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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.

Mysterious man on a creepy night. Who really killed the King?
27 October, 2021 - 00:45 David Halpin

Who Killed the King? An Ancient Irish Murder Mystery

It might almost be a shocking moment from a Shakespeare play or even a plot-line from Game of Thrones, but the murder of an ancient Irish king, Crimthann mac Énnai, is an event which actually took...
Gods Throwing Dice: Cleromancy In The Trojan War
25 October, 2021 - 20:53 micki pistorius

Gods Throwing Dice: Cleromancy In The Trojan War

Rage—Goddess, sing the rage of Peleus' son Achilles, murderous, doomed, that cost the Achaeans countless losses, hurling down to the House of Death so many sturdy souls, great fighters' souls, but...
Theodelinda, queen of the Lombards, marries Agilulf, duke of Turin, in a painting by Fratelli Zavattari. Source: Fratelli Zavattari / Public domain
25 October, 2021 - 15:07 Aleksa Vučković

The Lombards: The “Barbaric” Germanic Warriors Who Changed Italy

As the Roman Empire crumbled, the history of the ancient world was undoubtedly marked and shaped by more than one powerful Germanic tribe. From their oldest roots, they developed into iconic ethnic...
Stephen Childs theorizes that Gobekli Tepe was once a site for dramatic funerals and corpse exposure, where vultures and carnivores circled awaiting to play their part. Source: Ezume Images / Adobe Stock
23 October, 2021 - 18:49 Stephen Childs

Corpse Recycling at Gobekli Tepe: The True Purpose of its Ancient Stone Circles?

The following essay is an extract from Stone Circles Explained by Stephen Childs, in which the author offers some original theories regarding the purpose of stone circles. Covering sites from around...
Michelle Freson Ancient Origins Compilation
22 October, 2021 - 23:01 Michelle Freson

The Golden Age Of Heroes: The Glory Of The Mycenaean Civilization

The myths and legends of classical Greece told of a Golden Age of Heroes, of mighty kings, glorious palaces and warriors who fought courageously in fierce battles. This age that inspired the...
The Maltese architect believed that Malta was the location of legendary Atlantis. Source: fergregory / Adobe Stock
22 October, 2021 - 14:43 Laura Tabone

Maltese Architect’s Obsessive Lifelong Quest to Find Atlantis

The Maltese architect Giorgio Grognet de Vassé was born in Malta in 1774, before enjoying a varied career which culminated in his architectural design of the Rotunda of Mosta. Inspired by the...
1494 The Battle Of Acentejo: A Gaunches Victory At Tenerife Over The Castilians
20 October, 2021 - 21:01 Gustavo Sanchez...

1494 The Battle Of Acentejo: A Gaunches Victory At Tenerife Over The Castilians

A battle at the end of May 1494, on the north slope of the island of Tenerife, between the Castilian troops of the belligerent Catholic Monarchs of Fernando II of Aragon and Isabel I of Castile and a...
Jaques Le Gris, played by Adam Driver on the left, and Jean de Carrouges, played by Matt Damon, in The Last Duel. Source: 20th Century Studios
20 October, 2021 - 14:43 Aleksa Vučković

The True History Behind “The Last Duel” - A Tale of Trial by Combat

Medieval chivalric duels were undoubtedly the most thrilling events of the time. The last vestige of the ancient gladiatorial fights, knightly duels were a true display of the skill with arms and...
The Turin Papyrus composite and colored from plates 2-5 o the 1904 book "Aegyptische Chronologie" by Eduard Meyer (PLstrom / CC BY-SA 3.0)
18 October, 2021 - 21:35 Willem McLoud

New Ancient Middle Eastern Chronology Unlocks Hidden History Of Egypt and Mesopotamia

In the academic study of the ancient world, chronology or timeline is of the utmost importance. This is especially true for the ancient Middle East. When events in Egypt are to be correlated with...
Queen Mary applies the Royal Touch to cure scrofula. Source: M S Lapthorn / Public Domain.
18 October, 2021 - 14:45 Bipin Dimri

The Royal Touch: Could Medieval Monarchs Heal You With Their Hands?

For centuries, a commonality across the various monarchies of the world was a direct association between the ruler and a higher power. Kings and queens were seen either as God’s Chosen One or, in...
A medieval couple embrace. Source: diter / Adobe Stock
17 October, 2021 - 14:55 Sahir

The Aphrodisiacs that Spiced Up Sex Lives in the Ancient World

Sex is a primal urge humans share with animals. In the ancient world, human fertility had implications for safety and prosperity. However, as the search for birth control methods went hand in hand...
Order of the Dragon Source: Taily / Adobe Stock
16 October, 2021 - 22:39 Aleksa Vučković

