Ancient Origins presents how human origins are explained through three different perspectives: a) science and scientific evidence, b) religions and creation stories and c) folklore and mythology.
In the arid expanses of New Mexico's White Sands National Monument, a groundbreaking discovery challenges established notions of human history in North America. Archaeologists, led by David Bustos...
Our existence as Homo sapiens is a solitary chapter in the intricate narrative of hominin evolution . Long before we stood as the sole representatives of our lineage, our ancestors engaged with other...
Today, our planet teems with over 8 billion human beings, a staggering contrast to the world 800,000 to 900,000 years ago. Recent scientific revelations illuminate a pivotal juncture in human...
In the unforgiving terrain of the Alps, a 5,300-year-old saga unfolds as the Tyrolean Iceman, Ötzi , succumbs to a calculated act of violence . Shot from a distance, an arrow pierces him, severing a...
The lingering question of why modern humans took considerable time to migrate from Africa finds new dimensions in recent discoveries. Contrary to the conventional narrative, the roots of our species...
In the untamed landscapes of Island Southeast Asia, scientists investigating the mysterious a group of hominins called the Denisovans have stumbled upon a revelation that challenges conventional...
In the ancient landscapes of what is now Iraq, approximately 50,000 years ago, a Neanderthal named Shanidar 1, or Nandy, navigated a challenging existence. Through the lens of contemporary scientific...
In Southeastern Washington, the discovery of the 9,000-year-old remains, known as Kennewick Man , has captivated paleoanthropologists. This ancient Native American , with a stocky build and standing...
Prehistoric men hunted; prehistoric women gathered. At least this is the standard narrative written by and about men to the exclusion of women. The idea of “Man the Hunter” runs deep within...
Homo sapiens represents the last of a long line of hominins that once consisted of five different species spanning four continents. Today, we are the last humans, that is, the last of the genus Homo...
The myth of the underworld, much like the myth of the lost paradise and the worldwide deluge, is a universal one. Cultures from all across the world, past and present, widely separated and with...
Since 2015 a visionary geneticist in Boston, Professor George Church of Harvard Medical School, has been at the forefront of a scientific endeavor that challenges the boundaries of possibility. He...
Ancient humans inter-breeding with extinct Denisovans have created a genetic make-up and subsequent adaptations that have left many of us predisposed to certain mental health issues like depression,...
Throughout the long ages of our collective history, gods and goddesses have been revered, worshiped, and feared . Ancient mythologies from around the world are rife with deities who instilled awe and...
Believe it or not, the Christmas holiday season is fast approaching, when homes will be adorned with twinkling lights and the spirit of giving fills the air. A timeless narrative unfolds—one that has...
Neanderthals have been recognized as a species distinct from modern humans for quite some time. But if a trio of researchers from universities in Portugal, Italy and Spain get their way, this...
While Neanderthals went extinct approximately 40,000 years ago, they left a legacy hidden inside the genetic codes of humans, in the form of traces of their Neanderthal DNA. Even though Neanderthals...
A groundbreaking study has shattered the conventional timeline of human-Neanderthal interactions. The prevailing belief was that Homo sapiens ancestors first mingled with Neanderthals in Eurasia...
The world's first known flood myth can be traced back to the Sumerians around 2000 BC. Sumerian tablets recount captivating tales of human beginnings, the creation of mankind, and the profound...
In 1914, a Swiss amateur archaeologist, Ernest Roulin, approached the Museum of Science and Art in Ireland with an incredibly rare discovery – two ancient amulets made from fragments of human cranium...
Unearth the mysterious Denisovans, a human-like species coexisting with Neanderthals in Asia during the Lower and Middle Paleolithic eras. Only recently discovered in Siberia's Denisova Cave in 2008...
Around 300,000 years ago, before humans roamed the Earth, another species known as Neanderthals inhabited much of Eurasia. Their name comes from the Neander Valley in Germany, where the first remains...
In the world of groundbreaking discoveries, the revelation that Homo naledi practiced burial rituals and employed symbols for communication stands as a potent reminder that our understanding of our...
In the dense wilderness of Brazil's Piauí state, archaeologists are unraveling a profound narrative about human history in the Americas. The prevailing belief that humans arrived about 13,000 years...