The Ancient Origins News Desk
The Ancient Origins News Desk explores humanity's beginnings, delving into mysteries, scientific anomalies, and surprising artifacts that challenge conventional history. The podcast covers archaeological discoveries, ancient civilizations, and alternative historical perspectives. It aims to uncover hidden truths about our past that mainstream narratives often overlook.
Episodes
Colosales estatuas de Ramsés II descubiertas en el delta del Nilo en Egipto | Ancient Origins
Two colossal statues linked to Ramesses II have been found at Behbeit El-Hagar, revealing a possible earlier monument beneath Egypt’s Temple of Isis.
4,700-Year-Old Shipwreck Found Off Turkey Could Be ‘World’s Oldest’ | Ancient Origins
A 4,700-year-old ancient shipwreck near Turkey’s Kekova Island could be the oldest ever found, and reveals amphorae, trade links and clues to Early Bronze Age life at sea.
China’s Ancient Cave Art Holds Bronze Age and Buddhist Clues | Ancient Origins
Chinese cave art in Xinjiang reveals Bronze Age figures and later Tibetan Buddhist symbols, uncovered through hyperspectral imaging.
Knucklebone Oracle That Recorded 56 Ancient Answers Discovered | Ancient Origins
A Roman-era knucklebone oracle found at Kibyra in Türkiye preserved 56 answers for people seeking guidance through five animal bones.
Northern Iberia's Iron Age Hillforts Emptied in One Generation | Ancient Origins
A radiocarbon study of 109 sites shows northern Iberia's Iron Age hillforts were abandoned within a generation around 400 BC, with rebuilding taking 200 years.
Stone Building Unearthed at Lost Ottonian Palace | Ancient Origins
A second 10th-century stone building with a cellar and stairs has been found beside the palace of the lost Ottonian royal residence of Helfta in Germany.
Neanderthal Birch Tar May Have Doubled as Ancient Antibiotic | Ancient Origins
Experiments show birch tar made by Neanderthals inhibited Staphylococcus aureus, presenting the possibility prehistoric glue also worked as an antibiotic medicine.
Broken Bones Beneath Floors Reveal Hidden Viking Violence | Ancient Origins
A study of 192 Iron and Viking Age remains in Denmark, Norway and Sweden finds hidden violence in ancient homes, including a child's skull under a floor.
1,000 Roman Dice Found at Site Speculated to be an 'Ancient Las Vegas' | Ancient Origins
A single small building in a French village has surrendered more than 1,000 Roman bone dice — and nobody can agree whether it was a workshop, a gaming den, or a shrine where the gods were asked to decide the throw.
Archimedes: An Ancient Greek Genius Ahead of His Time | Ancient Origins
Archimedes is one of the ancient world’s greatest mathematicians and the inventor of amazing machines.
Ancient Greek Mathematics: Scribes Used Diagrams to Solve Problems | Ancient Origins
A Cambridge study of ten Greek papyri from Roman Egypt shows scribes used rough hand-drawn diagrams as scratch paper, memory aids and answer checks.
Sharp 3,000-Year-Old Bronze Sword Pulled From Italian Lake | Ancient Origins
A 3,000-year-old Late Bronze Age sword with its edge still sharp has been recovered from Lake Mezzano, Italy – the third sword found at the submerged village.
Neanderthals Were Master Woodworkers, 60,000-Year-Old Tools Reveal | Ancient Origins
Wooden spears, bark trays and a unique club, preserved in stone at Spain's Abric Romaní, reveal how advanced Neanderthal woodworking really was.
Man Buried Under a Hearth and 'Trampled' For Magic Ritual | Ancient Origins
A Bronze Age man buried under a hearth at La Almoloya, Spain, with a stone in his mouth may have been magically bound to control chaos, a new study argues.
Bronze Seal Ring With Lighthouse of Alexandria Found on Royal Island | Ancient Origins
A bronze seal ring engraved with the Lighthouse of Alexandria has been found in the city's sunken royal harbor, the first of its kind.
