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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.

Colorful hot air balloons flying over Red valley in Cappadocia, Anatolia, Turkey (Svetlana Nikolaeva/ Adobe Stock)
4 February, 2020 - 03:16 jim willis

Who Built This City? Underground Derinkuyu, and the Rock Churches of Göreme

Could the underground cities in Cappadocia, Turkey date back to 12,800 years ago? In 1963, so the story goes, a man living in Cappadocia excavated some large stones from his basement while renovating...
Portuguese caravel of the 15th century. Credit: Michael Rosskothen / Adobe Stock
3 February, 2020 - 13:55 dhwty

Epic Voyage of Vasco da Gama Connected Europe to the East

Vasco da Gama was a Portuguese sailor and explorer who lived between the 15th and 16th centuries. Not only is da Gama a significant figure in the history of Portugal and Europe, but he is also an...
The Frisians are historically recognized as brave warriors. Source: lassedesignen/Adobe Stock
2 February, 2020 - 14:01 Aleksa Vučković

The Frisians: Fierce Fighters of The North Sea Coasts

The world of Germanic nations is a diverse and rich cultural ethnosphere whose languages and cultures came to dominate Western Europe and much of the world. Their history is rich and spans centuries...
King Arthur statue at Tingagel (Deriv/ CC0)
1 February, 2020 - 03:21 ashley cowie

Real World Locations, Where Myth Meets Reality

Mythology presented in books, arts, cartoons and movies have subliminally forged impressions of mythical castles, magical mountains and enchanted forests in people’s minds, but many of the places...
Return to the Convent by Eduardo Zamacois y Zabala (1868) Carmen Thyssen Museum (Public Domain)
30 January, 2020 - 23:15 Roberto Volterri

Mockery of the Crucifixion: The Sacred Donkey and the Cross

In 1857 in a cell of the ruins of Imperial Palace on the Palantine Hill in Rome, a curious graffiti representing a crucified man ( corpus humanum... suffigitur in cruce ) but with the head and ears...
The Capture of Atahualpa. Juan B. Lepiani, (1864-1932)(Public Domain)
28 January, 2020 - 03:37 ashley cowie

God’s Devils: The Men Who Conquered South America

From the moment Christopher Columbus found land previously unknown to Europe in 1492, thousands of men came to the New World seeking their fortunes and for two centuries they explored and conquered...
The Age of Discovery was a time when European explorers journeyed across the world. Source: oleskalashnik/Adobe Stock
27 January, 2020 - 23:02 dhwty

The Age of Discovery: A New World Dawns

The Age of Discovery (also known as the Age of Exploration) refers to an exciting era in European history when a number of extensive overseas voyages took place. This period lasted roughly from the...
An example of a Sheela na gig, a carving of a naked woman with an exaggerated vulva.
26 January, 2020 - 18:12 ancient-origins

Viva La Vulva! When Did Female Genitalia Become Obscene?

In September 2019, a French ad for feminine hygiene products featuring taboo-breaking representations of vulvas and menstruation sparked controversy . Yet in a cultural context in France, phallic...
Hyper realistic reconstruction of Emperor Nero from bust. Photo courtesy of artist Salva Ruano, All Rights Reserved. https://cesaresderoma.com/
26 January, 2020 - 14:00 dhwty

Roman Emperor Nero: Does He Deserve His Bad Boy Reputation?

Nero (in full Nero Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus) was a Roman emperor who lived during the 1 st century AD. He was the fifth and last emperor of the Julio-Claudian dynasty, which had been...
Cleopatra Testing Poisons on Condemned Prisoners by Alexandre Cabanel (1887) (Public Domain)
24 January, 2020 - 15:00 ashley cowie

Poison Paranoia: Mythical Antidotes of Ancient Alchemists

Of all the ways to murder someone poisoning must be the most underhanded and downright evil way to proceed. The whole art of poisoning, as it is often referred too, was developed as a stealth way to...
Spartan woman in foreground with her warrior husband in the background. Source: serhiibobyk / Adobe stock
23 January, 2020 - 18:46 B. B. Wagner

What Makes Spartan Women So Different From Other Ancients?

