monarch

Ur-Shulgi. King Shulgi is credited with the completion of the Great ziggurat of Ur.

11 March, 2019 - 14:00 Carly Silver

The Mighty Deeds of King Shulgi of Ur, Master of Mesopotamian Monarchs

In the early second millennium BC, the city-states of Mesopotamia thrived in the so-called “Ur III period.” Assuming political frameworks previously abandoned in times of chaos, the rulers of the...

8 March, 2019 - 13:59 ancient-origins

Powerful Female Figures of Britain: The Real Life Women of ‘The Favourite’

Amy Froide / The Conversation One of the challengers at this year’s Oscars was “ The Favourite ,” a film set in the early 18th-century court of British monarch Queen Anne . Focusing on the political...

Romulus' Victory Over Acron’ (1812) by Jean Auguste Dominique Ingres. Romulus was the first Roman king.

14 January, 2019 - 15:37 Riley Winters

The Seven Kings of Rome: Tumultuous Origins of the Roman Republic

In the beginning, there was only dirt and mud and twigs. Then came the legendary hero Aeneas, and from him descended the sons of Rhea Silva and Mars, the god of war. These sons were Romulus and Remus...

Detail of ‘Spring Morning in the Han Palace’ (17th century) by Qiu Ying

19 May, 2018 - 02:03 dhwty

Ancient Weiyang Palace: Exemplifying Han Dynasty Splendor

Today it is in ruins, but Weiyang Palace was once the largest palace complex on earth. The few remains you can see now bear silent witness to the splendor and grandeur of the Han Dynasty monument...

Posthumous portrait of Queen Isabella I of Castile.

30 April, 2017 - 01:54 dhwty

Queen Isabella I of Castile: What Drastic Measures Did She Take to Keep Her Power?

Isabella I was a Queen of Castile and León who lived between the middle of the 15th and the beginning of the 16th centuries. Her reign is notable for a number of important events, including the...

Urraca I of Leon by Jose Maria Rodrigues de Losada (deriv.)

26 March, 2017 - 23:01 Natalia Klimczak

Urraca the Reckless: How Did a Child Bride Unify a Kingdom?

Feminine, inspiring, and powerful – these three words could be sufficient to describe the queen whose rule transformed the position of women in medieval courts. Her original stamp on society is felt...

27 February, 2017 - 13:34 Natalia Klimczak

Celtic Secrets in Enchanting Gold, What is the Story Behind the Braganza Brooch?

The story of a warrior and animals depicted in a small but gorgeous ancient fibula increases the pulse of researchers and others who are passionate about Celtic history. Of the dozens of precious...

18 February, 2017 - 18:59 dhwty

Modern Comfort and Traditional Opulence, The Perfect Combination in Peleș Castle

Peleș Castle is a castle located near the town of Sinaia, in the Prahova County of Romania. This castle was built during the 19th century, and was the beautiful summer residence of the royal family...

28 January, 2017 - 02:04 Riley Winters

The Last of the Welsh Lords: Llywelyn Ap Gruffydd

Father, fighter, and final, Llywelyn ap Gruffydd was born around 1223 AD and was the last Welsh ruler of Wales. The second son of Gruffydd ap Llywelyn Fawr (himself the illegitimate son of Llywelyn...

Golden Celestial Nymph of Majapahit (CC BY-SA 3.0), and carved relief of a bulging-eyed figure on a temple in Trowulan, suggested site of the capital city of the Majapahit Empire (CC BY-SA 3.0), Deriv.

26 January, 2017 - 01:06 MartiniF

The Hidden Mastermind and Warrior Queen Behind an Empire’s Golden Age

The Majapahit Empire was a vast empire on the island of Java from 1293 to 1527 CE, which later became part of modern Indonesia. It was an empire of 98 tributaries, stretching from the island of...

25 January, 2017 - 01:58 dhwty

How a Javanese King Defeated One of the Most Powerful Rulers of the Mongolian Empire

Raden Wijaya (known also as Nararya Sangramawijaya) was the founder of the Majapahit Empire. Apart from being remembered as the man who established the Majapahit Empire, Raden Wijaya is also known...

20 January, 2017 - 00:52 dhwty

Bluetooth: Why Modern Tech is Named After Powerful King of Denmark and Norway

Harald “Blåtand” Gormsson was a King of Denmark and Norway who lived during the 10th century AD. He was responsible for the unification of Denmark. Following this feat, Harald set his sights beyond...

27 December, 2016 - 21:56 Theodoros Karasavvas

India to Build Immense Statue, Twice the Size of the Statue of Liberty, of Medieval King Shivaji

India intends to construct the world's tallest statue . The massive construct is meant to honor a medieval King named Shivaji. Once completed, the gigantic structure is expected to be twice the size...

Assyrian relief of a horseman from Nimrud, now in the British Museum

1 November, 2016 - 00:59 Cam Rea

The Iron Army: Assyria - Deadly and Effective Siege Machine - Part II

Assyrian sappers (soldiers for building, demolitions, general construction) would approach the walls possibly under the cover of shield bears, the same type that protected the archers one could...

3 May, 2016 - 21:55 dhwty

Queen Tamar: The Confident Female Ruler of the Georgian Golden Age

Queen Tamar was a ruler of Georgia who lived between the 12th and 13th centuries AD. This monarch presided over what is today known as the Georgian Golden Age . This was a period that began in the...

30 April, 2016 - 14:50 dhwty

Jayavarman II: Self-Proclaimed God-King of the Khmer Empire

Jayavarman II is traditionally regarded as the founder of the Khmer Empire, a powerful state which ruled much of mainland Southeast Asia from the 9th century AD until the 15th century AD. The Khmer...

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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...

Immortality, the Elixir of Life and the Food of the Gods

Viking Berserkers – Fierce Warriors or Drug-Fuelled Madmen?

Say the Magic Word: The Origins of Abracadabra

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

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

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

The Takenouchi Manuscripts and the Story of Humanity Never Told

The origins of human beings according to ancient Sumerian texts

11 Mysterious Human Species That Most People Don’t Know Existed

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

Ancient Technology

The revolutionary invention of the wheel

In today’s world, technology is developing at an unprecedented rate. The latest gadget today is tomorrow’s antique. As a result of this rapid development of technology, we often take things for...

Mega Earthquake Caused Major Shift in Inca Construction Methodology

Secrets Behind the Creepy Plague Doctor Mask and Costume

The Great Pyramid at Giza and Noah’s Ark: Are we coming closer to an understanding of the Ancient Mind? Part II

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

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

Ancient Places

A lost desert city. Credit: frenta / Adobe Stock

Lost City of the Kalahari: Experts Search for Traces of Ancient Desert Civilization

Today, the Kalahari Desert is known as a very dry place. The word Kalahari in fact comes from a Tswana word which means ‘great thirst’.

Conway Castle: This Fine Medieval Welsh Castle was Built for a Ferocious English King

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

The White Slaves of Barbary

Masyaf Castle, the Seat of the Assassins

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

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.