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History & Archaeology

We bring you all the latest historical news and archaeological discoveries relating to ancient human history. Read more history news from around the world here at Ancient Origins.

A 4,500-year-old dugout canoe found in Lake Mendota.	Source: Wisconsin Historical Society

11 Ancient Canoes at Lake Mendota Reveal Wisconsin's Early Civilizations

Archaeologists from the Wisconsin Historical Society have unearthed up to 11 ancient canoes at the bottom of Lake Mendota in Madison, Wisconsin, offering new insights into the region’s early...
Thomas Einwögerer and Hannah Parow-Souchon preparing the bones for recovery from the basement. Source: Yannik Merkl/OAW)

Mammoth Bones from 40,000-Years-Ago Uncovered in Austrian Wine Cellar!

In Lower Austria’s Krems district, a local winemaker stumbled upon a legendary discovery while renovating his wine cellar in Gobelsburg: around 300 mammoth bones dating back approximately 30,000 to...
The pile field at the site of Dispilio. Almost 800 piles, mostly made of juniper and oak wood, were sampled and dendrochronologically measured.	Source: Dispilio Excavation Archive/Bern University

Cosmic Rays Date the Precise Year of 7000-year-old Settlement!

University of Bern Researchers at the University of Bern have for the first time been able to pin down a prehistoric settlement of early farmers in northern Greece dating back more than 7,000 years...
The photograph shows an in-situ bipoint biface found within the exposed and eroding paleosol on July 23th, 2017. 	Source: Darrin Lowrey/ Research Gate

Migration to the Americas Potentially Occurred 7,000 Years Earlier Than Thought

One of archaeology's most hotly debated topics, the arrival of humans in the Americas, has received an added impetus. New evidence emerged from Parsons Island, Maryland that has been proposed to...
Artistic photo showing the replica of the Dendra armor used in the study. 	Source: Flouris et al., 2024, PLOS ONE/CC-BY 4.0

Greek Marines Prove Mycenaean Suit of Armor Was Fit for Battle

A suit of armor found at an archaeological site near the village of Dendra, Greece in 1960 has been linked to the famed kingdom of Mycenae , a militarily powerful Late Bronze age fiefdom that holds...
AI image representing psychiatric disorders.	Source: anas/Adobe Stock

Ancient Viral DNA in the Human Genome Linked to Major Psychiatric Disorders

King’s College London New research led by King’s College London has found that thousands of DNA sequences originating from ancient viral infections are expressed in the brain, with some contributing...
The human skeleton in Neolithic grave found in Exing, Germany.	Source: S.Lorenz/Landratsamt Dingolfing-Landau

Remarkable Middle Neolithic Burial & Curious Grave Goods Unearthed in Germany

Construction work for a new residential area in Exing, a municipality of Eichendorf, Germany, has revealed a remarkable grave from the Middle Neolithic period. District archaeologist Dr. Florian Eibl...
A Paracas elongated skull and an artist’s impression based on a digital reconstruction. Source: Marcia Moore / Ciamar Studio

How DNA Testing Revealed European Ancestry in Elongated Paracas Skulls

The elongated skulls of Paracas in Peru caused a stir in 2014 when a geneticist that carried out preliminary DNA testing reported that they have mitochondrial DNA “with mutations unknown in any human...
Archaeologists found a gold earring hidden inside a jar that had been placed in a wall at the Iron Age settlement called Tossal de Baltarga. 	Source: Marco Ansaloni/Frontiers

Devastating Iron Age Hillfort Fire Linked to Hannibal

A violent blaze, possibly linked to the Carthaginian army crossing the Pyrenees to fight the Romans, flared up so quickly people couldn’t save their animals or their valuables. A Snapshot of Ancient...
The iron age lady remains found in Dorset, England, was found lying on carefully arranged animal bones.	Source: Bournemouth University

Archaeologists Discover Iron Age Murder Victim In England

Archaeologists have uncovered new information about the life and death of a young Iron Age woman in Dorset who they believe could have been murdered as a human sacrifice. By investigating the more...
New research has thrown into doubt long-held assumptions about the origin and the gender of horse sacrifices by the last European pagans. Source: Aljabakphoto / CC BY-SA 4.0.

Europe’s Pagans Imported Horses to Sacrifice… and They Got Them From Christians

Horse sacrifices were a mainstay of pagan rituals across the Baltic. The archaeology leaves no doubt: from the 1st to 13th centuries AD this pagan belief scarcely wavered in popularity: even the loss...
The two bull heads guarding the tomb in Tharsa are accompanied with garlands, in an arrangement known as bucrania. Source: IHA.

