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Main: A DNA molecule (C. Bock/Wikimedia Commons). Inset: Two Melanesian girls

Ancient Denisovan DNA discovered in modern Pacific Islanders

The archaic Denisovan and Neanderthal DNA that persists in modern individuals from the Pacific islands of Melanesia could be a source of new information about early human history, according to a...
Part of a Naval Battle Scroll from the Imjin War.

Not a Shot in the Dark: How Crossbows Changed War in Ancient China

The crossbow is a missile weapon that had a major impact on the way battles were fought in the ancient world. Prior to the widespread use of crossbows, it was the bow and arrow that was the...
Some of the forms of the monster Coco: as a dragon

Shape Changes, Fear Does Not: The Mythical Monster Coco

Coco is also known in folklore as Cuco, Coca, Cuca, Cucuy. It is a mythical dragon or a ghost monster which is said to appear in many different shapes and forms. There is no description of the beast...
The carcass is preserved really very well. And one of the most important things is that the brain is preserved.

Ancient puppy brain is well preserved as dog bares its teeth after 12,400 years

By Anna Liesowska / The Siberian Times Scientists revealed today that they have found the first-ever well preserved brain of a Pleistocene canid. Exclusive video and pictures show the autopsy on a...
Fortifications at Monterreal Castle.

Ancient Gondomar Castle and its Historic Connections to Caesar, Columbus, and Drake

Near the Atlantic Ocean, on a small peninsula there is a castle known as Monterreal Castle, Gondomar Castle, or Ox Hill Fortress. Although it has been destroyed many times over the years, it remains...
Researchers used spectral imaging to read the writing on this fragment, which details the third-century Thermopylae battle. Credit: Vienna, Austrian National Library, manuscript Hist. gr. 73, fol. 193r lower text.

Epic Battle between Goths and Greeks Revealed in Long Lost Ancient Text

A dramatic passage detailing a Gothic invasion of the Roman Empire in an ancient text that had been lost to history has been found and translated into English. Fragments of the ancient historian...
Aerial Photograph (Photo Copyright South American Pictures 1978) and Illustration “Mysterious Holes of Peru”

Does Socos Pampa Geoglyph Reveal Nasca Lines Were Made Centuries Before Nasca Culture?

Ancient Origins Guest Writer, William James Veall, completes his Opinion Piece trilogy by cementing together two earlier articles concerning " The Mysterious Holes of Peru " and " Seafarers from the...
Magical Creatures of the Ancient World

Magical Creatures of the Ancient World

The Basilisk The basilisk can look like a giant venomous snake or like a being with the body of a snake, and the head, wings, and legs of a rooster. This terrifying beast is known for killing its...
A three-dimensional volume rendering of the Tuli mummy.

Scans and DNA tests reveal the secrets of a rare African mummy

Natasha Joseph / The Conversation He lay alone in a shallow grave at the base of a cliff for hundreds of years. Then, in 2008, patrol staff at a game lodge stumbled across the man’s remains - and he...
Images merging text from both sides of the paper in a 1535 Latin Bible. Portrait of Henry VIII (1537-1547) by the workshop of Hans Holbein the Younger.

Secret Notes Found Hidden in a Bible Reveal Unexpected Details on the Reformation of Henry VIII

Hidden annotations in England’s first printed Bible, published in 1535, show there was a short transition period between the Catholic era in England and the Reformation that violently transformed...
Morgan le Fay by Frederick Sandys.

The Bewitching Tale of Morgan le Fay, a Captivating Character of Arthurian Legend

The legendary Morgan le Fay is quite often mixed with the Celtic goddess Morrigan. The two strong females seem to be separate women, but there is also a possibility that they are linked with each...
Bronze bracelet with coral decoration discovered at the site in Yorkshire.

