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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.

Largo di Torre Argentina square in Rome, Italy. Source: Pino Pacifico/Adobe Stock

“Et tu, Brute?” Rome to Reopen Square of Julius Caesar’s Assassination to Public

From this week, history enthusiasts, tourists, and other interested parties will be able to walk through the square where the famed Roman emperor, Julius Caesar, met his end through stabbing. Rome...
Study claims that this piece of graphite is actually a 42,000-year-old carved Mongolian phallus. Source: Solange Rigaud et. al. / CC BY 4.0

Expert Claims This 42,000-year-old Mongolian Rock is the Oldest Phallus in the World

A small and perhaps unremarkable looking rock was recently discovered at a site in Mongolia. Controversially dated to 42,000-years-ago, a scientist has presented the find as one of the oldest crafted...
Left, The Trumpington Cross is found during the excavation of the burial in 2012. Top right, The Trumpington Cross. Bottom Right, Skull of Anglo-Saxon girl in the burial. Source: University of Cambridge Archaeological Unit

Rare Anglo-Saxon Trumpington Cross Girl Burial Has Been Given A Face

Who Was This Anglo-Saxon Girl? Face of Trumpington Cross Bed Burial Revealed In 2011, a mid-7th century Anglo-Saxon Christian burial of a 16-year-old teenage girl in a village had turned out to be...
Charles Hanson, the owner of Hansons Auctioneers, holding the 600-year-old medieval hand cannon. 	Source: Hansons Auctioneers

Garden Rockery Decorative Piece Turns Out to Be Rare 600-Year-Old Hand Cannon!

A seemingly ordinary cannon purchased for a mere £20 ($25) from a flea market in Hertfordshire, England, and repurposed as a decorative piece for a garden rockery has turned out to be a valuable...
Smaller Buddha of Bamiyan, before and after destruction. (Minahatithan / CC BY-SA 4.0)

Twisted Tourism: Taliban Sells Tickets to See the Buddhas They Blew Up

The Taliban are not known as being guardians of history, and for the last 20 years they have embarked on a quest to “honor” the artifacts of antiquity with sledge hammers and bombs. After turning...
Representative image of mummy in Nazca, Peru. Source: Matthias Kestel/Adobe Stock

Students Find A Mummy In A Temple, Beneath A Peruvian Trash Site

Dump diving in Lima, archaeology students removed 8-tonnes of rubbish to reveal a rare, mummified body from Peru's ancient Manchay culture. Astonishingly, they also identified a colossal U-shaped...
A diver examines the wreck in Zambratija, Croatia. Source: Philippe Groscaux/AMU-CNRS

The Oldest Hand-sewn Boat Wreck in the Mediterranean to Resurface

An ancient marvel is set to emerge from the depths of Croatia's waters in the Mediterranean. Meet the Zambratija boat, a remarkable testament to maritime history that has defied the ravages of time...
Perfectly preserved Bronze Age sword found in Nördlingen, Germany. Source: Dr. Woidich/Bavarian State Office for the Preservation of Monuments

Exceptionally Preserved “Still Shining” Bronze Age Sword Unearthed in Bavaria

So well preserved “it almost still shines” is what archaeologists have termed the incredible find of a 3,000-year-old Bronze Age sword found in the town of Nördlingen, Bavaria in Germany. This...
Screenshot of recently discovered traditional waka canoe. Source: Screenshot/1 News

Delighted Maori Recover ‘Hidden’ Waka Canoe in New Zealand River

A long-abandoned waka , the traditional canoe of the Maori people, was recently discovered in the shallow waters of the Patea River in the Taranaki region of western New Zealand. Current estimates...
Viking Era phallic stone and burial globe from Tystberga. Source: (Uppdrag arkeologi)

Viking Era Phallic Stone Discovered During Excavation of Burial Site

During the excavation of Viking burials in Tystberga, Sweden, archaeologists made a surprising discovery that both astonished and amused them. Among the ancient graves and residential structures, the...
The Roman mausoleum found in London. It features a mosaic surrounded by a raised platform, which archaeologists believe was for burials            Source: MOLA

“Completely Unique” 2,000-Year-Old Roman Mausoleum Unearthed Near London Bridge

Archaeologists have made an extraordinary discovery at the Liberty of Southwark development site in London—a “completely unique” Roman mausoleum of unparalleled preservation, now considered the most...
Study reveals Romans bred bulldog-like canines 2,000 years ago. Source: svetography / Adobe Stock

Romans Bred Bulldog-like Canines 2,000 Years Ago, But Why?

