stone

Old catapult in Les Baux-de-Provence, France

30 December, 2018 - 13:54 Ed Whelan

Rare Find of Stone Catapult Ball Fired During Medieval Siege Unearthed in Scotland

Archaeologists in Scotland have made the rare discovery of a stone ball that was used like a cannonball during a medieval siege. The find is helping experts to better understand Scotland’s Wars of...

22 December, 2018 - 19:18 ashley cowie

Archaeologists Finally Discover the Meaning Behind the Mysterious 4000-Year-Old Folkton Drums – Stonehenge Measurement!

Archaeologists have announced that the Folkton drums, a collection of 4000-year-old decorated stone cylinders which evaded explanation for over a century since their discovery, were used by ancient...

Insert: Example of a Howiesons Poort stone tool found at the Klipdrift Shelter. Background: Overview of Klipdrift Complex From Sea. (Credits Magnus Haaland). Experts have found that similar tools were found hundreds of kilometers away in the Stone Age in South Africa.

10 November, 2018 - 01:50 ancient-origins

Social Ties in Stone Age South Africa: Experts Find Stone Tools Connected Far Away Communities

Stone tools that were discovered and examined by a group of international experts showed for the first time that various communities that lived during the Middle Stone Age period were widely...

Stone eggs were used as an ancient remedy.

2 November, 2018 - 12:48 ancient origins

Goop: A Classicist’s Take on the ‘Power’ of Ancient Remedies

Adam Parker / The Conversation Lifestyle company Goop – founded and run by actor and businessperson Gwyneth Paltrow – was fined US$145,000 (£112,000) for making unscientific claims about products on...

How were the pyramids built? The discovery of a quarry ramp may finally provide a consensus on this debate.

1 November, 2018 - 23:28 Ed Whelan

Archaeologists Say They’ve Solved Mystery of How Pyramids were Built After Unearthing 4,500-Year-Old Ramp

Has the riddle of how the ancient Egyptians built the pyramids finally been solved? A multi-national team of experts say yes, after they unearthed an ancient ramp, which they say was used to haul...

Overlooking Inch Island from the "Grainan of Aileach" ancient stone ring fort, Donegal, Ireland.

20 October, 2018 - 02:00 dhwty

The Grianan of Aileach: An Irish Fort Featured on Ptolemy’s Map of the World

The Grianan of Aileach (Sun Temple of Aileach) is one of the largest and most impressive circular stone hill top enclosures in the whole of Ireland. The stone fort, which is located in Donegal,...

The small Thor’s hammer amulet was carved out of sandstone.

19 October, 2018 - 19:01 Ed Whelan

Rare Thor’s Hammer Amulet Found in Iceland Casts New Light on Viking Life

In archaeology, anything from the past can be of great importance, including artifacts that may seem rather small and unremarkable at first glance. For example, archaeologists have just announced the...

A rock was inserted into the mouth of a 10-year-old to keep the deceased child from rising from the grave and spreading malaria, researchers believe.

12 October, 2018 - 19:03 ancient-origins

'Vampire Burial' An Effort to Prevent a Child's Infectious Return From the Grave

The discovery of a 10-year-old's body at an ancient Roman site in Italy suggests measures were taken to prevent the child, possibly infected with malaria, from rising from the dead and spreading...

This iron pot is allegedly an OOPArt found in coal.

28 September, 2018 - 19:05 J.P. Robinson

OOPArts Found in Coal and Stone: Is There an Explanation for These Anomalous Bells, Chains, Walls and More?

According to the World Coal Association, the process responsible for the formation of coal began 360 to 290 million years ago. With this in mind, it would seem absolutely impossible for any human...

The London Stone, as kept in the alcove of 111 Cannon Street

24 September, 2018 - 18:58 Ed Whelan

Legendary Landmark and Talisman ‘The London Stone’ to be Returned to Cannon Street

A mysterious ancient stone is to be returned to its home in London in the next few weeks. This enigmatic object, popularly known as the ‘London Stone’ has been one of the landmarks of the great...

