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From the powerful civilizations of Egypt, Mesopotamia, and the Indus Valley, to the fearsome yet sophisticated society of the Vikings, the ancient world was a surprising and challenging place. Here we feature some of the most seminal and influential events and people throughout history, that have helped shape the world we know today.

Saladin and Guy de Lusignan after battle of Hattin in 1187. Source: Public Domain
15 April, 2024 - 20:55 Robbie Mitchell

Saladin - Conqueror of the Kingdom of Heaven (Video)

Saladin , known as the "Conqueror of the Kingdom of Heaven," emerges from history as a figure of profound complexity and greatness. Born in 1137 in modern-day Iraq, he navigated the tumultuous...
Representative image of Egyptian blue pigment. Source: Pattadis / Adobe Stock
15 April, 2024 - 14:50 dhwty

Tracing the Legacy of Egyptian Blue: From Ancient Artifacts to Modern Insights

Egyptian blue, known in the scientific community as calcium copper silicate, has come to be recognized as a pioneering feat of human creativity. With origins speculated to precede 3000 BC, Egyptian...
Sex scene in ancient fresco in Pompeii in the Casa delle Lupanare. Source: BlackMac/Adobe Stock
14 April, 2024 - 22:44 Aleksa Vučković

Roman Brothels, the Controversial Ancient Societal Hubs

Ancient Rome had a very vibrant and complex society, where prostitution played a major role. It was legal, licensed, and very common. In fact, brothels occupied a unique and controversial position in...
Portrait of Lorenzo de’ Medici, the Magnificent. Source: Public domain
14 April, 2024 - 15:00 Aleksa Vučković

Lorenzo de' Medici: the ‘Magnificent’ Patron of the Renaissance

Lorenzo de' Medici, also known as Lorenzo the Magnificent, stands as one of the most prominent figures in the history of Florence and the Italian Renaissance, and the foremost member of the powerful...
The excavation site on Jiigurru where the discovery of ancient pottery has rewritten the history of Australia. Source: Science Direct / Ian J. McNiven.
13 April, 2024 - 17:53 Sahir

New Barrier Reef Find Proves Australians Didn’t Learn Pottery from Europe

A new discovery off the northwestern coast of Australia has rewritten the history books. Up until now the academic consensus was that pottery was introduced to Australia by Europeans. This has now...
Picture of St. Hildegard near Bingen at Rhine River. Source: Philipp/Adobe Stock
13 April, 2024 - 14:52 Aleksa Vučković

Exploring the Masters: 10 Influential Medieval Artists You Should Know

The Medieval period, spanning roughly from the 5th to the 15th centuries AD, was a time of profound artistic expression that laid the groundwork for the Renaissance to follow. Despite the challenges...
The extinct Patagonian fox was found far further north than its known habitat, and analysis of its diet suggests it was domesticated. Source: Mario Llorca / Adobe Stock.
12 April, 2024 - 17:45 Joe Green

Man’s Other Best Friend: Did Patagonian Hunters Domesticate an Extinct Fox?

Was Man’s Best Friend a fox? For hunter gatherers in Patagonia 1,500 years ago, that may well turn out to be true. A team of archaeologists excavating the intriguing Cañada Seca site in Argentina...
Witchcraft: a white-faced witch meeting a black-faced witch with a great beast. Woodcut, 1720. Source: Public Domain
11 April, 2024 - 22:46 ancient-origins

Why So Few Witches Were Executed in Wales in the Middle Ages

By Mari Ellis Dunning /The Conversation The fear of witchcraft led to centuries of persecution and executions across Europe. While there were an estimated 500 executions in England, and between 3,000...
AI image of the withered hand of a man with a deadly disease. Source: Alexander/Adobe Stock
11 April, 2024 - 20:59 Robbie Mitchell

All The Diseases You Might Have If You Lived in A Medieval City (Video)

Living in medieval cities exposed residents to a myriad of afflictions stemming from unsanitary conditions and limited medical knowledge. Leprosy , caused by the Mycobacterium leprae bacteria, was a...
(Left) Photo shows an Egyptian painted wood mummy portrait of a woman from the Roman period, circa 2nd or 3rd century AD. (Right) Cinnabar was widely used as a decorative pigment as well as a toxic cosmetic. A Chinese "cinnabar red" carved lacquer box from the Qing dynasty. Source: Public Domain, Andrew Lih / CC BY SA 2.0
11 April, 2024 - 01:00 Robbie Mitchell

Seven Unusual Beauty Treatments That Ancient Women Used (Video)

In the pursuit of beauty, ancient women employed unconventional methods, challenging modern notions of glamour. Foot binding , prevalent in 10th-century China, exemplifies the extremes sought for...
The tomb containing the three skeletons, two of which are thought to be victims of Neolithic ritual sacrifice was built in the style of a silo, or pit for storing grain, within a small wooden structure and surrounded by a trench. Source: Ludes et al/ Science Advances
10 April, 2024 - 23:00 Gary Manners

