Preseli hills

Excavation of two quarries in Wales by a UCL-led team of archaeologists and geologists has confirmed they are sources of Stonehenge's 'bluestones'– and shed light on how they were quarried and transported.

20 February, 2019 - 01:52 ancient-origins

The Where, When and How of Quarrying Stonehenge 'Bluestones' Is Revealed in New Report

Geologists have long known that 42 of Stonehenge's smaller stones, known as 'bluestones', came from the Preseli hills in Pembrokeshire, west Wales. Now a new study published in Antiquity pinpoints...

The famous Stonehenge monument in Wiltshire, England.

7 December, 2015 - 03:36 aprilholloway

Startling New Evidence Suggests Stonehenge was First Built in Wales then Transported and Reconstructed 500 Years Later in England

Archaeologists have found the exact holes in a rocky outcrop in Wales from where the bluestones found at Stonehenge originated, revealing that they were quarried 500 years before they were assembled...

Myths & Legends

Quetzalcoatl, detail. Source: Manzanedo/Deviant Art

The Real Story of the ‘Bearded God’ Named Quetzalcoatl

Many myths have cropped up in the centuries since Columbus landed upon the shores of Hispaniola. While some of these myths have come to be seen for what they are, many more persist in the zeitgeist as fact.

Archaeologists May Have Discovered the Birthplace of King Arthur: Legends Come to Life?

The Myth of Sisyphus: Lessons in Absurdity

Batman Existed in Mesoamerican Mythology and His Name Was Camazotz

The Cult of Horus: Myths That Stretch From Egypt To Rome

The Sumerian King List still puzzles historians after more than a century of research

Human Origins

A modern human, left, and Neanderthal woman, right.

Research Confirms that Neanderthal DNA Makes Up About 20% of the Modern Human Genome

Though it was disputed for many years, there is conclusive evidence that Neanderthals bred with modern humans (Homo sapiens). The first complete mapping of a Neanderthal genome took place about five years ago - supporting the human-Neanderthal hook-up and also showing that Neanderthal DNA in humans is a thing.

The Theory of ‘Three Human Species’

The Inexplicable Origins of the Ket People of Siberia

Where are Ashkenazi Jews from? Their Origins May Surprise You

We think we're the first advanced earthlings - but how do we really know?

The origins of human beings according to ancient Sumerian texts

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?

The Indian Sage who developed Atomic Theory 2,600 years ago

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

The revolutionary invention of the wheel

They’re Alive! Megalithic Sites Are More than Just Stone

Ten amazing inventions from ancient times

Ancient Places

Has the Function of the Great Pyramid of Giza Finally Come to Light?

About 150 years after the establishment of Egyptology as an academic field, there still appears to be no agreement between scholars on the function of the Great Pyramid of Giza. Yet several different...

Archaeologists May Have Discovered the Birthplace of King Arthur: Legends Come to Life?

Enigmatic Carvings on Underwater Ruins in China Mystify Investigators

The Haunted Ruins of Khara Khoto, The Black City of Mongolia

The Lost City of Thinis, First Capital of a United Egypt

The Casa do Penedo: A Portuguese Flintstones House

Opinion

3 Problems to Remember When Trying to Find Atlantis

It is perhaps the greatest unsolved mystery of all time: Did the lost city of Atlantis actually exist? And if it did once exist, where was it located before its watery demise? Fortunately, the...

Naupa Iglesia: An Egyptian Portal in the Andes?

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

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.

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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.