samurai

A 300 years old scroll bearing a ninjas oath has been discovered in Japan.

3 December, 2018 - 18:59 ashley cowie

300-Year-Old Ninja Master’s Oath Alludes To The Secrets Of The Masked Deadly Assassins

Historical researchers in Japan have uncovered a rare, three centuries-old, ‘Ninja Oath’ in which one of the famed ancient warriors pledged “never to divulge the secrets” of spying, sabotage and the...

Japanese samurai warrior (brunogm / Fotolia)

30 October, 2018 - 22:02 Samurai Swords Store

Medieval Japanese Weapons Influenced Culture Long After the Middle Ages

Weapons are important instruments and are essential during wars. This was especially true regarding Japanese weapons used during the Medieval period. The wars that were fought, won, and lost impacted...

Antique Japanese daishō, the traditional pairing of two Japanese weapons which were the symbol of the samurai, showing the traditional Japanese sword cases (koshirae) and the difference in size between the katana (bottom) and the smaller wakizashi (top).

21 September, 2018 - 02:02 Samurai Swords Store

Unknown Weapons of the Samurai: The Forgotten Warrior Arsenal from Feudal Japan

The Katana sword was considered as the Samurai soul. That is why some people treat Samurai and katana as synonymous words. It is true that a Samurai and his sword is inseparable, but believe it or...

Detail of ‘The warriors Kumagai Naozane and Taira no Atsumori.’ One of the warriors is brandishing a Japanese war fan called a Tessen.

8 September, 2018 - 22:59 Samurai Swords Store

Sensu and Tessen in Combat: A Japanese Fan Became a Deadly Weapon In the Right Hands

In Ancient Japan, the Samurai utilized a wide range of weaponry other than swords, bows, and spears. These weapons were used in places where swords were not allowed to be carried, for self-defense...

28 January, 2018 - 18:55 ashley cowie

Ancient Psycho Secrets of Ninja Assassins

Ninjas or shinobi ("to sneak”) have become kings of popular culture and their acrobatic trained-killer antics have been featured in hundreds of movies and television series. These deadly mercenary...

A Japanese samurai sword with Chinese script that reads "killed 107 people during the war in Nanjing, (China)" was used on Aug 18 by an attacker that slashed a military police guard at the Taiwan Presidential Palace.

19 August, 2017 - 19:01 aprilholloway

Man Steals Samurai Sword From History Museum and Launches Attack Outside Taiwan Presidential Office

A Taiwanese man stole an antique samurai sword inscribed with the words “Nanjing battle, (this sword) killed 107 people” and used it to try to break into the Presidential Office, injuring a military...

Yamamoto Kansuke, named as author in the Sword Scroll text

28 June, 2017 - 02:04 Mark Miller

Samurai Secrets Revealed: English Translation of the 500-year-old ‘Sword Scroll’ Provides Fighting Tactics Including ‘Egg Them’

A medieval samurai text recently translated into English gives many practical tips on fighting an enemy and advises all warriors to be ‘pure of heart and in balance in their spirit’. Although...

Elaborate Ceremonial Samurai Helmet. The helmet was one of the most important parts of a Samurai’s armor.

21 April, 2017 - 18:58 Kerry Sullivan

The Brutality and Delicacy of Samurai Armor: Superior Protection with a God-like Aesthetic

The Samurai class was officially dissolved over 150 years ago. Nonetheless, the warriors’ elaborate armor is still recognized globally as an iconic emblem of Japanese military strength and virtue...

Japanese parade helmet, made from iron, gilded copper, lacquered leather, silk

3 April, 2017 - 18:57 dhwty

More Than Metal: Amazing Historical Suits of Armor

Armor was commonly used by warriors for protection during combat. In the history of warfare, various types of armor have been used. Some of these, such as the lorica segmentata of the Roman...

16 February, 2017 - 18:53 Caleb Strom

The Amazing Story of Yasuke: The Forgotten African Samurai

Samurai are among the most enduring symbols of Japanese cultural heritage, thus unsurprisingly, most samurai were Japanese. There are, however, examples of non-Japanese who became samurai as well...

29 November, 2016 - 02:25 MartiniF

Art of War: Onna Bugeisha of Japan and the Ancient Female Warrior Culture

The idea since ancient times that it was men solely who were engaged in war is so common that it has become somewhat of a cliché. The vision of heavily armed men has become so associated with the art...

24 May, 2016 - 00:43 Natalia Klimczak

Sword Guards Confirm Samurai Warriors Secretly followed Christianity

At least 48 sword guards used by samurai warriors during the feudal era belonged to hidden Christians. The artifacts are related to the early history of 16 th and 17 th century Japan, which saw the...

