weapon

Reconstruction of a polybolos, ancient Greek repeating ballista.

2 March, 2017 - 13:55 dhwty

An Ancient Greek Machine Gun? The Innovative Catapult of Dionysius

The polybolos (which may be translated literally as ‘multiple thrower’) was a type of weapon used in the ancient world. The polybolos has been described as a sort of ballista / catapult that was...

4 January, 2017 - 00:52 Theodoros Karasavvas

2,300 Years and Still Shining: Archaeologists Unearth Brilliantly Preserved Chinese Sword

A team of Chinese archaeologists have excavated a brilliant sword that is still sharp and shining despite its age of more than 2,300 years. The amazing discovery was made in an ancient tomb in the...

4 October, 2016 - 00:46 Natalia Klimczak

3,000-Year-Old Pressed Flower Found Inside Axe Handle at Bronze Age Burial Site

Archaeologists have discovered a remarkable set of Bronze Age ritual offerings, which they described as ''absolutely jaw-dropping”, including jewelry, ornaments, weapons, and a pristine pressed...

20 September, 2016 - 14:51 Natalia Klimczak

One of a Kind Mesolithic Ritual Spear Discovered in Poland

A unique wooden spear from 7000 BC has been discovered in Bolków near Świdwie lake in Western Pomerania in Poland. It is the only known artifact of its kind in Europe. The spear had been hidden one-...

The Norse spearhead from Charles Point on an image of a Viking Ship.

5 September, 2016 - 14:46 Kerry Sullivan

A 1000-Year-Old Nordic Spearhead Raises the Question - Were The Vikings in New York?

A 20th century find suggests that the Vikings may have explored North America as far south as New York. Although the reasons for its presence in Charles Point are contested, no one can deny the fact...

14 June, 2016 - 00:43 Natalia Klimczak

Evidence Found for Secret Terror Weapon of the Romans

Archeologists have unearthed a set of Roman lead sling bullets which were used against the barbarian foes in Scotland. The bullets were found to make a piercing whistle noise when hurled through the...

13 May, 2016 - 21:35 Mark Miller

Metals in Bronze Age Weapons Discovered in Sweden Came from Distant Lands

Researchers analyzing bronze daggers, swords, and axes found in bogs and graves at various places in Sweden over the years have made a surprising find. Some of the artifacts date as far back 3,600...

23 April, 2016 - 03:53 dhwty

The Powerful Hwacha: An Early Korean Rocket Launcher

The hwacha (which roughly translates as fire chariot ) is a type of weapon developed in Korea, and used by its army on the field of battle. This weapon is best known for its deployment during the...

A confused naval battle. Two battered ships drift in the foreground while smoke and flame.

26 March, 2016 - 14:23 dhwty

The Almighty Hellburners of Antiquity

Hellburners were a type of fire ship best-known to have been used in Europe during the 16th century AD. Whilst hellburners were first used during the early modern period, fire ships were already in...

19th century watercolor of the Tomb of the Dancers.

13 January, 2016 - 14:53 ancient-origins

Ancient Burial Rituals Prove You Can Take it With You ... and What You Take Says a lot

Death is inevitable, but what death shows us about the social behaviors of the living is not. And recent University of Cincinnati research examining the ancient bereavement practices from the Central...

13th Century illustration of Mongols laying siege to a Middle-Eastern city using a trebuchet.

2 November, 2015 - 23:50 dhwty

Catapult: The Long-Reaching History of a Prominent Medieval Siege Engine

One of the most iconic images of the European Middle Ages is the castle. This defensive structure was often heavily fortified and provided its inhabitants with much-needed safety. It was usually...

8th century Viking sword discovered by a hiker in Norway.

24 October, 2015 - 00:49 aprilholloway

Hiker stumbles upon 1,200-year-old Viking sword while walking an ancient trail in Norway

A hiker in Norway has discovered an ancient sword while walking an ancient route in the mountains of Haukeli. The well-preserved sword has been dated to the 8 th century and is typical of a sword...

