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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.

Haifa University Prof. Danny Rosenberg holds the 7,200-year-old model clay grain silo found at Tel Tsaf in the Jordan Valley.

7,200-year-old Vessel Tells of the Rise of the Elites

The oldest evidence of food storage rituals has been found by researchers from the University of Haifa and the German Archaeological Institute (DAI) in Berlin during excavations at the prehistoric...
A gold plaque depicting a Scythian rider with a spear in his right hand. One of the artifacts currently on display.

A Warrior’s Face Frozen in Time, Gold, Hemp, Tents and Cheese Tell the Scythian Tale

The Scythians were a mysterious and fascinating people. They were nomads and left no known writing, yet their elaborate burials and tattoos have given up some of their story. A new exhibition at the...
An ankle bone from 52 million years ago suggests that the earliest primates, the ancestors of humans, were great at leaping from tree to tree. Credit: Douglas Boyer, Duke University

Why Your Ancestors Would Have Aced the Long Jump

This tiny ankle bone belonged to one of the earliest members of the primate family tree. The 52-million-year-old fossil suggests that the first primates were expert leapers. Discovered more than 30...
Detail of the Mycenaean-era tomb’s façade and the dry-stone masonry that sealed the entrance.

Rare Tomb Shows Bronze Age Mycenaean-era Nobleman had a Fondness for Jewelry

After 3,350 years, a Mycenaean-era nobleman’s tomb has been re-entered and his favored possessions have been seen by modern eyes. Archaeologists consider his burial an odd one, with grave goods and...
Samian ware pottery that was found at the site at the end of last month

Two Roman Cavalry Swords and Two Toy Swords Amongst Treasures Found at Frontier Fort

Evidence of both work and play have been found at a Roman fort near Hadrian’s Wall in the UK. Two Roman swords as well as two wooden toy swords have been found in ongoing investigations which are...
Mummies of a woman and two children found in burial chamber at Draa Abul Naga, Luxor

Rich Pickings in Luxor As Two Family Tombs are Found Including that of a Royal Goldsmith

In ongoing explorations of a necropolis at Luxor, archaeologists have opened a new tomb and the findings have been rich. Amongst the 3,500-year-old treasures are jewels, sarcophagi, pottery and four...
The Viking Age sword found in Oppland, Norway.

Hunters Find Striking Viking Sword Isolated at High Altitude in Norway

Four friends were slowly making their way across the high altitude rocky terrain while hunting reindeer in Oppland, Norway. One noticed a rusty object sticking out of the rocks. Curiosity took over...
The burials were on the highest points of the spurs, or hillocks, on Arctic rivers.

Grave of Medieval 'Infant Prince' Found in Arctic, One of 9 Newly-Discovered Burials of 'Children'

By The Siberian Times reporter A young boy was laid to rest all alone with two iron knives, his feet trampling on reindeer bones, wearing an elaborate headdress decorated with iron rings. So far nine...
Scene of destruction in the film “Pompeii 3d” (2014). (La Stampa/CC BY NC ND) Insert: Remains of a skull attributed to Pliny the Elder from the Museo di Storia dell'Arte Sanitaria in Rome.

Researchers Look to Crowdfunding to Identify the Skull of Pompeii Hero Pliny the Elder

Gaius Plinius Secundus, better known as Pliny the Elder, was an influential administrator, officer, and author in ancient Rome. His life ended suddenly with the deadly eruption of Mount Vesuvius in...
Five of the sacrificed children were found in a multiple burial. (Flory Pinzón) Grave goods, including obsidian, were found in a burial of two more sacrificed children.

Mayan Child Sacrifices with ‘Divine’ Obsidian and Jade Discovered in Guatemala

The bodies of nine sacrificed children have been found at the Maya site of Ceibal in Guatemala. Some of the children were buried with obsidian tools, a fact which research suggests shows the enhanced...
 Sá and Seu Chiquinho sites featuring circular, square, and U-shaped earthworks.

Intertwining Human Life and the Environment: Understanding Ancient Geometric Earthworks in Southwestern Amazonia

The geometric earthworks of southwestern Amazonia have raised the interest within the scientific community as well as the media and the general public, and they have been explored recently by several...
Paleoindians hunting a Glyptodon. (c. 1920) by Heinrich Harder.

Evidence Mounts in Favor of Early Inhabitants of the Americas Over 20,000 Years Ago

A recent article in the journal Antiquity suggests that prehistoric people were hunting giant sloths in eastern Brazil about 23,000 years ago. This adds to an ever-growing body of research...
Representation of a Bronze Age woman in Dartmoor.