2,000-Year-Old Tomb Found in Tharsa Was Guarded by Bulls

In the ancient city of Tharsa in modern day Turkey, archaeologists have discovered a 2000-year-old tomb adorned with two bull heads during excavation and cleaning efforts. Now known as Turuş Rock,...
Analysis of several sites in Greece suggests these threshing sledges were used up to 3,000 years earlier than thought, making them amongst the first agricultural tools in Europe. Source: University of Pisa / N Mazzucco et al.

Neolithic Threshing “Sledge” was Used As Early as 8,500 Years Ago

The threshing sledge, once widely used to separate straw from grain across many Mediterranean countries from Turkey to Spain, may have originated in Greece as early as 6500 BC, according to a...
The three tombs were all built by the same Chinese family, and while two of them had been looted the third, “M3” was intact. Source: Institute of Archaeology at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.

Han-Dynasty Chinese Family Tombs Filled with Treasures Found

Archaeologists have discovered three remarkable Han Dynasty tombs in Rizhao, China, while construction was underway for the enlarging of a local park. The three tombs were discovered in a partially...
An archaeologist uncovers the indoor pool in the Roman villa, the first such find in the area. Source: Albania’s National Institute of Cultural Heritage / Facebook.

Unique 1,600-Year-Old Roman Indoor Pool Discovered in Albania

In the Albanian port city of Durrës, archaeologists have made a sensational discovery: a 1600-year-old Roman indoor pool, a first of its kind in the area. This find happened whilst Albanian...
Reconstruction of Amenhotep II. Source: Cicero Moraes

Unveiling the Face of Amenhotep III: The 'Richest Man Who Ever Lived'

Amenhotep III, one of the greatest pharaohs of ancient Egypt, reigned during the height of Egypt's power 3,400 years ago. Known for his unparalleled wealth and grand architectural achievements,...
The research team stands in front of the pyramid of Unas’s Valley Temple, which acted as a river harbor in antiquity. Source: Eman Ghoneim/Nature

Research Shows Egyptian Pyramids Were Built Along Lost Branch of the Nile

One of the more interesting mysteries about the Giza pyramids , the most famous and visited relics from ancient Egypt, is their location. They were not constructed near a fertile oasis or on some...
Archaeologists and first year archaeology students excavating the Medieval hall at Skipsea Castle. Source: University of York

Archaeologists Excavate Medieval Timber Hall at Historic Skipsea Site

A team of archaeologists at the University of York have returned to Skipsea in East Yorkshire to excavate the remains of a medieval timber hall uncovered near the site of a Norman castle. The...
Karanis, Egypt. Source: Einsamer Schütze/CC BY-SA 4.0

New Revelation Ancient Greco-Roman Karanis Endured to 7th Century

New research has revolutionized our understanding of Karanis, an ancient Greco-Roman agricultural settlement nestled in the Fayum oasis of Egypt. Contrary to prior assumptions of abandonment in the...
Archaeologists recording the previously found Bronze age cist burial at the Whitehorse Hill site.  Source: Courtesy of Dartmoor National Park Authority via Devon Live

Potential Bronze Age Burial Chamber Discovered on Dartmoor

What appears to be a Bronze Age burial chamber has been unearthed on Dartmoor, promising to deepen our understanding of Devon's ancient history. This discovery, potentially dating back 4,000 years,...
Coins found in the Świętokrzyskie Mountains, Poland, presumed hoard of Antoni Jaczewiczar.	Source: Świętokrzyska Exploration Group

Coin Hoard Found Near Mountain Hideaway of 18th Century Polish Conman

In early 18th century Poland, a religious hustler named Antoni Jaczewiczar created quite the stir with his claims of having the power to heal, an ability he said had been gifted to him directly by...
The colony of Roanoke entirely vanished save for a single cryptic carving of the word “CROATAN”. A new excavation might just have found out what happened. Source: John White / Public Domain

New Excavation Might Reveal Fate of Lost Colony of Roanoke

Recent excavations on Roanoke Island, North Carolina have revealed new evidence that may help archaeologists and historians determine the ultimate fate of the now-famous “lost colony” of Roanoke. The...
Mother, Daughter and horse too: the occupants of the Roman-era grave are not lovers, after all. Source: D Hagmann et al / Science Direct

Mistaken for Lovers, Roman-Era Grave Holds Mother and Daughter (and Horse…)

When found in 2004, two embracing skeletons buried arm in arm in what is now Austria, were believed to be lovers from medieval times. Instead, modern scientific techniques have now helped...
The curious structure has been found in Giza’s prestigious Western Cemetery, in the shadow of the Great Pyramids. Source: Motoyuki Sato et al / Archaeological Prospection.

Curious L-Shaped Structure Found near Giza Pyramids is 4,500-Years-Old

An international team of archaeologists has stumbled upon a mysterious L-shaped structure buried within a cemetery adjacent to the Great Pyramid of Khufu in Giza. The structure is 4,500 years and...

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