infant

26 December, 2020 - 21:59 ashley cowie

An Ancient Baby Skeleton Was Found Buried In A Jar, But Why?

Israeli archaeologists excavating in Jaffa have made further discoveries beneath the streets of this ancient Greek settlement, but this time, they’ve discovered a baby’s skeleton buried in a jar!...

The remains of what appears to have been a unique funeral ceremony and Greek burial have been discovered at the ancient colony of Gela in southern Sicily. Source: Superintendence of Caltanissetta

16 December, 2020 - 14:13 ashley cowie

Evidence of Deceased Baby Burning Discovered in Sicily

The remains of what appears to have been a unique funeral ceremony and Greek burial have been discovered at the ancient colony of Gela in southern Sicily. Founded some time between 689 and 688 BC,...

Thanks to new DNA analysis, the Krems-Wachtberg infants discovered in 2005 have now been identified as the earliest twins discovered to date. Source: OREA / Austrian Academy of Sciences

10 November, 2020 - 17:05 Ed Whelan

DNA Reveals Earliest Twins Buried 30,000 Years Ago in Austria

Thanks to news DNA analysis, prehistoric remains discovered in Austria have been found to contain the earliest evidence of twins found to date anywhere in the world. The discovery of infant remains...

A Middle Bronze Age infant from the Lebanese site of Sidon buried in a large jar. (Claude Doumet-Serhal/ CC BY-NC-ND)

21 December, 2019 - 19:27 ancient-origins

Babies Found in Jars Reveal Insights into Ancient Breastfeeding

Historians down the ages have examined the ebb and flow of populations in ancient societies. But most of these examinations have tended to focus on male dominated events – the wars, the politics, and...

Infant burial site, Gela, Sicily. Source: Regione Siciliana

3 December, 2019 - 03:31 Ed Whelan

Unusual Greek Baby Burial Unearthed in Sicily

An unusual discovery has been made on the Italian island of Sicily. A 2700-year-old burial of a new-born infant has been unearthed accompanied by the remains of an animal. The find is expected to...

‘The Birth of the Milky Way’ (1636-1637) by Peter Paul Rubens.

1 December, 2018 - 18:50 dhwty

Breastfeeding Beliefs: From Invincibility to Universal Creation

Breastfeeding is an infant feeding practice in which a child is fed breast milk directly from breast to mouth. Breastfeeding could be performed by the mother herself or by a wet nurse. Evidence of...

Left: The baby was found tucked under the arm of a woman in a grave in Nieuwegein, the Netherlands. Right: An artist's impression of the grave.

1 February, 2018 - 13:58 Alicia McDermott

Stone Age Grave of a Mother and Child is the Oldest Baby Burial in the Netherlands

Researchers working at an archaeological site in the Netherlands have made a startling Stone Age discovery. They have unearthed the earliest known example of a baby’s grave in the Netherlands...

A scientific illustration of what the Upward Sun River camp, where the remains of the ancient child were discovered, would have looked like. Source: Eric Carlson in collaboration with Ben Potter.

4 January, 2018 - 18:50 Theodoros Karasavvas

Ancient Infant DNA Rewrites the History of Humans Entering North America

Scientists claim that a genetic analysis of the 11,500-year-old remains of an infant girl from Alaska has shed new light on the populating of the Americas. The new finds suggest that the “Last...

A dragon-like animal head (pictured), made from antler or horn, was found in the grave of a small child.

29 December, 2017 - 01:51 ancient-origins

Magical new 4,500 year old finds add to 'oldest toy collection in the world'

By: The Siberian Times reporter Archaeologists have made ‘rare’ discoveries of pre-historic toys at the Itkol II burial ground in the Republic of Khakassia, southern Siberia. At 4,500 years old, they...

The remains of the toddler with an elongated skull in Crimea. Credit: Archaeology Fund

30 July, 2017 - 18:58 aprilholloway

2,000-Year-Old Toddler Skeleton with Elongated Skull Unearthed in Crimea

The remains of a 1.5-year-old boy with a pronounced elongation of the skull have been found by archaeologists at a 2,000-year-old burial site in Crimea. Russian archaeologists say that the skull...

19 January, 2017 - 00:44 Natalia Klimczak

Unravelling the Mystery of the Maronite Mummies: Why Were Medieval Mummies Hidden in a Cave?

When archaeologists found a cache of medieval mummies in a Lebanese cave, the amazing discovery took their breath away. The remarkably well-preserved bodies of eight people who were buried in Qadisha...

27 December, 2016 - 01:59 nrushton

Swapping Babies: The Disturbing Faerie Changeling Phenomenon

The worldwide stories of faerie changelings come under a group of motifs recorded in the Aarne-Thompson folklore index as F321: ‘Faerie steals child from cradle and leaves faerie substitute.’ The...

issected foetal skull dating from the 1800s, originally held in the University of Cambridge Anatomy Museum.

