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History

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.

Examination of a Witch (1853) by T. H. Matteson, inspired by the Salem trials, which have been finally “closed” by the exoneration of the last Salem witch, Elizabeth Johnson. Source: Peabody Essex Museum / Public domain
3 August, 2022 - 18:52 Sahir

Last Salem Witch Has Been Exonerated Posthumously By Boston Court

It’s not just something one can bury in the recesses of history because even today many cultures across the world accuse women of practicing black magic and witchcraft. And women accused of this...
Relief of Mentuhotep II and the Goddess Hathor, circa 2010-2000 BC Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art
1 August, 2022 - 22:57 Jake Leigh-Howarth

Mentuhotep II and the Emergence of the Middle Kingdom

The iconic ancient Egyptians are perhaps the best and grandest example of an ancient civilization that was both technologically advanced and spiritually rich. It was during the Archaic Period that...
An illustration of a torture horse of the Spanish Donkey or Wooden Horse variety. (Public domain)
1 August, 2022 - 14:58 Sahir

The Spanish Donkey: Medieval History’s Most Horrific Torture Method

Throughout history, two things have remained constant. First, the intermingling of cultures has produced countless local variations of original ideas, be it cuisine, or language, or fashion. Second,...
Portrait of a male Viking wearing fur. Source: Digital Storm / Adobe Stock
30 July, 2022 - 15:01 Sahir

Elite Danish Vikings Wore Beaver Fur as a Status Symbol

A new study has revealed that elite Vikings, specifically highly ranked Danish Vikings, used and wore beaver furs as a means of showing off their exalted social status. This practice is not...
Weld-Blundell Prism, a clay cuneiform inscribed with the Sumerian Kings List. Source: Public domain
30 July, 2022 - 02:00 Joanna Gillan

The Sumerian King List Reveals the Origin of Mesopotamian Kingship

Out of the many incredible artifacts that have been recovered from sites in Iraq where flourishing Sumerian cities once stood, few have been more intriguing than the Sumerian King List. An ancient...
The Weighing of the Heart ritual, shown in the Book of the Dead of Sesostris. Source: Manfred Werner - Tsui / CC BY-SA 3.0
28 July, 2022 - 22:59 Jessica Nadeau

Did the Ancient Egyptians Create Art as a Way to Manifest Reality?

Among the extravagantly decorated tombs and temples that made Egyptian art immortal, there is something obscure. It could even be considered supernatural or otherworldly. Telling the stories of what...
Marble body lines of young naked Roman women of Renaissance Era Source: Neurobite / Adobe Stock)
28 July, 2022 - 14:59 Robbie Mitchell

A Guide to Exploring Love, Sex, and Homosexuality in Ancient Rome

When people think about love and sex in ancient Rome, it tends to be pretty scandalous: orgies here, there, and everywhere! But the truth is rarely black and white. Were the Romans more sexually...
Viking Longboat 'Hugin', Ramsgate. Source: Peter Lelliott / (CC BY-SA 2.0)
27 July, 2022 - 18:57 Mark Brophy

Viking Ships: More than Fearsome Weapons of the Open Seas

Few things struck fear into the hearts of medieval people more than the sight of a fleet of Viking ships sailing up the coast of their homelands. The Viking ship is iconic for its unique style,...
The Emperor Commodus Leaving the Arena at the Head of the Gladiators by American muralist Edwin Howland Blashfield. Source: Public Domain
27 July, 2022 - 14:58 Mark Brophy

5 Celebrity Gladiators of Bloodthirsty Ancient Rome

Fierce fighters, enslaved and forced into a world of violence and brutality, Roman gladiators provided gruesome entertainment to the Roman public, training for months in specialized schools managed...
Main: Earliest surviving beadnet dress with the lozenge pattern (CC by SA 3.0). Inset: A bead-net dress. Photo source: Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.
26 July, 2022 - 19:00 Mark Brophy

Dress like an Egyptian: Fashion, Style and Simplicity in Ancient Egyptian Clothing

The ancient Egyptians may have created some of the most mind-bogglingly complex and intricate monuments known to man, but when it came to clothing, they kept it remarkably simple. Ancient Egyptian...
Two skeletons known as The Lovers of Valdaro (CC BY-SA 4.0)
26 July, 2022 - 14:58 ashley cowie

Activist Group Tells Archaeologists Not to Assume Gender of Ancient Skeletons

Self-declared “anarchist archaeologists” are warning archaeologists not to assume the gender or race of ancient skeletons because they see the categorization of sexes as discriminatory to the dead...
Diogenes, depicted here by the French painter Jean-Léon Gérôme, was a philosopher of the cynic school of Greek philosophy and many thought he was crazy, but he was super popular with the people of Athens. Source: Jean-Léon Gérôme / Public domain
25 July, 2022 - 18:52 Mark Brophy

Diogenes: The Crazy Greek Philosopher Plato Called ‘Socrates Gone Mad’!

