All  

Ancient Origins Tour IRAQ

Ancient Origins Tour IRAQ Mobile

human sacrifice

The cranial remains of Vittrup Man, who ended up in a bog after his skull had been crushed by at least eight heavy blows. Source: Stephen Freiheit / Fischer et al., 2024, PLOS ONE / CC-BY 4.0

Research Reveals Complex Life of the Vittrup Man’s Danish Bog Body

An international team of scientists recently completed a comprehensive analysis of the remains of a body extracted from a peat bog in Denmark. Using DNA testing, plus various types of chemical...
Copan Maya ruins in Honduras.	Source: Rafal Cichawa/Adobe Stock

The Ancient Maya: How Did Such An Advanced Society Collapse? (Video)

In 1839, John Lloyd Stevens embarked on a challenging expedition into the dense jungles of Honduras, fueled by tales of a magnificent Maya city, Copan . The ruins he discovered presented an enigma: a...
It is believed the Inca maiden died peacefully. Source: YouTube Screenshot / Smithsonian Channel.

How Do We Know This Inca Mummy Died Peacefully? (Video)

The Inca mummy known as the Maiden has long been a mystery shrouded in the high-altitude silence of the Andes. The question that has haunted many revolves around how she met her end. There are...
This sacrificed Inca child, known as the Llull Maiden #23, was found on a mountain in Argentina a number of years ago and shares similarities with the sacrificed child Inca mummies found on Ampato volcano, Peru. Source: © Johan Reinhard, Ph.D . (used with permission)

Is the Inca Maiden the World's Best-Preserved Mummy? (Video)

The Inca Ice Maiden , an incredible find from the Andean mountains of South America in 1999 has astonished the world since her discovery. An archaeological excavation led by Dr. Johan Reinhard...
Otzi the Iceman as he was found. (Public Domain)

Was Otzi the Iceman a Victim of Human Sacrifice? (Video)

Otzi , the famous Iceman discovered high in the Ötztal Alps in 1991, presents a perplexing mystery in the realm of archaeology. It was long believed Otzi had been murdered, but recent investigations...
At Tlacaxipehualiztli, Aztec priests wore the skin of sacrifice victims. Source: de Art / Adobe Stock.

At this Aztec Festival, Priests Wore Capes of Human Skin from Sacrifice Victims

Few festivals of the ancient world are as strikingly eerie and gruesome as the Aztecs' Tlacaxipehualiztli. Held annually during the second month of the Aztec calendar, Tlacaxipehualiztli was a...
A Mayan woman in a sweat lodge. Source: Peopleimages - AI / Adobe Stock.

Shocking Weird Things That Were Normal for Mayans! (Video)

The Mayan civilization , known for its enigmatic rituals, had customs that may baffle us today. Their saunas, rather than places of relaxation, were considered gateways to the afterlife. Blood...
Druids. Source: Algol / Adobe Stock.

Bizarre Facts About the Druids (Video)

The Druids , often misunderstood as mystical figures, had a key role in ancient Celtic society . The term likely referred to individuals with extensive knowledge rather than wizards. They were...
Viking rituals. Source:  Rarity Asset Club / Adobe Stock.

Unusual Viking Rituals That Will Surprise You (Video)

Vikings , renowned as fierce warriors, possessed an intriguing blend of superstition and battle strategy. Their rituals , spanning from omens to magic, marked their distinct beliefs. Warriors etched...
The decapitated skulls were found at the Maya Moral-Reforma site in Mexico. Source: INAH

Decapitated Elongated Skulls Revealed as Gruesome Ancient Maya Ritual Offerings

In April , archaeologists working at the Moral-Reforma Archaeological site in Tabasco, Mexico, discovered 13 human burials with elongated skulls showing decapitation marks. Now, scientists and...
Sinister Secret of the Shang Dynasty: Its Penchant for Human Sacrifice

Sinister Secret of the Shang Dynasty: Its Penchant for Human Sacrifice

There is no denying the far-reaching and unique history of ancient China. Thousands of years before our time, the ancient dynasties and cultures of China excelled in a variety of arts and...
Maya warrior. Source: Art Gallery / Adobe Stock.

