From hundreds of mice deposited at an ancient sanctuary on Crete to Bronze Age offerings in a Czech wetland and a ceremonial landscape surrounding an English spring, this week’s Hounds Archaeology explores new evidence of ancient ritual practices.
Law
Supreme Court to Weigh Religious Exercise and Nondiscrimination in Colorado Case
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The Supreme Court will hear a challenge to Colorado’s universal preschool rules that could reshape how religious accommodations interact with nondiscrimination protections, with potentially significant consequences for Pagan and other minority religious communities.
News
Bronze Age ‘Shaman’ was a Woman
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Ancient DNA has overturned two centuries of assumptions about a Bronze Age burial near Stonehenge, revealing that a renowned goldworker, long believed to be a man, was a woman who may have held spiritual authority.
Culture
Italy Protects Sacred Mountain and Ancient Temple of Jupiter Site
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Italy has granted new protections to Monte Cavo, the ancient sacred mountain of Jupiter Latiaris, safeguarding the Temple of Jupiter site, the Via Sacra, and a landscape central to the religious life of ancient Latium.
Culture
UN Honors Indigenous Midwives as Guardians of Knowledge and Well-being
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The United Nations marks the International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples by celebrating Indigenous midwives, ancestral knowledge, cultural continuity, and spiritual traditions while calling for stronger recognition, protections, and support for Indigenous-led care.
Culture
More Than Ceremony: New Study Explores Ritual’s Transformative Power
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From seasonal festivals to public rituals, communal gatherings may offer measurable psychological benefits. A new study finds shared ritual experiences can foster awe, strengthen community identity, and even expand participants’ sense of connection to humanity.