise of an upper class. And according to...
Research indicates Nile crocodiles were hunted specifically for crocodile mummification rituals.  Source: quasarphotos / Adobe Stock

Did Ancient Egyptians Actively Hunt Crocodiles for Mummification?

Scans of a 2,000-year-old crocodile suggest the reptile was hunted for mummification rites. Mummified animals have been recovered from many, if not most, ancient Egyptian tombs and while today we...
View of the ancient Inca City, Machu Picchu, Peru. Source: alekosa /Adobe Stock

Researchers Claim X Marks the Spot for Machu Picchu

The ancient Inca sanctuary of Machu Picchu is considered one of humanity's greatest architectural achievements. Built in a remote Andean setting atop a narrow ridge high above a precipitous river...
This bronze vessel was one of many Macedonian treasures missed by looters at Ahlada, near Florina, in Macedonia    Source: Greek Ministry of Culture

A Wealth of Macedonian Treasures Overlooked By Looters

Archaeologists at a Macedonian graveyard in Greece have been ecstatic to find that graverobbers had far from cleaned out the ancient resting place. The burial ground was looted in ancient times and...
A rock surface containing a circular pattern with a central depression. Source: Science Direct.

Explaining Ancient Patterns and Sculptures on South African Beaches

One of the first things many kids – or even adults – may do when they are on a beach or dune is to make patterns in the sand or sculptures in the form of sandcastles. Many generations of humans have...
Two perfectly preserved Egyptian mummies from the Palace of Truth in Deir al-Medina are being restored and will be put on exhibit. Source: Ministry of Antiquities

Two 'Perfect' 3,400-year-old Egyptian Mummies To Be Restored

Two ancient Egyptian sarcophagi containing mummies, that are to be restored and displayed at the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization (NMEC) in Cairo, were recently unpacked and witnessed by...
Christian group burns ‘satanic objects’ in bonfire. Credit: Andris / Adobe Stock

Christian Missionary Demands Australian Aboriginals Burn ‘Satanic’ Cultural Relics

A group of extreme Christian missionaries is causing irreversible trouble in outback Wangkatjungka, in Australia, by burning sacred Aboriginal objects because they are “all from the devil”, while...
Example of a monument for an accused witch – “Maggie Wall burnt here 1657 as a Witch.” Source: Alan Weir/CC BY 2.0

Monumental Reminder of Scottish Witch Persecutions

The Scottish public is being consulted on a proposed national memorial in Fife for people condemned as witches. Scottish records inform that between the 16th and 18th centuries there were at least 1,...
The local Aymara held a ritual before the vessels were removed.        Source: Ministerio de Culturas y Turismo de Bolivia / Facebook

Tiwanaku Excavation Unearths 1400-Year-Old Ritual Vessels

At Tiwanaku, Bolivia , archaeologists have excavated a number of vessels that are believed to be 1,400 years old making them amongst the very oldest artifacts to be found at the site. Tiwanaku is one...
The prehistoric megalith Rujm el-Hiri.

Wheel of Giants: Prehistoric Rujm el-Hiri Puzzles Archaeologists

Sitting in plain sight but unnoticed for centuries, Rujm el-Hiri - an unusual megalith near the Sea of Galilee - has stumped experts. An ancient monument comprised of enormous stone circles dating to...
A preliminary portrait of a juvenile female Denisovan based on a skeletal profile reconstructed from ancient DNA methylation maps. Source: Maayan Harel

Face of the Denisovans? Portrait of a Teen Revealed by Her DNA

Based on ancient DNA methylation patterns, a portrait of a juvenile female Denisovan has been recreated. Only two weeks ago I wrote a news piece for Ancient Origins in which I listed all of the known...
View of Timna Valley, Israel area of copper smelting study. Source: boris_sh / Adobe Stock.

Egyptians Provided Technological Leap For Edomite Kingdom

In the Hebrew Bible , the Edomites were the descendants of Jacob's brother Esau, but did an ancient Egyptian invasion trigger technological innovations within this biblical kingdom? Erez Ben-Yosef,...
The human heart have evolved to be longer and thinner. Source: unlimit3d / Adobe Stock.

Human Hearts Streamlined for Stamina by Neolithic Revolution

Farming caused the human heart to evolve less “ape-like” and be better for endurance and stamina. New research suggests human hearts significantly changed when we dropped hunting and began leading...
A sword from the Talaiotic civilization has been found in Mallorca, Spain.       Source: Diario de Mallorca

Sword in the Stones: 3,200-Year-Old Weapon Unearthed Near Spanish Megalith

Archaeologists working on the Spanish holiday island of Majorca (Mallorca) have made a surprising discovery. They came across a 3,200-year-old sword, completely by accident at a Bronze Age site. It...
The removal of meat from a bone using a replica of the Revadim tiny flake tool. Source: Professor Ran Barkai, Tel Aviv University

Acheulian Culture Had ‘Surgical’ Skills in Butchery

The Acheulian culture endured in the Levant for over a million years during the Lower Paleolithic period (1.4 million to 400,000 years ago). Its use of bifaces or large cutting tools like hand axes...
Stone carving believed to be of Queen Eleanor of Aquitaine. Source: Milton Keynes Council.

Carving Believed to be Rare Depiction of Eleanor of Aquitaine Found in Abbey

A potentially historic discovery has been made in a medieval abbey in England . During a conservation project, the head of one of England’s most powerful queens was discovered, it has been announced...
Tin ingots from Hishuley Carmel.

Surprise Discovery That Ancient Tin Ingots Found in Israel Came From England

Researchers have made an astonishing discovery that is transforming our understanding of the Bronze Age . They have established that ancient tin ingots found in Israel actually came from what is now...
Wheel of Torture device. Insert, skeleton of young man wh9 was the victim of torture on the wheel.

Deformed Medieval Man Found Broken By the Wheel of Torture

Archaeologists in Milan have uncovered the shattered remains of a young man believed to have been broken on a wheel of torture. In medieval Italy different methods of torture were assigned depending...
Large Pictish cemetery in The Black Isle. Credit: NOSAS/Tarradale Through Time / Andy Hickie

Huge 1,400-Year-Old Pictish Burial Ground Found in Scotland

In Scotland, one of the largest Pictish cemeteries ever found has been uncovered by archaeologists. It is believed to be at least 1400 years old. The find is expected to throw new light onto the...

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