Minoan

The famous Lions Gate into the hill fortress where Mycenaean armies originated.

18 July, 2019 - 19:26 Riley Winters

The Fall of a Civilization: The Mysterious Collapse of the Mycenaean Bronze Age

"In most cases, collapse results from multiple, 'cascading' stress factors—politico-economic, demographic, and sociocultural as well as environmental…relational aspects, arguing that factors such as...

6 June, 2019 - 01:45 lizleafloor

The Curious Phaistos Disc – Ancient Mystery or Clever Hoax?

In 1908 an Italian archaeologist ventured into the ruins of Phaistos, an ancient Minoan palace on the south coast of Crete. In an underground temple depository, among burnt bones, dust, and ashes, he...

2 March, 2019 - 18:48 dhwty

The Magnificent Palace of Knossos in Crete Was Stronghold of the Powerful Minoans

Knossos palace is a spectacular archaeological site which was once the center of the Minoan civilization on the Greek island of Crete . The site contains a number of ruins from the Minoan period, the...

"Ladies in Blue" fresco at Knossos Palace, Minoan archaeological site in Crete, Greece.

21 February, 2019 - 01:59 dhwty

Controversy Over the Ladies in Blue: Is Most Famous Fresco of the Minoans Just a Modern Interpretation?

The Ladies in Blue is the name given to a fresco from the Palace of Knossos on the island of Crete. This fresco (or rather, fragments of it) was discovered during the excavation of the site by the...

7 February, 2019 - 01:52 dhwty

Pre-dating the Minoans: The Cycladic Civilization and Their Unusual ‘Modern’ Art

The Cycladic culture (known also as the Cycladic civilization) is an early Bronze Age culture located in the Cyclades. This culture thrived from around 3200 to 1100 BC, and predated two other major...

Middle Minoan burials – Left; Middle Minoan IA beads, Center; IA primary pit burial of a man, with a bronze dagger (under Funerary Building 2), Right; Early Minoan II and Middle Minoan IA beads and bands of gold.

6 September, 2018 - 13:58 Ed Whelan

Minoan Cemetery Reveals Two Early Burials Overflowing with Grave Goods

The Greek Ministry of Culture has announced a major discovery at a cemetery in north-east Crete. It has revealed the unearthing of two graves, with a treasure trove of grave goods that is up to 5000...

Featured image: Elaborate and colorful fresco revealed at Akrotiri.

14 June, 2018 - 02:37 dhwty

The precious remains of Akrotiri, an ancient city obliterated in the great eruption of Thera

The destruction of Pompeii by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in A.D. 79 has been preserved in ancient times by an eye witness account, namely that of Pliny the Younger. The literary evidence and...

5 June, 2018 - 22:54 Ed Whelan

Ashes from Santorini’s Cataclysmic Volcanic Eruption Found in Smyrna Excavation

Archaeologists in Turkey excavating the Ancient Greek City of Smyrna have made an important discovery according to Euronews . They have found volcanic ash from perhaps one of the greatest volcanic...

15 April, 2018 - 19:03 Nik Aed

3,500-Year-Old Advanced Minoan Technology Was ‘Lost Art’ Not Seen Again Until 1950s

The Minoans employed advanced construction methods using natural materials to create seaworthy composite ship hulls which would not be out-of-place in a modern-day marina. The construction method...

Illustrations to Dante's "Divine Comedy" - "Minos" by William Blake.

6 January, 2018 - 22:57 pkoutoupis

In Search of the Mythical King Minos, Did the Legendary Ruler Really Exist?

When we think of Minos, two images immediately come to mind: (1) the legendary and cruel tyrant of Crete who demanded the tribute of Athenian youths to feed to the Minotaur in the Labyrinth and (2) a...

The Pylos Combat Agate, an ancient object found in Pylos, Greece and created around 1450 BC.

18 December, 2017 - 19:03 David W Mathisen

Is this Minoan Artistic Marvel a Miniaturization of the Heavens?

The discovery of the Pylos Combat Agate in a Mycenaean shaft-grave tomb dating to 1500 BC may be one of the most significant archaeological and artistic finds in decades, perhaps in centuries. The...

The tiny sealstone depicting warriors in battle measures just 1.4 inches across but contains incredible detail.