The Shocking Truth About the Bloody Rituals of the Maya (Video)

Spanish conquerors, upon their arrival in the Americas, discovered thousands of Mayan hieroglyphs that detailed secret rites, offering a glimpse into a society that was both sophisticated and brutal...
Archaeologist Lea Mohr Hansen cleans animal bones found together with the human skeleton.          Source: Christian Dedenroth-Schou/ ROMU

Exciting Find of a Neolithic Bog Body in Denmark

For the second time since 1947, a human skeleton has been found in the Egedal Municipality in Denmark – in fact, the remaining fragments of a ‘bog body’. Initially just a femur, a lower jaw with some...
Representation of a ritual human sacrifice on an altar. Source: archangelworks / Adobe Stock

Blood for the Gods: 10 Cultures that Engaged in Ritual Sacrifice

Since the dawn of humanity, countless civilizations have engaged in ritual sacrifice. Often, these sacrifices involved other humans, and were so common they were considered a normal aspect of life...

King Aelle and the Blood Eagle: Ritual Sacrifice in Viking Age Britain

Thanks to recent attention in popular culture, the story of King Aelle’s violent death at the hands of Ivar the Boneless in a type of ritual killing known as the “blood eagle” is well-known. The...
One of the six sacrificed children found in the tomb of an important man in the ancient Andean city of Cajamarquilla. The tiny skeletons were wrapped tightly in cloth.		Source: PHYS

Mummies of Six Sacrificed Children Found at 1,000-Year-Old Peru Site

Archaeologists from Peru recently discovered the remains of six mummified sacrificed children, who were apparently the victims of human sacrifice sometime between the years 1,000 and 1,200 AD. The...
New Evidence of Human Sacrifice in Silla Dynasty’s Wolseong Palace

New Evidence of Human Sacrifice in Silla Dynasty’s Wolseong Palace

Archaeological excavations at the ancient Silla palace of Wolseong in Gyeongju, South Korea have produced new evidence confirming that human sacrifices took place there during the structure’s...
The well-preserved head of the Tollund Man. Source: A. Mikkelsen / Antiquity Publications Ltd

The Tollund Man Spills His Guts: New Analysis of Bog Body’s Last Meal

There has long been an obsession with final-menu fantasies, as evidenced by the amount of literature dedicated to last meals on death row in the United States. Now, researchers in Denmark have...
Historic Cold Cases: Five Ancient Archaeological Murder Mysteries

Historic Cold Cases: Five Ancient Archaeological Murder Mysteries

Nothing sticks in the mind quite like an unanswered question, such as a historic murder mystery, an unsettled death, an impenetrable enigma or even an ancient cold case just waiting to be resolved. A...
The Great Inca Emperor Pachacuti: The Famous “Earth Shaker” Of Peru

The Great Inca Emperor Pachacuti: The Famous “Earth Shaker” Of Peru

Embarking on the journey of establishing your very own empire is without a doubt a hefty and daunting task. But for the famous Inca ruler Pachacuti, it was a fated endeavor. Through ruthless conquest...
On The Edge Of A Blade: Grasping Aztec Violence and Human Sacrifice

On The Edge Of A Blade: Grasping Aztec Violence and Human Sacrifice

The ancient history of the Aztec civilization is one of the most fascinating historical subjects, and for numerous reasons. Still largely shrouded in mystery, this colorful, complex culture was one...
Ancient German Tomb With Circle Of Female Skeletons Found

Ancient German Tomb With Circle Of Female Skeletons Found

In Germany, a spectacular, mysterious tomb has been found. Archaeologists uncovered what they believe to be the ancient German tomb of a 1500-year-old German lord . Six female skeletons arranged in a...
The Crocodile Stone of Vat Phou Temple, Laos. Photo source: Mattun0211 / CC0

The Crocodile Stone: Is This a Grisly Artifact of Human Sacrifice?

The Crocodile Stone is a peculiar rock located in the Vat Phou (also spelled as Wat Phu) Temple complex, in Laos . As its name suggests, the rock contains the carving of a crocodile. More precisely,...
Skeletal evidence of an Iron Age murder victim

Iron Age Murder Victim Discovered at Ceremonial Monument

Archaeologists in England have discovered evidence of a large ceremonial structure and a potentially brutal human sacrifice. While excavating a 4000-year-old Iron Age site at Wellwick Farm near...

Pages