russia

7 April, 2019 - 18:56 isav

Involuntary Initiation: Tales of Demonic Powers of Sorcery Transmitted to the Unsuspecting

It is said that in certain cases and under certain circumstances an individual can obtain special powers at the mere contact with a sorcerer without any kind of previous initiation. Such ancient...

The Black Book is said to hold all the magical practices in opposition to the divine.

22 March, 2019 - 00:49 isav

The Black Book - Source of Devils Magic that Wizards Wager Their Soul to Obtain

The Black Book is said to hold within its pages all the magical practices which are in opposition to the divine. The idea regarding the existence of such a book is very old and it appears briefly in...

10 March, 2019 - 21:00 Riley Winters

Baba Yaga: The Wicked Witch of Slavic Folklore

As ambiguous as she is hideous, Baba Yaga is an anomaly – both a maternal, mother-nature figure and an evil villain who enjoys eating those who fail to complete her tasks. Though the origins of her...

St. Basil's Cathedral on Red Square, Moscow, Russia.

2 February, 2019 - 13:56 dhwty

The Iconic Saint Basil's Cathedral – So Magnificent the Architects Were Blinded

Saint Basil’s Cathedral is a church located on Moscow’s Red Square and is one of Russia’s most recognizable landmarks. The building of the church was commissioned by Tsar Ivan the Terrible during the...

The Russian board game found in a crypt in Vyborg Castle

8 September, 2018 - 14:03 ashley cowie

Mind Games of the Forgotten Russian Knight

Russian archaeologists exploring deep within a hidden chamber in the crypt of a late 13th century castle made the highly-unusual discovery of a large sandstone inscribed with a series of curious...

Clipety-clop! The Upper Paleolithic foal held by Semyon Grigoryev, head of the Mammoth Museum.

18 August, 2018 - 23:00 ancient-origins

The Foal That Came in From the Cold After 40,000 Years

By The Siberian Times reporter A sensational find has been made of the world’s only completely preserved ancient baby horse, aged just three months when it died in the Palaeolithic period. This is...

12 July, 2018 - 17:00 Bryan Hill

City of the Dead: The Mysterious Village of Dargavs, Russia

Often referred to as the City of the Dead , the village of Dargavs is considered to be one of the more mysterious sites in Russia. Hidden away in one of the five mountain ridges somewhere in the...

4 June, 2018 - 22:01 dhwty

The Eerie Balbal Statues of the Eurasian Steppe

Ancient nomads are virtually invisible in the archaeological record, as they left few traces of their lifestyle behind. Unlike sedentary populations, nomads did not have permanent structures, nor did...

Bronze Corinthian helmet found in 5thcentury BC burial mound in, Taman Peninsula, Russia.

28 May, 2018 - 22:53 Ed Whelan

First Corinthian Helmet North of the Black Sea Has Been Discovered in Russia

The Russian RIA news agency has reported a remarkable find of an ancient Greek Corinthian helmet. The discovery was made in the Taman Peninsula in the southwest of Russia. The helmet was unearthed...

28 May, 2018 - 20:08 dhwty

The Search for the Lost Library of Ivan the Terrible

The thought of a lost library is a tantalizing one, as one can speculate and imagine the kind of knowledge it might provide to the person who finds it. Therefore, it is hardly surprising that there...

Reconstruction of Arkaim archaeological site in Russia.

16 May, 2018 - 18:47 Alicia McDermott

Arkaim: Aryans, Advanced Astronomy and Untold Secrets of a Russian Citadel

Arkaim is a mysterious site located in Russia. Experts believe the citadel, not necessarily the oldest feature of the site, was built between the 17th and 16th century BC. But there are several...

Ket People, Native Peoples of Siberia. Black and White Photo, 1900s

17 April, 2018 - 13:56 dhwty

The Inexplicable Origins of the Ket People of Siberia

The Kets are an indigenous people who live in Siberia and are regarded to be one of the smallest ethnic groups in that region. Their appearance, language and traditional semi-nomadic lifestyle has...

30 March, 2018 - 23:03 dhwty

2,500-Year-Old Carpet is Stunning Reflection of Advanced Culture of the Pazyryk Nomads

The Pazyryk Carpet is the oldest known example of a carpet in existence today. Discovered in a state of almost perfect preservation, it was pulled from a royal tomb in the Pazyryk Valley of Siberia,...

The skeletons and a depiction of what the grave may have originally looked like.

15 February, 2018 - 01:53 ashley cowie

Mammoth Tears of Compassion Sealed A 34,000-Year-Old Children’s Grave

About 34,000 years ago, two physically challenged boys were buried head to head, with tens of thousands of animal bone offerings, according to a Cambridge Journal of Antiquity paper published last...

13 February, 2018 - 13:41 dhwty

The Tragic Fall of Solovetsky Monastery: From Religious Order to Labor Camp

Located on the Solovetsky Islands of Russia’s White Sea, the Solovetsky Monastery is a fortified monastic complex that dates back to the 15 th century. Initially, the monastery was home to a small...

3 February, 2018 - 14:44 dhwty

The Thunder Stone and the Bronze Horseman: The Monolithic Savior of St Petersburg?

The Bronze Horseman is a monument located in the Russian city of Saint Petersburg. This equestrian statue has for its pedestal the Thunder Stone, a monolith claimed to be the largest block of stone...

Pages

Myths & Legends

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

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

The Epic of Gilgamesh is regarded as one of mankind’s greatest literary and historical works. Many authors have studied the text in an effort to explain the nature of Gilgamesh’s tyranny and his erratic behavior.

The Epic of Gilgamesh Unveiled: Enlightenment and Source of Religions

Decoding Viking Signs: Nine Norse Symbols Explained

Skaði, The Norse ‘Giantess’ with a Godly Vendetta

Say the Magic Word: The Origins of Abracadabra

The Menhune of Hawaii – Ancient Race or Fictional Fairytale?

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

Part 1 of this interpretation of the epic told of the birth of Gilgamesh, his tyrannical rule and the creation of a being to rival his power and also become his companion.

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

Unity in Diversity: Studies Reveal Surprising Stories for the Genes of Ancient Hindus and Jews

The origins of human beings according to ancient Sumerian texts

Mysterious Worlds: Travels to the Faerie and Shamanic Realms

Drugs in Ancient Cultures: A History of Drug Use and Effects

Ancient Technology

The passage of carts over decades could cause ruts (like the one shown), particularly in high-traffic areas of Pompeii.

Romans in Pompeii Repaired the Roads with Molten Iron

The buried city of Pompeii continues to provide many insights into Roman society , economy, and culture. The ash and pumice , that fell on Pompeii from Mount Vesuvius , froze the city in time. A...

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

Ancient Journeys: What was Travel Like for the Romans?

Ten amazing inventions from ancient times

The revolutionary invention of the wheel

The Evidence is Cut in Stone: A Compelling Argument for Lost High Technology in Ancient Egypt

Ancient Places

The destruction of the Great Library of Alexandria

Alexandria, one of the greatest cities of the ancient world, was founded by Alexander the Great after his conquest of Egypt in 332 BC. After the death of Alexander in Babylon in 323 BC, Egypt fell to...

Explaining the Fall of the Great Akkadian Empire

The Ain Dara Temple and the giant footsteps of the Gods

The 9,000-year-old underground megalithic settlement of Atlit Yam

The Great Serpent Mound of Ohio, the Largest Earthen Effigy in the World

The Construction of Venice, the Floating City

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.

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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.