soldier

Reconstruction of what the Roman dagger would have looked like with the belt. Source: LWL-Römermuseum Haltern am See / Facebook.

20 February, 2020 - 14:02 Ed Whelan

Rare Roman Soldier’s Dagger Restored To Its Former Glory

In Germany, a remarkable Roman silver dagger has been unearthed by a young student. The find has been painstakingly restored and is once again in pristine condition. The silver dagger is believed to...

Fort Shirley Source: Gail Johnson/ Adobe Stock

16 July, 2019 - 01:48 Ed Whelan

Fort Shirley, Where A Mutiny Led to Emancipation of the British Slave Soldiers

Dominica is one of the most beautiful islands in the Caribbean . Its beauty, however, belies a somewhat violent past when it was often a center of violent conflict. One of the best-known historic...

15 June, 2018 - 22:51 Carly Silver

The Original Swiss Army Knife: Check Out This Must Have Gadget for Guys on the Go

The modern Swiss Army Knife didn’t make its debut until the nineteenth century, revolutionizing convenient tools on the go. But, as with so many other things, the ancient Romans did it first! Meet...

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...

The first ever Roman boxing gloves found in Britain are now on display at Vindolanda.

20 February, 2018 - 23:01 Alicia McDermott

Heavy Hitters: 2,000-Year-Old Boxing Gloves Suggest Roman Soldiers Used to Duke It Out

Still molded to the form of their former owner’s knuckles, boxing gloves found at the Roman site of Vindolanda in Northumberland, England hint at tales of soldiers increasing their battle skills,...

Illustration of Mahabharata (Public domain)

2 January, 2018 - 15:31 MartiniF

The Legend of Shikhandi, the Transgendered Warrior Who Paid the Price of Opposing Powerful Men

Chauvinism existed even in the Hindu epic Mahabharata. The ancient text depicts the legendary eighteen-day bloodbath, dubbed the Kurukshetra War, where the hero/heroine’s greatest feat was not...

Roman cooking pot with most likely the remains of a cremated Roman Legionary, found at the Roman military camp discovered at Legio, by Tel Megiddo

28 December, 2017 - 22:58 Theodoros Karasavvas

Remains of Ancient Roman Soldier Discovered in a 1,700-Year-Old Cooking Pot in Israel

The remains of an ancient Roman soldier have been found in a 1,700-year-old cooking pot at a huge Roman camp in Israel. Archaeologists suggest that the camp is the only full-scale Roman legionary...

Exhibit featuring Mongolian arrows, and Mongolian soldier model

5 April, 2017 - 16:21 Cam Rea

How Did They Do It? Masters of the Steppe: Armed to the Teeth with Weapons and Poison—Part II

Much is known about the ancient Mongol military and their incredible victories on the battlefield, but little is ever discussed about their arms, armor, horses, and logistics. What gear did they use...

Painting depicting the Battle of Cheoin (Korea) between Goryeo and Mongol Empire forces in the Korean peninsula in 1232; Deriv.

3 April, 2017 - 15:46 Cam Rea

How Did They Do It? Masters of the Steppe: The Gear and Guts of the Mongol Military—Part I

Terra Cotta Soldiers (CC BY 2.0), and Qin Shi Huang in a 19th century portrait (Public Domain);Deriv.

2 April, 2017 - 14:06 Shibumi

The King Who Made War Illegal! Challenging the Official History of The Art of War and the Terra Cotta Army–Part II

Qin Shi Huang was the first emperor of a unified China. His remarkable success in ending 200 years of war and founding the empire through peaceful means had followed a methodology fully articulated...

Thutmosis III statue and Ancient Egyptian military in battle

24 February, 2017 - 15:59 Cam Rea

What Was in Store for the Citizens of the Besieged City? The Battle of Megiddo—Part II

Pharaoh Thutmose III pushed his 12,000-strong army towards the banks of the Orontes River. His scribe, Tjaneni, kept a daily journal in order to have the Pharaoh’s military exploits inscribed by his...

22 February, 2017 - 16:10 Cam Rea

A Pharaoh’s Exploits Recorded for All Time: The Battle of Megiddo—Part I

With the death of the famous female Pharaoh – Hatshepsut – Thutmose III rose to power and knew there would be trouble. On the banks of the Orontes River, a revolt was brewing. Amassing a huge army...

