Ancient Origins | Unravelling the Mysteries of the Past
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 exist countless mysteries, scientific anomalies and surprising artifacts that have yet to be discovered and explained.
As Old As Time: Ancient Invention of the Water Clock
Apr 29, 2024 · 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 exist countless mysteries, scientific anomalies and surprising artifacts that have yet to be discovered and explained.
What Makes Sirius, the Dog Star, So Special? | Ancient Origins
Jul 24, 2023 · The accolade of “brightest star in the sky as viewed from Earth” goes to the well-known star Sirius, popularly called the Dog Star due to its role as the dominant star in the Canis Major, meaning the “greater dog” constellation.Being such a visible heavenly body, it has been the object of wonder and veneration to ancient peoples throughout human history.
The History of Shipbuilding As We Know It | Ancient Origins
Feb 26, 2024 · The ill-fated ocean liner "RMS Titanic," launched in 1912, exemplified the ambition and scale of early 20th-century shipbuilding.Though tragically short-lived, the Titanic was equipped with technological marvels such as wireless communication and innovative safety features like its double hull construction and watertight compartments.
Geneticists Show How Neanderthals Never Really Went Extinct
Oct 14, 2024 · The researchers used a genetic tool they designed a few years ago called IBDmix, which uses machine learning techniques to decode the genome. Previous researchers depended on comparing human genomes against a “reference population” of modern humans believed to have little or no Neanderthal or Denisovan DNA.
The 5,000-Year-Old Ancient History of Backgammon
Jun 29, 2022 · Backgammon board. (Vastram / Adobe Stock)Did Backgammon Originate in Ancient Egypt? It is thought that backgammon first originated in Egypt as a game called senet, also known as the game of thirty squares.This was played with a dice and a board with a pattern that had squares in three rows of ten. The game dates back to 3000 BC, and although the rules for the game have been lost to time, its ...
History of Maps: From Ancient Artifacts to Modern Marvels
Mar 31, 2024 · There’s even a Babylonian World Map, arguably the earliest surviving map of the world, from 600 BC.However, the mapmakers made little effort to be accurate and knowingly omitted the Persians and Egyptians. The map shows the world as a circular shape surrounded by water and was likely designed to fit the religious image that the Babylonians believed in.
The Ancient Origins of New Year’s Celebrations
Dec 31, 2021 · Medieval Europeans Celebrated the New Year in March. In Medieval Europe, however, the celebrations accompanying the New Year were considered pagan and unchristian-like, and in 567 AD the Council of Tours abolished January 1st as the beginning of the year, replacing it with days carrying more religious significance, such as December 25th or March 25th, the Feast of the Annunciation, also called ...
Breakthrough in the Origins of Writing: From Seals to Signs
Nov 5, 2024 · Tracing the Transformation: Seals to Signs. The study, conducted by a team of researchers from the University of Bologna and published in Antiquity, systematically compared cylinder seal motifs with proto-cuneiform signs.This research identified specific motifs related to the transport and storage of jars and cloth that directly influenced the shapes and meanings of proto-cuneiform signs.
Sumerian Tablets: A Deeper Understanding of the Oldest Known …
May 9, 2019 · Cuneiform is believed to have originated around 8000 BC and was developed for economic purposes. Initially, this script took the form of pictograms, which were used to graphically represent trade goods and livestock.Small clay tokens representing these goods were made and placed in sealed clay envelopes. In order to show the contents of the envelope, a token would be pressed onto the clay on ...