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.

1 March, 2014 - 11:53 aprilholloway

Have enormous megaliths been discovered in Southern Siberia, or are they a rare product of nature?

A series of incredible photographs have been released by Dr Valery Uvarov , Head of the Department of Palaeoscience, Palaeotechnology, and UFO Research of the National Security Academy of Russia,...

28 February, 2014 - 02:24 aprilholloway

Did first Americans make a 10,000-Year Pit Stop on Beringian land bridge?

It has long been debated whether the first human settlers of the New World arrived by walking over a land bridge across the Bering Strait from Siberia to Alaska, or whether they arrived by sea from...

27 February, 2014 - 23:27 aprilholloway

Rare ancient rock art in Scotland may reflect rituals, territorial markings or star mapping

Archaeologists have discovered a rare example of prehistoric rock art in the Scottish Highlands . Researchers have suggested that the large boulder, which contains numerous cup and ring marks, may...

27 February, 2014 - 12:32 aprilholloway

Sacrificial altar uncovered in ancient Neolithic city in China

Archaeologists have uncovered a number of altar relics , including jade artefacts and pits for offerings, at the Shimao ruins, a Neolithic city in China. The findings suggest a religious culture at...

26 February, 2014 - 22:43 aprilholloway

Gladiator School Discovery Reveals Hard Lives of Ancient Warriors

Archaeologists have revealed the almost complete remains of a Roman school of gladiators on the banks of the Danube in Austria and have used sophisticated 3D reconstruction techniques to bring to...

26 February, 2014 - 12:49 johnblack

Incredible underground chamber with 130 ancient Greek statues awaiting investigation

An underground chamber containing 130 ancient Greek statues was discovered in Athens 25 years ago. But no one, apart from the finders, has cared enough to battle the bureaucracy that has prevented...

24 February, 2014 - 01:05 nickospoulianos

New Information on the Petralona Skull Controversy

Ancient Origins has recently presented the debate about the skull found in Petralona, Greece. This debate has been continuing in the scientific community for more than half a century. While the Greek...

23 February, 2014 - 01:19 aprilholloway

The 12,000-year-old ancient Mesopotamian town of Hasankeyf set to submerged by new dam

Hasankeyf, Turkey, is one of the oldest ancient sites in the world with evidence of human settlement. Dating back 12,000 years, it has been home to virtually every major Mesopotamian civilisation,...

22 February, 2014 - 21:55 aprilholloway

Rare petroglyphs uncovered by freak weather in Hawaii

In a discovery that echoes the recent uncovering of ancient human footprints following a spate of freak weather in Britain, archaeologists have announced the rediscovery of a set of rare petroglyphs...

Ancient treasure in Biblical city - Israel Tell Abil el-Qameh

22 February, 2014 - 01:07 johnblack

Archaeologists reveal ancient treasure in Biblical city

Archaeologists who have been excavating in an ancient city located in present-day Israel have revealed a host of treasures they have uncovered during the dig, including a 3,200-year-old jug...

21 February, 2014 - 01:15 aprilholloway

Burials uncovered in Ireland reflect fusion of Paganism and Christianity

Excavations at Caherconnell in County Clare, Ireland, have uncovered ancient burials that reflect a fusion of Pagan practices with Christianity . Although it was initially believed that Christianity...

18 February, 2014 - 22:30 aprilholloway

2,300-year-old rural town uncovered in Israel

Excavations on the outskirts of Jerusalem have revealed the remains of an ancient rural village that dates back to the Second Temple period, which lasted between 530 BC and 70 AD, and refers to the...

17 February, 2014 - 22:00 aprilholloway

The ancient underwater Lion City of China

The Lion City, otherwise known as Shi Cheng, is an ancient submerged city that lies at the foot of Wu Shi Mountain (Five Lion Mountain), now located about 25 – 40 metres beneath the spectacular...

17 February, 2014 - 01:22 aprilholloway

Discovery of Aztec dog cemetery puzzles archaeologists

Archaeologists have discovered “an exceptional” Aztec burial site under an apartment building in Mexico City containing the remains of twelve dogs , animals that had major religious and symbolic...

