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Weapons and defensive objects are evidence that show that hunter-gatherer communities in the Atacama Desert resorted to violence for conflict-solving. Source:  Standen et al., 2023, PLOS ONE/CC-BY 4.0

Hunter-Gatherers in the Atacama Desert Resorted to Brutal Violence

A couple of years ago, a study alluded to Neolithic farmers in Chile’s Atacama Desert engaging in violent battles over resources. Turn back the clock further, and a newer study points to ancient...
The recently dated Malaysian rock art. Source: Andrea Jalandoni / CC BY 4.0

Malaysian Rock Art on Borneo Linked to Era of Conflict

A large cave known as Gua Sireh, which is located in the state of Sarawak on the island of Borneo in Malaysia, features one of the most extensive collections of recently drawn cave art found anywhere...
Maya warrior. Source: Art Gallery / Adobe Stock.

The Shocking Truth About the Bloody Rituals of the Maya (Video)

Spanish conquerors, upon their arrival in the Americas, discovered thousands of Mayan hieroglyphs that detailed secret rites, offering a glimpse into a society that was both sophisticated and brutal...
Human skull showing evidence of violence, representational. Source: Vladyslav / Adobe Stock.

Europe’s First Murder Victim found in Cro-Magnon Rock Shelter

The data books have a fantastic new entry – Europe’s oldest murder victim on record, in a cave in southwest France. Subject of a new study, this presumably assassinated individual’s battered skull...
New study claims medieval monasteries showed resilience in the face of the Vikings. Source: Deivison / Adobe Stock

New Study Debunks the “Ruthless Vikings, Helpless Monks” Narrative

Medieval English monasteries didn’t just passively cave in to the long-running Viking attacks on English shores that culminated in the victory of the Anglo-Saxon king Alfred the Great . Lyminge, a...
Two of these South American mummies were victims of violent deaths. Source: Begerock et al. 2022/ Frontiers in Medicine

Death Detectives Discover South American Mummies were Brutally Killed

There are cold cases, and there a really, really, cold cases. The story of two South American mummies falls into the latter category. When researchers analyzed the remains of three pre-Columbian...
Depiction of fishermen jousting in the Mastaba tomb of Niankhkhnum and Khnumhotep, Saqqara, Egypt. Source: kairoinfo4u / CC BY-NC-SA 2.0

Fisherman Jousting: An Ancient Egyptian Sport with a Violent History

Ancient history is full of examples of violence, not only in the form of torture and killings, but also in entertainment and sports. From the bloody gladiatorial combats of ancient Rome, to the Maya...
This is an image of the mass grave found beneath an Irish pub in Cork, Ireland, which a noted bone expert concluded was an extremely violent mass death! Source: © John Cronin & Associates

‘Bone Collector’ Sleuth Says Violent Deaths Evident in Mass Grave Under Irish Bar!

A bone expert investigating a mass grave in Ireland has found clear evidence of hyper-violence, including smashed bones and bound limbs. Last year, beneath Nancy Spain’s Public House, Barrack Street...
The assassination of Julius Caesar by William Holmes Sullivan (1836-1908).	Source: Public Domain

Study Proves Statistical Probability of Violent Death for Roman Emperors

In December 2019 Ancient Origins reported that Dr. Joseph Saleh, an aerospace engineer at the Georgia Institute of Technology in the United States, had published a study in the online journal Nature...
Excavations at Sidon Castle, Lebanon revealed two mass crusaders graves containing many skeletons that had clear signs of extreme violence, according to the latest research study in PLOS One. Source: Claude Doumet-Serhal / PLOS One

Crusaders Grave Shows Many Were Killed From Behind

Medieval warfare was a bloody and brutal affair. This was especially true during the Crusades, when warriors on each side were motivated by religious passion and a cause they deeply embraced. This...
High-impact shocks to the face and skull. Source: Standen et al. / Journal of Anthropological Archaeology

Neolithic Atacama Desert Farmers Battled Violently Over Resources

It wouldn’t be unfair to say that human history has been a continuum of violence, bloodshed, and gore. This phenomenon has been captured today in virtual simulations, games, and other forms of...
Study Reveals Extensive Hyper-Violence in Japan’s Ancient Yayoi Period

