Top 10 Weekly Articles

The best Ancient Origins articles for this week. Enjoy! [logo4fixed] View this email [in your browser]( [Top10Banner] [Learn more about RevenueStripe...]( [image?cs_ema...]( The Eleusinian Psychedelic Rebirth Rites of Ancient Greece are Making a Comeback [img3]( The Eleusinian Mysteries were transformative rituals that took place in ancient Greece, extending out of Mycenaean traditions (approximately 1500 BC) and the Greek Dark Ages. For over two millennia this experience - which many claim may have been a psychedelic session - was not only tolerated by ancient civilization, but celebrated by it. Men, women, slaves, and emperors all went to Eleusis to drink the magical potion called kykeon and to experience healing and spiritual insights... [Read more...]( The Great Heathen Army: Viking Coalition Becomes an Anglo-Saxon Nightmare [img3]( Viking raids may have been a common factor in the life of a 9th century Anglo Saxon, but there was something terrifyingly distinct when an army emerged seeking revenge. The Great Heathen Army would do whatever it took to see the Anglo Saxons fall. The Great Heathen Army (known also as the Great Viking Army, or the Great Danish Army) is the name given by the Anglo-Saxons to a coalition of Viking warriors that invaded England during the 9th century AD. The main source of information regarding the Great... [Read more...]( Iconic 30000-Year-Old Ancient Female Dubbed “Dangerous Pornography” By Facebook [secret-text]( A 30,000-year-old carving of a voluptuous naked woman known as the “Venus of Willendorf” statuette, has been censored by Facebook as “dangerous pornography”. Discovered in the early 20th century near the Austrian village of Willendorf this prized ancient artifact is the holy grail of prehistoric art, but now, it’s been censored by Facebook as “dangerous pornography” messaged Laura Ghianda, the user of the banned image, reported the Daily Mail. Yes, you did read that right, and I will patiently wait for you to finish your facepalm!... [Read more...]( Ancient Greek Vase Celebrates the Exaltation of Our Ancestors as Gods [img3]( In 2016, Christie’s sold the Greek vase depicted above—a red-figure bell krater used for mixing wine with water—to a buyer in London for $220,000. It dates from 410 BC. For a mythology buff, what a treasure to have such ancient depictions of the gods Athena, Hermes, Herakles, and Atlas in his or her possession! But there is far more here than a group of “mythological” figures and, in my opinion, a vase worth far more than a few hundred thousand dollars... [Read more...]( [banner_0]( An 8,000-year-old Slab Holds the “Oldest Writing” Ever Discovered! Or Does It? [img3]( A tiny ceramic slab dated to around 6000 BC with “written signs” has been discovered by archaeologists at a prehistoric settlement near the town of Nova Zagora in Southeast Bulgaria. And, they believe this symbol stone might “possibly” hold the oldest writing ever discovered, according to a report in ArcheologyinBulgaria.com. It seems Bulgarian archaeologists have a thing for discovering “possibly the oldest writing ever discovered!” Only in 2016 a 7,000-year-old ceramic fragment was dug up in a Copper Age... [Read more...]( Getting High with the Most High: Drugs in the Bible [alchemical]( As the Bronze Age grew old, some of its oral traditions were recorded by poets with gods in their quills and drugs in their gardens. The Odyssey and the Vedas include verses still recited today that describe psychoactive plants and their effects, but the most impressive stash is in the Bible: Thy plants are an orchard of Pomegranates, with fresh and pleasant things; Henna, with Spikenard. Spikenard and Saffron; Kaneh-bosem and Cinnamon, all trees of Frankincense; Myrrh and Agarwood, with all the chief spices. [Read more...]( Halfdan Ragnarsson: Viking Commander and King of Dublin [img3]( Halfdan Ragnarsson was a Viking who lived during the 9th century. He is best remembered for being one of the commanders of the Great Heathen Army which invaded the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England. There is a popular belief that the Viking became the King of Dublin upon his arrival in Ireland. But it was not an easy time to rule and Halfdan died while fighting to retain his kingdom. Generally speaking, Halfdan is considered to have been a historical figure, though he is known by different names... [Read more...]( [banner]( New Finds on Old Egyptian Skin Reveals Symbolic Tattoos Were In Use 5,000 Years Ago [img3]( A bull and sheep, strange ‘S’ motifs, and a curved line mark the skin of two Predynastic Egyptian mummies in the British Museum’s collection. The man and woman lived over 5,000 years ago, making their inked skin the oldest known examples of figural tattoos in the world. The technology used to reveal the designs will likely spur more research and similar studies, so that may soon change. National Geographic reports the mummies were two of six found in Gebelein in 1900. The two identified tattooed... [Read more...]( Da Vinci Designed a Double Helix Staircase at the Château de Chambord [infant-dna]( One of the most impressive architectural features of the French Renaissance castle of Château de Chambord is its famous double helix staircase. The design of this element is popularly attributed to the renowned Italian Renaissance polymath, Leonardo da Vinci. The Château de Chambord is a castle located in the Loire Valley, in the French department of Loir-et-Cher. The construction of the Château de Chambord began during the 16th century and it is an archetype of the architectural style known as ‘French Renaissance’, which flourished between the 15th and 17th centuries in France... [Read more...]( [FindUs_small...]( [FindUs_small...]( [FindUs_small...]( [FindUs_small...]( [FindUs_small...]( [FindUs_small...]( [FindUs_small...]( [FindUs_small...]( You Might Like [image?cs_ema...]( [image?cs_ema...]( [image?cs_ema...]( [image?cs_ema...]( [image?cs_ema...]( [image?cs_ema...]( [Learn more about RevenueStripe...]( You have received this email because you have subscribed to [Ancient-Origins.net](. Copyright © 2017 [Stella Novus Limited]( - [Ancient Origins]( Stella Novus Limited - Ancient Origins. 61 Saint Assam's Park, Raheny, Dublin 5, D05 W3C8, Ireland. 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