Majan Civilisation - Oman Ancient Artefacts

13 February, 2014 - 23:55 aprilholloway

Ancient artefacts found in Oman are linked to great Majan civilisation

Archaeologists in Oman have uncovered an important Bronze and Iron Age site during preparations for construction of the Sinaw-Mahut Dual Road Project. Initial results of the exploration have revealed...

13 February, 2014 - 01:04 aprilholloway

Mass grave discovered under Uffizi Gallery in Florence

Dozens of ancient skeletons in a mass grave were found during excavation work to expand an exhibition space in the Uffizi Gallery in Florence. Archaeologists believe the grave dates back somewhere...

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Myths & Legends

Hidden in Plain Sight: The Pterodactyl of New Guinea

Throughout history, every major culture has stories of reptilian monsters who threatened their livelihood. From the Egypt to India, and even the Sioux Nation, tales of these flying dinosaurs or winged lizards have filled the cultural imagination of societies throughout the ages.

A Freaky Fairy Tale of Ancient Folklore: Vasilisa the Beautiful and Baba Yaga

The Erlking: The Powerful Germanic Mythical Snatcher of Children

The Bizarre Tales of Four Lesser Known English Mermaids

Haunted Mirrors, Bloody Mary and Superstitious Mirror Mythology

Unidentified Flying Objects – The Reality, the Cover-Up and the Truth

Human Origins

The Secret Life of an Ancient Concubine

In many ancient cultures and religious traditions, rulers and elite members of society not only had wives, they also had concubines. Concubines normally served a dual purpose – to increase a man’s...

A Snapshot of Our Mysterious Ancestor Homo erectus

3: The Perfect Number - Trinity Symbolism in World Religious Traditions

Top Ten Giant Discoveries in Ancient Britain

The Water of Life: Alcohol as Medicine Through the Ages

The Faces of Ancient Hominids Brought to Life in Remarkable Detail

Ancient Technology

Understanding the Stonehenge calendar is easy if you follow Stephen Childs’ thinking in this article and in his book “Stone Circles Explained.” This image shows sunrise at this ancient site. Source: Gail Johnson / Adobe Stock

The Stonehenge Calendar: A Prehistoric Approach to Time’s Passing

Readers will probably know that Stonehenge’s design highlights the longest and shortest days of the year, but it is not always understood that its strange configuration was designed to enable every day

Roman Weapons: Sharp Blades to Conquer the Ancient World

Medical Mystery of Usermontu: Why the Discovery of 2,600-Year-Old Knee Screw Left Experts Dumbfounded

6 Advanced Ancient Inventions Beyond Modern Understanding

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

The Indian Sage who developed Atomic Theory 2,600 years ago

Ancient Places

The Narmer Palette discovered at Nekhen. Source: Public domain

Predynastic Site Emerges from the Sand: Nekhen, City of the Hawk

Nekhen was once a bustling city located on the western bank of the River Nile in predynastic ancient Egypt, well before the construction of the pyramids. Also known as Hierakonpolis, the Greek for “City of the Hawk”

The Last Roman Amphitheater Ever Built Found Near Basel Switzerland!

First Feast? The Burial at the Hilazon Tachtit Cave Site

The Stonehenge Calendar: A Prehistoric Approach to Time’s Passing

Shattered Skeletons of Man and Dog From Eruption and Tsunami 3,600 Years Ago

Digital Scan of Ancient Egyptian Mummy Amenhotep I Shows His True Face

Opinion

Curse of the Buried Pearl: Tomb Curses, Spirits and the Hunt for Ancient Treasures – Part I

Curse of the Buried Pearl: The Hunt for Ancient Treasures – Part I

In economics one hears talk of the curse of oil – and one might say wherever there is buried treasure there will be a curse, hyper-real or real. The most famous of all curses is of course that supposedly attached to the mummy of Tutankhamen

The Enigma of the Shugborough Inscription

Palatkwapi-Sedona: City of the Star People

The Icelandic Theory: Experts Challenge Establishment Dogma to Reveal History of Ivory Vikings

Winter Solstice Resurrection At Saqsayhuaman and Newgrange

Buddhism in Ancient Egypt and Meroe – Beliefs Revealed Through Ancient Script

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 exist 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.