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Alicia McDermott

Alicia McDermott holds degrees in Anthropology, Psychology, and International Development Studies and has worked in various fields such as education, anthropology, and tourism. She is the Chief Editor of Ancient Origins Magazine. Traveling throughout Bolivia, Peru, Colombia, and Ecuador, Alicia has focused much of her research on Andean cultures – past and present.

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This ‘mud mummy’ has revealed a previously unknown mortuary practice for non-elite ancient Egyptians.

4 February, 2021 - 01:25 Alicia McDermott

Ultra-Rare Mud Mummy Exposes Previously Unknown Mortuary Practice

CT scans of an Egyptian mummy from approximately 1,200 BC have exposed a type of mortuary treatment which has not been documented in the Egyptian archaeological record before now. The individual is...

31 January, 2021 - 17:21 Alicia McDermott

The Shining History of Gold: From Ancient Treasure to Modern Tech

Gold is arguably the human race’s most valued commodity and a lot could be written about the history of this metal. The luster, beauty, resistance to tarnishing, malleability, and overall brilliance...

More than 650 priceless ancient Roman coins have been unearthed at the Aizanoi archaeological site in Turkey. Source: Andalou Agency

29 January, 2021 - 18:29 Alicia McDermott

Jug of Priceless Ancient Roman Coins Discovered in Special Turkish City

A “very special and unique collection” of ancient Roman coins have been unearthed at an equally special 5,000-year-old archaeological site in Turkey. More than 650 priceless coins were found at...

25 January, 2021 - 00:00 Alicia McDermott

Researchers Find Elusive 19th Century Alaskan Fort

Researchers in Alaska have pinpointed the location of an elusive 19th century Alaskan fort using radar technology. They’ve found the remnants of a significant historical site - the Tlingit clans’...

Charles Darwin (pict rider /Adobe Stock) was puzzled by flowering plants. (Pixabay License)

23 January, 2021 - 22:02 Alicia McDermott

New Study Solves Flower Mystery that Baffled Charles Darwin

In 1879 Charles Darwin wrote a letter to his close friend, the botanist and explorer named Dr. Joseph Hooker. He expressed his annoyance at the puzzling mystery of how the first flowering plants...

21 January, 2021 - 00:00 Alicia McDermott

Early Medieval Europe – Dark Age Death Practices Spread Quickly

A new study suggests that Europe has been ‘global’ for over a millennium. The evidence for this claim comes from a set of shared cultural practices spread over a wide area in early Medieval Europe...

Aerial view of the ancient Inca cemetery recently discovered in Ecuador.

20 January, 2021 - 13:49 Alicia McDermott

Mysterious Artifacts Found in Ancient Inca Cemetery in Ecuador

The construction of a long-awaited irrigation water tank will have to wait a little longer for farmers living in the central region of Ecuador. When work began they found ancient human remains and...

16 January, 2021 - 17:06 Alicia McDermott

Maya Drug Secrets Revealed in Ancient Plant Residues

For the first time ever, scientists have identified a non-tobacco plant in ancient Maya drug containers. The researchers say the plant residues suggest that the Maya found a way to make tobacco...

13 January, 2021 - 21:52 Alicia McDermott

Study Unveils Just How Scribes Compiled the Famous Domesday Book

New research has cast light on how and why the iconic Domesday Book was created. The study shows that the work of the medieval scribes was so efficient and sophisticated that they accomplished what a...

Somewhere in Southwestern North America during the late Pleistocene, a pack of dire wolves (Canis dirus) are feeding on their bison kill, while a pair of gray wolves (Canis lupus) approach in the hopes of scavenging. One of the dire wolves rushes in to confront the gray wolves, and their confrontation allows a comparison of the bigger, larger-headed and reddish-brown dire wolf with its smaller, gray relative. Source: Mauricio Antón/ Nature

13 January, 2021 - 16:00 Alicia McDermott

Beyond Game of Thrones: Study Reveals Secrets of Real Dire Wolves

Have you ever heard of dire wolves? You’ll probably say “Yes” if you are a fan of the TV show Game of Thrones . This canine species appears in the iconic TV series, where it is known as a ‘direwolf’...

9 January, 2021 - 20:19 Alicia McDermott

Ancient Hilltop Monastery Led by Female Monk Found in India

Archaeologists have discovered a unique hilltop monastery in eastern India. The 11th or 12th century religious center is special because of its location and because it was headed by a Buddhist nun,...

8 January, 2021 - 04:58 Alicia McDermott

Oldest Tool Use Thrown Back To Two million Years In Oldupai Gorge Find

An interdisciplinary team of researchers have unearthed the oldest stone tools at the oldest archaeological site in the famous Oldupai Gorge, popularly known as the Cradle of Humankind. Their...

6 January, 2021 - 23:59 Alicia McDermott

30 Years of Plastic Age Relics Overshadow Iron Age Heritage Site

The Plastic Age is a term some scholars suggest we use to refer to the modern, plastic dominated times in which we live. Plastic usage and littering is also linked to the Anthropocene – the...

The worn cast copper alloy Chinese coin, from the Northern Song dynasty (960 AD to 1127 AD), minted during the Xining reign between 1068 and 1077 AD, and found in Britain

2 January, 2021 - 01:13 Alicia McDermott

Out of Place Chinese Coins Prompt Wonder: Did Medieval Asia and Britain Interact?

Britain’s antiquities experts have mostly written them off as a loss from a curated collection, but the presence of two Chinese Northern Song dynasty (960 - 1127 AD) coins unearthed at separate sites...

30 December, 2020 - 22:03 Alicia McDermott

Archaeologists Astounded by Iberian and Roman Armor and Weapon Find

Spanish archaeologists have unearthed an exceptional collection of Iberian and Roman armor and weapons in an ancient, conflict-ridden city. Valuable helmets, swords, daggers, and shields have all...

27 December, 2020 - 13:38 Alicia McDermott

Using Ayurvedic Medicine to Fight the Common Cold and Flu

Since ancient times people have had to deal with runny and stuffy noses, coughs, body aches, chills, and all the other unpleasantness that accompanies being bitten by a winter bug. While there is no...