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Ayaz Kala in northern Uzbekistan was used by the Kushan Empire as a garrison. Source: bbsferrari / Adobe Stock

Pax Kushana: Uncovering the Forgotten Kushan Empire

Nestled at the very core of ancient Central Asian history lies the enigmatic Kushan Empire, a once-powerful civilization that flourished during the critical centuries of the Common Era. Stretching...
Christmas Pudding on a plate surrounded by candle and decorations.	Source: Sławomir Fajer/Adobe Stock

How the Christmas Pudding Became an Iconic British Dish

Troy Bickham /The Conversation As an American living in Britain in the 1990s, my first exposure to Christmas pudding was something of a shock. I had expected figs or plums, as in the “ We Wish You a...
The Magnificent Ishtar Gate of Babylon

The Magnificent Ishtar Gate of Babylon

The Ishtar Gate was the eighth gate of the city of Babylon (in present day Iraq) and was the main entrance into the great city. It was a sight to behold; the gate was covered in lapis lazuli glazed...
Representational image of the Gutian Invasion of the Akkadian Empire. Source: Francis Valadj / Adobe Stock

The Gutian Invasion: What Really Caused the Fall of the Akkadian Empire?

The Akkadian Empire, one of the first great empires in human history, thrived in ancient Mesopotamia under the rule of Sargon of Akkad. However, its reign eventually came to an end. For decades,...
Miniature in the 14th century Constantine Manasses Chronicle depicting the Bulgars led by Khan Krum pursuing the Byzantines during the Battle of Versinikia in 813. Source: Public domain

The Rise and Fall of the Mighty Bulgars and the First Bulgarian Empire

In the annals of history, the First Bulgarian Empire emerges as a captivating tale of rise, conquest and eventual decline. Founded by Khan Asparuh in the late 7th century, one of the early leaders of...
Genghis Khan. Source: MrWizard / Adobe Stock.

Genghis Khan: The Man Who Forged the Most Feared Empire in History (Video)

Feared conqueror Genghis Khan shaped history with his formidable Mongolian Empire. Born in Central Asia around 1165 AD, he swiftly eliminated his half-brother as a young boy, foreshadowing his...
Antony and Cleopatra, by Lawrence Alma-Tadema. (Public Domain)

The Final Fates of the Children of Cleopatra VII

Cleopatra VII had four children. One with Julius Caesar and three with Mark Antony. Until 31 BC the family of the last Ptolemaic queen lived a magnificent life in a golden palace, one of the most...
Representation of an elite Mongolian woman. Source: B@rmaley / Adobe Stock.

Xiongnu Princesses Shaped Mongolian Traditions, New Study Shows

Princesses have played crucial roles in the organization and structure of empires throughout history, yet their contributions have often been overlooked. From the Greeks to the Mughals to the Mongols...
Hattusa, the capital of the Hittite Empire before its collapse. Source: Suat/Adobe Stock

The Role of Severe Drought in the Collapse of the Hittite Empire

A study of juniper tree-ring samples from central Turkey, along with other dating methods, shows that a climate crisis in the form of a severe drought in 1198–1196 BC, played a major role in the...
Gold Inca mask. Source: Carlos Santa Maria / Adobe Stock

12 Absolutely Amazing Artifacts of the Inca

The Inca Empire was the largest empire in pre-Columbian America. From their capital, Cuzco, in the central Peruvian Andes, the empire stretched over 2,400 miles (3860 kilometers) along the length of...
Why would monarchs abdicate their thrones? These ten stories will give some ideas. Source: Elles Rijsdijk / Adobe Stock

Momentary Monarchs: 10 Rulers Who Turned Their Back On The Throne

Throughout history, there have been numerous monarchs - some good, some bad, and many largely forgotten. Some monarchs, like Queen Elizabeth II, ruled for decades, but the reign of many others was...
Greek god Dionysus with wine. Source: rudall30 / Adobe Stock

Romans Added Lead Sweetener to Their Wine and it Killed Them

How far did ancient people go to enhance the flavor of their food and drinks? Would they consume toxic substances if it made things a little more appetizing? Well, the Romans did, by adding a sweet...
Artists impression of Brahmin, representative of the of the Sena Dynasty elite, who were part of the Brahmin top-echelon caste in India who forged the Sena Empire. Source: Olena / Adobe Stock