Satanic Symbol from Before Christ: Warrior Grave Held a Pentagram Jug | Ancient Origins
A 2,000-year-old warrior grave in Russia held a horse, weapons, a pentagram jug and a rare Greek gold coin beneath the man's jaw inside a sacred circle.
Flat Head Syndrome Prevalent in 2,800-Year-Old Italian Skulls | Ancient Origins
A study of 26 Iron Age skulls from Matelica, Italy, found flat head syndrome in 42% of adults, the earliest known cases in Italy, from the 9th–8th century BC.
Facial Reconstruction Reveals Face of 3,000-Year-Old American | Ancient Origins
A digital facial reconstruction of Ecuador's 3,000-year-old Punín-2 skull reveals an Indigenous American man, settling a century-old debate over the ancient bones.
Archaeologists May Have Finally Solved a 100-year-old Florida Mystery | Ancient Origins
Microscopic analysis of 1,000-year-old Tampa Bay pottery reveals Mississippian potters migrated south and carried their clay recipes and grog temper with them.
Animals May Have Evolved 200 Million Years Earlier Than Fossils Show | Ancient Origins
A new Oxford-led study suggests animals may have originated 800–700 million years ago, up to 200 million years before their first fossils, and possibly before Snowball Earth.
First Americans Arrived No Earlier Than 21,000 Years Ago, DNA Suggests | Ancient Origins
Ancient DNA suggests the first Americans arrived no earlier than 21,000 years ago, near the end of the Last Glacial Maximum, but older sites remain unexplained.
Examining the Italian Renaissance Paintings with UFO’s Hidden in Plain Sight | Ancient Origins
Could Renaissance paintings hide UFO sightings? Explore strange objects in Italian art, miraculous snow, and the mystery behind these unusual images.
Abydos Royal Tombs: Skulls Reveal Violent Retainer Deaths | Ancient Origins
A forensic study of 46 skulls from Abydos finds fatal head injuries in 39% of cases, reviving the case for retainer sacrifice at Egypt's first royal tombs.
Inscription on Ossuary May Name Man Who Helped Carry Jesus’ Cross | Ancient Origins
A 2,000-year-old Jerusalem ossuary inscribed "Alexander, son of Simon" may name the son of Simon of Cyrene, the man who carried Jesus' cross.
Anglo-Saxon Coins Reveal Rome's Forgotten 'Little England' | Ancient Origins
Twenty Anglo-Saxon coins found near the Vatican prove Rome's Schola Saxonum was a thriving English community that used its own currency.
AI Decodes 217-Year-Old Napoleon Cipher in Just Six Hours | Ancient Origins
AI has decoded a 217-year-old Napoleon cipher — an 1809 coded letter to Marshal Marmont — in six hours, revealing French and Austrian troop positions.
Adult Fossil Confirms Homo erectus in Africa 2 Million Years Ago | Ancient Origins
A new adult skull fragment from Drimolen in South Africa pushes adult Homo erectus in Africa back to 2 million years ago, long before Dmanisi in Georgia.
Babylonian Education Put the Gods in Every Lesson | Ancient Origins
Babylonian education wove gods into writing lessons. New research traces divine lists, sacred cities and temple offerings in ancient scribal schools.
2,800-year-old Ethiopian Palace Walls Could Have Supported 16 Storeys! | Ancient Origins
An ancient Ethiopian palace walls could theoretically support 16 storeys, a new study finds.
Naatsit Underwear: Greenland’s Beaded Seal-Fur G-String! | Ancient Origins
Explore naatsit underwear, a beaded seal-fur garment from East Greenland that reveals Inuit craftsmanship, indoor dress and Arctic practicality.
Ice Age Giant Found Living Alongside Ancient Humans in Chile | Ancient Origins
A fractured skull and a remarkably preserved gomphothere skeleton have surfaced at Chile's ancient Tagua Tagua lakeshore. Did its first inhabitants open the skull for food?
