rock art

8 July, 2019 - 01:51 Ed Whelan

Hato Caves –Shelter of the Rebellious Slaves of Curaçao

Caves and cave systems have an enduring fascination for us and are to be found all over the world. While some still remain undiscovered or closely guarded secrets, many are open to the public and...

1000s of animal petroglyphs found in Egypt

14 May, 2019 - 22:57 Ed Whelan

1000s of Neolithic Engravings Reveal Egyptians' Ancient Reverence For Animals

The Ancient Egyptians had a remarkable relationship with the animals, who they respected and revered. An astonishing discovery in the deserts of north-eastern Egypt is illustrating that this likely...

A saber-toothed cat stands atop a boulder on a grassy plain. Credit: Daniel / Adobe Stock

8 May, 2019 - 23:00 ancient-origins

Of Bunyips and Other Beasts: Evidence of Extinct Megafauna Displayed in Art and Stories

On many continents during the last ice age , typically from about 50,000 to 12,000 years ago, species of megafauna that had lived there for hundreds of thousands of years became extinct...

Digital tracing of Bison featured in rock art.

11 April, 2019 - 18:55 ancient-origins

Archaeologists Identify First Prehistoric Figurative Cave Art in Balkans - It’s Symbolic!

There was an explosion of symbolism in human culture during the Paleolithic period. Around the world, examples of cave art, some of it rather strange , began cropping up over 35,000 years ago. But...

11 April, 2019 - 13:57 Ed Whelan

Namibia’s Apollo 11 Cave – How We Gained Insight Into The Minds Of Our Ancestors

Despite its name, the Apollo 11 cave in Namibia has nothing to do with space exploration. It’s the location of prehistoric art, some of the earliest examples of art in human history, and it has...

A Sámi family in front of goahti and lavvu housing, early 1900s, Norway

4 April, 2019 - 02:05 Alicia McDermott

The Sami People: Reindeer Herding and Cultural Survival in the Far North

The Sámi are the northernmost indigenous people of Europe. For thousands of years they have lived in an area called Sápmi - the northern sectors of Norway, Sweden, Finland, and the Kola Peninsula...

Image of the findings with a tracing of the engraved figures on the piece.

13 March, 2019 - 13:20 ancient-origins

Archaeologists in Spain Unearth Rare Paleolithic Art Featuring Bird and Human Interaction

Science Daily It is not very common to find representations of scenes instead of individual figures in Paleolithic art, but it is even harder for these figures to be birds instead of mammals such as...

22 February, 2019 - 01:50 Ed Whelan

Trance Rock Art of Nsangwini - Communing With the Spirits

The San, often known as Bushmen or Khoisan, are people with an ancient culture and they have been living in Southern Africa for millennia. In Swaziland, officially known as the Kingdom of Eswatini,...

17 February, 2019 - 01:59 Ed Whelan

Chongoni Rock Art Offers Fascinating Insight into Mysterious Secret Society of the Chewa

Civilizations who have left no written records have in some cases left us with a way to understand their history and culture. The Chongoni Rock Art area, which contains a number of locations, is a...

14 February, 2019 - 02:11 Ed Whelan

Sacred Powers Fade Along With the Rock Art of the San People at Ha Baroana

As the world is getting smaller, thanks to technology and air travel, many previously mysterious, historic sites have become better known and it’s possible for ordinary tourists to visit these...

1 February, 2019 - 01:49 Ed Whelan

The Isolated Ennedi Geological Formations Are Rarely visited But Never Forgotten

In some of the most desolate areas on earth there are astonishing natural features and geological wonders. The Ennedi geological features in the African country of Chad are a prime example. These are...

19 January, 2019 - 01:52 Ed Whelan

Abourma Rock Art Displayed In Djibouti’s Most Inhospitable Landscape

Rock art has greatly enhanced our knowledge of our prehistoric ancestors and the Abourma site, in the African state of Djibouti, is enhancing our understanding further. These carvings which are set...

20 December, 2018 - 01:55 Ed Whelan

Gadao’s Cave, Guam: The Rock Art, The Chief, The Legends

There are many unique cultures with long, fascinating histories in the Pacific Islands and the small island of Guam is a prime example. One of the most renowned sites in the island is Gadao’s cave...