Investigation of Tomb Burial Reveals Sick Neolithic Ritual Sacrifices

Recent research has unearthed chilling evidence of ritual sacrifices in Neolithic Europe, a practice that involved the gruesome method of "incaprettamento" - tying victims' necks to their bent legs,...
Indigenous victims (likely smallpox), Florentine Codex (compiled 1540–1585) Source: Public Domain
10 April, 2024 - 00:47 Robbie Mitchell

The Mysterious Disease That Wiped Out the Aztecs (Video)

The Aztecs , a once-flourishing civilization in central Mexico, faced a devastating onslaught in the mid-16th century. While initially attributed to European diseases like smallpox, recent DNA...
Cropped image of the sculpture of Agrippina crowning her young son Nero. Source: Carlos Delgado/CC BY-SA 3.0
9 April, 2024 - 20:50 Robbie Mitchell

Agrippina the Younger and Her Influence on Nero (Video)

Agrippina the Younger wielded significant influence over her son Nero's rise to power. Initially content with a life of artistry, Nero's path shifted under his mother's ambition. Agrippina's...
AI image of a king pirate. Source: Fotokvadrat / Abode Stock.
8 April, 2024 - 17:58 Robbie Mitchell

How Henry Every Stole $200M, Got Away and Became a Superstar (Video)

On April Fool's Day in 1696, amidst the turmoil of the England-France conflict, Governor Nicholas Trott of the Island of Providence faced a grave predicament. Abandoned by the navy and plagued by...
Van Fortress or Castle of Van, is a massive stone fortification built by the ancient kingdom of Urartu. Source: seyfullah/Adobe Stock
8 April, 2024 - 11:10 Robbie Mitchell

The Forgotten Kingdom of Urartu: From Prosperity to Fall

The Kingdom of Urartu, a once significant ancient civilization nestled in the rugged terrain of the Armenian Highlands, flourished from the 9th to 6th centuries BC. Often overshadowed by its...
Representational image of the ancient Greek philosopher and biographer Plutarch. Source: Eduardo / Adobe Stock
7 April, 2024 - 14:38 Aleksa Vučković

The Legacy of Plutarch: One of the Greatest Minds of Ancient Greece

Plutarch is a historical figure whose name is a fundamental part of the world’s shared history, standing as one of antiquity's most revered biographers and philosophers. He was born around 46 AD in...
In 477 BC, the Battle of the Cremera was fought between the Roman Republic and Veii, leading to the loss of Roman control over the river Cremera. This allowed Veientes to penetrate deeper into Roman territory. Source: Frans Vandewalle / CC BY-SA 2.0
6 April, 2024 - 22:52 Robbie Mitchell

Clash of Titans: The Roman-Etruscan Wars of Ancient Italy

The Roman-Etruscan Wars represent a significant chapter in the ancient history of ancient Italy, marking the clashes between the burgeoning power of Rome and the advanced civilization of the...
Representative image of the Roman cavalry. Source: furyon / Adobe Stock By Aleksa Vučković
5 April, 2024 - 17:48 Aleksa Vučković

Roman Cavalry, the Backbone of Rome’s Great Expansion

In ancient times, no army was truly powerful without a cavalry . The equivalent of modern tanks and special forces, cavalrymen were the terror of the ancient battlefields. A force to be reckoned with...
Septimius Severus bust sculpture, former Roman emperor. Generative AI. Source: NorLife/Adobe Stock
5 April, 2024 - 00:41 Robbie Mitchell

Septimius Severus and the Severan Dynasty, In Brief (Video)

Septimius Severus , the African emperor, ascended to power in 193 AD, heralding the inception of the Severan dynasty , a transformative epoch in Roman history. His reign, characterized by relentless...
Pope Leo X and his cousins, by Raphael. Pope Leo X was a prominent member of the Medici Dynasty and Pope of the Catholic Church. Source: Public domain
4 April, 2024 - 22:17 Robbie Mitchell

The Medici Dynasty: Unraveling the Legacy of the Masters of Florence

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...
The Procession Picture, c. 1600, showing Elizabeth I borne along by her courtiers. Source: Public Domain
4 April, 2024 - 20:54 Robbie Mitchell

The Strange and Absurd Rules of Elizabethan Manners (Video)

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...
University of Rochester illustration based on the miniature of Christine and Sybil from Christine de Pizan’s Collected works (‘The Book of the Queen’). British Library Harley MS 4431, fol 189v. Source: Michael Osadciw/University of Rochester
4 April, 2024 - 17:49 ancient-origins

Surprising Facts and Beliefs About Eclipses from the Medieval and Renaissance Eras

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,...
AI image of Anglo-Saxon soldiers fighting in battle. Source: Sarah/Adobe Stock
3 April, 2024 - 21:52 Robbie Mitchell

How Violent Were the Anglo-Saxons Really? (Video)

The Anglo-Saxons , comprised of diverse tribes such as the Angles, Saxons, and Jutes, arrived in Britain during the 5th century, following the decline of Roman influence. While historical narratives...
Aerial view of Circus Maximus, an ancient Roman chariot-racing stadium and mass entertainment venue in Rome, Italy. Now it's a public park but it was the first and largest stadium in ancient Rome. Source: Stefano Tammaro/Adobe Stock
3 April, 2024 - 00:56 Robbie Mitchell

What Happened in Rome’s Circus Maximus? (Video)

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...

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