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The Pompeii “bakery-prison” where slaves and donkeys were locked up to grind the grain needed to make bread.       Source: Pompeii archaeological park

Brutal Bakery-Prison Operated by Slaves and Donkeys Found in Pompeii

Archaeologists searching through excavated rubble at the site where Pompeii once stood in southern Italy recently discovered the remains of a small, cramped room with unique characteristics and a...

Mary Queen of Scots Received Luxury Treatment in Prison

One of history’s most famous queens, Mary Stuart, better known as Mary Queen of Scots , reigned over Scotland between 1542 and 1567, until her infamous forced abdication in favor of her one-year-old...
Inscription on prison mosaic which states "The god-loving Akeptous has offered the table to God Jesus Christ as a memorial.” Source: Dr. Yotam Tepper / Israel Antiquities Authority

Entire Prison in Israel to Be Moved to Save Third-Century Jesus Mosaic

An ancient mosaic found among historic ruins in Megiddo in northern Israel has been deemed so historically significant that extraordinary efforts will be undertaken to make sure it is protected and...
 ‘An Arab Caravan outside a Fortified Town, Egypt.

Inside Rhinocolura, The City Of Noseless Criminals

Near the city of Gaza, 3,000 years ago, laid a city unlike any other in the world. The Greeks called it Rhinocolura, named for strange faces of the people who lived there – because every person there...
King John: The Worst Monarch in English History?

King John: The Worst Monarch in English History?

When it comes to Kings (and Queens) of England, there is strong competition as to who can claim the title of being the worst in the nation’s long history. There is Ethelred the Unready , whose...
The Gruesome Story of Tyburn Tree, London’s Infamous Gallows

The Gruesome Story of Tyburn Tree, London’s Infamous Gallows

In the modern day and age, crime is no less present than it was several hundred years ago. Sure, the world did become a lot more civilized, but criminals still exist. But the truth is, that while...
The oldest prison in England is now open for visitors to spend the night. Source: alswart / Adobe Stock

Brave Enough To Spend A Night in England’s Most Haunted Prison?

The UK’s oldest prison is offering ghostly experiences to supernatural enthusiasts. A 2015 poll revealed that 45% of Americans either believe in ghosts or that under certain conditions the human...
Fort Diamant.

Fort Diamant, A Little French Gem in South America

The presence of France has been documented in the Caribbean and Latin America for centuries. Today, French Guiana, located in South America , is part of France and the only territory of the mainland...
Witch in witches prison known as ‘The Cage’. Source: diter / Adobe Stock.

Satanic Panic Freezes Sale of Witches' Prison

Once a prison for people (mostly women) accused of witchcraft , what is held to be Britain’s most haunted house is up for sale - again. Known as “ The Cage ” in St Osyth, England, this historic...
Chamber of torture devices and ancient punishments in Prague Castle

9 Methods of Ancient Punishment That’ll Make You Squirm

For as long as societies have had to deal with crime, they’ve had to deal out punishment. In some, places, and situations the process was only meant to humiliate the guilty, but most of the following...
Tartarus

The Hell of Tartarus, Ancient Greek Prison of the Damned

Tartarus is the infernal abyss of Greek mythology, which is used as a pit of suffering for the wicked and as a dungeon for the Titans. It is also the name of a deity, a primordial being that existed...
Elmina Castle, Elmina, Ghana

Elmina Castle and its Dark History of Enslavement, Torture, and Death

Elmina Castle is a white-washed Medieval Castle on the coast of Ghana. It was the first – and for many centuries – the largest, European building constructed in tropical Africa. Yet its grandeur, as...
A model of an impoverished woman inside Wicklow Gaol.

Wicklow Gaol: Rebels, Ghosts, and Severe Punishment in 18th Century Ireland

Wicklow Gaol is a historic prison located in the town of Wicklow in Ireland, which gained notoriety for the brutality of the prison wardens, and the harsh treatment suffered by its inmates, many of...
Fireworks of 14 July 2017 in Paris (David Proteau/CC BY-SA 2.0) and the Bastille Fortress, 1789 (Public Domain);Deriv.

Storming the Bastille – Do French Ghosts Haunt a National Holiday?

Little appeals to the heart of Americans more than a story of a rebellion against a tyrannical government. And so, it’s not entirely surprising that many in America live it up on Bastille Day each...
The marital prison in Biertan, Romania

Locked into a Relationship: The Medieval Remedy for Divorce Still Requested in Romania

Global divorce rates are on the rise. Some people see this as a social issue. But the small Romanian village of Biertan has a unique method to remedy this problem. They follow a tradition which has...
Left: Lilias reconstructed face as she may have looked when alive. (Dundee University) Right: 3D imagery created from the photo of Adie’s skull. (National Library of Scotland)

Face of Notorious “Witch” Digitally Reconstructed 300 Years after her Death

A group of elite forensic scientists from the University of Dundee, has reconstructed digitally the face of one of Scotland's most notorious “witches”, Lilias Adie. The only documents that helped...
Tower of London as viewed from across the River Thames.

Tower of London: A Palace, a Prison and a Place of Execution

The White Tower, most commonly known as the Tower of London, is situated on the north bank of the river Thames in central London and is one of the oldest, long-standing edifices in England. It is...
French psychiatrist Philippe Pinel (1745-1826) releasing lunatics from their chains at the Salpêtrière asylum in Paris in 1795.

Gunpowder, Prostitutes, and Neuroscience: What is the Explosive History of Pitié-Salpêtrière Hospital?

The Pitié-Salpêtrière Hospital is a well-known historical hospital located in Paris, France. But it wasn’t always a hospital. The oft-forgotten beginnings of this building may be traced back to the...
Traditional architecture and modern shops in Pingyao, Shanxi Province, China.

Pingyao: What Gems of Architecture are Housed in this Traditional Imperial Chinese City?

The ancient city of Pingyao is a county-level city located in the center of China’s Shanxi Province. This ancient city has been described as an exceptionally well-preserved example of a traditional...
Figurines representing three of the ten judges of Diyu and Red Maw

Journey to Hell, Featuring Torture and Never-ending Bureaucracy: Understanding the Underworld in Chinese Mythology

“Each of the criminals is bound to an iron pillar and the ox-headed demon is in the process of administering punishment—using iron or copper blades he peels the skin of the person's face, just as a...
Kamianets-Podilskyi Castle

The Dramatic History of the Kamianets-Podilskyi Castle in Ukraine: From Castle to Prison

It has been claimed that Kamianets-Podilskyi is the city with the most places of architectural interest in Ukraine after Kyiv and Lviv. This city is located on the Smotrych River in western Ukraine,...
15th century the basement of a "market house" used as a prison

Prisons and Imprisonment in the Ancient World: Punishments Used to Maintain Public Order

One of the most well-known forms of punishment today is imprisonment. One could argue that for any society to function properly, public order has to be maintained. This is an important function of...
The iconic features of Mont Saint-Michel in the evening light.

Medieval Mont St-Michel: The Sacred Castle in the Sea

Considered one of the wonders of the Western World, Mont St-Michel is a medieval fortress in France, sitting on top a rocky island in the ocean. Floating like a mirage on the horizon, this sacred...
The altar in the lower chamber, Mamertine prison  Rome, Italy

The Infamous Mamertine Prison and the Supposed Incarceration of Saint Peter

The Mamertine Prison (a.k.a Carcere Mamertino in Italian) is an ancient prison located in Rome at the foot of Capitoline Hill overlooking the ruins of the Roman forum. When it was built, this was...

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