Stone and crystal traditions have been around for a very long time. This is a humanoid figure turned into a pendant

20 September, 2018 - 19:10 ashley cowie

For 3.3 Million Years Stone and Crystal Traditions Have Shaped Our Destiny

Magpies pervade European folklore for their compulsive urge to collect sparkly things. Similarly, humans share this affinity with shiny gemstones and sparkling crystals. All over the world ancient...

Pictish symbol stone found on the bank of River Don, Dyce, Aberdeen, Scotland.

27 August, 2018 - 22:49 ashley cowie

Scottish Fisherman Discovers a “Stunning” Pictish Symbol Stone on Riverbank

The level of the River Don in Dyce, Aberdeen, Scotland has dropped significantly after the extended spell of warm weather which “exposed the ancient relic,” – a Pictish symbol stone, according to a...

Close-up of the undeciphered writing on the Newton Stone. (Deriv.)

20 August, 2018 - 19:20 ashley cowie

Deciphering The Newton Stone’s Mysterious “Unknown Script”

Every once in a while, objects of interest come across my desk that hold certain features that lift them just beyond our understanding. The enigmatic Newton Stone is one such artifact, not only...

28 July, 2018 - 18:56 Veronica Parkes

Grange Stone Circle: A Place of Ritual Gatherings, Sacrifice and Worship from Prehistoric Times to the Modern Day

Mysterious stone circles dot the landscape of Ireland captivating travelers with their spiritual presence. Grange Stone Circle is one of the finest and it sits in the beautiful landscape of Lough Gur...

A bannerstone, the Metropolitan Museum of Art. (CC0) Background: Rocks and water. (CC0)

27 July, 2018 - 18:55 dhwty

Boggling Bannerstones of Ancient Americans: Were They a Function of Flight or More a Flight of Fancy?

A bannerstone is an enigmatic Native American artifact found in the eastern United States. They come in a range of shapes and sizes and are made of various types of stone. These stones have been...

6 July, 2018 - 14:00 dhwty

Blarney Castle: 1,000 Years of Dramatic History and THAT Magical Stone That Brings Tourists Flocking

Blarney Castle is a medieval fortress situated in County Cork, in the southern part of Ireland. The current structure dates to the 15 th century, though the history of the castle stretches back...

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Myths & Legends

Right: Detail of a statue of a reclining Attis. The Shrine of Attis is situated to the east of the Campus of the Magna Mater in Ostia. Statue of Jesus Christ as a shepherd with a lamb.

The Pagan Attis and Christian Jesus: A Spurious Connection?

Recently, it has been popular to suggest in some circles that Christianity was influenced, or even derived from, the ancient Roman mystery religions – religions often known to have orgiastic rituals and connection to a personal god.

Magu: The Hemp Goddess Who Healed Ancient Asia

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

The Ballad of Hua Mulan: The Legendary Warrior Woman Who Brought Hope to China

Lilith: Ancient Demon, Dark Deity or Sensual Goddess?

Ten Mythological Creatures in Ancient Folklore

Human Origins

Detail of ‘Ashkenazi Jews praying in the Synagogue on Yom Kippur. (1878 painting by Maurycy Gottlieb)

Where are Ashkenazi Jews from? Their Origins May Surprise You

Ashkenazi Jews are a Jewish ethnic group who have their earliest ancestors from the indigenous tribes of Israel…at least on one side of the family tree. A study published in 2013 in Nature Communications has shown their maternal lineage comes from a different, and possibly unexpected, source.

The origins of human beings according to ancient Sumerian texts

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

Facing the Facts: Just How Accurate Are Facial Reconstructions?

The human skull that challenges the Out of Africa theory

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

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.

The revolutionary invention of the wheel

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

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

Ten amazing inventions from ancient times

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

Ancient Places

Buda Castle: Hidden Walls, Subterranean Chambers and Medieval Structures

Castles hold a particular fascination for many modern tourists and travelers. They are a unique way to understand the past and relive history. Ranked among the top ten most impressive castles in...

Hill of Crosses: A Hundred Thousand Times Lithuania Has Stood Up

Were the Women of Petra More Important Than the Men?

The Where, When and How of Quarrying Stonehenge 'Bluestones' Is Revealed in New Report

The Mysterious Prehistoric Triple Burial of Dolni Vestonice

The Marvelous Mayan Zoomorph Monoliths of Quiriguá

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.