Dinosaurs roaming the Amazon, plesiosaurs hunting in glacial lakes, half-octopus, half-shark creatures that drag ships down to the seabed and a giant anaconda, are but a few of the monsters recorded in the mythologies and written histories of North, South and Central America.
inca
18 July, 2015 - 00:53
Alicia McDermott
Pucara de Rumicucho Is More than just an Incan Stone Fortress
The ruins of the Pucará de Rumicucho are well-preserved walls of an Pre-hispanic, Incan fortress. They are located a one hour drive north of Quito, Ecuador. The fortress was built in the end of the...
13 July, 2015 - 21:22
Bryan Hill
Lake of Blood: The dark history of Laguna Yahuarcocha, Ecuador
Laguna Yahuarcocha, meaning blood lake in the Kichwa language, is a sacred lake of Ecuador. Looking across the still water in the picturesque region of Ibarra, it is hard to imagine that it was once...
1 July, 2015 - 14:34
Mark Miller
4,000-Year-Old Mochica Temple and Tombs Unearthed in Peru
A 4,000-year-old temple and tombs of 14 ancient Peruvians have been excavated at an ongoing archaeological dig in the Lambayeque area. The temple belongs to the mysterious Moche civilization, while...
24 May, 2015 - 14:32
Robin Whitlock
Decapitation discovery reveals gruesome practices of the ancient Incas
In the Andes region, in Bolivia, on the shores of Lake Titicaca archaeologists have recently made a distinctly gruesome discovery at a site known as Wata Wata , in the form of three decapitated heads...
21 May, 2015 - 15:15
lizleafloor
The Inca-Caranqui Water Temple of Ecuador: A display of wealth and skillful hydraulic engineering
Water, essence of life and natural force sacred to the ancient Inca, was harnessed and controlled in a large man-made water temple in the late 15 th century. The pool, featuring finely carved and...
9 May, 2015 - 13:49
Bryan Hill
Tipón, Peru and The Hydro Engineering Marvel of the Inca
Tipón is one of the most captivating archaeological sites in Peru and reflects the awe-inspiring accomplishments of the Inca Empire. While traces of occupation at Tipón date back thousands of years,...
17 April, 2015 - 15:27
dhwty
Sierra de la Plata: The Inca Legend of the Silver Mountain
It was gold and silver that drove the Spanish on in their exploration and conquest of the Americas. By the 1530s, less than 50 years after Christopher Columbus had reached the New World, the Spanish...
8 April, 2015 - 22:13
aprilholloway
Hundreds of Ancient Mummies Discovered at Ceremonial Site in Peru
Archaeologists in Peru made a monumental discovery when they found dozens of tombs with up to 40 mummies in each at a 1,200-year-old ceremonial site in Cotahuasi Valley. So far 171 mummies have been...
7 April, 2015 - 04:11
dhwty
The Dramatic Life and Death of Atahualpa, the Last Emperor of the Inca Empire
The Inca ruler, Atahualpa, is one of the key figures in the history of the European colonialization of South America. As the last emperor of the largest empire in pre-Columbian Empire, Atahualpa was...
23 March, 2015 - 23:59
johnblack
Andean Village comes alive with Pawkar Raymi, Equinox Celebration to honor Mother Earth
On March 21, residents of three indigenous communities in Saraguro, a remote Andean municipality in Ecuador, celebrated the Pawkar Raymi (ceremony of blossoming) to honor the Pachamama (Mother Earth...
28 February, 2015 - 21:50
lizleafloor
Spectacular Peruvian Rope Bridge, last of its kind, carries forward tradition of the Inca
Every year, rural communities in Peru carry out an ancient tradition that stems back to the age of the Incan Civilization. Considered a sacred expression of ritual, history and renewal, Peruvians...
12 February, 2015 - 22:31
lizleafloor
Conquistadors caused Toxic Air Pollution 500 years ago by changing Incan Mining
Scientists studying ice core samples from Peru have discovered a variety of trace elements, indicating that Spanish colonial mining caused toxic air pollution over South America approximately 240...
31 January, 2015 - 22:13
Mark Miller
Peruvian child mummy with elongated skull undergoes analysis
Scientists know little about a pre-Columbian child mummy of Peru on display in Ohio, but that may soon change as the body of the toddler has just undergone CT scans at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital...
1 November, 2014 - 00:50
aprilholloway
Ancient ritual sacrifice of children and llamas unearthed in Peru
Archaeologists in Peru have announced the rare discovery of a ritual sacrifice of children and young llamas dating back 600 years. The finding is believed to be linked with the Chimú culture, which...
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Myths & Legends
If stories of King Arthur and his knights are based on real people their DNA markers should still be with us today. New DNA research has perhaps found the King Arthur gene.
Human Origins
Buried for millennia in the rear of a rock-shelter in the Lapedo Valley 85 miles north of Lisbon, Portugal, archaeologists uncovered the bones of a four-year-old child, comprising the first complete Palaeolithic skeleton ever dug in Iberia.
Ancient Technology
One of the most iconic images of the European Middle Ages is the castle. This defensive structure was often heavily fortified and provided its inhabitants with much-needed safety. It was usually quite difficult for an enemy to capture a castle, and for that, an attacking army needed siege engines.
Ancient Places
Tollund Man is the naturally mummified body of a man who lived during the 4th century BC, during the period characterised in Scandinavia as the Pre-Roman Iron Age. He was hanged as a sacrifice to the...
Opinion
The etymology of the word “rune” means: “to carve, or to cut.” In Low German the word is “raunen.” As the runes were cut and carved into wood, metal or stone, the word “rune” was analogous to the rune letters themselves.
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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 exists 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.
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