women

24 August, 2016 - 21:43 Riley Winters

Eighth Priestess and Precious Grave Goods Unearthed in Famous San Jose de Moro Tomb

The remains of a Moche priestess have been unearthed at the famous tomb site of San Jose de Moro in Northwestern Peru. She is the fifth Moche priestess to be found at the site (an additional three...

23 August, 2016 - 16:29 MartiniF

Monks, Hermits and Ascetics: The Little-Known History of Women in Desert Asceticism

Theodoret of Cyrrhus (423–457) tells us that when little girls played games in forth-century Syria, they played monks and demons. One of the girls, dressed in rags, would reduce her little friends...

‘La femme Préhistorique’ (The prehistoric woman) (1895) by James Tissot Reproductions of some Lascaux artworks in Lascaux II.

21 August, 2016 - 03:50 Natalia Klimczak

Creating Prehistoric Culture: Were the First Artists Women?

The first researchers of Paleolithic caves and sites related to the earliest humans called the people who left paintings and other pieces of early art “men.” Due to this decision, people created an...

A Quadriga, with woman riding in a triumphal chariot. France.

10 August, 2016 - 18:40 MartiniF

Worshipers, Rule-Breakers and Champions: Women and the Ancient Greek Olympics

One of the aspects of culture regarded as distinctive to the ancient Greeks was their pursuit of sport. Apart from its function as the act of worship to Zeus, athletic competition, particularly at...

Haunting and beautiful Middle-Earth-like elves by artist

27 July, 2016 - 00:44 Alda S

Lessons from the Hidden World: Icelanders believed in elves, but it is probably not what you think

Icelanders believe in elves. They refuse to begin major construction projects unless they consult with elves first. They lobby their politicians on behalf of elf colonies. They run “elf schools” and...

This royal tomb, the eighth discovered in 25 years, is believed to have belonged to a Moche priestess buried 1,200 years ago. The great quantity of artifacts and the complexity of the burial reveal the power and influence this woman wielded in life.

20 July, 2016 - 14:40 ancient-origins

Where Women Once Ruled: Excavated Tombs of Moche Priestesses Provide Archaeologists with Troves of Artifacts

When archaeologists unearthed a large chamber tomb in San José de Moro, a ceremonial center of pre-Columbian Moche civilization on the northern coast of Peru, they found the remains of a woman who...

16 July, 2016 - 21:43 valdar

In a Forbidden Place: Hidden Lives in a Harem

The term harem comes from the Arabic haram meaning forbidden place . This defines the sphere of women in a polygynous household and makes reference to their enclosed quarters being forbidden to men...

15 May, 2016 - 00:35 Natalia Klimczak

Feminism and the Battle for Women’s Rights in Ancient Egypt

It is often assumed that women in the ancient world held little power or influence. However, women in ancient Egypt could become highly influential physicians, political advisors, scribes, or even...

6 April, 2016 - 14:48 Adrienne Mayor

The Eagle Huntress: New Generations of Eagle Huntresses in Kazakhstan and Mongolia – Part II

Nomad Women Have Hunted with Eagles since Antiquity The ancient practice of eagle hunting is carried on today by a few hundred nomadic Kazakhs in Mongolia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Xinjiang (...

FIG 1.2. Tuva monument, mounted nomad archeress and falconer

5 April, 2016 - 14:45 Adrienne Mayor

The Eagle Huntress: Ancient Traditions, and Evidence for Women as Eagle Hunters – Part I

Evidence that Nomad Women Hunted with Eagles since Antiquity "A fast horse and a soaring eagle are the wings of a nomad." --Kazakh proverb Falconry, training raptors to hunt for game, is particularly...

Stonehenge, located near Salisbury in the English county of Wiltshire.

4 February, 2016 - 14:45 Natalia Klimczak

Researchers Say Stonehenge had More Gender Equality than Commonly Believed

Analysis of remains from the famous megalithic site of Stonehenge, in Wiltshire, England, have revealed the relics of 14 wmen. According to researchers, the women were very important to the society...

