Scandinavia

30 September, 2017 - 18:51 ancient-origins

Why Is This the Only Existing Viking Age Helmet?

By THORNEWS In 1943, extraordinarily rich finds from the Viking Age were made in Haugsbygd in Ringerike, Eastern Norway. The finds included – among many other objects – the only helmet dating back to...

Example of Roman coins from a hoard at Llanvaches, Monmouthshire, Wales in 2006. Roman coins have been found in a few locations across Scandinavia as well.

22 August, 2017 - 01:56 Riley Winters

Making Money Divine: Roman Imperial Coins had a Unique Value in Scandinavian Cultures

"My fleet sailed from the mouth of the Rhine eastward as far as the lands of the Cimbri to which, up to that time, no Roman had ever penetrated either by land or by sea, and the Cimbri and Charydes...

‘Light and Structure’ - Reconstruction of Viking Longhouse: Central Jutland, Denmark.

26 April, 2017 - 14:01 Theodoros Karasavvas

Why Would You Cremate and Bury Your Home? A Bizarre Viking Ritual Explained

The Vikings had a very bizarre tradition that might be totally unique: they buried their own homes. From the Bronze Age until the Viking Age, historians have noted that burial mounds were placed on...

23 January, 2017 - 01:56 Caleb Strom

Kivik Kungagraven: A Tomb Fit for a King

In 1748, two farmers stumbled upon an ancient stone tomb near the village of Kivik in southern Sweden while digging in a quarry. The tomb, now known as Kivik Kungagraven (‘King’s Grave of Kivik’),...

19 January, 2017 - 21:50 ancient-origins

Archaeologists are Ecstatic that a Major Viking Age Manor is Finally Found in Sweden

For centuries it has been speculated where the manor of the royal bailiff of Birka, Herigar, might have been located. New geophysical results provide evidence of its location at Korshamn, outside the...

31 December, 2016 - 14:50 ancient-origins

Top 10 Archaeological Discoveries of 2016: From Lost Cities to Ancient Tombs, Shrines, Maps and Unknown Species

This year has provided an array of exciting, and sometimes puzzling, discoveries for archaeologists and ancient history enthusiasts. Looking back to our most ancient ancestors, a few of the...

Two Viking-era brooches found in the grave with the Woman in Blue.

19 April, 2016 - 21:53 Natalia Klimczak

Was the Woman in Blue One of the First Settlers of Iceland?

A recent analysis of the remains of a woman who lived in the Viking era sheds light on the earliest settlers of Iceland. Her short life hadn't been recorded by any written resource, but her bones...

The mummified remains of the 17th-century bishop, Peder Winstrup.

11 December, 2015 - 14:50 aprilholloway

17th Century Mummified Bishop Found with Fetus in his Coffin to be Reinterred

The mummified remains of a 17 th century bishop will be laid to rest once again at Lund Cathedral, Sweden, following 15 months of scientific study on his remains. The bishop caused a stir earlier...

19 October, 2015 - 00:41 Mark Miller

From Olafir Thick-Legged to Ragnar Fur-Pants, Viking nicknames were colorful, descriptive and fascinating

An American scholar did both his master’s thesis and his doctoral dissertation on old Norse nicknames as recorded in medieval literature to reveal a world of people with monikers like Wise of Dreams...

Leif Ericson discovers Vinland, by Christian Krohg.

30 July, 2015 - 00:36 Mark Miller

Not just about the booty: New study sheds light on reasons for Viking raids

The lure of the [Viking] raid was… more than booty; it was about winning and preserving power through the enchantment of travel and the doing of deeds. Thus states a new paper by an archaeologists...

23 June, 2015 - 01:02 aprilholloway

What is a fetus doing inside the coffin of a 17th century mummified bishop?

Researchers at Lund University hospital were in for a surprise when they conducted a CT scan of a mummified Scandinavian bishop, and spotted the remains of a tiny fetus tucked under the bishop’s feet...

A man with leprosy rings a bell to warn of his approach.

16 May, 2015 - 03:21 lizleafloor

1500-Year-Old Skeleton of Scandinavian Man Might Be Patient Zero in Spread of Leprosy to Britain

The fear and stigma attached to the terrible disease of leprosy has endured for millennia. Answers have long been sought regarding this mysterious ancient ailment, and now archaeologists have...