In Sparta , the individual did not matter. Everything was for the preservation and continuous strengthening of the state. They built no walls since they welcomed any to challenge invasion. They lit...
Phaèdra by Alexandre Cabanel (1818) Musee Fabre. (Public Domain)
23 January, 2020 - 02:38 MartiniF

Fields of Mourning, Where Grieving Love-Sick Women Retire

Hidden deep within the bowels of the earth and ruled by the god Hades and his wife Persephone, the ancient Greek Underworld was the kingdom of the dead, the sunless, cold and shadowy place where the...
Egyptian gods. Source: Catmando / Adobe Stock
22 January, 2020 - 14:02 dhwty

Polytheistic Religion: How Pantheons Reigned in the Ancient World

Over the years there have been gods for creation, death, love, war, and everything in between. Zeus, Hera, and their companions on Mount Olympus, Odin, Frigg, and the rest of the Æsir, Osiris, Isis,...
Sts Savinus and Cyprian are tortured (circa 1100) Abbey Church of Saint-Savin-sur-Gartempe (Public Domain)
21 January, 2020 - 03:00 micki pistorius

Horrific Prolonged Capital Punishments in Ancient Times

All are familiar with the burning of witches and criminals – who often died by asphyxia or cardiac arrest before their flesh was consumed by the flames - but since antiquity the cruel ingenuity of...
John of Bohemia. Source: Ondřej Kořínek/CC BY SA 3.0
19 January, 2020 - 23:01 dhwty

John of Bohemia: A Heroic King Blind to His Fate

John of Bohemia was a king of Bohemia who lived between the 13th and 14th centuries. He was known also as John of Luxembourg, as well as John the Blind. The former indicates that John belonged to the...
Native Americans see the arrival of an explorer’s ship. Credit: ginettigino / Adobe Stock
18 January, 2020 - 18:57 Aleksa Vučković

Amerigo Vespucci: The Forgotten Explorer Who Named America

The age of discovery is certainly one of the most dramatic periods of European history - a period of revolutionary voyages and contacts with the fascinating and mysterious New World . Many prominent...
Roman leader and his soldiers. Credit: vukkostic / Adobe Stock
18 January, 2020 - 14:01 dhwty

Lucius Verus – The Outshone Roman Emperor Governed by his Vices

Lucius Verus was a Roman emperor who lived during the 2nd century AD. Unfortunately for Lucius, he is often forgotten by history, as his reign is overshadowed by that of Marcus Aurelius, his co-...
God statue in traditional old oriental Chinese temple in Taiwan (Chinese Translation on lantern : name of the Chinese god of sea, Matsu) (voyata/Adobe Stock)
18 January, 2020 - 00:29 MartiniF

Lei Gong and the Ministry of Thunder and Storms

Thunderstorms were one of the most powerful and frightening natural phenomena encountered by the ancients. However, it paradoxically also brought life-giving rain. The universal experience of thunder...
Representation of the Albigensian Crusades against the Cathars. Source: Yelkrokoyade / Public Domain.
17 January, 2020 - 19:09 Aleksa Vučković

The Fall of Spirituality: The Blood-Soaked History of the Cathars

The history of Christianity has always been filled with struggle. When the Middle Ages brought a rise in devoted, unique Christian teachings, the Church responded by declaring them heretics. And the...
The Queen of Sheba meets with King Solomon. Source: Archivist / Adobe Stock.
17 January, 2020 - 14:02 dhwty

The Queen of Sheba: How A Legend Was Born

The Queen of Sheba is an enigmatic figure found in all three of the Abrahamic faiths, i.e. Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. In addition to her presence in these three religions, the Queen of Sheba...
Thetis receiving the arms of Achilles from Hephaestus by Peter Paul Rubens (1630) Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen (Public Domain)
16 January, 2020 - 00:50 Roberto Volterri

Ancient Artificial Intelligence: The Mechanical Messiah and Other Automatons

It may not be long before Artificial Intelligence creates access to God via modern technology, however during the 19th century, a spiritualist by the name of John Murray Spear was inspired to build a...
Man has requested Trial By Combat with ex-wife and her lawyer. Source: beeboys / Adobe Stock
15 January, 2020 - 23:03 ashley cowie

Man Demands Trial By Combat With Ex-Wife and Her Lawyer

A Kansas man has requested a ‘ trial by combat ’ with his wife and her lawyer to settle an ongoing dispute. To settle ongoing and clearly painful legal disputes, David Ostrom, 40, of Paola, Kansas...
Prince Alexander Nevsky receiving papal legates. Source: Shakko / Public Domain.
14 January, 2020 - 19:10 Aleksa Vučković

Between the Hammer and Anvil: The Life of Grand Prince Alexander Nevsky

Today, the Slavic peoples are the largest ethno-linguistic group of Europe, and number over 360 million persons worldwide. Their long and rich history is a crucial part of the very foundation of...
Scenes from Jerusalem (CC0)
14 January, 2020 - 01:20 Roberto Volterri

17 Years in Tibet: Where Did Jesus Wander?

“ Every year Jesus’ parents went to Jerusalem for the Festival of the Passover. When he was 12 years old, they went up to the festival, according to the custom. After the festival was over, while his...

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