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The visit of the Queen of Sheba to King Solomon.

Solomon and Sheba: Were a Famous Pharaoh and Queen the Real Protagonists in this Love Story?

The story of Solomon and Sheba is well known as one of love. But it is only when we learn their true identities that we see how much affection and adoration Solomon had for his favorite Queen. He...
Image of the exterior of the Anchor Church Caves in Derbyshire, believed to have been first used as an Anglo-Saxon home. Source: Edmund Simons / RAU

Anchor Church Caves: Anglo-Saxon Home and Oldest House in Britain?

Archaeologists conducting a survey of a previously overlooked cave dwelling in Derbyshire have concluded that the sandstone caves were actually an Anglo-Saxon home way back in the 9th century. They’...
Statue of King Arthur at Tintagel. Source: Ian Capper / Gallos / CC-BY-SA-2.0.

King Arthur: A Very British Messiah?

King Arthur is undoubtedly one of the most enduringly popular heroes to come out of the medieval era, and he has meant many things to many people for hundreds of years. Over time, the mythology of...
Queen Ranavalona: Ruthless Ruler of Madagascar

Queen Ranavalona: Ruthless Ruler of Madagascar

Ranavalona was the 19th-century ruler of the Kingdom of Madagascar. She lived during a time when there was increasing contact between the island kingdom and Europeans. Ranavalona, however, pursued a...
Ancient Greek warrior. Source: breakermaximus / Adobe Stock

Agamemnon: Greek King, Trojan War Leader and Man of Power

Agamemnon is a major figure in Greek mythology. He was a king of Mycenae, and the supreme commander of the Greeks during the Trojan War. Therefore, he plays a significant role in Homer’s Iliad . As a...
The Afro-Bolivians And Their Monarchy In Bolivia: An Enigmatic Kingdom

The Afro-Bolivians And Their Monarchy In Bolivia: An Enigmatic Kingdom

Bolivia is a land full of wonders and little-known facts. The majestic nature of the mountainous Andes and the adjacent tropical forests, and the illustrious capital city of La Paz, nestled high...
Cassander: Ruthless Macedon King in the Shadow of Alexander the Great

Cassander: Ruthless Macedon King in the Shadow of Alexander the Great

Cassander was a King of Macedon who lived during the 4 th century BC. He was a son of Antipater, one of Alexander the Great’s generals. During Alexander’s campaign against the Achaemenids in the East...
Lars Porsena: The Famous Etruscan Ruler Who Threatened Rome

Lars Porsena: The Famous Etruscan Ruler Who Threatened Rome

Lars Porsena was an Etruscan ruler mentioned in the earliest accounts of Roman history. His story is associated with Lucius Tarquinius Superbus, the seventh and last semi-legendary king of Rome. Lars...
Recreating The Faces Of Two Scythian Empire Rulers With High Tech

Recreating The Faces Of Two Scythian Empire Rulers With High Tech

High technology has brought back a pair of super wealthy ancient nomadic Scythian Empire nobles discovered in a gold laden tomb in East Siberia. Described as a “Scythian King and Queen,” their...
Mad Monarchs & Outrageous Emperors: 7 Crazy Rulers of the Ancient World

Mad Monarchs & Outrageous Emperors: 7 Crazy Rulers of the Ancient World

Our understanding and treatment of mental illness has come a long way over the centuries – and it’s just as well! In medieval times, people suffering a bout of ‘melancholia’ or those deemed ‘mad’...
Did Romulus, the legendary first king of Rome, (neurobite /Adobe Stock) really exist? (samott /Adobe Stock)

The Romulus Riddle: Did the Legendary First King of Rome Really Exist?

