Minoan

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...

2 January, 2018 - 01:52 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...

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...

Facial Reconstruction of the so-called ‘Griffin Warrior.’

8 October, 2016 - 22:03 Alicia McDermott

Bringing a Bronze Age Face to Light: Face of the Greek Griffin Warrior

Researchers believe that a Bronze Age skeleton found near the Mycenaean palace of Nestor was once a handsome man with long black hair. Their reconstruction of his appearance was based on an analysis...

4 October, 2016 - 21:52 Alicia McDermott

Secrets of the Four Gold Rings from the Tomb of the Griffin Warrior Revealed

The story behind four magnificent ancient Greek gold signet rings is finally coming to light. One year after they were found in the grave of a Bronze Age Greek warrior, the rings are now taking...

Pages

Myths & Legends

Women shaman of Ireland in trance - magic rotates the leaves.

Ancient Women Shaman of Ireland: Goddesses of Prophecy and Omens

The Celtic scholar Nora Chadwick notes that in Irish mythology the prophetess Fedelm tells Queen Medb that she has been in the land of Alba learning the art of the Filidect. Medb asks if she has...

The symbol of the Swastika and its 12,000-year-old history

Marduk: Babylonian King of Gods and Reportedly Liberator of the Jews

The Ancient Pagan Origins of Easter

Lovelock Cave: A Tale of Giants or A Giant Tale of Fiction?

Ancient Symbolism of the Magical Phoenix

Human Origins

Silhouettes (Public Domain) in front of blood cells (Public Domain) and a gene.

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

Most people who have the Rh blood type are Rh-positive. There are also instances, however, where people are Rh-Negative. Health problems may occur for the unborn child of a mother with Rh-Negative blood when the baby is Rh-Positive.

The origins of human beings according to ancient Sumerian texts

The human skull that challenges the Out of Africa theory

Facing the Facts: Just How Accurate Are Facial Reconstructions?

Where are Ashkenazi Jews from? Their Origins May Surprise You

The secret life of an ancient concubine

Ancient Technology

Stone of the Pregnant Woman, an example of ancient high-tech stonework in Hajar al Hibla at Baalbek in Lebanon.

The High-Tech Stonework of the Ancients: Unsolved Mysteries of Master Engineers

There are many stone artifacts from the ancient world made from the hardest stone on the planet such as granite and diorite, which have been cut and shaped with such quality, precision and accuracy that the standard explanations of their manufacture are simply inadequate.

Both a Princess and a Priestess, What Did the First Known Author Have to Share with the World?

The revolutionary invention of the wheel

Medieval Hygiene Might Have Been Better Than You Think

The Lost Knowledge of the Ancients: Were Humans the First? Part 1

Ancient Journeys: What was Travel Like for the Romans?

Ancient Places

Throne Hall of Dongola: Hidden Christian Beginnings Revealed in the Walls of the Oldest Preserved Mosque in Sudan

Relatively little is known of Sudan beyond the borders of Africa even though it is a country which has been home to significant civilizations and has many fascinating archaeological sites.

Were the Women of Petra More Important Than the Men?

Unique artifacts shed light on daily life in 5,000-year-old city of Caral

The Construction of Venice, the Floating City

Trance Rock Art of Nsangwini - Communing With the Spirits

Khajuraho: The Sexiest Temples in India

Opinion

The astronomical ceiling at the Pronaos, Detail of the first Band west from the center. From left to right: two wind creatures (the winged ram with four heads personifies the south wind), the snake- and frog-headed eight goddesses and gods of the Ogdoad who ruled the cosmos before the creation of the world and Osiris seated on a throne sails across the sky as personification of the full moon accompanied by the seated goddesses Nephtys (left) and Isis on the right (Maat stands near the bow of the ship). Siri

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

In Egypt, Sirius was the Star of Isis, Isis being the companion and rescuer of the god Osiris. In a very deep way, Osiris was Egypt.

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

Alchemy and Generating Lifeforce —Global Temples Made in the Shape of Lingams: Shaivite Bull Cult Part II

From Green Man to Bull Son, The Universal Shaivite Bull Cult – Part I

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.