migration

Original position of the skeletal remains inside submerged cave of Muknal. Source: Jerónimo Avilés /© 2020 Hubbe et al CC BY 4.0

30 January, 2020 - 18:55 ashley cowie

First Americans Were More Diverse Than Thought

Scientists are claiming current theories “over-simplify” how the Americas were populated. Most of us were taught that the Americas were void of humans until around 13,000 years ago and authors like...

Excavation of archaeological deposits in Chagyrskaya Cave indicate long distance nomadic Neanderthals traveled from Europe.

29 January, 2020 - 16:24 ancient-origins

Stone Tools Reveal Epic Trek of Nomadic Neanderthals

Kseniya Kolobova et al / The Conversation Neanderthal ( Homo neanderthalensis ) fossils were first discovered in western Europe in the mid nineteenth century. That was just the first in a long line...

Artistic reconstruction of ‘Lola, based on the information from the DNA found in the birch tar. Source: Tom Björklund / Nature

17 December, 2019 - 18:53 ancient-origins

Chewing Gum Reveals Look of Neolithic Scandinavian

Researchers from the University of Copenhagen have succeeded in extracting a complete human genome from a thousands-of-years old “chewing gum”. According to the researchers, it is a new untapped...

Migration of Neanderthals discovered on Naxos. Source: eleftherostypos

17 October, 2019 - 18:59 ashley cowie

Early Humans Migrated to Greek Islands 200,000 Years Ago

Scientists have proven early humans migrated through the Mediterranean much earlier than currently believed. A team of international scientists led by Tristan Carter, an associate professor of...

Representation of discovery of the skeleton at the Rakhigarhi archaeological site. Source: Elena / Adobe Stock.

7 September, 2019 - 01:45 ashley cowie

DNA of 5,000-Year-Old Woman Links Modern Indians to Ancient Indus Valley Civilization

Ancient DNA from India’s Rakhigarhi archaeological site is telling volumes about the destiny of the mysterious Indus Valley Civilization. Around 3000 BC, Neolithic hunters in northern Scotland began...

The Cooper’s Ferry site, Idaho is the oldest example of human habitation in North America, influencing theories of the first Americans..

30 August, 2019 - 18:48 Ed Whelan

First Americans Arrived by Sea Over 15,000 Years Ago, Surprise Finding Suggests

Archaeologists have made what could be a pivotal discovery in the populating of the Americas , challenging previous dominant theories of how the first people arrived. They have unearthed a series of...

Padar Island, Flores, Indonesia, part of the Wallacea group of islands.

27 August, 2019 - 14:04 ashley cowie

17,000-Year-Old Skulls Discovered On Migration ‘Highway To Oz’

Two 12,000 and 17,000 year old human skulls , smaller than expected, were discovered on what scientists are calling an ancient migration highway to Australia . A new research paper features a study...

Ancient human. Credit: procy_ab / Adobe Stock

21 August, 2019 - 13:55 ancient-origins

Surprise Discovery of 45,000-Year-Old Tools in Mongolia Indicates Early Human Migration

Stone tools uncovered in Mongolia by an international team of archaeologists indicate that modern humans traveled across the Eurasian steppe about 45,000 years ago, about 10,000 years earlier than...

A 210,000-year-old human skull found in Greece suggests our species left Africa much earlier than previously thought. Source: esben468635 /Adobe Stock

10 July, 2019 - 22:19 ancient-origins

210,000 Year Old Homo sapiens Skull From Greece is Oldest Outside Africa

Anthony Sinclair / The Conversation A 210,000-year-old human skull could provide new evidence that our species left Africa much earlier than previously thought. A new study published in Nature of two...

The team of five paddlers crossed 200 kilometers of open ocean and the Black Stream in a primitive log boat. Source: National Museum of Nature and Science/Tokyo

9 July, 2019 - 23:08 ashley cowie

Five Bold Navigators Master the Deadly ‘Black Stream’ Migration After 32,000 Years

A brave Japanese and Taiwanese rowing team has successfully replicated a 32,000-year-old ancient sea migration route in a traditional dugout canoe. After two failed attempts on Sunday afternoon, one...

Representation of a Neanderthal. A new study of Neanderthal DNA tells the story of their migrations between Europe and Siberia. Source: procy_ab /Adobe Stock

27 June, 2019 - 19:05 Alicia McDermott

DNA Study Suggests Early Neanderthals Had Europe As Their Homebase

The Neanderthal story began around 430,000 years ago and (mostly) ended with their demise about 40,000 years ago . They left their mark in Europe and central Asia and on the genes of many people...

The first people to walk along the shores of northern Australia arrived more than 50,000 years ago. Source: Nicolaas Weber /Adobe Stock

18 June, 2019 - 21:25 ancient-origins

Ancient Ancestors Made A Large and Deliberate Migration to Australia

The size of the first population of people needed to arrive, survive, and thrive in what is now Australia is revealed in two studies published on June 17. It took more than 1,000 people to form a...

