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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.

Gallo-Roman mosaic
24 September, 2020 - 20:59 Riley Winters

How Gaul ‘Barbarians’ Influenced Ancient Roman Religion

The continental neighbors of the Romans, the Gauls were considered barbaric entities which the Republic and Empire attempted to colonize multiple times. Caesar’s numerous conquests on the mainland...
Were Asclepian Centers Powered By Magical Ritual or Holistic Healthcare?
23 September, 2020 - 22:01 Gloria Moss

Were Asclepian Centers Powered By Magical Ritual or Holistic Healthcare?

Doctors the world over take the Hippocratic oath swearing to do no harm to patients. In doing this, to quote the words of the oath itself, they “call upon Apollo the physician and Asclepius, Hygeia...
Hermetic Individuation: The Way Of Hermes and The Rite of Rebirth
23 September, 2020 - 18:17 Jason Jarrell

Hermetic Individuation: The Way Of Hermes and The Rite of Rebirth

There are only a handful of surviving texts that describe what could be termed true “rites of passage” along the Way of Hermes. One such text—which contains what many consider the essential Hermetic...
Man drinking alcohol. Credit: Rainer Fuhrmann / Adobe Stock
21 September, 2020 - 13:56 Ed Whelan

Infamous Ancient Irish Spirit Is Now Legal and Sales Are Booming!

An Irish spirit that was until recently illegal is making a big comeback. Poteen which is pronounced as potcheen is a potent alcoholic drink and was notorious because it was so strong. Distillers in...
Eat Like a Viking: Ancient Gruel Was Tastier Than it Sounds!
20 September, 2020 - 00:23 Alicia McDermott

Eat Like a Viking: Ancient Gruel Was Tastier Than it Sounds!

Gruel . Indecipherable grey mush slopped on a plate? Not necessarily! Viking food was simple but that was just the beginning. Porridge and gruel made from whole or cracked grains were popular meals...
Was Napoleon’s penis his biggest secret? Source: denissimonov / Adobe Stock
18 September, 2020 - 21:57 ashley cowie

The Journey of Napoleon’s Penis: Here’s the Long and the Short of It

Perhaps the only thing more satisfying than a “big” story is one where celebrity and bizarre personal details combine to create an even bigger story. This is certainly true in the fascinating and...
Zheng He’s fleet Cheng Ho Cultural Museum – Exhibition (CC0)
18 September, 2020 - 20:28 MartiniF

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...
Could the origins of Jewish New Year really lie in the coronation of Akhenaten? Source: On the left Jon Bodsworth. Background image Arthur Szyk / CC BY-SA 4.0
17 September, 2020 - 13:56 Jonathon Perrin

Surprising Links Between Pharaoh Akhenaten and the Jewish New Year

The origin of Jewish New Year celebrations has long been shrouded in mystery. Families around the world celebrate it during autumn with sweet delicacies, joyous prayers, and the blasting of the...
The Adoration of the Golden Calf – Picture from the Hortus deliciarum of Herrad of Landsberg (12th century) (Public Domain)
16 September, 2020 - 21:59 tedloukes

Early Jewish Monotheism and Egyptian Atenism – One And The Same?

The religious influences upon both Akhenaten and his brother Tuthmose from the temples of Heliopolis went a long way in fashioning their comparative belief systems. By encouraging the older solar...
Romulus and Remus placed in the river
16 September, 2020 - 02:06 ML Childs

Romulus and Remus, Osiris and Moses: Are the Storytelling Similarities a Mere Coincidence?

The stories of Romulus and Remus, Osiris, and Moses all share a common element. Why is it that the overarching theme surrounding ancient people and the start of their legacy is a male floating down...
Igor of Kiev wasn’t the most successful ruler of the Kievan Rus’. Source: Public domain
15 September, 2020 - 14:03 Aleksa Vučković

Prince Igor of Kiev (Kyiv): War and Diplomacy in the Early Rus’

The early beginnings of the Kievan (Kyivan) Rus’ are a highly researched subject that is a defining part of the history of the eastern Slavic peoples. The roots of Ukraine, Belarus, and Russia are...
Charon accompanies the Souls across the Styx (CC0)
14 September, 2020 - 19:07 ashley cowie

Psychopomp: Crossing Over Passage in Ancient Ghostlore

Modern science has, for the last two centuries, replaced most of the spirits, entities, demons and ghosts of the ancient world with logical explanations demonstrated through scientific...
A three-masted schooner similar to the Thomas Hume
13 September, 2020 - 17:59 dhwty

