Ancient Origins articles related to History. In the sections we bring you all the powerful civilizations; from Egypt, Mesopotamia, and Indus Valley, to the fearsome yet sophisticated society of the Vikings and beyond.
Who are the Nephilim and what do they represent? Are they biblical giants? What does the term literally translate to, and why does the brief mention of them in the Book of Genesis show resemblance to...
Some of humanity's strangest stories come from mythology, and some of the strangest myths of all involve love and sex. Myths from around the world tell stories involving sex and love between gods and...
In this episode, Dr. Robert Weiner, an archaeologist in the Department of Anthropology at the University of Colorado, Boulder, offers a deep dive into the ancient Chacoan road networks in the U.S...
Chastity belts are items that titillate and fascinate in equal measure, inspiring the image of a medieval knight locking up his loved one’s private parts to ensure her abstinence during his absence...
In modern medicine, urine samples are routinely examined in laboratories to obtain clinical information about a patient. This procedure, known as urinalysis, developed from an ancient medical process...
Anne-Lawrence Mathers /The Conversation Medieval people have a reputation for being superstitious – and many of the supernatural phenomena found in the pages of medieval chronicles, miracle stories...
In this engaging podcast episode, Dr. Robert Barratt, a research scientist at Queen’s University in Belfast, discusses his innovative application of computer code to investigate the astronomical...
The Takenouchi manuscripts are a set of mysterious documents that were rewritten by a man named Takenouchino Matori 1,500 years ago in a mixture of Japanese and Chinese characters, transcribed from...
The roots of Halloween can be found in an ancient Celtic festival known as Samhain. According to legend, during the three days of Samhain (October 31 to November 2), the Celts would attend great...
In this engaging episode, we delve into the world of Neolithic and early Bronze Age Scotland through the insights of Dr. Kenneth Brophy, a distinguished senior lecturer in the Department of...
Ancient Greek and Roman historians captivated their audiences with accounts of bizarre tribes dwelling on the periphery of the known world. Their customs were odd and their appearances even more...
In this episode of our podcast, we delve into the rich tapestry of ancient Andean societies with Charles Stanish, a prominent scholar whose career has spanned influential roles in archaeology and...
Outside of Romania, especially in the English-speaking world, Transylvania is a land associated with vampires, specifically Dracula. Inside Romania, where Vlad the Impaler is a national hero, his...
Looming over the lives of gods and mortals alike, fate was more than a concept, it was an inscrutable force, a celestial decree woven by unseen hands. Dictating the unfolding of destinies, the gods...
Throughout the centuries, the British Isles have been home to a wide array of customs, traditions, and beliefs that reflect the intricate tapestry of our cultural history. One such tradition that has...
In this episode, I interview Professor Giulio Magli, a leading astrophysicist and archaeoastronomer who heads the Department of Mathematics at the Polytechnic University of Milan. Magli, a prominent...
In the shadowy recesses of human imagination, mythical humanoid monsters have long lingered. Since the dawn of language, creatures of a repellent nature have existed in all their abhorrent splendor...
The narratives of ancient civilizations are stitched together with ethereal threads of mythology and folklore. Be they tethered in fact or complete fiction, these tales, handed down through...
Graham Hancock, the British host of the hit Netflix series "Ancient Apocalypse," has canceled plans to film a new season in the United States following significant backlash from Native American...
Cornwall's tin mines, with their labyrinthine tunnels and subterranean chambers, have long been the backdrop to stories of supernatural beings known as the Knockers. These elusive spirits, central to...
Alba Longa, an ancient city located in the Latium region of Italy, holds a prominent place in the realm of myth and legend. According to tradition, this fabled city's origins can be traced back to...
Pangu is a prominent figure in Chinese creation mythology. To this day, the Zhuang people sing a traditional song about Pangu creating the heavens and Earth. The origin of the Pangu myth has been...
Vampire lore , originating from Eastern European folklore, has fascinated and terrified people for centuries, with various creatures haunting the imaginations of different cultures worldwide. Among...
The Three Musketeers, immortalized in Alexandre Dumas' classic, are deeply rooted in the tumultuous political landscape of 17th-century France. Musketeers, originally armed with muskets but often...