A team of scientists measured a damaged 2,000-year-old dog skull discovered at a Roman site in Turkey. They discovered that not only did Romans breed a small flat-faced dog, similar to a French...
Left, Tutankhamun golden funerary mask. Right, 2023 facial reconstruction of King Tutankhamun. Source: Left, merydolla / Adobe Stock. Right, C. Moraes et al.

Experts Speculate Tutankhamun's Death Was Due to A Drink Driving Chariot Accident

A crown prince who abused his authority, driving fast and drunk? It doesn’t seem implausible, but when you tie that to King Tutankhamun, ancient Egypt’s famed boy king, it seems almost outrageous...
AI generated image of a complete shipwreck, representative of wrecks that have recently been discovered in the Mediterranean Sea. Source: MediaM/Adobe Stock

Survey Finds Two Dozen Shipwrecks Proving Historic Mediterranean Sea Routes

Archaeologists have long believed ancient mariners were excessively cautious when sailing the Mediterranean, staying close to the coast at all times to avoid the risk of tumultuous mid-sea storms and...
A headless skeleton, Suffolk, England (representational). Credit: Archaeological Solutions.

450 Headless ‘Vampire’ Skeletons Unearthed in Mass Grave in Poland

Archaeologists in Poland have excavated what is being called a “mass-suspected vampire grave.” With their decapitated skulls lodged between their legs, and coins in their mouths, every effort was...
Archaeologists uncovered a medieval stone phallus they believe may have been used to sharpen weapons. Source: Árbore Arqueoloxía S.Coop.Galega

Stone Penis Found in Ancient Ruins in Spain Had Violent Purpose

A bizarre artifact has been uncovered in ancient ruins in the northwestern region of Spain: a six-inch stone penis. The relic stands out, not just for its phallic form, but for its violent purpose –...
Bone ‘aerophones’ or flutes from Eynan-Mallaha. Source: Laurent Davin et al/ Nature

Using These 12,000-Year-Old Flutes, Did Humans Speak With Raptors?

An archaeological site in Israel was excavated in the 1950’s, but somehow, a collection of 12,000-year-old bone flutes didn’t surface. Last year a team of researchers returned to excavate the site...
Clay figurines of boys and girls found during an excavation on the Greek island of Kythnos. Source: Greek Culture Ministry

Myriad of Cultic Offerings Unearthed at Kythnos Temple Complex

The excavation of two small temples and a potential storeroom at Vryokastro on the Greek island of Kythnos has revealed a whopping 2,000 plus clay figurines, probably votive offerings left over...
The runestone discovered in Randers, Denmark is likely older than the Jelling stones. Source: Lene Brandt/DR

Giant Runestone Discovered Under Kitchen Floor in Denmark

A routine home renovation just outside the city of Randers in Denmark, turned into something out of a fantasy-treasure novel. A young couple stumbled upon a sizable runestone just as they were...
The Roman gypsum burial being scanned at York Museum. Source: University of York

Hidden Secrets of Roman Gypsum Burial Practice Revealed by Scanning

Unveiling an ancient family tragedy buried beneath layers of history, archaeologists from the University of York have embarked on a groundbreaking journey into the lives of Roman citizens who met a...
39 stones near the main attraction here at Carnac have been totally destroyed. Source: Karl Allen Lugmayer / Adobe Stock

39 Prehistoric Megaliths At ‘The French Stonehenge’ Destroyed by Developers

DIY chain Mr. Bricolage is under fire for ‘accidentally’ destroying a vital part of the deeply ancient historical heritage of Brittany – ‘The French Stonehenge’. The unfortunate destruction of thirty...
The Boxford Timber discovered in Berkshire. At more than 6,000 years old, it is Britain's oldest carved wood.    Source: © Derek Fawcett/Historic England

Britain's Oldest Wooden Artifact Found With Curious Carvings

This special piece of timber was unearthed on a building site in the village of Boxford in Berkshire, England. Decorated with mysterious carvings, this rare wooden artifact has been compared to...
Underwater excavation of the site of La Marmotta in Lake Bracciano.  Source: Museo delle Civiltà-Mario Mineo/Antiquity Publications Ltd

Early Neolithic Settlement Found Underneath the Waters of Lake Bracciano

La Marmotta, an ancient lakeshore settlement submerged in Lake Bracciano near Rome, Italy, has captivated underwater archaeologists since its discovery in 1989. Now, archaeologists have located some...
Roman shoes discovered in the canal of the River Lys during the excavation of Thérouanne (Pas-de-Calais) in 2023.      Source: © Dominique Bossut, Inrap

Roman Craft Center, And Shoes, Unearthed Next to French Canal

Buried in a cocoon of silt for 1,700 years, archaeologists in France have excavated a well-preserved Roman craft center. Not only did they discover evidence of butchers, tanners, shoemakers, and...

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