The Medici family, prominent during the Italian Renaissance, wielded immense power in Florence and beyond. Rising from humble beginnings as bankers, they ascended to become one of Europe's most...
In the late 16th century, during Queen Elizabeth I's reign , England rose as a global powerhouse. The era birthed a peculiar aristocratic code of conduct, diverging sharply from modern sensibilities...
By Sandra Knispel/ University of Rochester In medieval and Renaissance society and culture, celestial events were not mere spectacles in the sky. Rather, they were omens, predictors of the future,...
While excavating in a lightly explored eastern region of their home country, a team of Iranian archaeologists unearthed the remains of a solid circular adobe structure that featured six separate...
A major archaeological discovery has just been made at Cap d’Erquy, in the Côtes d’Armor. The remains of a circular Iron Age village have been unearthed using revolutionary satellite imaging...
In the 15th century, the Age of Discovery began in Europe. The maritime empires of Spain and Portugal led the way by financing naval expeditions across the world’s oceans. Their rediscovery of the...
It is not every day that one gets the opportunity to build a replica Neolithic henge earthwork. Moreover, after 15 years of “weathering”, one is amazingly surprised to see that it not only survives...
In his work De Die Natali (The Birthday Book), written in 238 AD, Censorinus, a Roman grammarian and author, discusses the concept of the Great Year in Chapter XVIII. He writes “The 1461st year by...
In Mexico's Yucatán Peninsula lies a site which was once central to Maya sacrificial rituals—the sacred cenote of Chichen Itza. This natural sinkhole harbors secrets of human sacrifice and religious...
The Circus Maximus , a sprawling amphitheater nestled between the Palatine Palace and the Aventine Hill, epitomized the grandeur of ancient Roman entertainment . Originally a venue for celebratory...
New information relating to Roman construction techniques is emerging from the ongoing excavations at the Archaeological Park of Pompeii. In the rooms of the ancient domus in Region IX, insula 10...
In the realm of maritime warfare , understanding the disparity between a Pirate and a Privateer was crucial. While both engaged in seizing ships at sea, their legal standing set them apart...
A Bronze Age site in England, housing a ‘richly decorated Roman villa’ from a later period, has revealed a bounty of artifacts and architectural evidence, which includes aisled buildings adorned with...
Abydos is one of the oldest ancient Egyptian cities (3,100 – 332 BC) and is one of the most important archaeological sites in all of Egypt. Many ancient temples and tombs can be found there, offering...
Across the expansive chronicles of human history, the pursuit of beauty and adornment has been a deeply ingrained aspect of our collective identity. Dating back to prehistoric times, early humans...
The examination of skeletal remains from cemeteries on Sweden's Baltic Sea island of Gotland has revealed evidence of Viking body modification among the Norse people, shedding light on practices...
The Celtic Otherworld has always been a mystery; a strange, mysterious, and elusive place. What is not always appreciated is the extent to which the Celtic Otherworld, especially the magic Island of...
Egyptian history is replete with tales of pharaonic cruelty, and among the most notorious are the 5 cruelest pharaohs who left an indelible mark on the sands of time. In the First Dynasty, rulers...
In June of 1344, Pope Clement VI moved to reorganize the Knights of France in a series of six letters sent to Jean, Duke of Normandy, the son of King Philip VI of France. The pope proposed that the...
If you've ever stood in awe beneath the towering 14-meter (46 ft) high Ishtar Gate at Berlin’s Pergamon Museum, you might have questioned how on Earth this Babylonian marvel came to be there—6,000 km...
When we consider the history of Pre-Roman Britain, the Catuvellauni truly stand out as a formidable and enigmatic tribe whose legacy echoes through the ages. Nestled in the heart of Ancient Britannia...
The year 536 AD stands as an abyss of despair in human history, marked by an unprecedented convergence of calamities that wrought havoc on civilizations worldwide. Byzantine accounts speak of a...
The history of cartography traces humanity's relentless quest to understand and depict the world around us. From ancient civilizations sketching rudimentary maps to modern digital cartography, this...
Almost everyone has heard about Fabergé eggs, thanks to their making headlines as they fetch exorbitant prices at auction. In one case, in 2007, the famed Rothschild Clock Egg was sold by Christie’s...
