orkney

10 December, 2019 - 02:58 ashley cowie

Nine Ancient Human Figurines Discovered On Orkney? Or Not?

Archaeologists excavating a proposed electricity sub-station in Orkney have uncovered what they believe are unusual ancient stone carvings . It was a team of excavators working in Orkney, the island...

Excavations at the Ness of Brodgar. Source: Ruth_W / CC BY-SA 2.0.

22 August, 2019 - 06:18 ashley cowie

Human Bone Found at Orkney’s Neolithic Cathedral, Ness of Brodgar

Archaeologists excavating a vast Neolithic cathedral at Ness of Brodgar on the Scottish island of Orkney have made the rare discovery of a human arm bone . While the discovery of a single bone might...

7 August, 2019 - 18:42 ashley cowie

Viking Drinking Hall Unearthed On Orkney Provides ‘Unparalleled’ Insights Into Chieftain’s Life

Archaeologists excavating on a tiny island off the north coast of Scotland have discovered an 800-year-old Viking ‘Bu’, or drinking hall , once serviced by a high-ranking Orcadian Norse chieftain...

31 July, 2019 - 02:33 Caleb Strom

Stepping Back in Time at Skara Brae: A Neolithic Settlement in the Heart of Prehistoric Orkney

In 1850, a fierce storm hit the Bay o’ Skaill on the main island of the Orkney island archipelago. In doing so, it ripped grass from a hill, then known as Skerrabra, to reveal the remnants of an...

Three standing stones of the ancient and mysterious Ring of Brodgar (Oliver / Adobe Stock)

12 April, 2019 - 23:00 ashley cowie

Vandal’s Repulsive Attack On 4500-Year-Old Ring of Brodgar is a Crime Against Humanity

Built almost 5,000 years ago at the early stages of agriculture in northern Europe, Ring of Brodgar , the third largest Neolithic stone circle in Britain has fallen victim to the scourge of society...

The Ring of Brodgar (or Brogar, or Ring o' Brodgar) is a Neolithic henge and megalithic circle on the Mainland, the largest island in Orkney, Scotland.

12 October, 2018 - 01:42 Andrew Collins

Orcadian Genesis: The Origins of the Orkney Isles’ Unique Megalithic Culture and its Roots in Britain’s Own Lost Atlantis - Part Two

[Read Part One Here] This is a continuation on discoveries showing how the Ness Of Brodgar Excavations on the Orkney Mainland are revealing a Mesolithic past with links not only to Britain’s own Lost...

Ring of Brodgar, Orkney Islands. A Neolithic henge and stone circle.

11 October, 2018 - 19:01 Andrew Collins

Orcadian Genesis: The Origins of the Orkney Isles’ Unique Megalithic Culture and its Roots in Britain’s Own Lost Atlantis – Part One

The Ness Of Brodgar Excavations on the Orkney Mainland are revealing a Mesolithic past with links not only to Britain’s own Lost Atlantis, but also to Göbekli Tepe in distant Anatolia. For a decade...

Gneiss stone axe found on the shores of Loch of Stenness.

13 August, 2018 - 18:57 ashley cowie

Archeologists Unearth Axes and Human Hair at Two Ancient Sites in Orkney

Archaeologists high five in Orkney as a large number of 5,000-year-old stone axes were discovered among 30,000 artifacts, including “pottery, bones and tools” according to a recent report by The BBC...

Two actors from the History Channel series “Vikings.”

2 July, 2018 - 14:58 Mark Miller

Survey Shows About Half of Brits Wish They Were Descended from Vikings…and Many Probably Are!

If you’re from the British Isles, do you ever wonder if you’re a descendant of the marauding Vikings known sometimes to rape and pillage far from home and other times to set up settlements and...

Sketch of the markings found on a block of stone on Orkney

21 July, 2017 - 22:52 Theodoros Karasavvas

Neolithic Butterfly-Like Markings Discovered Through A Trick of the Light in Scotland

Archaeologists excavating an archaeological site in Orkney, Scotland, are stunned by the discovery of some Neolithic butterfly-like markings, which were noticed coincidentally only after they were...

1 November, 2016 - 23:48 ancient-origins

Striking Pictish Dragon Carving Discovered During Storms in Orkney

An 8th century carving of a Pictish dragon (also called a Pictish beast) has been discovered on an eroding cliff face in Orkney, Scotland. The stone decoration is one of the most beautiful Pictish...

Ring of Brodgar, a Neolithic stone circle and henge monument, with the Loch of Harray in the background. Detail: Aerial view of the newly-uncovered structure.