How Roman Amulets Survived the Rise of Christianity | Ancient Origins
Roman amulets endured Christianity's rise. A Leiden study of 300 charms reveals how crosses, scripture and old protective habits coexisted.
Is this Impressive Carved Figure in Sudan a Lost Kushite King? | Ancient Origins
Is this impressive rock-carved figure a Kushite ruler? A new survey reveals ancient art, a medieval church and centuries of change at the sacred site of Miseeda.
Sarmatian Warrior Identified in Reused Burial Mound | Ancient Origins
A Sarmatian warrior burial in Ukraine reveals a dagger, food offering and possible Roxolani link inside a reused Bronze Age mound.
Earliest Modern Human Face Reconstruction from 315,000-Year-Old Fossils | Ancient Origins
Short title: Jebel Irhoud Face A new Jebel Irhoud face imagines an early Homo sapiens, but its 315,000-year-old skull combin
Innovative Stone Age Arrows Emerge as Norway's Oldest Ice Disappears | Ancient Origins
: A variety of Stone Age arrows are emerging as Norway’s oldest mountain ice melts. Archaeologists recovered 48 arrows and are racing to preserve the fragile finds.
Göbekli Tepe Burials Offer Clue to Scattered Human Bones | Ancient Origins
Göbekli Tepe burials suggest erosion carried some human bones into its monuments, while carved skulls point to other Neolithic mortuary rites.
Lost Roman City Found in Austria Included an 8,000-Seat Amphitheater | Ancient Origins
A lost Roman city in Austria had an 8,000-seat arena. New scans reveal its streets, possible name and sudden abandonment around AD 180.
Roman Pyramid Tomb in Dakhla Oasis Bears Rare Greek Poem | Ancient Origins
A Roman pyramid tomb in Dakhla Oasis has revealed a Greek funeral poem, Egyptian afterlife scenes and clues to life in Roman Egypt.
A Crucified King and Mysterious Bones: Whose Remains Were Hidden in the Abba Cave? | Ancient Origins
The Abba Cave is best known for being a tomb which contained the remains of a person who is believed by many to have Did the Abba Cave conceal the remains of Hasmonean king Antigonus II? An Aramaic inscription and disputed bones keep the Jerusalem mystery alive.
Dr. Michael Scott at the Movies: A Verdict on Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey | Ancient Origins
Classicist Michael Scott examines Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey, exploring Homer, Greek mythology, Penelope, Odysseus, and the film’s modern reinterpretations.
Paracas Weapons Point to Darts, Not Bows, in Ancient Peru | Ancient Origins
A study of 200 Paracas weapons from Peru finds spearthrower darts, not arrowheads. Why did bows remain absent despite conflict and skilled weapon-making?
Egyptian Glass May Have Adorned a British Chariot Fitting | Ancient Origins
Egyptian glass may have reached Iron Age Britain as beads before artisans set it into a chariot rein guide, X-ray analysis suggests.
Mendoza Geoglyphs or Something Else? Mystery of Stone Circles Found High in the Andes | Ancient Origins
Mendoza geoglyphs? Stone circles high in Argentina's Andes have prompted a new archaeological survey, but their age and purpose remain unknown.
35,000-year-old Rope Tool Reveals the Missing Technologies of Prehistory | Ancient Origins
A 35,000-year-old mammoth-ivory tool reveals how Stone Age people made rope and why prehistoric fiber technology is missing from the archaeological record.
Why Viking Museums Still Can’t Escape the Warrior Myth | Ancient Origins
From Copenhagen to Oslo, Viking museums draw crowds with ships and warrior myths, but they might reveal more about national identity than the medieval past.
Can Science Identify this ‘Cursed’ Highland Skull? | Ancient Origins
Scientists are testing a 160-year-old Highland skull linked to a medieval clan legend, a deadly feud and a curse on Clan Grant. What will be revealed?