17 January, 2017 - 02:22 Cam Rea

Roger de Flor and His Catalan Company: From Grand Duke to Caesar – Part II

Military adventurer and mercenary for hire, Roger de Flor was as shrewd a businessman as he was a skillful sailor and fighter. Through his rich services to kings and the elite, he established a...

14 January, 2017 - 02:15 Cam Rea

Roger de Flor and His Catalan Company: From Knight Templar to Pirate – Part I

Roger de Flor was a swashbuckling military adventurer and condottiere (mercenary) leader of the Catalan Company. He was born in the city of Brindisi, Italy, which at the time of his birth was a part...

26 November, 2016 - 02:03 Cam Rea

Bloody Hunts and War Games of the Armies of Khan: The Mongol Military – Part II

Mongol military organization based on decimal lines under Genghis Khan was nothing new. Other steppe peoples, like the Khitan and Jurched had been using the same system for many years beforehand...

2 November, 2016 - 13:57 ancient-origins

Pirate, Turncoat, Survivor: The Life and Times of Anthony Knivet, a Briton in 16th-Century Brazil

On a dark night, late in 1592, a group of Englishmen was massacred on the island of São Sebastião, off the southeast coast of Brazil. Most had deserted the infamous English privateer Thomas Cavendish...

Pages

Myths & Legends

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

The swastika is a symbol that has been used for at least 12,000 years. While in the Western world it is synonymous with fascism, being the centerpiece of the Nazi flag, in ancient times it was used as a positive symbol representing well being and good fortune.

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

A Multitude of Demons: More on the Mythology of the Constantine TV Series

Beware the Supernatural Bathroom Spirits, Toilet Deities, and Dung Demons

The Ancient Pagan Origins of Easter

The Glastonbury Giant: Who Did the Mystery Bones of A Nine Foot Skeleton Belong To?

Human Origins

Snow White a Disney story based on real historical events.

The Truth Behind 5 Disney Movies That Are Based On Real Histories

Many of us grew up watching Disney movies and their tales of fairy princesses and evil queens are undeniably a part of the modern zeitgeist.

One Hundred Thousand Adams and Eves?

Facing the Facts: Just How Accurate Are Facial Reconstructions?

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

Dark Skin and Blue Eyes: European Hunter-Gatherers Did Not Fit with Common Representations

The Secret Life of an Ancient Concubine

Ancient Technology

Norimitsu Odachi: Who Could Have Possibly Wielded This Enormous 15th Century Japanese Sword?

The Norimitsu Odachi is a huge sword from Japan. It is so large, in fact, that it was said to have been wielded by a giant. Apart from the basic knowledge of it having been forged in the 15th century AD, measuring 3.77 meters (12.37 ft.) in length, and weighing as much as 14.5 kg (31.97 lbs.), this impressive sword is shrouded in mystery.

The revolutionary invention of the wheel

Is this a 300 million-year-old screw or just a fossilized sea creature?

Ancient Trap Ideas to Protect Your Tomb or Catch Your Lunch

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

Secrets Behind the Creepy Plague Doctor Mask and Costume

Ancient Places

5 Pyramids of the Ancient World that You May Not Have Heard About

The Great Pyramid of Giza is undoubtedly one of the most well-known icons of the ancient world. But thousands of other pyramids exist, not just in Egypt, but across the entire globe, including Europe, Asia, Oceania and the Americas. The reason why so many ancient civilizations, many of which had no contact with each other, were constructing pyramids at around the same time remains a bit of a mystery.

Populating Palmerston Island: One Man, Three Wives and A Desert Island Paradise

Eisriesenwelt Cave, Home of the Legendary Ice Giants

How A Handful of Yamnaya Culture Nomads Became the Fathers of Europe

The Contrasting Royal Palaces of Rwanda

The White Slaves of Barbary

Opinion

Naupa Iglesia: An Egyptian Portal in the Andes?

Halfway up a near-vertical ravine in the Andes, someone carved an inverted V-shaped entrance into the mountainside. Then they sliced the bedrock with great precision to create a shallow door that...

The Nephilim: Giant Offspring of the Sons of God and the Daughters of Man?

Mount Shasta: Spirits and Danger on a Sacred California Mountain

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?

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.