Two men found at the Yana Rhinoceros Horn Site in northern Siberia in Russia date to about 32,000 years ago, providing the earliest direct evidence of humans in the region. Source: Elena Pavlova

6 June, 2019 - 14:05 ashley cowie

Ancient Origins Of North Americans Settled - And Hard Evidence Of “Russian” Collusion Unearthed

For at least the last century archaeologists and anthropologists have generally agreed that the first humans arrived in North America having struggled across the icy wastes of Beringia, a vast land...

Aztlan is the Aztec’s legendary homeland.

30 May, 2019 - 01:29 mrreese

The Lost City of Aztlan – Legendary Homeland of the Aztecs

Is Aztlan the ancient homeland of the great Aztec civilization, or is it just a mythical land described in legends? The Aztec people of Mexico created one of the most important empires of the ancient...

Finger bone fragment containing Denisovan DNA. Source: Thilo Parg / CC BY-SA 3.0.

18 May, 2019 - 18:49 Glenn Dahlem

Did the Denisovans Walk to North America?

For a people from whom one 41,000 year old finger bone fossil from a nine year old girl, along with a bracelet she wore, were (until recently) the only authenticated known artifacts, the mysterious...

One of the chewing gums containing the oldest Scandinavian DNA from Huseby Klev with two plastelina casts for each side.

18 May, 2019 - 16:39 ancient-origins

DNA of First Settlers of Scandinavia Gleaned from Ancient Chewing Gums

The first humans who settled in Scandinavia more than 10,000 years ago left their DNA behind in ancient chewing gums, which are masticated lumps made from birch bark pitch. This is shown in a new...

Pages

Myths & Legends

Glastonbury Tor. Source: vlorzor / Adobe. Inset: Representational image of a skeleton.

The Glastonbury Giant: Who Did the Mystery Bones of A Nine Foot Skeleton Belong To?

When researching the reality of giants in the past, one story which has survived the ages is the apparent discovery of the ‘Glastonbury Giant’ which was allegedly unearthed in 1190, on orders of King Henry II, following rumors that the legendary King Arthur was in fact buried at that specific location.

Ragnar Lothbrok: A Real Viking Hero Whose Life Became Lost to Legend

The Darker Side of Irish Fairy Lore: When Encounters Turn Dangerous

The Truth Behind the Jackalope and Those Who Hunt the Elusive Warrior Rabbit

The Warriors of the Rainbow Prophecy

The 1,500-Year-Old Love Story Between a Persian Prince and a Korean Princess that Could Rewrite History

Human Origins

Representational image of human skeletons. The discovery of anomalous skeletons suggests humanity may be older than we think.

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

There are many reported human skeletal finds which are in discordance with current evolutionary beliefs dating back to anomalously ancient geological periods in the distant past, way before it is accepted that human beings ever existed.

The Secret Life of an Ancient Concubine

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

Easter Island’s Birdman Cult: A Story of Struggle and Survival

The human skull that challenges the Out of Africa theory

The origins of human beings according to ancient Sumerian texts

Ancient Technology

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

Oopart (out of place artifact) is a term applied to dozens of prehistoric objects found in various places around the world that seem to show a level of technological advancement ...

Secrets Behind the Creepy Plague Doctor Mask and Costume

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

The Indian Sage who developed Atomic Theory 2,600 years ago

Ancient Chinese Earthquake Detector Invented 2,000 Years Ago Really Worked!

10 Innovative Medieval Weapons: You Would Not Want To Be At The Sharp End Of These!

Ancient Places

New Caledonia Cave. Credit: damedias / Adobe Stock

Pindai Caves, Once Home to the Lapita People and Extinct Species

New Caledonia, in the South Pacific, is a special collectivity of France. Not only does it have a fascinating history and unique culture, the islands also have one of the most important archaeological sites in all of Oceania, the Pindai Caves.

The Macabre Capela dos Ossos: Why was it Decorated with the Dead?

Eisriesenwelt Cave, Home of the Legendary Ice Giants

The Templar Tunnel: Knight’s Strategic Passageway Was Lost for 700 Years

The Rich Mythology and Megalithic Culture of the Ancient Berbers, Lords of the Desert

The Five Good Emperors: Prosperity and Power Before the Final Fall

Opinion

Naupa Iglesia: An Egyptian Portal in the Andes?

Halfway up a near-vertical ravine in the Andes, someone carved an inverted V-shaped entrance into the mountainside. Then they sliced the bedrock with great precision to create a shallow door that...

The Nephilim: Giant Offspring of the Sons of God and the Daughters of Man?

Mount Shasta: Spirits and Danger on a Sacred California Mountain

Mysterious Worlds: Travels to the Faerie and Shamanic Realms

Pharaoh Akhenaten: An Alternative View of the Heretic King

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

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.