The Sena Empire: Rise and Fall of the Last Hindu Kings of Bengal

The kings of the Sena Empire, who were part of the Brahmin top-echelon caste in India, originally came from Karnata in southern India before they moved to the Bengali region. The history of the Sena...
Four warriors of ‘The Immortals’, from the famous glazed brick friezes found in the Apadana (Darius the Great's palace) in Susa ( Wikimedia)

The Immortals: Elite and Formidable Army of the Persian Empire

The first Persian Empire (550 BC – 330 BC), called the Achaemenid Empire, is known for having an elite force of soldiers. Named the “Immortals” by Herodotus, this army consisted of a heavy infantry...
This iron sword, now fragmentary and corroded, was discovered in 1993 in the Byzantine city of Amorium. Its surviving hilt with the ringed pommel is unique. 		Source: Amorium Excavation Project

Unique Ring Pommeled Byzantine Swords Discovered at Amorium

In classical antiquity, Amorium was an important, strategically located city in the kingdom of Phrygia in the west central part of Anatolia, in what is now Asian Turkey. Amorium was founded in the...
At the end of 2021 Turkish archaeologists found 14 incredible artifacts from the Byzantine-Sassanid War of 602-628 AD in the ancient city of Uzuncaburç, in Mersin Province.		Source: Anadolu Agency

Southern Turkey Artifacts Dated to 7th-century Byzantine-Sassanid War

In February of 2021, a restoration project was launched under the aegis of Ümit Aydınlıoğlu, associate professor at Mersin University, supported by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, General...
Buddhism in Ancient Egypt and Meroe – Beliefs Revealed Through Ancient Script

Buddhism in Ancient Egypt and Meroe – Beliefs Revealed Through Ancient Script

Did Buddhism exist in Upper Egypt and the Lower Meroitic Empire? The answer appears to be yes. It was in Memphis that English Egyptologist and archaeologist W. M. Flinders Petrie found evidence of...
Commodus the Roman Emperor

Commodus: The Outrageous Emperor Who Fought as a Gladiator

Roman Emperor Lucius Aurelius Commodus was a corrupt ruler who was not well-received by the Roman people during his reign. He also believed himself to be a reincarnation of Hercules and enjoyed...
Detail of ‘The Battle of Pavia’ (1528-1531) by Bernard van Orley and William Dermoyen.

The Battle of Pavia: Paving the Political Roads of Rival Rulers with Blood

February 24, 1525. A day that is not marked in infamy but in the blood of France. On this date, the Battle of Pavia occurred – the decisive event in a longstanding war and rivalry, and the crushing...
A baroque carved relief (at the Church of Saint Benedict in Venice, Italy) from the life of St. Benedict showing Totila, the king of Ostrogoths, on his knees. During the invasion of Italy, Totila ordered a general to wear his kingly robes to see whether St. Benedict would discover the truth. Immediately Benedict detected the impersonation. Impressed, Totila came to pay his respects to the man of the cloth. Totila was the leader of the Ostrogoths in the Third Siege of Rome. Source: Renáta Sedmáková / Adobe S

The Third Ostrogothic Siege of Rome: Byzantine Armies Battle the Ostrogoths

The Third Ostrogothic Siege of Rome occurred in 549-550 AD and was fought between the Byzantine Empire and the Ostrogoths. The former was in control of the city, whilst the latter tried to seize the...
A view of the marble head of Augustus Caesar discovered last week in Isernia, a town in south-central Italy.

Marble Head of Augustus Caesar Discovered Outside the Realm of Rome

A construction crew performing restoration work on historic walls in the Central Italian city of Isernia discovered something ancient and remarkable. It was a buried, sculpted marble head that had...
Isabel Moctezuma: The Last Aztec Princess

Isabel Moctezuma: The Last Aztec Princess

Isabel Moctezuma was an Aztec princess who lived during the time of the Spanish Conquest of Mexico. Isabel was the daughter of Moctezuma II, and by the time she was 11 or 12 years old, she had been...
The best-ever Roman amphitheater, a Roman Colosseum replica that could seat 15 - 20,000 has recently been discovered in a field in Western Turkey, complete with underground gladiator and administrator rooms.

Astonished Archaeologists Find Roman Colosseum Replica in Anatolia

While exploring the site of the ancient city of Mastaura in western Turkey last summer, archaeologists discovered something remarkable. Partially buried in the earth and further obscured beneath...
Study Unravels the Mysterious Origins of Nomadic Mongolian Empires

Study Unravels the Mysterious Origins of Nomadic Mongolian Empires

The Xiongnu, the first nomadic empire in Asia, left no known written records to explain their origins, making this an intriguing ancient genetic mystery. But a new study has cast light on how the...

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