Ancient Origins

"Giza", acrylic painting on canvas, Copyright Jennifer Stephenson, 2018.

I began writing for the Ancient Origins team in 2019.

They are headed by Joanna Gillan, Gary Manners, and Dr. Micki Pistorius.

I contribute to their regular and Premium sites, plus their lavish digital magazine.

They are an amazing team who produce a multi-layered and fascinating historical experience, and I encourage you to visit their sites and subscribe to their stunning magazine.

Please click below to read my articles, and keep watching regularly for new ones!

Circular "kivas" in the ancient cliff dwelling of Mesa Verde, Colorado

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Explore the Mysterious Mexican "Observatory"!!

El Caracol, at Chichén Itzá, Yucatán, Mexico

Brand New

October, 2023 ...

"El Caracol Conundrum

Secrets of Chichén Itzá's Famous Maya Observatory"

Standing unique among ancient structures, Chichén Itzá’s enigmatic “Observatory”

El Caracol, may be the world’s most mysterious and distinctive stone monument.

It was built by the Maya of the Yucatán, Mexico, over a millennium ago, as part of a larger city, but when the Spanish arrived in the 16th century, they found it abandoned and overgrown by jungle.

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El Caracol Conundrum: Secrets of Chichén Itzá’s Famous Maya ObservatoryStanding unique among ancient structures, Chichén Itzá’s enigmatic “Observatory”, El Caracol, may be the world’s most mysterious and distinctive stone monument. It was built by the Maya of the Yucatán, Mexico, over a millennium ago

Explore the Heavens of the Ancient Maya!!

The Pyramid of the Magician, Uxmal, Yucatán, Mexico

Brand New

August, 2023 ...

"Chasing the Heavens

Ancient Observatories of the Yucatán Maya"

Centuries ago, Maya astronomer-priests charted the heavens from huge stone observatories.

From above the jungles of the Yucatán in modern-day Mexico, they carefully recorded the motions of the gods above: the sun, moon, stars and planets, and planned out their lives accordingly; when to sow, harvest, sacrifice, and make war – these were all decided by the heavens.

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Chasing The Heavens: Ancient Observatories of the Yucatán MayaCenturies ago, Maya astronomer-priests charted the heavens from huge stone observatories. From above the jungles of the Yucatán in modern-day Mexico

Visit Twelve Ancient Maya Cities

... without leaving Home!

Brand New

June, 2023 ...

"Revisiting Stephens and Catherwood’s 19th-Century Maya Discoveries"

Explore the Northern Yucatán!

Discover the history of the Northern Maya culture!

Walk in the footsteps of Stephens and Catherwood from nearly

200 years ago!

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Revisiting Stephens and Catherwood’s 19th-Century Maya DiscoveriesBetween 1839 and 1841 two intrepid explorers; John Lloyd Stephens, an American writer, diplomat, and traveler, teamed up with English artist and architect Frederick Catherwood to visit 44 Maya sites.

Will the Real Father of Tutankhamun Please stand up?

The Father of this famous Pharaoh has long remained unknown ...

Until NOW ...

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The Tut Is Not My Son!It could be quite the talk show: Who is King Tut’s real father? The host would be handed an envelope with the paternity test results.

The Valley of the Kings, Egypt - home of Tutankhamun

Join the Greatest Tomb Hunt in History ...

The Tomb of Queen Nefertiti

has eluded Egyptologists to the present day.

Who will find it?

Where will it be?

What will be in it?

The Valley of the Queens, West Bank, Luxor. Could Nefertiti be buried somewhere in this famous cemetery?

“Nefer Say Nefer” - Was Nefertiti Buried in the Valley of the Queens?She may be ancient Egypt’s most famous face, but the quest to find the eternal resting place of Queen Nefertiti has never been hotter.

Nefertiti worships the Aten with her husband Akhenaten and her daughters (Tuna el-Gebel, near Amarna).

From the Aegean

to Amarna

The Fascinating Greek Influences

On Egypt’s Sun Pharaohs

Fair Winds Trade From the Aegean to Egypt’s AmarnaWhat do Queen Nefertari’s silver earrings, King Tutankhamun’s olive leaf collar, and an exquisite blue glass mixing vessel from Egypt have in common?

The Palace at Knossos, North Portico. This Cretan city was the capital of the Minoan Empire until ~1370-1360 BCE, during the reign of Amenhotep III.

The Lost Egyptian Origins of the Superstitious Numbers 13 and 18

The Lost Egyptian Origins of the Superstitious Numbers 13 and 18The superstitious numbers 13 and 18 both have a long history reaching back millennia. The first is usually regarded as unlucky, the latter, lucky – but why?

Inside the Peristyle Sun Court of Amenhotep III at Luxor Temple, as the sun sets.

Amazing Connections between Queen Elizabeth II and Tutankhamun!

From Empire To Eternity: Correlations Between Queen Elizabeth II And King TutankhamunThe year 2022 marks an incredibly important year, both for the late, great Queen Elizabeth II, as well as for the most famous ancient Egyptian pharaoh, King Tutankhamun.

Inside St. Paul's Cathedral, London - where the Late Queen had her Jubilees.

Tutankhamun, Akhenaten, and the ancient Egyptian religion may have inspired the Jewish Prayer Shawl, the Tallit.

From King Tut To The Jewish TallitThere is perhaps no greater symbol of Judaism than the white prayer shawl, the tallit. Likewise, there is probably no greater symbol of ancient Egypt’s majesty than the golden funerary mask of the boy king Tutankhamun, found in his sealed sarcophagus in early 1923 by Howard Carter.

Egyptian Head Cones: Mini Pyramids and Status SymbolsOne of ancient Egypt’s most-enduring embalming enigmas has to be its cryptic head cones. These unusual objects can be seen in tomb paintings perched atop the heads of both mummies and living people.

The Cones were real! The first examples of ancient head cones were found in a cemetery at Amarna, Akhenaten's capital city. This image blends the real cone on a woman's skull with a tomb painting of a woman wearing a cone.