massacre

The rare hoard, which includes Christian coins, has been linked to "one of the most dramatic events in the history of Caesarea."

5 December, 2018 - 13:55 Ed Whelan

Rare Gold ‘Christian Coins’ Shed Light on the Story of a Crusader Massacre in Ancient Caesarea

Many archaeological finds cannot be linked to one particular dramatic event. However, the recent discovery of a hoard of coins can be linked to one very significant event in the era of the Crusades,...

In house 40 in the Sandby borg ringfort, the skeletons of two young men were found right inside of the door. Further into the house were more human remains.

21 August, 2018 - 14:06 Mark Miller

The Crime of Sandby Borg: Site of a 1,600-Year-Old Tragedy in Sweden

Something terrible happened on Sweden’s Öland Island about 1,600 years ago. It was so bad that after an attack on a small fort there the site was taboo for years. Possibly hundreds of people were...

Apadana Hall, 5th century BC carving of Persian and Median soldiers in traditional costume (Medians are wearing rounded hats and boots). The Magi were a group of immigrants from Media who followed the Zoroastrian faith.

29 June, 2018 - 18:54 Mark Oliver

The Slaughter Of The Magi: How Ancient Persia Made Genocide an Annual Holiday

Long before the Holocaust and the atrocities we see today, history has been littered with genocide. Time and time again, minority groups living in the midst of a culture that isn’t their own have...

Underwater timbers related to the Batavia shipwreck being tagged by researchers off the coast of Western Australia.

5 June, 2018 - 00:28 lizleafloor

Skeleton found at shipwreck site is a reminder of a brutal massacre off the Australian coast

On June 4 th 1629, a contrived dispute in order to instigate a mutiny on the Duch East India Company vessel, the Batavia, culminated in the deaths of over more than 120 people. The bodies of the dead...

The Massacre of Glencoe James Hamilton (1853–1894)

14 February, 2018 - 18:54 ashley cowie

Mapping A Massacre for Old Times Sake

Archaeologists in Scotland are to bring alive “the human story” of the Glencoe massacre, one of the most violent episodes in British history. Three former settlements in the magnificent Glencoe...

The gold coin and rings recently unearthed at Sandby Borg.

13 October, 2017 - 01:56 Alicia McDermott

Archaeologists Strike Gold While Searching for Answers to the Sandby Borg Massacre

Researchers piecing together the horror story of a 5th century massacre off the coast of Sweden have a new element to add to the tale – a gold coin and rings. But does this additional aspect provide...

27 March, 2017 - 02:26 ancient-origins

Missed This Week's Top News Stories? Read Our Quick Round-Up

Amid the rush of daily life, it’s easy to miss some interesting news stories. So to make it easy for you, we have compiled a round-up of the most important stories from the past week. Ancient Bones...

25 March, 2017 - 00:46 Mark Miller

Bones Reveal Gruesome Fate of Scottish Clan Members Who Were Smoked to Death in a Cave

More than 400 years ago, the Macleod clan massacred about 400 of the Macdonalds on the Isle of Eigg in Scotland, when the Macleods smoked them to death in a cave in which they took refuge. Now a...

2 November, 2016 - 13:57 ancient-origins

Pirate, Turncoat, Survivor: The Life and Times of Anthony Knivet, a Briton in 16th-Century Brazil

On a dark night, late in 1592, a group of Englishmen was massacred on the island of São Sebastião, off the southeast coast of Brazil. Most had deserted the infamous English privateer Thomas Cavendish...

Human bones dating to the Late Iron Age.

14 December, 2015 - 21:52 lizleafloor

150,000 fled for their lives, but were slaughtered by Julius Caesar army, bones reveal

A cache of bones and artifacts buried at a site near to where the Waal and Meuse rivers meet testify to a genocidal slaughter of tragic proportions. As recorded by Julius Caesar himself, a bloody...

Profound cranial injuries on the frontal skull bone of a child approximately 8 years old. Other such injuries are evidence of a prehistoric massacre or torture at a mass grave at Schoeneck-Kilianstaedten, near Frankfurt, Germany.

19 August, 2015 - 15:20 Robin Whitlock

Archaeologists discover evidence of prehistoric massacre: Broken bones, smashed skulls

Archaeologists from the University of Mainz in Germany have discovered a mass grave at Schoeneck-Kilianstaedten, near Frankfurt. The discovery may be evidence of an ancient massacre and dates to...