4 May, 2016 - 14:52 MartiniF

The Honorable Death: Samurai and Suicide in Feudal Japan

While martial suicide is a practice found in a lot of cultures, the act of seppuku , or ritual self-disembowelment, is peculiar to Japan. The earliest known acts of seppuku were the deaths of samurai...

Utagawa Kuniyoshi painted Honjō Shigenaga parrying an exploding shell.

1 May, 2016 - 14:58 dhwty

Searching for the Honjo Masamune, Lost Samurai Sword of Power

The Honjo Masamune is a sword that was forged by the renowned Japanese swordsmith, Goro Nyudo Masamune. This sword is one of the most famous swords in Japanese history, and at one point of time, even...

29 April, 2015 - 15:05 dhwty

Tomoe Gozen - A fearsome Japanese Female Warrior of the 12th Century

In most societies of the past, it was the men who were usually engaged in the bloody business of war. Nevertheless, there are also historical records of women who managed to make a name for...

17 March, 2015 - 13:32 dhwty

47 Ronin: The Samurai Warriors that Sought to Avenge the Death of their Master

The Japanese samurai are arguably among the greatest warriors known in history. Their code of conduct was romanticized and popularized at the end of the 19 th century in Bushido: The Soul of Japan, a...

Pages

Myths & Legends

Women shaman of Ireland in trance - magic rotates the leaves.

Ancient Women Shaman of Ireland: Goddesses of Prophecy and Omens

The Celtic scholar Nora Chadwick notes that in Irish mythology the prophetess Fedelm tells Queen Medb that she has been in the land of Alba learning the art of the Filidect. Medb asks if she has...

The symbol of the Swastika and its 12,000-year-old history

Lovelock Cave: A Tale of Giants or A Giant Tale of Fiction?

The Ancient Pagan Origins of Easter

Ancient Symbolism of the Magical Phoenix

Legends of the Selkies, Hidden Gems of Sea Mythology

Human Origins

Silhouettes (Public Domain) in front of blood cells (Public Domain) and a gene.

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

Most people who have the Rh blood type are Rh-positive. There are also instances, however, where people are Rh-Negative. Health problems may occur for the unborn child of a mother with Rh-Negative blood when the baby is Rh-Positive.

The origins of human beings according to ancient Sumerian texts

The human skull that challenges the Out of Africa theory

Where are Ashkenazi Jews from? Their Origins May Surprise You

Facing the Facts: Just How Accurate Are Facial Reconstructions?

Dating methods in Archaeology. Are they accurate?

Ancient Technology

Stone of the Pregnant Woman, an example of ancient high-tech stonework in Hajar al Hibla at Baalbek in Lebanon.

The High-Tech Stonework of the Ancients: Unsolved Mysteries of Master Engineers

There are many stone artifacts from the ancient world made from the hardest stone on the planet such as granite and diorite, which have been cut and shaped with such quality, precision and accuracy that the standard explanations of their manufacture are simply inadequate.

Both a Princess and a Priestess, What Did the First Known Author Have to Share with the World?

The revolutionary invention of the wheel

Medieval Hygiene Might Have Been Better Than You Think

The Lost Knowledge of the Ancients: Were Humans the First? Part 1

Ancient Journeys: What was Travel Like for the Romans?

Ancient Places

Throne Hall of Dongola: Hidden Christian Beginnings Revealed in the Walls of the Oldest Preserved Mosque in Sudan

Relatively little is known of Sudan beyond the borders of Africa even though it is a country which has been home to significant civilizations and has many fascinating archaeological sites.

Were the Women of Petra More Important Than the Men?

Unique artifacts shed light on daily life in 5,000-year-old city of Caral

The Construction of Venice, the Floating City

Khajuraho: The Sexiest Temples in India

Trance Rock Art of Nsangwini - Communing With the Spirits

Opinion

The astronomical ceiling at the Pronaos, Detail of the first Band west from the center. From left to right: two wind creatures (the winged ram with four heads personifies the south wind), the snake- and frog-headed eight goddesses and gods of the Ogdoad who ruled the cosmos before the creation of the world and Osiris seated on a throne sails across the sky as personification of the full moon accompanied by the seated goddesses Nephtys (left) and Isis on the right (Maat stands near the bow of the ship). Siri

Changing Colors and Scampering Across the Night Sky: What Did the Ancients Say about Sirius?

In Egypt, Sirius was the Star of Isis, Isis being the companion and rescuer of the god Osiris. In a very deep way, Osiris was Egypt.

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

Alchemy and Generating Lifeforce —Global Temples Made in the Shape of Lingams: Shaivite Bull Cult Part II

From Green Man to Bull Son, The Universal Shaivite Bull Cult – Part I

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.