2 May, 2015 - 14:23 lizleafloor

800-year-old message carved into Rune Stick Shows Ancient Code still used in Middle Ages

An 800-year-old enigmatic message has been found inscribed on a small wooden stick which was dug out of the ground in Odense, Denmark. The delicate stick is marked with 13 th century runic...

24 April, 2015 - 22:24 Mark Miller

Discovery of Reindeer Antlers in Denmark may Rewrite Start of Viking Age

A team of scholars says their new research is rewriting when and where the Viking age began. The official date for the start of Viking voyages was a 793 AD raid in England. But researchers say people...

Manuscript of the Prose Edda - Norse Mythology

31 March, 2015 - 03:53 Riley Winters

The Saga of Norna-Gest: Does Man Control His Destiny?

The tale of Norna-Gest goes down in literary record as a tale of destiny and a character’s attempt to fight it. Not one of the titular Icelandic sagas, Norna-Gest’s story was recorded around the year...

Seljuk ring discovered in Viking-era grave

16 March, 2015 - 19:32 Mark Miller

Ring discovered in Viking-era grave has Arabic inscription

A silver ring from a Viking-era grave in Birka, Sweden, has a distinctive history: it is the first ring with Arabic inscription from that era found in Scandinavia. The ring, which has an inscription...

Pages

Myths & Legends

The Dogon’s Extraordinary Knowledge of the Cosmos and the Cult of Nommo

France, 1920: Marcel Griaule is a young man who is very well-established in his studies, especially in mathematics. He has recently served as a volunteer in the French Air Force and aspires to attend the prestigious Lycée Louis le Grande.

Has the King Arthur Gene Been Traced?

The Dark Reputation of the Dunmore Cave of Ireland

Legendary Black Knights: Mysterious Medieval Entities of Neutrality

Baba Yaga: The Wicked Witch of Slavic Folklore

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

Human Origins

The Faces of Ancient Hominids Brought to Life in Remarkable Detail

Several years ago, a team of scientists from the Senckenberg Research Institute in Frankfurt, Germany, set out to put a human face to ancient hominid species that once walked the Earth.

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

The Controversial Lapedo Child – A Neanderthal / Human Hybrid?

The origins of human beings according to ancient Sumerian texts

The Mythological Maori Origin Stories of New Zealand

The ‘Dynastic Race’ and the Biblical ‘Japheth’ – Part I: After the Deluge

Ancient Technology

The Man Who Stopped a Desert Using Ancient Farming

Desertification is a serious problem facing numerous countries in the world today. Various measures have been taken to counter the negative effects, with some providing better results than others. A farmer in Burkina Faso looked to his ancestors and came up with an innovative solution.

Catapult: The Long-Reaching History of a Prominent Medieval Siege Engine

Han Purple: A 2,800-year-old artificial pigment that quantum physicists are trying to understand

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

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

Secrets Behind the Creepy Plague Doctor Mask and Costume

Ancient Places

Tollund Man – the preserved face from Prehistoric Denmark and the tale of ritual sacrifice

Tollund Man is the naturally mummified body of a man who lived during the 4th century BC, during the period characterised in Scandinavia as the Pre-Roman Iron Age. He was hanged as a sacrifice to the...

Varna Man and the Wealthiest Grave of the 5th Millennium BC

Kidd Mine Ontario: The World's Oldest Pool of Water

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

Ten incredible underwater discoveries that have captured our imagination

Was There An Explosion In The Great Pyramid In Antiquity?

Opinion

Unearthing Ancient Magic in The Runes –Messages with Hidden Symbols and Powerful Numbers

The etymology of the word “rune” means: “to carve, or to cut.” In Low German the word is “raunen.” As the runes were cut and carved into wood, metal or stone, the word “rune” was analogous to the rune letters themselves.

Petroglyphic Features of Portable Rock Art

The Northern Mysteries Current: Futhark and Mystery Schools of the Viking Age

Was There Ever a Trojan War?

Floki and the Viking Discovery of Iceland

Messiah on Temple Mount: Are We Nearing the End of Time?

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.