priestess

A rich Moche grave with elaborate copper artifacts and several ceramic vessels.

15 February, 2019 - 18:50 ashley cowie

Making Copper Look Like Gold: 1,400-Year-Old Moche Graves Reveal Rich Artifacts of Ancient Elite

A team of archaeologists digging at the Ucupe archaeological site in the north-western Peruvian region of Lambayeque have discovered Moche civilization graves dating back 1,400 years. The Moche...

The highly-decorated tomb is built in a distinctive ‘L’ shape

5 February, 2018 - 18:32 ashley cowie

Priestess’ Tomb Discovered in Egypt, Protected by her Soul Feeding Monkey

A mysterious ancient tomb with “unusual and rare” wall paintings has been discovered in Egypt. Antiquities Minister Khaled al-Enany told BBC reporters the discovery of a 4,400-year-old tomb found...

‘Ariadne in Naxos’ (1877) by Evelyn De Morgan.

9 January, 2018 - 18:52 Riley Winters

The Descent of Ariadne: Minoan Queen of the Dead to Mistress of the Labyrinth?

"Mistress of the Labyrinth", "the Great Goddess", "The Potnia ." These three terms have long been used, somewhat interchangeably, to describe the original forms of Ariadne, a Cretan princess who has...

Detail of a tomb painting depicting Meretites and Kahai – an ancient Egyptian couple who lived 4,400 years ago.

2 November, 2017 - 01:02 aprilholloway

The Priestess and the Singer: Locked in a Lasting Egyptian Love Story

A beautiful love story bloomed around a tomb painting found in Saqqara, Egypt. The image shows an ancient Egyptian couple in a tender scene. While sweet, this type of image isn’t a common one - so...

Orant, Catacomb of Priscilla. It has been argued that these catacombs provide evidence for women having a stronger role in early Christianity, perhaps even in the priesthood.

10 May, 2017 - 14:03 Kerry Sullivan

No Girls Allowed? Debate for Women in the Christian Priesthood Rages On

In many countries, laws prohibit employers from discriminating based on sex. However, exemptions to this law are often made for religious orders. The Roman Catholic Church is adamant that women...

26 December, 2016 - 21:53 Kerry Sullivan

Enheduanna: A High Priestess of the Moon and the First Known Author in the World

The ancient Sumerian poet Enheduanna has a unique claim to fame: she was the first author in the world known by name. While there were previous instances of poems and stories written down, Enheduanna...

29 September, 2016 - 01:58 MartiniF

Lost in Translation? Understandings and Misunderstandings about the Ancient Practice of “Sacred Prostitution”

In the modern world, the mere mention of “Sacred Prostitution” may receive raised eyebrows or disgusted grimaces. Evidently, this was also the case for the ancients as many ancient authors describe...

10 September, 2016 - 00:37 Natalia Klimczak

Unveiling the Hittite Hasawa – A Forgotten Priestess, Healer, and Oracle

The term hasawa means ‘ she of birth' , and might have originally been used to refer to midwives. But hasawa is also a name applied to old, wise women. According to the few resources which described...

24 August, 2016 - 21:43 Riley Winters

Eighth Priestess and Precious Grave Goods Unearthed in Famous San Jose de Moro Tomb

The remains of a Moche priestess have been unearthed at the famous tomb site of San Jose de Moro in Northwestern Peru. She is the fifth Moche priestess to be found at the site (an additional three...

Photograph of part of the archaeological complex in Vichama, Peru.

20 August, 2016 - 14:48 Marilo

New Archaeological Findings Reaffirm the Important Role of Women 4,000 Years Ago in Peru

Peruvian legends speak of a lonely and hungry woman who unleashed her fury against the sun. The star was moved by her situation, and ‘fertilized’ her with its rays. Four days later, the woman gave...

Detail of a mural depicting a Moche priestess. Reconstruction of a Moche priestess.

7 August, 2016 - 00:46 Riley Winters

Performance and Power: Moche Priestesses Uncovered

Despite being an agricultural society of ceremonial performance, bold works of art, and innovative irrigation processes, the Moche (100-800AD) are best remembered as one of many Pre-Columbian...

This royal tomb, the eighth discovered in 25 years, is believed to have belonged to a Moche priestess buried 1,200 years ago. The great quantity of artifacts and the complexity of the burial reveal the power and influence this woman wielded in life.