Diogenes (412 BC- 323 BC) was a Greek philosopher like no other. One of the founders of the cynic philosophy, Diogenes believed that people should live simple lives that reject all natural desires...
Section of X-ray image of Vincent van Gogh self-portrait discovered at the back of another van Gogh painting housed in Edinburgh. Source: National Galleries of Scotland
25 July, 2022 - 14:58 Lex Leigh

Hidden Faces: Vincent van Gogh's Secret Self-Portrait

Vincent van Gogh, one of the most famous figures in 19th-century Western art history, is still surprising us. According to the National Galleries of Scotland, a previously hidden self-portrait of van...
Jan Steen - The Lovesick Maiden [c.1660]. Source: Gandalf’s Gallery/CC BY-SA 2.0
24 July, 2022 - 23:00 Lex Leigh

Fake It Til’ You Make it: A History of the Placebo Effect

One of the most fascinating medical phenomena is the placebo effect. In medicine, a placebo is considered to be any medical treatment that is not “real.” This could be a fake pill, shot, or in some...
French manuscript from 1512/1514, showing Pythagoras turning his face away from fava beans in revulsion. Source: Public Domain
24 July, 2022 - 14:58 Sahir

Did Pythagoras’ Bizarre Fear of Fava Beans Contribute to his Death?

The ancient Ionian Greek philosopher Pythagoras (c.570-495 BC) is widely credited with many foundational mathematic and scientific discoveries. An ardent ascetic vegetarian, several myths emerged...
Therapist giving acupuncture to a woman. Source: juripozzi / Adobe Stock
23 July, 2022 - 22:59 Molly Dowdeswell

The Evolution of Acupuncture: From Ancient China to Worldwide Recognition

It is commonly believed that acupuncture played a key role in China’s medical history and is often seen as an integral part of China’s traditional health care, at least in the west. However, was this...
A relief depicting the god Anubis attending to the mummy of a worker. The recent study seems to indicate that Egyptian physicians were familiar with stroke victims and how to treat them. Source: Jean Robert Thibault / CC BY-SA 2.0
23 July, 2022 - 14:58 Nathan Falde

Scientists Discover 2,700-Year-Old Ancient Egyptian Stroke Victim

A detailed medical examination of the remains of one Egyptian mummy led to a surprising and unprecedented discovery. A team of researchers from New Jersey University in the United States, Alcalá...
Some information can be gathered about sex in ancient Egypt by viewing scenes from the mastaba tomb of Khnumhotep and Niankhkhnum at Saqqara in Egypt. Source: Sailingstone / Adobe Stock
22 July, 2022 - 18:52 Robbie Mitchell

Exploring Sex in Ancient Egypt

People often have the strange idea that people in the “olden days” were much more conservative when it came to sex than they are today. However, if modern history tells us anything it is that people...
The Hashshashins were a military group of trained fedayeen fighters, also known as the Order of Assassins. Source: warmtail / Adobe Stock
22 July, 2022 - 01:57 dhwty

The Notorious Hashshashins, the Original Assassins of Persia

When it comes to legends, none is quite as moviesque as that of the Hashshashins, who in the Middle Ages inspired fear in the hearts of leaders in the Middle East. Hassan-i Sabbah, dubbed the Old Man...
Alatri acropolis cyclopean wall by the Porta Maggiorre. Source: Laura Tabone
21 July, 2022 - 23:00 Laura Tabone

The Cyclopean Problem: Who Built Italy’s Astounding Ancient Walls?

Megalithic cyclopean masonry is found in many parts of Italy, including Lazio , Abruzzo, Campania, Umbria, Tuscany and Molise. This type of masonry involves fitting together huge differently shaped...
The landing of Columbus at the Island of Guanahaní, West Indies by John Vanderlyn, which was a success because the fake captain’s log kept the crew’s confidence up and prevented a mutiny. Source: John Vanderlyn / Public domain
20 July, 2022 - 19:00 Brendan Beatty

The Deception of Christopher Columbus and his Secret Captain’s Log

Christopher Columbus may be among the most important (if controversial) historical figures to ever live. The legacy of his voyage had resounding impacts that reverberated all the way around the globe...
Giovanni Girolamo Savoldo – Christ with Joseph of Arimathea Source: Public Domain
19 July, 2022 - 14:54 Molly Dowdeswell

Did Joseph of Arimathea Bring the Holy Grail to Britain?

According to the Biblical Gospels , Joseph of Arimathea played a key role in the days following Jesus’ death and leading up to his resurrection . It is claimed that he removed Jesus’ body from the...
Tiresias, the blind seer of Greek mythology. Source: matiasdelcarmine / Adobe Stock
19 July, 2022 - 02:00 Mark Johnston

Tiresias: The Blind Seer of Greek Mythology

Movies, video games, and comic books have made mythological figures like Zeus, Hercules, and Hades household names across the globe. These gods and heroes of ancient Grecian myth have carved out a...
Female pirate close up looking through trees. Representative of Anne Bonny. Source: stivog / Adobe Stock
18 July, 2022 - 22:55 Lex Leigh

Pirate Queens of the High Seas: Anne Bonny and Mary Read

When it comes to pirates, most people think of iconic names like Blackbeard , Calico Jack, or William Kidd . But what about female pirates? Although female pirates are less well-known, they did exist...

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