25 August, 2016 - 00:49 Natalia Klimczak

5,000-Year-Old Mystery Structure Discovered Near Stone Age Temple in Scotland

A mysterious Stone Age building has been unearthed at the Ness of Brodgar in Orkney, Scotland. Researchers discovered it while excavating a Neolithic midden (rubbish dump.) It is located near one of...

10 June, 2016 - 21:43 Mark Miller

Stone Age Orkney Islanders Dismembered Deceased Relatives and Defleshed their Bones

Millennia ago on the island of Orkney off the north coast of Scotland, prehistoric people removed the flesh from the bones of dead members of their community, chopped up the bodies and buried them...

The steam room included a tank for boiling water and a network of cells. The building will be filled in at the end of the season to preserve it for further excavations next year.

1 October, 2015 - 14:37 Mark Miller

Bronze Age steam room may have been used by select Orkney settlers for rites

A sauna or steam room dating back about 4,000 years has been discovered on an island of Orkney off the northern coast of Scotland. Researchers say the sauna could have been used for cleaning or...

A woman and her partner walking on Sanday Island in the Orkneys came across the skeleton of a child who died about 4,000 years ago.

13 February, 2015 - 00:29 Mark Miller

Storms wash away sand revealing 4,000-year-old child skeleton in Orkney

The 4,000-year-old remains of a child, aged around ten years, exposed on a beach by a storm in the Orkney Islands, Scotland, are prompting archaeologists to ponder how the child died. A hiker, Carrie...

Enormous auroch skeleton at Ness of Brodgar Neolithic site

15 October, 2014 - 22:50 aprilholloway

Enormous auroch skeleton found at Ness of Brodgar Neolithic site

The Ness of Brodgar is a Neolithic site on the Scottish island of Orkney, consisting of the remains of housing, paved walkways, coloured facades, decorated stone slabs, a massive stone wall, and a...

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Myths & Legends

Lilith: Ancient Demon, Dark Deity or Sex Goddess?

Lilith: Ancient Demon, Dark Deity or Sensual Goddess?

In some sources she's described as a demon, in others she is an icon who became one of the darkest deities of the pagans. Lilith is one of the oldest known female spirits of the world. Her roots come...

Revealing the True Nature of Elves: Dangerous Beauties and Diabolical Fiends

Leprechauns: The Little People of Irish Folklore

The Knights of Blanik Mountain Are Ready to Face the Darkest Hour

The Real Story of Medusa: Protective Powers from a Snake-Haired Gorgon

Edgar Cayce, Six-fingered Giants and the Supernatural Creation Gods of Atlantis: Part 1

Human Origins

Asherah: God’s Forgotten Wife

Those raised in the Judeo-Christian tradition may be surprised to learn that the god we were told was singularly sacred once had a wife. How do we know? Asherah figures prominently as the wife of El—...

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

Edgar Cayce, Six-fingered Giants and the Supernatural Creation Gods of Atlantis: Part 1

The origins of human beings according to ancient Sumerian texts

Return of the Ancient Gods: The Resurgence of Paganism

Where are Ashkenazi Jews from? Their Origins May Surprise You

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?

Taking a ‘Knapp’ With Our Ancient Ancestors - Stone Tools Through the Ages

Norimitsu Odachi: Who Could Have Possibly Wielded This Enormous 15th Century Japanese Sword?

The revolutionary invention of the wheel

150,000-Year-Old Pipes Baffle Scientists in China: Out of Place in Time?

Ten amazing inventions from ancient times

Ancient Places

A Forgotten Empire: The Ancient Kingdom of Mitanni

Mitanni was a state that existed between the 16th and 13th centuries BC. This state occupied the land of the Hurrians. This area is located in the upper Tigris-Euphrates basin, and corresponds today...

What Makes Spartan Women So Different From Other Ancients?

Kidd Mine Ontario: The World's Oldest Pool of Water

Bahla Fort: Oman’s Incredible Desert Oasis

The Knights of Blanik Mountain Are Ready to Face the Darkest Hour

Fort Canning Park, The Oasis of Singapore or Haunted Hill?

Opinion

Naupa Iglesia: An Egyptian Portal in the Andes?

Halfway up a near-vertical ravine in the Andes, someone carved an inverted V-shaped entrance into the mountainside. Then they sliced the bedrock with great precision to create a shallow door that...

The Nephilim: Giant Offspring of the Sons of God and the Daughters of Man?

Mount Shasta: Spirits and Danger on a Sacred California Mountain

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?

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.