9 November, 2017 - 01:56 ancient-origins

Stunning Minoan Gemstone Owned by a Bronze Age Warrior Rewrites the History of Ancient Greek Art

In the more than two years since University of Cincinnati researchers unearthed the 3,500-year-old tomb of a Bronze Age warrior in southwest Greece, an incredible trove of riches has emerged,...

Painted side of sarcophagus from Agia Triada, Crete, around 1400 BC. Painted plaster on limestone. Shows the relationship between the Minoans and Egyptians.

4 August, 2017 - 13:58 Theodoros Karasavvas

Ancient DNA Analysis Reveals the ‘Mythical’ Heritage of Modern Greeks

Phys Org reports that a recent analysis of ancient DNA suggests that Ancient Minoans and Mycenaeans were genetically identical, with both peoples descending from early Neolithic farmers. The study...

Detail of the famous Minoan bull leaping fresco.

29 July, 2017 - 13:51 Riley Winters

Taking the Bull by the Horns: The Perilous Minoan Practice of Bull-Leaping

If bull-leaping was a genuine practice in Bronze Age Minoan courts (estimated c.3200 BC-1100 BC), it was likely not nearly as fun as it appears in frescoes. Modern day professional matadors have...

23 June, 2017 - 02:00 dhwty

The Three Distinct Scripts of Knossos: An Unfinished Epic

Linear A and Linear B are the names given to two sets of scripts from ancient Greece. A third known writing form of the time is Cretan Hieroglyphic. The Linear A script was used by the Minoan...

Clay Tablet inscribed with Linear B script dated 1450-1375 BC, Knossos

4 June, 2017 - 13:54 Riley Winters

Reading Between the Lines: Decrypting the Scripts of the Minoans and Mycenaeans

Pick up a book in a language you have never learned. Read the first couple pages. See if you can understand any aspect of the culture between its covers. It is difficult, isn't it? It remains so...

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Myths & Legends

“Full moon rising over Mount Shasta, as seen from northern valley.”

Mount Shasta: Inner Earth Realms and History of the Lava Beds

There are legends all over the world, found in every culture, which populate caves with spirits and supernatural guardians who dwell in a subterranean realm hidden just beneath surface of our own...

Baba Yaga: The Wicked Witch of Slavic Folklore

The Enigma of the Anasazi

The Pyramid Complex and the Hopi: Creation Myth Sheds Light on Building Plan

A Herculean Effort: What Led to the 12 Labors of Hercules and How Did He Succeed?

The Disturbing True Story of the Pied Piper of Hamelin

Human Origins

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,...

Pangu and the Chinese Creation Story

Do you dare enter a fairy ring? The mythical mushroom portals of the supernatural

The Origins of the Faeries: Encoded in our Cultures – Part I

The origins of human beings according to ancient Sumerian texts

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

Ancient Technology

Secrets Behind the Creepy Plague Doctor Mask and Costume

The plague doctor mask is one of the most recognizable symbols of the Black Death. Though the image is iconic the relationship may be a little anachronistic. While plague doctors have been plying their trade since the Middle Ages, it was only after this period, during the 17th century, that they acquired their creepy trademark costume. But what does it mean?

Did Egyptian Mummification Descend from a More Ancient and, Perhaps, Reversible Preservation Technique?

Poisonous Pigments: History’s Deadliest Colors

Ten amazing inventions from ancient times

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

The ancient invention of the steam engine by the Hero of Alexandria

Ancient Places

Why Isn’t This Map in the History Books?

By the age of 10, most children in the United States have been taught all 50 states that make up the country. But centuries ago, the land that is now the United States was a very different place...

The Dark Secret Behind the Hidden Room of Glamis Castle

Mount Shasta: Inner Earth Realms and History of the Lava Beds

The Anomaly of King Orry’s 5000-Year-Old Grave

Ancient Greek Theater and the Monumental Amphitheaters in Honor of Dionysus

The Lifegiving Aqueduct of Segovia, a Glorious Roman Heritage

Opinion

Mount Shasta: Spirits and Danger on a Sacred California Mountain

Mount Shasta, located near the Oregon border in northern California, holds the distinction of being one of the world’s preeminent sacred mountains. It is recognized as an eligible Native American...

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?

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

The Secret Strategic Plans of Darius the Great

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.