Mexico

9 May, 2019 - 18:21 Mark Miller

Archaeological site in Mexico reveals sacrifice and cannibalization of Spanish conquistadors

Excavations at the Zultepec-Tecoaque archaeological site in Tlaxcala, Mexico, have revealed that indigenous Acolhuas peoples captured a caravan of 550 conquistadors and their allies in 1520, kept...

When collecting dolls for the Island of Dolls, Santana Barrera did not make any effort to clean them or to fix them up; once obtained he would hang them on the island’s trees.

21 April, 2019 - 18:56 dhwty

Is the Island of Dolls Haunted? An Eerie Tribute to a Little Mexican Girl

The Island of Dolls (known also as La Isla de las Muñecas in Spanish) is a chinampa in Mexico City, Mexico . As its name suggests, dolls are found throughout the island, placed there by its former...

Experts May Have Found an Aztec Royal Burial.

25 March, 2019 - 22:00 Ed Whelan

First Ever Aztec Royal Burial Site Could Be Indicated By Jaguar, Flamingo and Child Sacrifices [New Discovery]

Archaeologists working in Mexico City have made a series of amazing finds and these could lead to the discovery of an Aztec Emperor’s long-lost tomb. A team of specialists made the find in one of the...

Juana Ines de la Cruz Painting by Mauricio García Vega.

4 March, 2019 - 01:46 dhwty

Juana Ines de la Cruz – 17th Century Philosopher, Composer, and Poet Who Spoke For Women’s Rights

Juana Ines de la Cruz was a 17 th century nun from colonial Mexico . She was regarded during her lifetime as a prodigy, and was a renowned scholar, poet , and playwright . Juana Ines’ works brought...

26 October, 2018 - 01:30 Theodoros Karasavvas

Secret Chamber and Tunnel Discovered Under the Temple of the Moon at Teotihuacan Emulate the Underworld

Archaeologists have confirmed the existence of a secret tunnel and chamber under the Pyramid of the Moon in the ancient city of Teotihuacan in Mexico. They suggest that these features may have been...

4 September, 2018 - 18:58 Ed Whelan

Experts in Mexico Finally Declare the Grolier Codex is the Real Deal

Mexico's National Institute of History and Anthropology has announced that a controversial document, previously known as the “Grolier Codex”, is authentic. After years of scrutiny, they have finally...

31 August, 2018 - 01:51 Alicia McDermott

The Spectacular Ancient Maya City of Uxmal

The ancient Maya city of Uxmal is located in the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico. It was one of the regional capitals during the Maya Late Classical period and is considered today to be one of the most...

Reconstructed face of Eva of Naharon, who would have lived about 13,600 years ago.

22 August, 2018 - 22:31 Alicia McDermott

Putting a Face to Eva of Naharon, The Oldest Human Relic Found in the Americas

Eva of Naharon, also known as the Woman of Naharon, is the name given to the oldest known human remains found in the Americas to date. She met her demise in a cenote (sinkhole) some 13,600 years ago...

Some of the skulls found in the Cave of Ancestors in Puyil, Tacotalpa, Tabasco, Mexico.

11 August, 2018 - 18:54 Alicia McDermott

Pre-Mayan Remains found in Mexican Cave of Ancestors, Some Showing Cranial Deformation

There is a cave in southern Mexico where the distant past, more recent past, and the present intertwine. It is referred to as the Cave of Ancestors, where locals continue to honor their distant...

Hand prints, animals and human forms found in Yucatan cave. Source: Sergio Grosjean / Youtube Screenshot

31 July, 2018 - 23:00 Ed Whelan

Uncertain Origins of Ancient Cave Paintings Found in the Yucatan Peninsula

A major discovery has been reported by archaeologists in the Yucatan Peninsula, in south-eastern Mexico. A team of experts has discovered some astonishing cave paintings deep in a remote jungle. The...

