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Representative image of skull discovery (not Denisovan)

First Ever Skull Fragments of Denisovans Have Been Confirmed Found in Russia

A breakthrough discovery has been made in Russia which will reveal more about an enigmatic early species of human . Paleo-archaeologists have now identified some skull fragments from the long-extinct...
Clay homunculus model placed on a lawn

Homunculus: The Alchemical Creation of Little People with Great Powers

Although science has made much progress in the last century, there are still numerous ethical issues that need to be addressed by the scientific community. One such issue is that of the creation of...
Crazy Viking face (khosrork / Adobe Stock)

Eight Harsh But Hilarious Viking Nick Names and How They Came About

Before surnames became commonplace, a method was needed to differentiate between two or more people with the same name. Many surnames in the English language today are a result of this - John Smith,...
The Birth of Venus by Sandro Botticelli  (1445-1510)(Public Domain)

Did Blondes Have More Fun in the Ancient World?

In the period of the 1930s to 1950s, Hollywood saw the emergence of many blonde actresses. Epithets such as ‘screen siren’ or ‘cinematic goddess’ were attached to the most popular blonde actresses of...
A pilgrim in the snow (captblack76 / Adobe Stock)

Challenge Accepted: 6 Months as a Medieval Hermit in Russia

In our crowded modern cities, there are some who wish that they could live by themselves in a remote wilderness area sometime in the past. They yearn for a time when life was, at least supposedly,...
Juana Ines de la Cruz Painting by Mauricio García Vega.

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...
A pair of bronze pots, one containing the first real example of an ancient Chinese elixir of life, were unearthed from a Western Han Dynasty tomb in Luoyang, Henan Province.

Elixir of Life Found: 2,000-Year-Old Bottles Contain First Known Chinese ‘Immortality Medicine’

Who wants to live forever? This has been a dream for many people all around the world for a very long time. It was written about in several ancient texts, and legends and myths suggest some people...
"Muhammad the Apostle of God” .

The First Caliphs of Islam: Power, Corruption, War, and Treachery in the Rashidun Caliphate

The first caliphs of the Islamic World were the Rashidun , or “rightly guided,” caliphs and they controlled a vast empire. According to the Sunni Muslims, the Rashidun caliphs were chosen by Muhammad...
1,600-Year-Old Mosaic with Rare Blessing Inscription Gives Insight into the Samaritans

1,600-Year-Old Mosaic with Rare Blessing Inscription Gives Insight into the Samaritans

A rare inscription spelled out in a tile mosaic was found in the ruins of a 1,600-year-old estate that belonged to a wealthy Samaritan, at Zur Natan in central Israel. This find is helping experts to...
Pocahontas

The True Story of Pocahontas as NOT told by Disney

Pocahontas is remembered as the Native American Powhatan princess who saved the life of Englishman John Smith, married John Rolfe and fostered peace between English settlers and Native Americans. In...
The Palace of Knossos, Crete.

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...
Cliff of Bandiagara

How the Dogon Preserved Their Unique Culture Along The Cliff of Bandiagara Mali

The Cliff of Bandiagara (or Land of the Dogons) in Mali is an outstanding landscape and has earthen architecture that seems to defy the laws of nature and the passing of time. Despite globalization,...
Modern representation of Sargon of Akkad.

Sargon of Akkad: Familiar and Legendary Tales of a Famous Mesopotamian King

In 2334 BC, King Sargon of Akkad founded one of the world’s greatest empires. From humble roots, he created a Golden Age in Mesopotamia. Heroic epics tell tales of a strong leader. Sargon the Great...
https://www.ancient-origins.net/users/ed-whelan

Ancient Tattoo Tool Rewrites the History of Native American Ink

A Ph.D. student has made an astonishing discovery - the earliest known Native American tattoo artifact. It is estimated that it is 2000-years-old and came from the very important Basket-maker II...
Evolution includes many now extinct human species.

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

Modern humans, Homo Sapiens , are now the only surviving member of the homo genus. It is almost inconceivable to us that there was a time we walked with other human species, but as the science of...
The former temporary palace of Genghis Khan in Fengning County, Hebei, China.

Disputed ‘Barbarians’: Genghis Khan and Qin Shi Huang

Some years ago somebody is reported to have said: "The victors write the histories”. Though this chestnut has no attribution, it nevertheless appears in many works including school textbooks. Whether...
 A flood of beer (kulkann / Adobe Stock)

The Great London Beer Flood That Drowned Eight People in Alcohol

The Great London Beer Flood of 1814 was one of the most bizarre and tragic industrial accidents in the history of London. This disaster occurred at a brewery on Tottenham Court Road which resulted in...
Hypatia

Living in a Man's World: The Untimely & Brutal Death of Hypatia

Hypatia was a philosopher, mathematician, and astronomer who lived in a man’s world in 4th century Alexandria. Times were turbulent and the brutal and sudden end to Hypatia’s life shows just how...
Greece

Rekindling of the Hearth of Hellenism - A Return to Worship of the Greek Gods

Europe is in the midst of a pagan revival. Across Europe , different cultures are attempting to revive their pre-Christian religious heritage. Greece is no exception. Although the movement is small,...
Pottery and metal artifacts.

Massive Stash of Illegal Artifacts and 1000s of Human Bones Recovered From Indiana Man’s Basement Collection

The FBI’s art crime unit has announced that during a multi-year investigation it has uncovered a staggering hoard of stolen antiquities . The haul of antiquities was huge, and it included a large...
A Medieval knight holding a glass of wine (diter / Adobe Stock)

Strange Deaths in History: The Duke who Died in a Barrel of Wine

George Plantagenet, 1 st Duke of Clarence, was a 15 th century English nobleman who was executed by allegedly being drowned in a vat of Malmsey wine. He was a member of the House of York and played...
Potala Palace in the winter.

Closer to Enlightenment? Potala Palace, the Highest in the World

Potala Palace, the iconic heart of Tibetan Buddhism, is the highest palace in the world. It once served as the winter palace of the Dalai Lama and was the Tibetan seat of government. The palace is...
The smuggled mummy parts were found stuffed in a speaker.

Chopped Up Egyptian Mummy Body Parts Found Stuffed in a Speaker En Route to Belgium

Egypt’s Ministry of Antiquities has announced that they have stopped the attempted smuggling of mummified body parts from a Belgium-bound passenger. The unnamed passenger boldly stuffed parts from...
An uncontacted tribe in the jungle of Brazil

The Uncontacted Frontier: Tribes of the Amazon Want To Be Left Alone

The Amazon rainforest is home to more uncontacted tribes than anywhere else in the world. It is hard to imagine that even today, there are more than 100 tribes who have never seen anything outside...

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