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Ancient Traditions

Ancient Origins brings you articles related to Ancient Traditions from all over the world. Find related articles in the sections of history, archaeology, human origins, unexplained, artifacts, ancient places and myths and legends.

AI image of Roman military with war elephants.
15 July, 2024 - 13:37 Aleksa Vučković

The Role of Animals in Ancient Warfare: War on All Fours

The utilization of animals in ancient warfare is a fascinating subject that underscores the ingenuity and adaptability of early civilizations in our past. Throughout history, animals have been...
Located in the foothills of Mount Elgon near the Kenya-Uganda border, Kakapel Rockshelter is the site where WashU archaeologist Natalie Mueller and her collaborators have uncovered the earliest evidence for plant farming in east Africa. Source: Steven Goldstein/ Royal Society Publishing/CC BY SA 4.0
10 July, 2024 - 22:41 Gary Manners

Earliest Evidence of Plant Farming Unearthed in East Africa

Located in the foothills of Mount Elgon near the Kenya-Uganda border, the Kakapel Rockshelter has provided remarkable insights into the origins of agriculture in East Africa. Archaeologists, led by...
Ancient Egyptian mummification process. Source: Matrioshka/Adobe Stock
10 July, 2024 - 00:30 Robbie Mitchell

An Egyptologist Shows The Ancient Art of Mummification (Video)

The process of mummification in ancient Egypt was a sophisticated and meticulous practice aimed at preserving the body for the afterlife. Egyptians believed that maintaining the body in a preserved...
AI portrait of King Alfred the Great
9 July, 2024 - 21:08 MartiniF

Cunobeline: The Historical King Who Inspired Shakespeare's Cymbeline

To write his plays, William Shakespeare looked for inspiration in a wide variety of sources, including myths, history, and popular stories of his day. Among Shakespeare’s inspirations were two...
Cannibalism in Brazil as described by Hans Staden in the 16th century
9 July, 2024 - 00:31 Robbie Mitchell

The Startling History of Cannibalism

Cannibalism , a grim and macabre subject, has a long and varied history. Human fascination with cannibalism is reflected in modern media, from films like "Night of the Living Dead" to TV shows such...
A Hypothesis on the Pillars of Hercules and Their True Location
7 July, 2024 - 12:49 Felice Vinci

A Hypothesis on the Pillars of Hercules and Their True Location

In this article, aimed at identifying the real location of the mythical Pillars of Hercules, it is first verified that in the works of Plutarch and Plato there are correct references to a continent...
Life in ancient Egypt
5 July, 2024 - 23:08 Robbie Mitchell

6 Surprising Facts About Life for Egyptian Slaves

The prominence of slavery in ancient Egypt is well-documented, but many aspects of enslaved people's lives remain less known. Here are six lesser-known facts about how Egyptian slaves lived. From...
AI generated Ancient Celtic warrior prepared for battle.
5 July, 2024 - 16:40 pkoutoupis

Warriors and Kings: The 1500-Year Battle for Celtic Britain - An Interview with Martin Wall

We sit down with Martin Wall, author of Warriors and Kings: The 1500-Year Battle for Celtic Britain, to discuss his recent publication, the motivation behind it and more. Petros Koutoupis: Who is...
Samurai and oriental temple in the background, samurai with armor, Generative AI Source: Kaleb/Adobe Stock
4 July, 2024 - 22:56 Robbie Mitchell

Ninja and Shinobi: Fact vs. Fiction (Video)

During Japan’s Sengoku Jidai era, espionage was integral to the strategies of various daimyos. The figure of Hiroyuki, a cook serving a local daimyo while secretly loyal to another lord, illustrates...
Roman baths, Bath, England. Source: ctj71081/CC BY-SA 2.0
4 July, 2024 - 22:49 Robbie Mitchell

How Were Roman Baths Cleaned? (Video)

Roman baths were integral to daily life, serving as communal spaces for exercise, socialization, and relaxation. These baths were architecturally diverse, ranging from small sheds to grand complexes...
Botticelli's illustration from Inferno XV is part of the third round of Inferno, depicting the punishment of those who acted violently against God, nature, and art. Source: Public Domain
3 July, 2024 - 22:50 Robbie Mitchell

How the Medieval Church Instilled Obedience Through Fear (Video)

In medieval Europe , the Catholic Church wielded immense power over the population, primarily through fear. The church used various methods to instill obedience among its followers, one of the most...
Top image: Entrance to Cloggs Cave. Source: David, B et al/Nature
1 July, 2024 - 17:44 Sahir

