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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.

Graphic of two kung fu fighters in moonlight. Source: silla5775 / Adobe Stock
28 September, 2022 - 22:44 Robbie Mitchell

The History of Kung Fu: A Modern Name for an Ancient Art

Martial arts have become increasingly popular over the last few decades. Out of all the martial arts, kung fu, popularized by stars like Bruce Lee and Jackie Chan, has become the most well-known...
Hands sprinkling salt. Humans have cultivated salt for centuries, but in some places, salt has covered the earth. Source: Left zlikovec / Adobe Stock
28 September, 2022 - 19:00 Mark Johnston

Salt Sowing: An Ancient Method to Settle Scores

Many people use salt to bring out the flavor in their food. Others spread it on icy roads and sidewalks to give vehicles or pedestrians some grip as they go about their day. It is, by most accounts,...
The Silk Road offered opportunities to explore, not only new lands, but new sexual adventures. Source: Demian / Adobe Stock
28 September, 2022 - 01:39 Molly Dowdeswell

Sexual Exploits and Exploitation along the Silk Road

The Silk Road created a convergence of cultures like no other. The route is deemed influential by historians because of the contributions it made to trade and the economy, as well as society in...
The most mystifying grave found during the July-August dig season at Pampa La Cruz in northern Peru held five children in a circle with their heads almost touching. Source: andina / Huanchaco Archaeological Program
26 September, 2022 - 18:11 Sahir

76 Pre-Inca Child Sacrifices Found at Peru’s Pampa La Cruz site

Archaeologists working at the pre-Inca Pampa La Cruz site in Peru have found even more evidence of Chimu child sacrifice practices. The sacrificial remains of 76 more children have been discovered at...
Temple of the Great Jaguar at Tikal in Guatemala, where high levels of mercury have been found. Source: IBRESTER / Adobe Stock
24 September, 2022 - 14:59 Nathan Falde

Meta-Study Shows Ancient Maya were at High Risk of Mercury Poisoning

The Maya Empire dominated large swaths of Mesoamerica for more than 3,000 years. But despite their impressive record of survival, the Maya civilization did not live completely in harmony with their...
Jujutsu practitioner tightening their belt. Source: Soloviova Liudmyla / Adobe Stock
22 September, 2022 - 23:00 Robbie Mitchell

The Battleground Origins of Jujutsu

It’s likely that if you’ve ever seen a Hollywood action film you’ve probably heard of jujutsu. Thanks to films like The Matrix and the John Wick franchise, jujutsu is more in the public eye than ever...
Viking woman enjoying daily pastoral life on the homestead. Source: selenit / Adobe Stock
21 September, 2022 - 01:36 Sahir

Everyday Viking Life: More Farmers Than Fighters

The Vikings, the seafaring Norse pirates and traders from the Scandinavian region, left an indelible mark on history, particularly European history, as they raided, looted, pillaged, and conquered...
Gout can be caused by large amounts of red meat and alcohol, a common diet of historical kings Source: diter / Adobe Stock
20 September, 2022 - 14:56 Robbie Mitchell

Why Was Gout The Kingliest of Ailments?

When we think of historically significant diseases we tend to think of diseases like the bubonic plague, cholera, tuberculosis, or more recently, COVID-19. These are all diseases that have had almost...
Leonardo da Vinci’s weapons included a tank and a scythed chariot, drawings shown here. Source: janaka Dharmasena / Adobe Stock
17 September, 2022 - 19:00 Robbie Mitchell

Da Vinci’s Deadly Designs: The Wildest Weapons of the Renaissance Man

Although Leonardo da Vinci is predominantly remembered as a great artist, he was also a remarkable scientist and inventor. Many of his inventions were weird, some were wonderful, and more than a few...
Vintage postcard showing European tourism destinations. Source: Freesurf/Adobe Stock
16 September, 2022 - 14:52 Lex Leigh

Tourism Through the Ages: The Human Desire to Explore

Although taking a summer vacation is now a standard aspect of modern-day civilization for many, it wasn’t always that way. Tourism was far less common in ancient times than it is today, but that...
The Duchy of Cornwall office in The Old Rectory, Newton St Loe, Bath, England is home to the centralized finance and property teams and members who manage the commercial property portfolio, the development sites, and the estates belonging to the Duchy. Source: Rwendland / CC BY-SA 3.0
15 September, 2022 - 22:55 Sahir

Prince William Inherits Ancient Duchy of Cornwall Estate Worth $1.2billion!