2 July, 2016 - 18:33 ancient-origins

Infant Bodies Were Prized by 19th Century Anatomists, Study Suggests

A study of the University of Cambridge anatomy collection dating from the 1700s and 1800s shows how the bodies of stillborn foetuses and babies were a “prized source of knowledge” and were dissected...

The ‘standing burial’ with mixed bones and parts of the spine in correct anatomical position. Two arm bones left of the spine show gnawing marks and are situated in different directions. The large truncated blade is typical for the late Mesolithic.

13 February, 2016 - 00:49 Alicia McDermott

New Study Analyzes a Mesolithic Cemetery Full of Children and an Odd Standing Burial

Researchers have found some unique burials amongst the remains in one of Europe’s oldest cemeteries – the 8,500-year-old Gross Fredenwalde cemetery. So far nine skeletons have been excavated at the...

Infant discovered in 4,500-year-old burial mound with eight intricately carved figurines. The infant also wears headgear made from 11 copper plaques sewn together.

23 December, 2015 - 00:52 Natalia Klimczak

Surprising toys in the ancient grave

A burial containing mysterious tiny figurines were discovered in the grave of an infant which, according to archeologists, dates back 4,500 years. One of the theories says that the figurines may have...

The baby was buried in tightly closed stone box, so the body was in an isolated air chamber for over 1,500 years.

26 August, 2015 - 22:13 ancient-origins

Mummified new-born baby protected in leather shroud for 1,500 years ago found in Altai Mountains

The tragic infant's remains were unearthed in excavations near Kurai village in Kosh-Agach district of the Altai Republic in southern Siberia. The baby's remains were sealed in a tightly closed stone...

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Myths & Legends

The Real Story of Medusa: Protective Powers from a Snake-Haired Gorgon

In ancient Greek mythology, Medusa is the most famous of three monstrous sisters known as the Gorgons. The earliest known record about the story of Medusa and the Gorgons can be found in Hesiod’s...

Is This the Real Reason Why Pirates Wore Eyepatches?

Hyperborea: Mythical Land That Fascinated Writers of the Ancient World

The ‘Dynastic Race’ and the Biblical ‘Japheth’ – Part I: After the Deluge

Craniums and Controversies of the Chachapoya Cloud Warriors

The Real Story of the ‘Bearded God’ Named Quetzalcoatl

Human Origins

Rembrandt - Christ with Hands Folded (Public Domain), and Nivedita, Sister - the Departure of Siddhartha

The Christ And The Buddha: How Can You Explain the Uncanny Similarities?

Buddhism and Christianity arose independently of each other, separated as they were by almost 3,000 miles and at least 500 years. In terms of religious belief systems they are even farther apart.

The ‘Dynastic Race’ and the Biblical ‘Japheth’ – Part I: After the Deluge

Ancient Anomalous Human Skeletons: Humanity Could be Much Older Than We Think

Rh-Negative Blood: An Exotic Bloodline or Random Mutation?

The Faravahar: The Ancient Zoroastrian Symbol of Iran

The origins of human beings according to ancient Sumerian texts

Ancient Technology

Norimitsu Odachi: Who Could Have Possibly Wielded This Enormous 15th Century Japanese Sword?

The Norimitsu Odachi is a huge sword from Japan. It is so large, in fact, that it was said to have been wielded by a giant. Apart from the basic knowledge of it having been forged in the 15th century AD, measuring 3.77 meters (12.37 ft.) in length, and weighing as much as 14.5 kg (31.97 lbs.), this impressive sword is shrouded in mystery.

Egyptian Blue – The Oldest Known Artificial Pigment

Han Purple: A 2,800-year-old artificial pigment that quantum physicists are trying to understand

The Evidence is Cut in Stone: A Compelling Argument for Lost High Technology in Ancient Egypt

1,200-Year-Old Telephone, Amazing Invention of the Ancient Chimu Civilization

Secrets Behind the Creepy Plague Doctor Mask and Costume

Ancient Places

Ancient Pyramids in an Icy Landscape: Was There an Ancient Civilization in Antarctica?

In 2016 the World Wide Web was all abuzz with Google Earth images of Antarctica that appear to show pyramids in the icy landscape. The images show what appears to be three pyramids with four sides...

Ancient Lutetia: The Roman Roots of Paris

The Great Berber Kingdom of Numidia in the Shadow of Rome

Enigmatic Carvings on Underwater Ruins in China Mystify Investigators

Mice Remains Indicate a Viking Visit to Madeira

Has the Function of the Great Pyramid of Giza Finally Come to Light?

Opinion

Petroglyphic Features of Portable Rock Art

Paleo rock art from around the world ranges in style, method, and age, and includes cave paintings, petroglyphs, pictographs, polished and engraved stones such as effigies, stone sculptures, and portable ceremonial objects.

The Northern Mysteries Current: Futhark and Mystery Schools of the Viking Age

Was There Ever a Trojan War?

Floki and the Viking Discovery of Iceland

Messiah on Temple Mount: Are We Nearing the End of Time?

3 Problems to Remember When Trying to Find Atlantis

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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.

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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.