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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 suit of armor found at Castillo de Matilla, Spain. Source: Municipality of Matilla de los Caños del Río.

Full Suit of Armor Discovered in Spanish Castle Excavation

Unfolding a piece of history straight out of the chivalric tales, a team of archaeologists hit the jackpot in the heart of Spain. They uncovered a complete 16th-century suit of armor , lost in the...
Roman Carvings of a Smiley Face and a Phallus Found in Spain

Roman Carvings of a Smiley Face and a Phallus Found in Spain

Archaeologists in Spain were exploring an ancient Roman fort when they discovered a carved smiley-face, a basket of fruits and a phallus . For answers as to what this carving means, we must delve...
Lying in a foetal position, the remains were found during a dig near Kraków. Credit: Paweł Micyk

7,000-Year-Old Skeleton in Foetal Position Discovered in Poland

Archaeologists in Poland have discovered a remarkably well preserved 7,000-year-old skeleton lying in the foetal position. The loosely packed soil with a non-acidic chemical composition acted as a...
Remarkable Kville petroglyphs found in Sweden. Source: Foundation for Documentation of Bohuslän's Rock Carvings

Stunning 2,700-Year-Old Petroglyphs Found Hidden Under Moss in Sweden

Researchers combing through the countryside near the municipality of Tanum in the province of Bohuslän along Sweden’s western coastline were shocked to discover a set of approximately 40 petroglyphs...
Left to Right: Photograph of the engraved stone at the time of discovery at the Jibal al-Khashabiyeh, Jordan location. Sketch of position of plans on the engraved monolith from Jibal al-Khashabiyeh. Location of the engraved rock in Wadi az-Zilliyat, Saudi Arabia. Source: SEBAP & Crassard et al. 2023 PLOS One

8,000-Year-Old Rock Carvings Are Earliest Scale Diagrams By Prehistoric Architects

While exploring two remote sites on the Arabian Peninsula, an international team of archaeologists found a pair of rocks that each featured a most unique set of engravings. It seems that the stars...
The Taizhou mummy was discovered accidentally by road workers and was found immersed in a mysterious brown liquid. Source:  GU XIANGZHONG, XINHUA

Accidental Find of Impeccably Preserved Ming Dynasty Taizhou Mummy

Mummies often evoke thoughts of the ancient Egyptians and their sophisticated mummification rituals. These practices aimed to create a seamless transition between life and death and led to remarkable...
Babylonian clay model showing a nude couple on a couch engaged in sex and kissing. Date: 1800 BC. Source: © The Trustees of the British Museum/ CC BY-NC-SA

Humans Were Kissing in Mesopotamia As Early As 4,500 Years Ago

Humanity's love affair with kissing goes way back, but just how far? Recent research has revealed that the art of smooching was already in full swing a staggering 4,500 years ago in Mesopotamia, and...
Left; Female figurine found at Battifratta Cave. Right; archaeologists investigating at the cave. Source: Sapienza University of Rome

Enigmatic 7,000-year-old Figurine Found In Italian Cave Shocks Archaeologists

When archaeologists in Italy were exploring the spectacular Battifratta Cave, they did not expect to unearth “a rare” clay female figurine. And neither were they ready for the dating of the piece,...
The two earthquake victims found in Pompeii. Source: Archaeological Site of Pompeii

Earthquake, Not Volcano, Claimed Many Victims In Pompeii

Archaeologists in Pompeii have become acclimatized to uncovering the petrified remains of people who lost their lives in the 79 AD eruption of Mount Vesuvius. However, these two bodies provide...
Corinthian columns spotted by swimmer in Israel have led to discovery of Roman shipwreck. Source: Israel Antiquities Authority

Marble Columns Spotted by Swimmer Reveal Bountiful Roman Shipwreck

While swimming in the Mediterranean Sea off the coast of Israel, Gideon Harris unexpectedly stumbled upon a remarkable discovery. Little did he know that this uneventful event would lead experts to...
The unearthing of the U shaped Miraflores stone temple in Huaral, Peru. Source: Global News/ YouTube Screenshot

Incredibly Ancient Temple Found in Peru with Mysterious Cross Symbol

While exploring in and around Lima, a team of Peruvian archaeologists from the National Major University of San Marcos (UNSM) uncovered the remains of a U-shaped stone temple that was somewhere...
Ancient bakery in Armenia. Source: Patrick Okrajek / Nauka W Polsce. Inset: old flour sacks (representational). Source: Algecireño / Adobe Stock.

3,000-Year-Old Bakery Found with Sacks Worth of Preserved Flour

Archaeologists have uncovered a 3,000-year-old bakery in Metsamor, Armenia , astonishingly, still housing several sacks worth of flour embedded in the soil. The discovery was made within the remnants...
Human skeleton in a grave (representational image). Source: Idanthyrs / Adobe Stock.