The Mysterious Disappearance of the Thomas Hume and its Dramatic Rediscovery

The Great Lakes has served as a means of connecting the middle of the North American continent to the Atlantic Ocean, and has been used as a major water transport corridor for centuries. The first...
In the face of all the odds, the lives of Empress Nur Jahan and Queen Elizabeth I continue to inspire generations of women, as their strength turned them into feminist icons ahead of their time. Source: Left - Public domain. Right - Public domain.
12 September, 2020 - 22:56 Khadija Tauseef

Empress Nur Jahan and Queen Elizabeth I: Female Icons Ahead of Their Time

Our world has numerous examples of kings who have left a significant impact upon the lives of their people. As the saying goes, “behind every powerful man is an extraordinary woman.” Queen Elizabeth...
Death of Muhammad II of Khwarezm. From Jami' al-tawarikh by Rashid-al-Din Hamadani. (Public Domain)
11 September, 2020 - 20:45 Cam Rea

In Pursuit Of The Shah, The Mongols Discover The West

In 1219, Genghis Khan led his armies into the mighty Khwarazmain Empire (present-day Central Asia, Afghanistan, and Iran) and smashed it. The provocation of this attack was due to the mistreatment of...
There seems to have been a concerted effort to keep scientific data conducted after the 1952 discovery of the remains of Pakal the Great under wraps. What are they hiding? Source: Jeffrey Holstein
9 September, 2020 - 18:50 Mark A. Carpenter

The Secret Skull of Pakal the Great: An Academic Cover-Up?

In 1952, deep within the smoldering cedar and mahogany forests of southern Mexico , and after four years of arduous toiling, the archaeologist Alberto Ruz Lhuillier finally finished removing the...
Siege of Tyre by Sébastien Mamerot (1493) (Public Domain)
9 September, 2020 - 16:21 ashley cowie

Ancient Engineering: The Art Of Siege Warfare

The word ‘siege‘ conjures up imagery of high wooden towers attacking thick stone castle walls, but in the ancient world sieges also required extreme engineering prowess. Innovations in attack...
A Jolly Roger, the infamous pirate flag
8 September, 2020 - 21:36 mrreese

The Origin of the Jolly Roger, The Ultimate Pirate Flag

There are many objects of piracy that are used as symbols of the practice today – walking the plank, a wooden leg, an eye patch , a hook for a hand, and a single gold hoop earring. However, the most...
Ten Things the Ancients Did Better than Us
8 September, 2020 - 15:12 aprilholloway

Ten Things the Ancients Did Better than Us

Just a couple of decades ago, the people of ancient civilizations were viewed as simple, primitive people. However, numerous discoveries since then have revealed a number of surprising facts about...
Pura Ulun Danu Bratan at Bali, Indonesia (zephyr_p/ Adobe stock)
7 September, 2020 - 20:08 MartiniF

King Udayana Religious Financial Reformer of Ancient Bali

In ancient India, legendary King Udayana was a king of the city of Kaushambi in the north-central India as well as a patron of Shakyamuni Buddha. The Buddhist scripture Samyutta Nikaya records...
A Beothuk woman named Demasduit
6 September, 2020 - 22:43 Ron Ryan

The Beothuck Key: Finding a Lost Chinese-Norse Civilization in Canada

Two mysteries - one Oriental, one Western - have attracted considerable attention recently both in academic and popular spheres: the disappearance of the Seventh Chinese Treasure Fleet and the...
A Roman legion and its general.
5 September, 2020 - 13:54 Aleksa Vučković

The Roman Legions: The Organized Military Force Of The Roman Empire

There is no doubt that the magnificent and long history of Rome was to a large extent dependent on its strong and highly developed army . From its earliest emergence, through the Roman Kingdom,...
Chumash cave paintings at Painted Cave in the mountains above Santa Barbara
4 September, 2020 - 21:20 Riley Winters

The Colors of the Wind: Hidden Messages of the Chumash Cave Paintings

Take a moment, and close your eyes. Breathe deeply, and inhale the salt of the air and feel the light brush of low-hanging tree branches caressing your face. Feel the rocky ground beneath your toes,...
Puzzle of Ancient Anatolia, Istanbul Archaeological Museum (Image: Courtesy Micki Pistorius)
4 September, 2020 - 18:17 jim willis

Ancient Gods In Anatolia: Founders Of The Neolithic Era

Almost 12,000 years ago, in the remote recesses of Anatolia, today's southeast Turkey, something happened that, seemingly overnight, completely changed the course of human evolution. Far flung bands...

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