At Autumn Equinox, Pagans Celebrate Equilibrium and Change | Ancient Origins
World Day of Pagan Pride 2026 highlights Pagan beliefs, Autumn Equinox celebrations, nature reverence, public ritual and community charity.
Early Homo Left Tree-Climbing Behind by 1.8 Million Years Ago | Ancient Origins
Fossil limb strength suggests early Homo had largely left tree climbing behind by 1.8 million years ago, marking a major shift in human evolution.
Plague Returned for Centuries After the Black Death, DNA Shows | Ancient Origins
Ancient DNA shows plague returned across Europe for more than 350 years after the Black Death, evolving through new lineages and human movement.
55 Mesoamerican Underworld Scenes Found in Hidalgo, Mexico | Ancient Origins
Archaeologists have identified 55 scenes across 25 sites in Hidalgo showing travelers approaching a Mesoamerican lord of the underworld. The imagery may even preserve ideas echoed in Otomi healing rituals today.
1,000-Year-Old Serpentine Pendant Blends Saint and Medusa | Ancient Origins
An 11th-century serpentine pendant found in Staraya Russa combines a Christian saint with a Medusa-like figure, revealing early Byzantine influence.
Empress Huayang Tomb May Be Hidden Near a Chinese Airport | Ancient Origins
A Qin royal mausoleum near Xi’an airport may be the long sought Huayang tomb, but archaeologists stress that the empress dowager’s identity remains unproven.
Medieval Chinese Skeleton May Reveal a Brutal Nasal Punishment | Ancient Origins
A medieval Chinese skeleton with healed nasal damage may reveal the first archaeological evidence of nasal amputation as punishment.
New Evidence Points to Hidden Chambers Beyond Tutankhamun’s Tomb | Ancient Origins
New radar and microgravity add to evidence suggesting hidden chambers beyond Tutankhamun’s tomb, reviving the search for Queen Nefertiti.
‘Lost’ Medieval Castle Found Inside Dublin College Building | Ancient Origins
A lost Norman medieval castle has been found inside University College Dublin's Roebuck Castle building, with walls and a courtyard surviving beneath later layers.
Parthenon Optical Illusions Explanation Challenged by New Mathematics | Ancient Origins
A new mathematical study by an Oxford scholar challenges one of the Parthenon’s most enduring stories: that its curves were built to correct optical illusions.
Egyptian Fortress Dig Reveals Daily Life of New Kingdom Soldiers | Ancient Origins
A new Egyptian fortress discovery at Tell el-Abqain reveals New Kingdom soldiers’ homes, food stores, royal inscriptions and a horse burial.
Rare 4th-Century Odyssey Fragment Found in Utrecht | Ancient Origins
A rare 3rd- or 4th-century Odyssey fragment found in Utrecht preserves Book 12 and reveals how Homer was read in Roman Egypt.
Six Lost Pages Reveal a Tudor Enforcer’s Forbidden Catholic Book | Ancient Origins
Six missing pages from a medieval Catholic bestseller have been found in a Brighton archive—and a signature links the book to Henry VIII’s own dissolution enforcer.
Was There Really a Female King in Egypt 5,000 years ago? New Study Says Yes | Ancient Origins
New research suggests Meretneith was a female pharaoh who ruled Egypt more than 5,000 years ago, making her one of history’s earliest female kings.
Ice Age Artists Turned Mammoth Tusk Growth Lines into Art | Ancient Origins
A study of 18 Ice Age figurines from Ukraine finds artists used natural mammoth tusk growth lines to shape their engraved designs.
All Roads Did Not Lead to Rome, Study Concludes | Ancient Origins
New research finds provincial cities were better connected than Rome by land, while Roman roads were straight only where terrain allowed, dispelling long held ideas.