New Study Questions Archaic Views on Gender Roles, Showing Women as Cultural Leaders

Saying that someone with archaic views on gender roles lives in the Stone Age may not work anymore. A new study suggests that men and women in Lechtal, Germany during the Stone and Bronze Ages...
Prehistoric human skeleton in the Chan Hol Cave near Tulúm on the Yucatán peninsula prior to looting by unknown cave divers.

Skeleton Stalagmite Reveals Human Inhabitants in Mexico At Least 13,000 Years Ago

A prehistoric human skeleton found on the Yucatán Peninsula is at least 13,000 years old and most likely dates from a glacial period at the end of the most recent ice age, the late Pleistocene. A...
Underwater archaeologists off the coast of Nabeul in northeastern Tunisia at the site of the ancient Roman city of Neapolis.

Sunk by a Tsunami, Underwater Archaeologists Finally Find the Ruins of the Roman City Neapolis

After almost a decade of searching, the ruins of the city of Neapolis have finally been located. Based on their finds so far, researchers have confirmed that a tsunami hit the area in the 4th century...
Aerial view of the Iron Age roundhouse at Clachtoll broch in Assynt, Scotland.

Iron Age House Fire Took Place When Neighbors Were Few and Far Between

A woman thumps a knocking stone in the kitchen to prepare grain in preparation for tomorrow’s big meal. Her family have all gathered and are busy at various tasks about the house – her husband has...
The head of the unknown ancient Egyptian pharaoh found at Hazor in Israel.

Why Was This Sculpture of a Forgotten Pharaoh First Transported to Israel and Ultimately Smashed?

With a close-fitting, curled cap wig topped with a solar cobra, the head of a sculpture found in Israel in 1995 almost certainly depicts an ancient king of Egypt. But researchers are still trying to...
Remains found in one of the tombs

Mycenean Tombs with Skeletal Remains Discovered near Legendary Nemea

New Mycenaean tombs have been unearthed during recent excavations at the Mycenaean cemetery of Aedonia, a village near Nemea, Greece. The Mycenaean cemetery of Aedonia includes several Late Bronze...
The tomb of Tang Xianzu was discovered in the city of Fuzhou. (CFP) Insert: Tang Xianzu (1550-1616), Ming poet and dramatist, author of Peony Pavilion.

A Dramatic Ending: Tomb of the Tang Xianzu, ‘Shakespeare of the Orient’, Has Finally Been Found

Tang Xianzu was a notable playwright in China during the Ming Dynasty. Sometimes called the “Shakespeare of the East,” he is best known for four plays, often called the “Four Dreams” and “ The Peony...
Fresco depicting two lares pouring wine from a drinking horn (rhyton) into a bucket (situla), they stand on either side of a scene of sacrifice, beneath a pair of serpents bringers of prosperity and abondance, Pompeii, Naples Archaeological Museum

6,000-Year-Old Cave Find Shows Sicilians Made Wine Way Before Previously Thought

Researchers have found traces of wine in Sicily dating back to the 4th millennium BC. According to experts, that could mean that Italians have been making and drinking wine for much longer than...
The famous Roman theater at Aspendos, Turkey.

Ancient Mall Found in Famous Theater City of Aspendos Shows Commerce and Entertainment Went Hand-in-Hand

The ancient city of Aspendos was a major commercial center in Roman times. The recent excavations of a large shop complex with offices and storage facilities dating back some 2,000 years provide more...
Monastery of St. Catherine at Mount Sinai.

More Revelations From St. Catherine’s Monastery Include Lost Ancient Languages

Scientists have found languages not used since the “Dark Ages” among ancient manuscripts revealed at the St. Catherine’s monastery in Egypt. It is the latest findings to be released from the 1,500-...
Fight with Cudgels, 1819-1823 by Francisco de Goya

New Study Reveals that London was the Most Violent Place in Medieval England

A new study suggests that medieval London was notorious for its excessive violence. The overall findings suggest that violence affected many parts of medieval London, although predictably it...
The epitaph of King Kvirike III’s tomb features text in Asomtavruli script. (Credit: Cultural Heritage Agency)

11th Century King’s Tomb Unearthed at Dilapidated Monastery in Georgia

Historians in Georgia made a surprise discovery during restoration work, when they happened upon the location of the tomb of a renowned king from the 11 th century. Workers uncovered the gravestone...

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