With Britain’s longest reigning monarch, Queen Elizabeth II, passing last week, most of the Royal Estates passed to the next sovereign, King Charles III. However, the line of succession ensures that...
A recent study has revealed that one particular Scottish settlement in the early Neolithic period didn’t use manure-based fertilizers though farmers adjacent to them did. Cow manure like this is still highly recycled and used all over Africa and Asia. Source: wisawa222 / Adobe Stock
14 September, 2022 - 22:55 Nathan Falde

Why One Neolithic Scottish Settlement Didn’t Need Any Fertilizer

People living in Western Europe and on the British Isles during the Neolithic Period (10000 to 2200 BC) had already discovered the powers of manure-based fertilizer to increase crop yields. In fact,...
Image illustrating the divorce by combat rules, from a fencing manual composed in 1459 by Hans Talhoffer. Source: Public Domain
13 September, 2022 - 14:54 Robbie Mitchell

Medieval Divorce by Combat: Guaranteeing ‘til Death do us Part’

Divorce is a subject that has provided endless material for drama and comedy writers through the ages, from Euripides to Shakespeare to today’s New York Times bestseller list. When Kenneth Hodges, a...
William, the new Prince of Wales and Catherine, Princess of Wales visiting Sweden in 2018. Source: Frankie Fouganthin / CC BY-SA 4.0
12 September, 2022 - 22:58 Nathan Falde

Why is William’s New Prince of Wales Title So Significant?

In King Charles III’s first speech to the nation, he made an announcement that was fully expected, but still significant. The new king confirmed that he’d named his oldest son William as the new...
A man in black shirt sitting and doing qigong with his hands directing his body's life energy or qi. Source: Anna / Adobe Stock
12 September, 2022 - 18:57 Robbie Mitchell

The Ancient Chinese Healing Art of Qigong

Visit any park in China over the last few hundred years and you’re likely to see dozens of people practicing qigong. What started as a traditional Chinese treatment over 4,000 years ago has become a...
St. Edward's Crown, the centrepiece of the Crown Jewels of the United Kingdom. Credit: The Royal Collection Trust
11 September, 2022 - 18:50 Nathan Falde

St. Edward’s Crown to Be Worn Again at King Charles III’s Coronation

The royal coronation of the newly proclaimed King Charles III will take place a few months from now. During this ancient ritual, which dates back nearly 1,000 years, the king will have placed upon...
The death of Queen Elizabeth II has triggered conversation about the royal line of succession. Source: PolizeiBerlin / CC BY-SA 4.0
10 September, 2022 - 01:52 Sahir

The Queen’s Death Sparks Conversation Around Royal Line of Succession

In 1953, 8,251 guests from 181 countries and territories participated in the coronation of Elizabeth II. With her passing, her oldest son, Charles, takes over as monarch and be formally proclaimed...
Queen Elizabeth II, The Second Longest-Reigning Monarch in History Dies
8 September, 2022 - 19:16 Cecilia Bogaard

Queen Elizabeth II, the Second Longest-Reigning Monarch in History, Dies

Today, Thursday 8th of September, 2022, Queen Elizabeth II, Queen of Great Britain, Northern Ireland and the Commonwealth has passed away peacefully at her country home, Balmoral. The news comes just...
Depiction of fishermen jousting in the Mastaba tomb of Niankhkhnum and Khnumhotep, Saqqara, Egypt. Source: kairoinfo4u / CC BY-NC-SA 2.0
5 September, 2022 - 14:58 Sahir

Fisherman Jousting: An Ancient Egyptian Sport with a Violent History

Ancient history is full of examples of violence, not only in the form of torture and killings, but also in entertainment and sports. From the bloody gladiatorial combats of ancient Rome, to the Maya...
Two men practicing karate Source: Andrey Burmakin / Adobe Stock
4 September, 2022 - 14:59 Robbie Mitchell

Friends to Foes: The Surprising Origin and Evolution of Karate

When you think of martial arts, karate is probably one of the first that comes to mind. It has appeared in countless action films, TV shows, and video games. Today, parents all over the world send...
There are strange jobs, like cleaning toilets, and then there are really strange jobs, like the early barber surgeons of Europe, who drained you of blood, tore your mouth apart, and even stranger things. A sadistic tooth-drawer frightening his patient with a hot coal causing him to pull away violently in an 1810-AD color etching by J. Collier. Source: Wellcome Images / CC BY 4.0
30 August, 2022 - 18:52 Lex Leigh

11 of History’s Weirdest Jobs

There have been lots of interesting jobs throughout history, but some are certainly weirder than others. With changing technologies and shifting social norms, strange jobs have taken the forefront of...
Medieval alehouses were often a community gathering space. Source: Eco-Pim studio / Adobe Stock
29 August, 2022 - 22:48 Sahir

East Yorkshire Site Yields a Possible Medieval Alehouse or Hostel

At a site in East Yorkshire, an archaeological dig has been in progress for three weeks to uncover the secrets of a medieval village. Now, archaeologists believe they have discovered a centuries-old...
Chinese knife money. Source: sytilin / Adobe Stock
27 August, 2022 - 18:51 Mark Johnston

Chinese Knife Money: Making Markets feel Murderous?

The days of ‘cash as king’ are fading. Today, credit, debit, and digital currency have begun to slowly replace cash as the primary forms of payment, but it was not always so. For centuries, paper...
The village and citadel at Thula have their roots in the Himyarite kingdom. Source: fotoember/ Adobe Stock
26 August, 2022 - 14:48 Robbie Mitchell

The Himyarite Kingdom’s Bloody Conversion to Judaism: Passion or Ploy?

The Himyarite Kingdom was established in 110 BC and lasted until 570 AC. It is most often remembered these days as the “Jewish Kingdom”, thanks to the fact that for some time its predominant religion...

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