Recent excavations in Rome have re-ignited the debate over whether the legendary first king of Rome, Romulus, was a historical character or just a fanciful work of fiction. In fact, earlier this year...
‘Scorpion King’s Domain’: The Oldest Place Name Sign in the World

‘Scorpion King’s Domain’: The Oldest Place Name Sign in the World

The oldest place name sign in the world has been found in Egypt. The inscription, which was etched into a rock in Wadi el Malik east of Aswan, dates back to the late fourth millennium BC. It names...
King Richard I portrait detail

Unmasking King Richard I: Does the Lionhearted King of England Have a Better Reputation Than He Deserves?

Cruel. Courageous. Scheming. Chivalrous. These are just some of the contradictory words that have been used to describe King Richard I, a ruler with a ‘Lion heart.’ But lions are not always majestic...
Greek Island’s Archaeological Treasures Reveal Hidden Story of a Pirate King

Greek Island’s Archaeological Treasures Reveal Hidden Story of a Pirate King

A rocky uninhabited Greek islet in the Aegean Sea is providing archaeologists with a treasure trove of finds, including new insight on the story of an ancient pirate king. There was once a small...
Was Rama Based on a Real Historical Figure?

Was Rama Based on a Real Historical Figure?

Rama, one of the principle figures of the Hindu text the Ramayana is revered throughout India and the world. Many historians doubt that Rama was an actual person, however, many Hindus believe he was...
Reog Ponorogo traditional dance lion and peacock mask

The Reog Ponorogo: A Dance of Rebellion Which Changed History

A fearsome lion monster with peacock feathers on its head charged and twirled about as cavalrymen curtseyed and jumped by. The onlookers were entranced with the story playing out in front of them...
Pharaoh Hatshepsut

Hatshepsut: The Queen Who became Pharaoh

Hatshepsut was the longest reigning female pharaoh. Under her reign, Egypt prospered. Known as “The Woman Who Was King,” the Egyptian economy flourished during her time as pharaoh. She directed the...
King Edward II’s Stone Head Unearthed at British Abbey

King Edward II’s Stone Head Unearthed at British Abbey

An excavation at a medieval Abbey in Britain has uncovered a treasure trove of finds. These include the personal effects of nuns and examples of religious art. But the most surprising artifact among...
Statue of Raja Bhoja in Bhopal at the time of sunset. Source: yash / Adobe Stock

The Curious Case of Multiple Raja Bhojas of India

Sometimes, a man acquires a legendary aura due to the benevolence of his heart or due to the greatness of his deeds. But often legends accumulate the collective qualities of various heroes and give...
Prester John was a legendary Medieval king. Source: diter / Adobe Stock

The Legend of Prester John and His Lost Kingdom in the East

Prester John (known also as Presbyter John or John the Elder) was a legendary figure in Europe during the Medieval and Early Modern periods. Europeans living at that time believed that Prester John...
African slave turned king. Credit: Max / Adobe Stock

Slave Turned King: The Rule of Miguel De Buria of Venezuela

In Venezuela’s early history, between 1552 to 1555, lies the first and most famous historical account of a slave revolt in the new world. This rebellion was led by Miguel de Buria, who not only won...
Ramesses II

The Life and Death of Ramesses II, Ramesses the Great

Ramesses II is arguably one of the greatest pharaohs of ancient Egypt (hence named Ramesses the Great), and also one of its most well-known. Ramesses II, the third pharaoh of the 19 th Dynasty,...
Viking in action. Credit: Nomad_Soul / Adobe Stock

The Life and Death of Sweyn Forkbeard and His Viking Empire

Sweyn I, known also as Sweyn Tiugeskaeg (which means ‘Forkbeard’), was a Viking chief who became the ruler of Denmark, Norway, and England. His byname, ‘Forkbeard’, is a reference to his long, cleft...
Deriv; The sands of Rub’ al Khali in Saudi Arabia (CC BY-SA 3.0), and dwellings near the Liwa Oasis, UAE

Qidan, The Lost City of King Ad: Hoax or Reality?

In the middle of World War II a Royal Air Force (RAF) transport plane flying off course over the Arabian desert found a ‘lost city’ deep in the Empty Quarter. It was never seen again. Or was it? In...

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