Illustration of The last of the Charrúas (1833), Delaunois

2 August, 2015 - 02:49 Alicia McDermott

The Last of the Charrua: The Honored Warrior Tribe of Uruguay

Uruguay is said to be the only Latin American country without an indigenous population. However, they did have a fearsome warrior tribe living in the country for thousands of years. Believed to be...

27 March, 2015 - 13:50 dhwty

The Dark Reputation of the Dunmore Cave of Ireland

Caves play an important role in the story of humanity. In addition to providing shelter for our earliest ancestors, caves were also often considered to be mystical and magical realms. For some...

Child skeleton from 1,500-year-old crime mystery in Sweden

2 December, 2014 - 00:14 aprilholloway

Child skeleton sheds new light on 1,500-year-old crime mystery in Sweden

The Sandby borg massacre refers to an ancient crime scene unearthed on the island of Öland in Sweden, where archaeologists uncovered evidence of a brutal slaughter approximately 1,500 years ago. The...

9 September, 2014 - 02:50 aprilholloway

The Dark Tale behind the Golden Bowl of Hasanlu

The three soldiers knew that time was running short. The citadel of Hasanlu, in what is now north-western Iran, was under violent siege. The soldiers descended into a building and grabbed a handful...

2 January, 2014 - 22:36 aprilholloway

1,200-year-old murder mystery – dozens of bodies found in ancient well

Archaeologists have discovered the remains of a mass grave at the bottom of a 1,200-year-old well in the town of Entrains-sur-Nohain in Burgundy, France. It appears the discovery relates to the...

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Myths & Legends

Camazotz Maya style Batman suit created by Mexican designer Kimbal

Batman Existed in Mesoamerican Mythology and His Name Was Camazotz

As social media is abuzz with who might be cast in the next Batman movie, with concerns that some of the candidates might not be menacing enough to fill those big black boots, it might be time to...

Kombucha: Revered For Millennia, But Is It Really A Life Saving Brew?

The Powerful Symbol of the Swastika and its 12,000 Year History

La Llorona: An In-depth Investigation into the Reality of the Mexican Legend

Decoding Viking Signs: Nine Norse Symbols Explained

Say the Magic Word: The Origins of Abracadabra

Human Origins

The Pagan Wheel of the Year: What Elaborate Rituals and Events Mark this Sacred Cycle?

Although it may be a long time (if ever) before pagans reclaim their Yule from Christmas or their Samhain from Halloween, it is worthwhile to explore these ancient religious traditions. The Wheel of the Year follows the cycle of pagan festivals.

The origins of human beings according to ancient Sumerian texts

The Takenouchi Manuscripts and the Story of Humanity Never Told

Mysterious Worlds: Travels to the Faerie and Shamanic Realms

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

The Secret Life of an Ancient Concubine

Ancient Technology

Ancient Chinese Earthquake detector - Zhang (‘Chang’) Heng

The incredible earthquake detector invented nearly 2,000 years ago

Although we still cannot accurately predict earthquakes, we have come a long way in detecting, recording, and measuring seismic shocks. Many don’t realise that this process began nearly 2000 years...

Advanced Ancient Architecture of Puma Punku Site is Fully Recreated With 3D Printing

The legacy of Dujiangyan: China’s ancient irrigation system

A Step Closer to the Mysterious Origin of the Viking Sword Ulfberht

Secrets Behind the Creepy Plague Doctor Mask and Costume

Ancient Journeys: What was Travel Like for the Romans?

Ancient Places

The White Slaves of Barbary

Much attention and condemnation has been directed towards the tragedy of the African slave trade , which took place between the 16 th and the 19 th centuries. However, another equally despicable...

Explaining the Fall of the Great Akkadian Empire

The Houses of Pleasure in Ancient Pompeii

The Mithraic Mysteries and the underground chamber of San Clemente

First Kingdoms: The Forgotten Mesopotamian Kingdom of Ebla

The enduring mystery of The Lady of Dai mummy

Opinion

Mysterious Worlds: Travels to the Faerie and Shamanic Realms

There are many accounts of a land of immortality and eternal youth in world myths and legends, as well as shamanic and indigenous spiritual traditions. Mysterious Worlds Writing in his recent work,...

Pharaoh Akhenaten: An Alternative View of the Heretic King

Changing Colors and Scampering Across the Night Sky: What Did the Ancients Say about Sirius?

Cracking the Code to Discover Ancient Tarot Symbolism and Forgotten Universal Knowledge

The Secret Strategic Plans of Darius the Great

The Secrets of the Kabbalists Garden

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 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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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.