20 July, 2016 - 14:40 ancient-origins

Where Women Once Ruled: Excavated Tombs of Moche Priestesses Provide Archaeologists with Troves of Artifacts

When archaeologists unearthed a large chamber tomb in San José de Moro, a ceremonial center of pre-Columbian Moche civilization on the northern coast of Peru, they found the remains of a woman who...

25 June, 2016 - 00:46 Natalia Klimczak

Omm Sety – A British Woman Whose Life Was Lined by Reincarnation and Connected to a Pharaoh

When Dorothy Eady arrived to Egypt for the first time, it was obvious to her that she had been there before. But her last visit near the Nile may have taken place thousands of years earlier. Dorothy...

Gold earrings, two knives, a collection of shells, and ceramic containers were uncovered from a flooded Lambayeque tomb.

2 July, 2015 - 21:59 aprilholloway

DNA tests to unravel mystery of Peruvian priestess and burial companions

About 800 years ago, a high status Peruvian woman was buried with seven people and a llama. Some theorize that her burial companions were her relatives, while others maintain they were servants. Now...

23 December, 2014 - 22:07 Katrina Sisowath

The Serpent Priestesses and Ancient Sexual Rites

Women robed in scarlet sheaths, conducting rituals associated with serpents away from prying eyes, serving Innana, the Goddess of Love, Fertility and War. The color of their clothes was symbolic of...

9 August, 2014 - 13:37 aprilholloway

The 4,000-Year-Old Sumerian Love Poem and the Sacred Ritual of Marriage

'Bridegroom, dear to my heart; goodly is your beauty, honeysweet; lion, dear to my heart'. These are the passionate words of a lover to a king, from more than 4,000 years ago, in the oldest known...

Pages

Myths & Legends

The Epic of Gilgamesh. Source: Luca Oleastri / Adobe.

The Epic of Gilgamesh Unveiled: Searching For a Way to the Home Planet

In contrast to many theorists, this unconventional retelling of key parts of the Epic explores the idea that Gilgamesh was not searching for life eternal on Earth, as has been suggested as the theme of the Epic, but was instead searching for the means of transport to return to his goddess mother Ninsun’s home planet in the heavens.

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

The Epic of Gilgamesh Unveiled: Enlightenment and Source of Religions

The Menhune of Hawaii – Ancient Race or Fictional Fairytale?

Say the Magic Word: The Origins of Abracadabra

The Disturbing True Story of the Pied Piper of Hamelin

Human Origins

Work using the Statue of Gilgamesh and Lamassu. Source: CC BY 4.0

The Epic of Gilgamesh Unveiled: Enlightenment and Source of Religions

This retelling of key parts of the Epic explores the unconventional idea that Gilgamesh was not searching for life eternal on Earth, as has been suggested as the theme of the Epic, but was instead searching for the means of transport to return to his goddess mother Ninsun’s home planet in the heavens. Taking poetic licence, the author merges some ideas from modern science and technology with the story from the ancient text.

The origins of human beings according to ancient Sumerian texts

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

Pharaoh Akhenaten: An Alternative View of the Heretic King

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

Are the Distinctive Kalash People of Pakistan Really Descendants of Alexander the Great’s Army?

Ancient Technology

An ancient Roman road at Leptis Magna, Libya

Ancient Journeys: What was Travel Like for the Romans?

It was not uncommon for the ancient Romans to travel long distances all across Europe. Actually during the Roman Empire, Rome had an incredible road network which extended from northern England all...

Mummy Brown – the 16th century paint made from ground up mummies

Why Are There 365 Days in a Year? Organizing Dates with an Ancient Egyptian Calendar

Romans Had Ancient Tech for Creating Seismic Invisibility Cloak Around Monuments

The incredible earthquake detector invented nearly 2,000 years ago

Romans in Pompeii Repaired the Roads with Molten Iron

Ancient Places

Royal Palace at Ebla. Source: CC BY-SA 3.0

First Kingdoms: The Forgotten Mesopotamian Kingdom of Ebla

Spectacular things were happening in Mesopotamia in the period we call the Early Bronze Age, particularly in the southern part of it, commonly called Babylonia.

Sumer: Where Written Language, Arithmetic and Civilization Were Born

The Great Ziggurat of Ur

Homer’s Iliad Casts Doubt on the Aegean Location of Troy

A Monumental Cover Up? Why did Gobekli Tepe End Up in the Dirt?

The Mysterious Dolmens of the Caucasus

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.