statue

Was the Brazil Tablet left by early Transatlantic explorers?

25 April, 2019 - 01:30 Clyde Winters

The Brazil Tablet: Dropped in the Jungle by Early Transatlantic Explorers?

In 1310, Malian explorers led by Mansa (King) Abubakari set sail to discover new lands across the Atlantic. A mysterious statuette was left by these ancient explorers in the Brazilian jungle...

The Solid Muldoon was supposedly a prehistoric ‘petrified human body’ unearthed in 1877.

23 April, 2019 - 14:02 dhwty

Solid Muldoon: Petrified Prehistoric Man was an Elaborate and Daring Hoax

The Solid Muldoon is the name given to a supposedly petrified prehistoric man that was ‘discovered’ in 1877. This ‘ petrified body’ was unearthed by William Conant at Muldoon Hill, a small hill not...

12 March, 2019 - 00:48 ancient-origins

New Theories on the Shigir Idol Paint A Surprising Picture of its Life

By Anna Liesowska, The Siberian Times With its evocative main face and O-shaped mouth, its mysterious zigzag etched lines, the Shigir Idol is now accepted as one of the world’s oldest examples of...

9 January, 2019 - 13:59 dhwty

Elongated Skulls and Indecipherable Language: What Does the Mysterious Starving of Saqqara Sculpture Mean?

The Starving of Saqqara is the name given to an ancient Egyptian sculpture believed to date to the Pre-Dynastic period. Little is known about the origins and provenance of this statue, which is today...

Head and torso of god Xipe Totec found at Ndachjian–Tehuacán archaeological site

3 January, 2019 - 19:05 Ed Whelan

Gruesome Sacrificial Temple of the Macabre Fertility God Xipe Totec Discovered in Mexico

Delighted archaeologists in Mexico have found the first temple dedicated to the ‘Flayed Lord’ or Xipe Tótec, one of the most important Pre-Columbian deities. The find, which included a stone...

Oliver Cromwell statue, Palace of Westminster, London

1 October, 2018 - 18:58 ashley cowie

Cromwell Statue In London Caught Up In History Whitewashing Battle

Controversy has erupted in London, England as historians call for the removal of a statue of Oliver Cromwell situated in front of the Houses of Parliament. The winds of change are blowing east. The...

26 September, 2018 - 02:36 Robin Whitlock

Archaeologists find mysterious ancient dolphin statue near Gaza

An archaeological team discovered a rare dolphin statuette at a site near Kibbutz Magen, 12 miles (20km) inland from the Mediterranean Sea, on the border of the Gaza Strip amid the ruins of a...

Virgin and Child with saint Anne sculptures from the 15th century

10 September, 2018 - 22:59 ashley cowie

Three 500-year-old Holy Statues Damaged in Botched Restoration Job

2018 is the year of tasteless restoration jobs and now, the latest victims are three 15th century wooden statues of the Virgin and Child, the Virgin and Child with St Anne, and St Peter, are the...

28 August, 2018 - 19:05 ancient-origins

Ten of the Oldest Everyday Items Ever Found

Every day you get up, get dressed, eat, and probably head out to work, school, or some other activity outside your home. If you work, you may have to interact with customers, who are not always...

26 August, 2018 - 22:41 anya leonard

Asherah: God’s Forgotten Wife

Those raised in the Judeo-Christian tradition may be surprised to learn that the god we were told was singularly sacred once had a wife. How do we know? Asherah figures prominently as the wife of El—...

Photo of the Roman horse's head pre-restoration.

19 August, 2018 - 13:57 Alicia McDermott

German Farmer Lands $1 Million Reward for Rare Bronze Horse Head Found on His Property

Nine years ago, archaeologists unearthed a Roman bronze sculpture in farmland in Lahnau, Germany. They knew the discovery was both rare and valuable. The farmer who owns the land received a payment...