Finland’s Largest Viking Silver Hoard Found by Detectorist | Ancient Origins
A Finnish detectorist found two birch-bark caches of Viking silver in his hometown woods — thousands of coins weighing 4.5 kg, Finland’s largest hoard of the age.
North Africa’s Oldest Defense System Outside Nile Valley Found in Morocco | Ancient Origins
A 4,000-year-old Moroccan defensive system examined at Oued Beht is the oldest known in North Africa beyond the Nile Valley, new research reveals.
Heel-Strike Walking Gave Humans an Edge - at a Cost | Ancient Origins
Heel-strike walking saved early humans energy but increased impact force, revealing an evolutionary trade-off that may have expanded their range.
More than 2 million Indigenous people lived in Australia in 1788: new figures | Ancient Origins
A Nature study estimates 2.22 million Indigenous people lived in Australia in 1788 before a 93% colonial-era population collapse ensued.
Roman Painting Reveals Egyptian Blue Pigment Infused in Plaster | Ancient Origins
Analysis of a Roman villa painting in Italy reveals Egyptian blue pigment mixed deep into its plaster, an exceptionally rare ancient technique.
Vast Iron Age Complex Found in Hallstatt Salt Mine | Ancient Origins
A 300-meter Iron Age Hallstatt salt mine complex in Austria preserves ancient tools, textiles, food remains and DNA in chambers deep beneath the mountain.
Exquisite Mace Marks Elite Warrior’s Bronze Age Burial | Ancient Origins
A 3,600-year-old Bronze Age burial in Azerbaijan has revealed a rare diorite mace head, bronze dagger and arrowheads linked to an elite warrior.
Engraving Reveals Roman Lightning Ritual at Hadrian’s Villa | Ancient Origins
A rare inscription at Hadrian’s Villa reveals a Roman lightning ritual that consecrated ground struck at night to the little-known of god Summanus.
Patagonian Titanosaur Eggs Reveal a Polar Nesting Secret | Ancient Origins
Titanosaur eggs from Patagonia reveal that giant dinosaurs nested at high latitudes and places them further south of the equator than ever before.
Chan Chan Burial Reveals 38 High-Status Chimú Individuals | Ancient Origins
A nearly intact funerary platform at Chan Chan, Peru has revealed 38 high-status Chimú burials, precious objects and a ritual mystery preserved for 600 years.
Scythian Gold Necklace Reveals a Mixed Mythology of Amazon and Bee-Women | Ancient Origins
A 2,300-year-old Scythian gold necklace from Ukraine may depict an Amazon and bee-women linked to Artemis of Ephesus.
Ray Spines Point to Maya Bloodletting Rituals in Mexico | Ancient Origins
Ray and catfish spines from Maya Train excavations may offer new evidence of Maya bloodletting and ritual practice near Tenosique, Mexico.
Fossils Reveal More on Denisovan Lives in Southwest China | Ancient Origins
Denisovan fossils from Bianfu Cave reveal a forearm bone, teeth, hunting tools and a 120,000-year record of life in southwest China.
Ice Age Betel Nut Use May Be Humanity’s Oldest Drug Habit | Ancient Origins
Ancient teeth from Sulawesi show betel nut use may date back 25,000 years, revealing the earliest known habitual use of a psychoactive plant drug.
25-Tonne Devil’s Arrows Hauled 11 Miles Across Yorkshire | Ancient Origins
Mineral fingerprints show prehistoric builders hauled the 25-ton Devil’s Arrows 18km from Brimham Rocks across North Yorkshire.
Fifth Dynasty Tomb Reveals Colorful Life at Saqqara | Ancient Origins
A Fifth Dynasty tomb at Saqqara preserves colorful reliefs, inscriptions and two chapels belonging to the judge Yunmin and his father, Ity.
Many Faces of Cannibalism Evident in Neolithic Iberia | Ancient Origins
Nearly 1,000 bones from three Spanish caves reveal that Neolithic cannibalism ranged from collective violence to repeated and ritual body processing.
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