29 July, 2018 - 11:16 Natalia Klimczak

Unravelling the Mysteries of the Tomb of the Red Queen of Palenque

A remarkable tomb dating back to 600 or 700 AD was discovered by Mexican archaeologist Arnoldo Gonzalez Cruz in 1994. When the researchers opened the burial chamber they couldn't believe their eyes…...

28 July, 2018 - 01:52 dhwty

80 Days of Cuitlahuac: The Unforgettable Impact of a Late Aztec Emperor

Cuitlahuac only ruled the Aztec Empire for 80 days. However, this huey tlatoani played an important role in the Aztec Empire. Today, he is best remembered for leading the Aztec resistance against the...

22 July, 2018 - 22:00 Bryan Hill

Palenque and the Great Temple of the Inscriptions: A Site Built for a King

Hidden deep in the jungles of Mexico are the ruins of the great Maya city of Palenque. Known for its stunning architecture, sprawling temples, artwork and treasures, it has been luring explorers,...

17 July, 2018 - 01:55 dhwty

An Ancient Maya City Founded by a God and Conquered by a Death Cheating Despot

Mayapan is a Maya site located in the modern Mexican state of Yucatan , about 55 km (34 miles) to the southeast of Merida, the state’s capital. This reconstruction of the site’s history poses a...

Kukulkan as a snake deity at the base of the west face of the northern stairway of El Castillo, Chichen Itza

11 July, 2018 - 01:46 dhwty

Kukulcan, the Snake God of the Maya, Remains as a Legacy of the Once-Powerful Civilization

Kukulcan was the all-powerful snake god worshipped by the Maya. While little information remains about the legends and mythology of Kukulcan – due to the tragic destruction of the Maya codices by the...

28 June, 2018 - 11:31 Theodoros Karasavvas

3,000-Year-Old Ball Game Where Winners Lost Their Heads Is Revived in Mexico

In order to commemorate and honor Mexican heritage, teams from Mexico and Belize competed against each other in a three millennia-old game known as Ulama. The game took place in the ancient Mayan...

Pages

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 Disturbing True Story of the Pied Piper of Hamelin

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

La Llorona: The Terrible Truth About Mexico's Weeping Woman

Decoding Viking Signs: Nine Norse Symbols Explained

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

King Solomon’s Mines Discovered: Kings and Pharaohs - Part I

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

The Secret Life of an Ancient Concubine

Ancient Technology

Example of an ancient calendar. The ancient Egyptians created a calendar with 365 days in a year.

Why Are There 365 Days in a Year? Organizing Dates with an Ancient Egyptian Calendar

The calendar is one of mankind’s most important inventions. Calendars allowed societies to organize time for religious, social, economic, and administrative purposes. The calendar, or rather, two sets of calendars, were invented by the ancient Egyptians. One was the first with 365 days in a year.

Pick Your Poison: The AK-47 of the Ancient Near East

Secrets Behind the Creepy Plague Doctor Mask and Costume

Eerie Ancient Wax Sculptures for Hexing Enemies, Destroying Demons, and Remembering the Dead

150,000-Year-Old Pipes Baffle Scientists in China: Out of Place in Time?

Does ‘New Evidence’ Prove Noah’s Ark Is Buried on a Turkish Mountain?

Ancient Places

Emperor Jimmu – the first ruler of the Chrysanthemum Throne, saw a sacred bird flying away while he was in the expedition of the eastern section of Japan. Source: Evening.star / Public Domain.

The Chrysanthemum Throne: A Two and a Half Millennia History of Divine Imperial Rule in Japan

The Fascinating Lchashen Settlement, Armenia: Where Elite Warriors Emerged from a Watery Grave

The White Slaves of Barbary

The enduring mystery of The Lady of Dai mummy

The Great Boat of Khufu: The ‘Black Box’ to the Construction of the Pyramids

Explaining the Fall of the Great Akkadian Empire

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.

We’re the only Pop Archaeology site combining scientific research with out-of-the-box perspectives.

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.