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Ancient Origins Tour IRAQ

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castration

The Galli: The Cross-Dressing Cybele Cult Priests Who Castrated Themselves

The Galli: The Cross-Dressing Cybele Cult Priests Who Castrated Themselves

The galli were priests who formed the cult of the goddess Cybele (Magna Mater in Rome) and her consort Attis. Because of the galli’s adoption of women’s clothing and jewelry, self-castration, and...
Zheng He’s fleet Cheng Ho Cultural Museum – Exhibition (CC0)

Zheng He, The Eunuch Who Became A Ming Dynasty Admiral

In 1127, the Song Dynasty (960 - 1279) lost control of northern China and, with it, access to the Silk Road and Persia's riches. After overthrowing the Song Dynasty and rising himself to the imperial...
Shadow of a eunuch in the Forbidden City of China

The Fascinating Life of a Chinese Eunuch in the Forbidden City

The Inner Court of China’s Forbidden City was the emperor’s private realm, where no other men were allowed to linger for too long. Officials, military personnel, and even male relatives of the...
GR1014 showing upper layer of burials with the partially removed skeleton of B26 (one of the possible eunuchs) in the middle.

Were These Eunuchs in Ptolemaic-Roman Egypt? The Truth May Be in Their Bones

Archaeologists have recently discovered two intriguing skeletons at the Ptolemaic-Roman cemetery site in Quesna, Monufiya city in Egypt. By analyzing the skeletal remains and graves for key features...
Famous and Powerful Eunuchs of the Ancient World

Famous and Powerful Eunuchs of the Ancient World

A eunuch is a castrated man who was usually forced to undergo such a procedure without consent. This was done so that the person might perform a specific social role such as harem servant, guardian...