Teenage Colonist's 400-Year-Old Dumped Remains Found in Maryland

The skeleton of one of the first colonists in the U.S. has been discovered in a ‘haphazard’ burial in Maryland. It is believed that this teenager, who was buried with a shattered leg and no coffin,...
Female figurines dating back to the Cucuteni-Trypillian Culture unearthed at Verteba Cave. Source: Mykhailo Sokhatskyi

Trypillian Culture Female Figurines Found at Ukraine’s “Pompeii”

A team of archaeologists from the Ukraine discovered five clay female figurines hidden inside a hole in a wall in Verteba Cave, in the Borshchiv Region of western Ukraine. Dating to the first...
Iron Age copper alloy bowl with an ox head handle was one of the items found in Wales. Source: National Museum Wales

2,000-Year-Old Iron Age and Roman Treasures Unearthed in Wales - Carvings of ‘True Beauty’

In March 2019, a metal detectorist was searching for artifacts in a field in Wales, and stumbled upon a hoard of exceptionally preserved objects dating back 2,000 years to the Roman era and Iron Age...
Excavation of a Neolithic tomb at the Nafūn site, central Oman.         Source: Roman Garba and Alžběta Danielisov/ Institute of Archaeology of the CAS in Prague

300,000yo Hand Axes, Tombs & Rock Art Discovered in Oman

In the deserts of Oman, two teams of scientists have made remarkable discoveries that shed new light on the earliest history of human civilization. From rare hand axes dating back to the first waves...
Elise, an 8-year-old student, found the Neolithic stone dagger while playing near her school in Norway.           Source: Vestland County Municipality

Eight-Year-Old Norwegian Girl Finds 3,700-Year-Old Stone Dagger at School

An eight-year-old girl from Vestland county in southwestern Norway was playing outside at her school when she found something unusual lying in a rocky section of the play yard. It was not a toy or...
Left to Right; Osiris statue, sword, Bacchus statue found at archaeological dig in Poland. Source: Lubelski Wojewódzki Konserwator Zabytków

Osiris Figurines and Bust of Bacchus Recovered Side by Side in Poland. Why?

In a recent archaeological excavation carried out in the village of Kluczkowice in Poland, a peculiar discovery has been made of Roman and Egyptian gods lying side by side. Two ancient Egyptian...
Below the deposits of sea mud, a marine archaeologist studies a road that once connected an offshore prehistoric settlement to mainland Korčula Island. Source: Sveučilište u Zadru

7,000-Year-Old Road Discovered in Croatia’s Adriatic Depths

Croatia’s Korčula Island is ringed with archaeological sites dating back to 20,000 BC. But the discovery of a 7,000-year-old road, that once connected an ancient site with the island, was completely...
A building unearthed at the Meir archaeological site. Source: Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities.

Burials, Skeletons, and Grave Goods found in Egypt Archaeology Dig

A team of archaeologists has unearthed a treasure trove of ancient artifacts at the Meir archaeological site , in Qusiya, Egypt. This stunning find, located roughly midway between the bustling cities...
The Piedras Blancas tomb with La Peña de los Enamorados behind it. Source: M. Ángel Blanco de la Rubia / Antiquity Publications Ltd

5,000-Year-Old Astro-Tomb Discovered On Spanish Giant

As archaeologists in Spain were researching a rock formation known as the Sleeping Giant, they noticed something curious. From a distance, they identified a feature on the giant’s chest, which turned...
Detail of the 1,900-year-old statue of the Buddha found at Berenike, an ancient port city in Egypt by the Red Sea. Source: Ministry of Tourism & Antiquities

Statue Reveals Buddhists Likely Mingled with Roman’s In Egypt

Ancient history is replete with examples of cross-cultural ties that have transcended all kinds of boundaries, even before telecommunications and travel existed the way we know today. A reminder of...
Selection of urine flasks and bottles found at the disposal site at the Ospedale dei Fornari. Source: Caesar’s Forum Project/Antiquity Publications Ltd

Renaissance Era Medical Dump Includes Urine Flasks For Tasting Pee!

A team of researchers from Denmark and Italy have stumbled upon a treasure trove of artifacts at an ancient Roman hospital site in Rome brimming with medical supplies. This Renaissance-era trash dump...
Representational image of a child mummy. Child mummies have been scanned to reveal the prevalence of anemia in ancient Egyptian children. Source: Mary Harrsch / CC BY-SA 4.0

Why Did So Many Ancient Egyptian Children Suffer Anemia?

In a “first-of-its-kind” fascinating osteoarchaeological study, scientists have found that anemia was common in ancient Egyptian children who had been mummified . Through the use of CT scans, it was...

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