Longest Tradition: Australian Cave Holds Evidence of 12,000-year-old Ritual

In societies without writing, archaeologically tracing ethnographically known rituals back more than a few hundred years is rare. However, new archaeological evidence has been gleaned from the...
Top image: Medusa by Caravaggio, 1597, shocked ancient Greece. Source: Uffizi Gallery/CC BY-SA 2.0
30 June, 2024 - 19:46 Robbie Mitchell

10 Shocking Facts About the Ancient Greeks

The Ancient Greeks are often hailed as the founders of Western civilization. Celebrated for their advancements in philosophy, democracy, science, and the arts, we tend to view the ancient Greeks...
: Statues depicting the high dignitary Nefer and his wife (Abusir, Egypt). Source: Martin Frouz and the Czech Institute of Egyptology, Charles University/Nature
28 June, 2024 - 23:14 Nathan Falde

Ancient Egyptian Scribes Suffered from Arthritis & Other Skeletal Pain

A fascinating study of the skeletal remains of ancient Egyptian scribes from the third millennium BC has revealed the physical costs of this job. While the type of work they did might seem relatively...
Archaeologists at work in a large burial field in southeastern Norway, where 40 circular stone formations with cremated bone remains, mostly from children, were found placed in the middle. Source: Museum of Cultural History/Science Norway
27 June, 2024 - 14:48 Nathan Falde

Ancient Stone Circles Cover 2,800-Year-Old Graves of Children in Norway

An ancient burial field in Norway that features more than 40 circular stone grave markers has been found to contain the remains of mostly children, all of whom died more than 2,000 years ago, Norway’...
Portrait of a man dressed like Moctezuma.
26 June, 2024 - 23:57 Aleksa Vučković

The Social Hierarchy of the Aztec Empire: A Complex Human Mechanism

The Aztec Empire, known for its grandeur and sophistication, was one of the most powerful and influential civilizations in Mesoamerican history. Flourishing from the early 14th century until the...
Portrait of the royal Queen Elizabeth I. AI generated image. Source: AS Photo Family/Adobe Stock
25 June, 2024 - 22:11 Robbie Mitchell

Opulent Excess: The Elizabethan Ruff Trend (Video)

During the Elizabethan era , the trend of wearing oversized collars became synonymous with aristocracy and opulence. These massive collars, known as ruffs, were not merely fashion statements but...
AI image of Naram-Sin
24 June, 2024 - 22:50 Willem McLoud

Heroic Tales of a God-Emperor

Long before Homer retold the stories of the mighty deeds of the great warriors who took part in the Battle of Troy, similar tales were told and retold by Sumerian and Akkadian bards. The epic...
: A sambaqui on the coast of Santa Catarina: these mounds of shellfish debris, bones and other remains were burial sites. Source: Jéssica M. Cardoso/Plos ONE
24 June, 2024 - 14:50 Sahir

Study Revises History of Brazilian Coast Occupation From 2,000 Years Ago

A brilliant new study from Brazil has revised the historical narrative of human occupation along Brazil’s coast, offering new insights into the ancient sambaqui builders at the Galheta IV...
A statue of Yi Sun Shin 3
22 June, 2024 - 15:58 Aleksa Vučković

The Ancient Korean Kingdoms: Silla, Goguryeo, and Baekje

The Korean Peninsula, a land rich in history and culture, was once home to three powerful and influential kingdoms: Silla, Goguryeo , and Baekje. These kingdoms, which existed from the late 1st...
The Origins of Welsh Bardic Scripts
17 June, 2024 - 18:33 Nigel Pennick

The Origins of Welsh Bardic Scripts

The entire body of ancient Celtic lore and legend was transmitted from mouth to ear, without being written down. The oldest written texts contain material that may have existed in oral form for...
14 June, 2024 - 18:10 Gary Manners

Hunnic burial Poland

In 2018, archaeologists made a significant discovery in the village of Czulice near Krakow, Poland. Led by Jakub Niebylski of the Polish Academy of Sciences, the team unearthed a 1,600-year-old...
El Castillo, also known as the Temple of Kukulcan
13 June, 2024 - 19:13 Theodoros Karasavvas

Beliefs on Chichén Itzá's Sacrificial Past Overturned by Ancient DNA

Recent genetic research has revolutionized our understanding of the ritual practices at Chichén Itzá, one of Mesoamerica's most iconic archaeological sites. Contrary to the long-held belief that...
Roman Baths in Bath, England. The house is a well-preserved Roman site for public bathing.
13 June, 2024 - 00:09 Robbie Mitchell

The Roman Baths Had Ancient Healing Powers

The history of the Roman Baths in Bath, England, unveils a narrative rich in intrigue and cultural significance. Bath , known for its elegant Georgian architecture today, has a murky origin tale...

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