Portrait of Caterina Sforza (1483) by Lorenzo di Credi.

24 November, 2015 - 03:51 Alicia McDermott

Caterina Sforza: A Renaissance Warrior Woman That Knew How to Get What She Wanted

Caterina Sforza was a powerful force to be contended with in Renaissance Italy. She has been called a Renaissance virago (woman who fights like a man), a lioness, tigress, and a warrior woman. One of...

A segment of the Egyptian papyrus containing a prenuptial agreement.

15 August, 2015 - 00:54 Robin Whitlock

Eight foot long scroll reveals Ancient Egyptian prenup

A rather interesting Ancient Egyptian document is currently being exhibited in the Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago , which you might think, at first sight, is an example of Egyptian...

18 July, 2015 - 21:59 Alicia McDermott

4,000-Year-Old Tablets with Evidence of Bronze Age Rights for Women Discovered in Turkey

Great finds continue to be unearthed at the Bronze Age site of Kültepe-Kaniş-Karum, in Turkey. The latest discovery includes millennia old cuneiform tablets referring to commercial interests as well...

The Ride of the Valkyries (1890), William T. Maud

12 July, 2015 - 04:07 Riley Winters

The Powerful Valkyries as Icons of Female Force and Fear

The Valkyries of Norse mythology were women of vast prestige and power. They were one of the few factions of warrior women from ancient lore recognized as having any power over the mortal realm...

16 June, 2015 - 03:59 Riley Winters

Swans Fat, Crocodile Dung, and Ashes of Snails: Achieving Beauty in Ancient Rome

Now learn, my dears, the art of beautifying your faces; learn by what means you can retain your charms. This line, taken from Publius Ovidius Naso's (Ovid's) Medicamina Faciei Femineae , or The Art...

Pages

Myths & Legends

The Dogon’s Extraordinary Knowledge of the Cosmos and the Cult of Nommo

France, 1920: Marcel Griaule is a young man who is very well-established in his studies, especially in mathematics. He has recently served as a volunteer in the French Air Force and aspires to attend the prestigious Lycée Louis le Grande.

Has the King Arthur Gene Been Traced?

The Dark Reputation of the Dunmore Cave of Ireland

Legendary Black Knights: Mysterious Medieval Entities of Neutrality

Baba Yaga: The Wicked Witch of Slavic Folklore

Were the Merovingians Descended from a Monster? Meet the Quinotaur

Human Origins

The Faces of Ancient Hominids Brought to Life in Remarkable Detail

Several years ago, a team of scientists from the Senckenberg Research Institute in Frankfurt, Germany, set out to put a human face to ancient hominid species that once walked the Earth.

Research Confirms that Neanderthal DNA Makes Up About 20% of the Modern Human Genome

The Controversial Lapedo Child – A Neanderthal / Human Hybrid?

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

The origins of human beings according to ancient Sumerian texts

The Mythological Maori Origin Stories of New Zealand

Ancient Technology

The Man Who Stopped a Desert Using Ancient Farming

Desertification is a serious problem facing numerous countries in the world today. Various measures have been taken to counter the negative effects, with some providing better results than others. A farmer in Burkina Faso looked to his ancestors and came up with an innovative solution.

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

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

Ancient Chinese Earthquake Detector Invented 2,000 Years Ago Really Worked!

Secrets Behind the Creepy Plague Doctor Mask and Costume

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

Ancient Places

Tollund Man – the preserved face from Prehistoric Denmark and the tale of ritual sacrifice

Tollund Man is the naturally mummified body of a man who lived during the 4th century BC, during the period characterised in Scandinavia as the Pre-Roman Iron Age. He was hanged as a sacrifice to the...

Varna Man and the Wealthiest Grave of the 5th Millennium BC

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

Ten incredible underwater discoveries that have captured our imagination

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

Was There An Explosion In The Great Pyramid In Antiquity?

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.