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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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Member for: 8 years 9 months

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19 December, 2020 - 17:35 Alicia McDermott

Surprise Discovery of a Headless 'Buddha' Statue Beneath Chinese Apartments

A huge, headless religious statue has been discovered carved into the rock face under apartment buildings in China. It is of questionable age - some claim it’s from the Republican era and others...

18 December, 2020 - 18:09 Alicia McDermott

Landmark Study Reveals Elephant Tusk Origins Of 16th Century Shipwreck

In 1533, a famous Portuguese trading vessel called the Bom Jesus went missing on its way to India. It sank off the coast of present-day Namibia while it was filled with more than 40 tons of precious...

Window looking into the Iceman's refrigerated cell. A new study explores the environment in which the Tyrolean Iceman (Otzi) died. Source: South Tyrol Museum of Archaeology/Ochsenreiter

17 December, 2020 - 17:58 Alicia McDermott

New Study Raises Questions about the Tyrolean Iceman’s Murder Scene

A new study of ice cores at a previously unexplored ice dome in the Ötztal Alps on the border of Austria and Italy has examined the environment in which the Tyrolean Iceman, popularly known as Otzi,...

17 December, 2020 - 00:55 Alicia McDermott

Baboon Skull Could Lead to the Long Lost Land of Punt

Researchers believe they have uncovered the first clear example of a treasure the ancient Egyptians brought home with them from the legendary, lost Land of Punt. It is a 3,300-year-old baboon skull...

Aerial view of the Phoenician settlement at Cabezo Pequeño del Estaño in Alicante, Spain. Inset; Examples of Phoenician silver. Source: Fernando Prados/Public Domain/Public Domain

11 December, 2020 - 13:53 Alicia McDermott

9th Century BC Moat to Protect Phoenician Settlement Excavated in Spain

Archaeologists working at a in the Alicante province of Spain have just discovered a large moat. This emphasizes the defensive actions taken by the settlers against the hostility they faced when they...

The analysis of fat residues on pottery reveals clues about ancient Indus Valley food preferences.

9 December, 2020 - 14:02 Alicia McDermott

Pot Residues Lift the Lid on Ancient Indus Valley Food Choices

Researchers are getting a glimpse into ancient Indus Valley food choices by analyzing residues on ceramic pots from urban and rural settlements during the Mature Harappan period (c.2600/2500–1900 BC...

5 December, 2020 - 02:39 Alicia McDermott

‘Scorpion King’s Domain’: The Oldest Place Name Sign in the World

The oldest place name sign in the world has been found in Egypt. The inscription, which was etched into a rock in Wadi el Malik east of Aswan, dates back to the late fourth millennium BC. It names...

4 December, 2020 - 13:56 Alicia McDermott

Glass Beads Help to Map Unknown Medieval African Trade Routes

For several decades, a team of researchers have been carrying out excavations at old cemeteries and villages at sites in central Mali and eastern Senegal. Over the years they’ve come across a handful...

1 December, 2020 - 02:28 Alicia McDermott

The Prehistoric Survivors of the Doggerland Tsunami Event

Thousands of years ago, mainland Europe and the UK were attached by a landmass called Doggerland. A tsunami hit that land and it was believed for a time that almost all of the hunter-gatherers who...

21 November, 2020 - 13:43 Alicia McDermott

400+ Ancient Muslim Graves Unearthed in Spain

Roadworkers in northeastern Spain unexpectedly came across an Islamic burial ground in use from the 8th-11th century. Archaeologists have unearthed more than 400 ancient Muslim graves at the site...

The newly discovered Paranthropus skull. Source: Jesse Martin and David Strait

11 November, 2020 - 03:19 Alicia McDermott

Paranthropus Skull Find Suggests Distant Human Cousins Evolved Quickly

Researchers have long believed that the distant human ancestor species called Paranthropus robustus were somewhat like modern gorillas, orangutans, and baboons because they thought the males of this...

7 November, 2020 - 04:19 Alicia McDermott

Study Unravels the Mysterious Origins of Nomadic Mongolian Empires

The Xiongnu, the first nomadic empire in Asia, left no known written records to explain their origins, making this an intriguing ancient genetic mystery. But a new study has cast light on how the...

30 October, 2020 - 17:06 Alicia McDermott

Exquisite Maps Reveal a Worldwide Mythical Creatures List

Every country in the world has their own special connection with cryptids. Legendary beasts have been linked to unexplained phenomena for centuries. Now all of the most famous mythical creatures have...

Clovis tools may have been developed to hunt the last of the North American megafauna. Source: Daniel /Adobe Stock

28 October, 2020 - 21:01 Alicia McDermott

Short Lived Clovis Tools May Have Killed Off North American Megafauna

While they were not the earliest inhabitants of the Americas, the Clovis people had an extremely significant prehistoric culture that was distinctive and widespread across what is now North America...

26 October, 2020 - 23:18 Alicia McDermott

Do All Dogs Go To Heaven? Pet Cemeteries and Belief in an Animal Afterlife

The loss of a pet is always tragic. However the way we have treated our pets after their death and the beliefs we hold about what happens after our cherished animal is gone have changed over the...

Culinary and medicinal spices and herbs on a wooden board

25 October, 2020 - 11:43 Alicia McDermott

Ancient Herbal Medicine And What To Use At Home To Stay Healthy Today!

“Let food be thy medicine.” – Hippocrates You’d be surprised how your knowledge of natural healing medicines can benefit from the wisdom of our ancient ancestors. Herbal medicine has been in use...