Iron Age Burial Ground in Yorkshire Yields 150 Skeletons and Valuable Grave Goods

A “hugely important” find of the burial ground of an Iron Age community in England has turned up many artifacts, including jewelry and brooches, spears, swords, hundreds of amber and glass beads, and...
On April 23, 2014, the reliquary was opened at a ceremony in Uppsala Cathedral. After this, researchers from several scientific disciplines set to work running tests on the remains in an attempt to learn more about the medieval king. Now, the first results of these examinations are made public.

Science Sheds New Light on the Life and Death of Medieval King Erik

The saint's legend speaks of a king who died a dramatic death in battle outside the church in Uppsala, Sweden, where he had just celebrated mass. But what can modern science tell us about his remains...
The stone sarcophagus containing the mummy of King Tut is seen in his underground tomb.

More Evidence Supports Claim Hidden Chamber in Tutankhamun Tomb Contains Another Burial

Last month, the Tourism Minister of Egypt Hisham Zaazou appeared to have slipped up during a visit to Spain when he said the hidden chamber being investigated in Tutankhamun’s tomb is “full of...
A human skull. Representational image only.

The Giants of Doddridge County: Body Snatching and Buried Notebooks – Part II

( Read Part I ) It is important to note that in relation to the measurements published for the gigantic skeletons from the Zahn Farm mounds, Sutton’s method of determining height would actually have...
Two of the statues of the goddess Sekhmet.

Eight More Statues of the Ancient Egyptian Goddess Sekhmet Found in Luxor

Eight statues of the goddess Sekhmet have been discovered in the temple of Amenhotep III at Kôm El-Hettan on the west bank of the Nile. The black granite statues were found during excavations which...
An example of a sinking tanker. AMOCO CADIZ grounding and oil spill, Brittany, France.

Norwegian Scientists Unintentionally Provide Fuel for a Fringe Theory on the Bermuda Triangle

Scientists in Norway are making waves with an announcement this week that has unintentionally linked giant craters in the Barents Sea to the controversial Bermuda Triangle. They say that the craters...
A picture of an Egyptian woman applying kohl to her eyes.

Bygone Beauty and Body: The Origins of Cosmetics in the Ancient World

Cosmetics may be defined as “substances that you put on your face or body that are intended to improve your appearance”. The desire to improve one’s appearance is something that seems to be...
Reproduction of Homo neanderthalensis. Museum of Human Evolution (MEH), Burgos, Spain.

Confirmed: The Hominins Found at Atapuerca are the Earliest Genetic Evidence of Neanderthals to Date

After decades of study and many assumptions, the analysis of nuclear DNA has finally confirmed the evolutionary lineage of the inhabitants of the Sierra de Atapuerca in Spain. For some time,...
The underwater archaeologists found dozens of cannonballs at the wreck site.

Wreckage of Lost Ship of Vasco da Gama is Found and Contains Thousands of Artifacts

A ship which was a part of the legendary Vasco da Gama’s Portuguese fleet that reached India has been found close to Al Hallaniyah island, near the coast of Oman. According to the Ministry of...
Deriv; A drowned land.

What Became of Atlantis: The Flood from Heaven

Skeptics and believers alike tend to overlook the fact that the story of Atlantis, as told by the Egyptian priests who related the story to Solon, is a complex narrative involving three civilizations...
The extremely rare gold coin.

Hiker Finds Extremely Rare Gold Coin in Israel

A woman in the Galilee region of Israel stumbled across a rare gold coin while hiking with friends. The coin dates back to the year 107 AD and depicts the Roman Emperor Augustus. Only one other coin...
The crocodile god Sobek.

Impressive Collection of Statuettes Depicting Ancient Gods Discovered in Egypt

A collection of ancient figurines and statuettes has been discovered in the Tel Al-Tabla archaeological site in the Dakahliya governorate of Egypt. The artifacts are related to the deities of ancient...
Ellora, cave 16, Kailasha Temple.

Breathtaking Ellora Caves Were Preserved by Hemp

In the state of Maharashtra, in India there lies a large breathtaking series of ancient archaeological structures known as the Ellora Caves. The Ellora Caves were used for various religious practices...

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