The ‘Older’ serpent head figurine. This artifact provides new insight on Ukraine rock art and snakes in ancient Ukrainian culture.

15 December, 2018 - 14:10 ashley cowie

Sculptured Serpents Provide a Peek at Mysterious Ukrainian Rock Art and a Forgotten Stone Age Snake Culture

Two curiously shaped ‘ophidian sculptured stones’ discovered in what is now Ukraine were crafted by Stone Age sculptors. The artifacts resemble ‘beady-eyed’ serpent heads, according to the team of...

25 November, 2018 - 23:00 Ed Whelan

The Glösa Rock Art in Sweden Provides a Peek Into the Lives of Stone Age Hunters

One of the most interesting and enjoyable historic sites in the Scandinavian country of Sweden is Glösa. This is an area with remarkable prehistoric petroglyphs, excavated hunting pits, and a center...

8 October, 2018 - 22:50 Michelle Freson

Petroglyphs Provincial Park: Home to Canada’s Greatest Collection of Rock Carvings

In Petroglyphs Provincial Park, Vancouver Island, Canada, rock art is generally divided into two categories. Pictographs are painted onto rocks using a variety of natural colors such as red, brown,...

Pages

Myths & Legends

Camazotz Maya style Batman suit created by Mexican designer Kimbal

Batman Existed in Mesoamerican Mythology and His Name Was Camazotz

As social media is abuzz with who might be cast in the next Batman movie, with concerns that some of the candidates might not be menacing enough to fill those big black boots, it might be time to...

Ancient Race of White Giants Described in Native Legends From Many Tribes

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

Hopi Prophecy and the End of the Fourth World—Part 2

The Powerful Symbol of the Swastika and its 12,000 Year History

Ukko, The Mighty Finnish God of Thunder and Lightening

Human Origins

Detail of ‘Ashkenazi Jews praying in the Synagogue on Yom Kippur. (1878 painting by Maurycy Gottlieb)

Where are Ashkenazi Jews from? Their Origins May Surprise You

Ashkenazi Jews are a Jewish ethnic group who have their earliest ancestors from the indigenous tribes of Israel…at least on one side of the family tree. A study published in 2013 in Nature Communications has shown their maternal lineage comes from a different, and possibly unexpected, source.

Nine Parts of the Human Soul According to the Ancient Egyptians

World’s First Human-Monkey Hybrid Created In China

The origins of human beings according to ancient Sumerian texts

The Secret Life of an Ancient Concubine

How the Universe Came to Be: The Bible and Science Finally in Accord?

Ancient Technology

Several of the ancient pigments were deadly. Photo source: Ezume Images / Adobe Stock.

Poisonous Pigments: History’s Deadliest Colors

Throughout history, ancient civilizations have been using all kinds of ingenious ways to create pigments for the coloring of clothing, objects and even buildings.

Ancient Chinese Earthquake Detector Invented 2,000 Years Ago Really Worked!

Ten amazing inventions from ancient times

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

6 Advanced Ancient Inventions Beyond Modern Understanding

The revolutionary invention of the wheel

Ancient Places

The residents of San Miguel De Gualdape were overcome with sickness in the swampy environment. (NPS / Public Domain)

To the Shores of Distant Death: The Failed Colony of San Miguel De Gualdape

The year is 1526. Onto the wild and wooded lands of what is today Georgia in the United States, European feet had never permanently walked.

The Livingstone – Stanley Monument and The Famous Tale of Two Explorers in Africa

Ancient Continent Discovered Hiding Beneath Europe

Why Isn’t This Map in the History Books?

Piri Reis Map - How Could a 16th Century Map Show Antarctica Without Ice?

The White Slaves of Barbary

Opinion

Mount Shasta: Spirits and Danger on a Sacred California Mountain

Mount Shasta, located near the Oregon border in northern California, holds the distinction of being one of the world’s preeminent sacred mountains. It is recognized as an eligible Native American...

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?

Cracking the Code to Discover Ancient Tarot Symbolism and Forgotten Universal Knowledge

The Secret Strategic Plans of Darius the Great

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.