Study Reveals Extensive Hyper-Violence in Japan’s Ancient Yayoi Period

A new archaeological study in Japan, published in the August issue of Journal of Archaeological Science , has produced evidence supporting the idea that population growth can lead to an increase in...
Misleading 19th century depicting the “barbarian” Visigoths sack of Rome in Late Antiquity Source: Public domain

Barbarians versus Romans: Violence and Urban Life in Late Antiquity

The image of the savage, violent barbarian is well-entrenched in Western culture and has been a part of our literary, popular culture and even our language for centuries. Most people would not...
This photo shows one particular body where the head has been lopped off and placed at the feet of the victim found at the Roman burial site, Somersham, UK.

Extraordinarily High Number of Roman Decapitations at UK Burial Site

It wouldn’t be unfair to say that the Roman Empire was a vast intercontinental territory. By 117 AD, it included all of Italy, the entire Mediterranean, and much of Europe, including England, Wales...
Archival photograph showing a double burial from the Jebel Sahaba cemetery in Sudan, with pencils marking the position of associated lithic artifacts. Source: Wendorf Archives of the British Museum/Scientific Reports

Jebel Sahaba Shines Light on Horrors of Earliest Human Warfare

13,400 years ago individuals were engaged in armed conflict on the east bank of the Nile in what is now northern Sudan. A fresh analysis of human remains from the prehistoric cemetery of Jebel Sahaba...
Author Details Institutionalized Murder and Violence in Ancient Rome

Author Details Institutionalized Murder and Violence in Ancient Rome

Shocking, disturbing and wholly ungodly methods of murder in ancient Rome have been brought together in a brutally graphic new book. Dr. Emma Southon is a historian at the University of Birmingham in...
Myanmar Violence Spreads to Ancient Temples of Bagan

Myanmar Violence Spreads to Ancient Temples of Bagan

Police in Myanmar have opened fire on protesters in Bagan, the former ancient capital and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, bringing even more destruction to one of the world’s oldest religious centers...
HALF of the Men Found in Medieval Paupers’ Cemetery Had Broken Bones

HALF of the Men Found in Medieval Paupers’ Cemetery Had Broken Bones

Life in Europe during the Middle Ages was difficult and dangerous for the majority of the population. Poverty, disease, and warfare were common, and the poor and working classes bore the brunt of...
Skeletal Trauma Reveals Class Inequality in Medieval Cambridge

Skeletal Trauma Reveals Class Inequality in Medieval Cambridge

Skeletal trauma has been studied in the remains of hundreds of people who lived in medieval Cambridge excavated from three cemeteries dating back to between the 10th and 14th century. The study has...
Neanderthal warrior            Source: Gorodenkoff / Adobe Stock

Neanderthals and Humans Were at War… For 100,000 Years!

Once much of Eurasia was dominated by Neanderthals, our archaic human ancestors. And the extinction of Neanderthals is one of the great mysteries in science. An evolutionary biologist and...
Development of ancient farming: representation of early human protecting his farm. Source: benevolente / Adobe stock

As Farming Developed, So Did Cooperation – And Violence

The growth of ancient farming / agriculture led to unprecedented cooperation in human societies, a team of researchers, has found, but it also led to a spike in violence, an insight that offers...
A new study reveals that queens were more warlike than kings. Source: Evdoha / Adobe Stock.

A New Study Reveals Queens Were MUCH More Warlike Than Kings

Scientists have proven historical queens were “38.8%” more likely to declare war than kings. When Canadian cognitive psychologist and author Steven Pinker claimed men instigated “almost all the world...
Remote beach and rocky coastline on Sark Island. Source: allard1 / Adobe Stock.

Criminal Element Returns to Sark Island

Sark , the tiny Channel Island with a deeply criminal pirate history is once again “awash” with crooks, according to a police report. At a mere 2.10 square miles (5.44 square kilometers), with only...
Incas sacrificed little girls and displayed their skulls. Source: dk_patt / Adobe Stock.

Inca Elites Displayed Young Women's Skulls To Gain Power

The Inca Empire was the largest and most extensive ancient society that ever lived in the Americas. However, government of such a vast community is not without its issues. A new report examines...

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