12 August, 2018 - 14:03 Ed Whelan

Surprise Discovery of 4,000-Year-Old Egyptian Sphinx with Human Head and Lion Body

Local authorities in Egypt have announced the discovery of an ancient sphinx statue between two of the best known ancient temples in the country – Karnak and Luxor. The discovery was made by chance,...

One of the two stone monuments found in Guatemala.

24 July, 2018 - 22:55 Ed Whelan

Symbolic Monuments Depicting 'Descent of the Grandfather' Myth of the Olmecs Found in Guatemala

It has been announced by the Guatemalan Ministry of Culture that two large carved stone monuments have been found in an archaeological park in the Central American country. The finds were made in the...

Leshan Giant Buddha is the world's largest stone-carved Buddha

22 July, 2018 - 22:20 Bryan Hill

The Leshan Giant Buddha: Largest Stone Buddha in the World

Not far from the city of Chengdu in Sichuan Province, China, sits the Leshan Giant Buddha statue. Carved into the side of Mt. Lingyun, the colossal statue is over 1,300-years-old and is considered to...

Xochiquetzal, with flower (Codex Fejérváry-Mayer, page 29)

14 July, 2018 - 01:46 dhwty

Xochiquetzal: Aztec Goddess of Beauty, Pleasure and Love… But Don’t Mess With Her!

According to the Aztecs, Xochiquetzal was the goddess of beauty, pleasure, and love. She is commonly associated with such beautiful things as flowers, plants, song and dance, which is quite distinct...

The Osiris statuette from Saqqara, Egypt.

5 July, 2018 - 13:59 Ed Whelan

Restoration Work Uncovers Statuette of Osiris Secreted in Pyramid Wall

Mostafa el-Waziri, the head of the Supreme Council of Antiquities in Egypt has announced an amazing discovery, one which is exciting and intriguing the experts. During routine restoration work on the...

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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...

Kombucha: Revered For Millennia, But Is It Really A Life Saving Brew?

The Disturbing True Story of the Pied Piper of Hamelin

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

La Llorona: The Terrible Truth About Mexico's Weeping Woman

Decoding Viking Signs: Nine Norse Symbols Explained

Human Origins

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

Although it may be a long time (if ever) before pagans reclaim their Yule from Christmas or their Samhain from Halloween, it is worthwhile to explore these ancient religious traditions. The Wheel of the Year follows the cycle of pagan festivals.

The origins of human beings according to ancient Sumerian texts

The Takenouchi Manuscripts and the Story of Humanity Never Told

King Solomon’s Mines Discovered: Kings and Pharaohs - Part I

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

The Secret Life of an Ancient Concubine

Ancient Technology

Example of an ancient calendar. The ancient Egyptians created a calendar with 365 days in a year.

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

The calendar is one of mankind’s most important inventions. Calendars allowed societies to organize time for religious, social, economic, and administrative purposes. The calendar, or rather, two sets of calendars, were invented by the ancient Egyptians. One was the first with 365 days in a year.

Pick Your Poison: The AK-47 of the Ancient Near East

Secrets Behind the Creepy Plague Doctor Mask and Costume

Eerie Ancient Wax Sculptures for Hexing Enemies, Destroying Demons, and Remembering the Dead

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

Does ‘New Evidence’ Prove Noah’s Ark Is Buried on a Turkish Mountain?

Ancient Places

Emperor Jimmu – the first ruler of the Chrysanthemum Throne, saw a sacred bird flying away while he was in the expedition of the eastern section of Japan. Source: Evening.star / Public Domain.

The Chrysanthemum Throne: A Two and a Half Millennia History of Divine Imperial Rule in Japan

The Fascinating Lchashen Settlement, Armenia: Where Elite Warriors Emerged from a Watery Grave

The White Slaves of Barbary

The enduring mystery of The Lady of Dai mummy

The Great Boat of Khufu: The ‘Black Box’ to the Construction of the Pyramids

Explaining the Fall of the Great Akkadian Empire

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.

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.