19 October, 2015 - 14:35 aprilholloway

Ten Diabolical Weapons and Strategies of War from the Ancient World

Warfare has been a part of the human condition throughout recorded history. While weapons, strategies, and tactics have changed, there are a number of methods that have been used across the millennia...

1 July, 2015 - 00:43 aprilholloway

Ten Legendary Swords from the Ancient World

Swords are not only weapons, but symbols of great power, used over the centuries as offerings, in ceremonies, for coronations, and as precious items for trade. Over the years, a number of swords have...

Rare ancient 3,500-year-old ceremonial dagger

24 November, 2014 - 01:26 aprilholloway

The rare 3,500-year-old ceremonial dagger that was used as a door stop

An object pulled up by a plow in a field and used to prop open an office door was identified by archaeologists as an extremely rare and valuable Bronze Age ceremonial dagger, known as a dirk, one of...

Ivan IV of Russia ("Ivan the Terrible") demonstrates his treasures to the ambassador of Queen Elizabeth I of England

23 November, 2014 - 13:03 aprilholloway

12th century sword found in Russia may have belonged to Ivan the Terrible

A new theory has been put forward by a Russian archaeologist to explain the mystery of a 12 th century blade made in Germany, adorned in Sweden, and found in Siberia – the sword may have belonged to...

Pages

Myths & Legends

King Arthur monument in Tintagel, Cornwall.(left), Excalibur in Brocéliande Forest, Brittany, France.(right)

Has the King Arthur Gene Been Traced?

If stories of King Arthur and his knights are based on real people their DNA markers should still be with us today. New DNA research has perhaps found the King Arthur gene.

Baba Yaga: The Wicked Witch of Slavic Folklore

The Last of the Siberian Unicorns: What Happened to the Mammoth-Sized One-Horned Beasts of Legend?

Was Dracula Story inspired by Abhartach, the Bloodsucking Chieftain of Ireland?

Were the Merovingians Descended from a Monster? Meet the Quinotaur

Ancient Race of White Giants Described in Native Legends From Many Tribes

Human Origins

The Controversial Lapedo Child – A Neanderthal / Human Hybrid?

Buried for millennia in the rear of a rock-shelter in the Lapedo Valley 85 miles north of Lisbon, Portugal, archaeologists uncovered the bones of a four-year-old child, comprising the first complete Palaeolithic skeleton ever dug in Iberia.

The Mythological Maori Origin Stories of New Zealand

The human skull that challenges the Out of Africa theory

The ‘Dynastic Race’ and the Biblical ‘Japheth’ – Part I: After the Deluge

The origins of human beings according to ancient Sumerian texts

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

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.

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

Is this a 300 million-year-old screw or just a fossilized sea creature?

Secrets Behind the Creepy Plague Doctor Mask and Costume

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

The Evidence is Cut in Stone: A Compelling Argument for Lost High Technology in Ancient Egypt

Ancient Places

Kidd Mine, which has the world’s oldest pool of water

Kidd Mine Ontario: The World's Oldest Pool of Water

In the depths of the earth there are discoveries being made that are revolutionizing our view of the world and even the nature of life. In a mine in Ontario there is a body of water that is probably the world’s oldest pool of water.

Unravelling the Mystery Behind the East Bay Walls: Who Really Made Them and Why?

Tomb of the Lord of Sipan, Mochican Warrior Priest

Psusennes, the Silver Pharaoh with riches that rivalled those of Tutankhamun

Ten incredible underwater discoveries that have captured our imagination

The Great Serpent Mound of Ohio, the Largest Earthen Effigy in the World

Opinion

Unearthing Ancient Magic in The Runes –Messages with Hidden Symbols and Powerful Numbers

The etymology of the word “rune” means: “to carve, or to cut.” In Low German the word is “raunen.” As the runes were cut and carved into wood, metal or stone, the word “rune” was analogous to the rune letters themselves.

Petroglyphic Features of Portable Rock Art

The Northern Mysteries Current: Futhark and Mystery Schools of the Viking Age

Was There Ever a Trojan War?

Floki and the Viking Discovery of Iceland

Messiah on Temple Mount: Are We Nearing the End of Time?

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.