The Chivalric Order of the Dragon, the Medieval Shield of Christendom

Medieval chivalric orders are the fabled and idealized stuff of legend. Upstanding knights , standing in defense of their faith and of the innocents, with their sophisticated manners and shining...
Panspermia theory argues that life came to Earth from elsewhere in our galaxy or even further away.(Dmitry / Adobe Stock)
16 October, 2021 - 16:08 jim willis

Gods Galactica, The Kardashev Scale: Mankind’s Future Destiny Prophesized

“ But where is Everybody ?” asks the Fermi Paradox in the 1950’s regarding intelligent civilizations in the universe. In 1964, a 32-year-old Soviet/Russian astrophysicist named Nikolai Semyonovich...
Are our conceptions of war and peace more civilized in modern times? The Apotheosis of War, by Vasily Vereshchagin. Source: Public domain
15 October, 2021 - 18:47 Meagan Dickerson

War and Peace in Pre-Modern Europe: Have We Really Bypassed Brutality?

When pondering themes of war and peace, there is a general perception among modern people of the Western world that the time we live in is decidedly more civilized and peaceful than any other era of...
The Doge’s Palace in Saint Mark’s Square, Venice. Source: Mapics / Adobe Stock.
14 October, 2021 - 14:47 Aleksa Vučković

The Republic of Venice, The Greatest Jewel of the Mediterranean?

To visit Venice is a dream of every passionate traveler. The city, crisscrossed with channels and marvelous relics of art and culture, is one of Italy’s most sought-after tourist destinations. But...
La Courtisane by Thomas Couture (1864) (Public Domain)
14 October, 2021 - 00:21 MartiniF

Women Of Independent Means, Revered Ancient Courtesans

One day, the 19th-century courtesan, Esther Guimond, was traveling through Naples when she was stopped for a routine examination of her passport. When asked her profession, she quietly and discreetly...
First Americans, photo of mural in the Page Museum, Los Angeles, by Travis S (CC BY-NC 2.0)
12 October, 2021 - 01:05 Michelle Freson

The Chumash: The Seashell First People Of North America

The question of how people first came to North America is as complicated as when they arrived. With new evidence comes new theories and the dates are being revised constantly. While the colonization...
Detail from Alcibiades Wounded. Source: Jean-Charles Nicaise Perrin / Public Domain.
9 October, 2021 - 18:58 B. B. Wagner

The Rise and Fall of Man: The Long History of Impotence Causes and Cures

Male impotence, commonly known as erectile dysfunction, is known today to have many causes, including cardiovascular disease, diabetes, post-prostatectomy procedures, neurological or psychological...
Meeting Between Cambyses II and Psammetichus III by Adrien Guignet (Public Domain)
9 October, 2021 - 04:13 ancient-origins

The Assyrian, Persian And Greek Conquest Of Ancient Egypt

During the eighth century BC, ancient Egypt was experiencing turbulent times. The country was split with a pharaoh ruling in Lower Egypt, but powerful priests of Amun were ruling Middle and Upper...
The Graeco-Bactrian Kingdom forged its own Greek identity, far from Greece. Source: Ksenia Tassel / Adobe Stock.
9 October, 2021 - 01:39 dhwty

The Graeco-Bactrian Kingdom: Alexander The Great’s Easternmost Legacy

Alexander the Great was one of the finest and most successful military leaders the world has ever seen. In the 4th century BC he carved out one of the largest empires in history, stretching from...
The Andronovo were skilled horse breeders. Source: Arthorse / Adobe Stock.
7 October, 2021 - 18:42 Aleksa Vučković

Who Were The Andronovo? Bronze Age Culture Of The Eurasian Steppe

It shouldn’t come as a surprise that our earliest origins lie somewhere far away from our current homeland. When Europeans are considered, modern history and science tell us that our languages and...
Jonah and the Whale by Peter Lastman (1621)Museum Kunstpalast (Public Domain)
6 October, 2021 - 21:42 ashley cowie

Muyso Akyqake, The Chaos Monster Archetype Of Lake Tota

The Biblical story of Jonah and the Whale uses shock and awe to install an ancient motif of mythology into the minds of children attending Sunday School. According to the Book of Jonah the Biblical...
Miraculous draught of fish Peter Paul Rubens (1610) Wallraf Richards Museum, Köln (Public Domain)
4 October, 2021 - 16:21 ralph ellis

Astrology In The Bible: Jesus The Fisher King

The Old and New Testaments are often portrayed as being written in isolation, and bearing little or no connection to the beliefs that preceded them. But this view is unlikely in the extreme, as the...
Sword swallowing can be dangerous, which is perhaps part of the appeal. Source: Wanderlustwoman195 / CC BY-SA 4.0.
2 October, 2021 - 22:39 Bipin Dimri

Biting Off More Than You Can Chew? The Dangerous History Of Sword Swallowing

Throughout human history we seem to have done almost anything to entertain ourselves, and some forms of entertainment have been pretty weird. Some of these have even teetered on the edge of the...

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