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Victim of the Battle of Visby in 1361. Source: Gotland Excursion

The Harrowing Remains of the Battle of Visby's Medieval Massacre

The Battle of Visby was a violent medieval battle near the town of Visby on the Swedish island of Gotland, fought between the inhabitants of Gotland and the Danes, with the latter emerging victorious...
16th century depiction of the notorious pirate Hayreddin Barbarossa, known as Redbeard. Source: Public domain

Causing a Ruckus as the Ruthless Pirate Hayreddin Redbeard

Hayreddin Barbarossa, also known as Redbeard, was one of the most notorious pirates of his day. Together with his older brothers, Ishak and Aruj, they conquered the North African city of Algiers and...
The Battle of Marathon: Defending Freedom (Video)

The Battle of Marathon: Defending Freedom (Video)

The Battle of Marathon , which took place in late summer of 490 BC, was a defining moment in ancient history. The conflict pitted the citizens of Athens, representing the ideals of western democracy...
The Battle of Actium took place on the 2nd September 31 BC. Painting by Laureys a Castro in 1672. Source: Public domain

Was the Battle of Actium Lost for Cleopatra and Mark Antony Before It Even Started?

The Battle of Actium proved to be a catastrophic blow to the hopes and dreams of Cleopatra VII and Mark Antony. With unwavering confidence, the renowned duo had nurtured the belief that they were...
Skulls showing battle injuries. Source: Jan / Adobe Stock.

Skeletons Show Horrific Injuries from The Battle of Towton (Video)

The Battle of Towton , fought on March 29, 1461, during the Wars of the Roses , was a gruesome and decisive conflict in English history. Archaeological excavations at Towton have revealed a mass...
Holy Roman Emperor Joseph II leading the Austrian army into battle in 1788. Source: Public domain

The Austrian Army Fought Itself and Lost at the Battle of Karánsebes

The Battle of Karánsebes has been remembered as one of the most absurd battles in history. During the infamous Ottoman-Hapsburg wars, troops from the Austrian Army of the Holy Roman Emperor Joseph II...
Roman ship ramming a Carthaginian ship. Naval battles were key in the First Punic War. Source: Massimo Todaro/Adobe Stock

Rome vs. Carthage: The First Punic War and the Birth of a Superpower

The First Punic War was a brutal conflict that pitted two of the greatest powers of the ancient world against each other. With the might of Rome on one side and the naval supremacy of Carthage on the...
Samurai warrior ready for battle. Source: DigitalGenetics / Adobe Stock.

What a Samurai vs. Mongol Battle Really Looked Like (Video)

The clash between the Mongols and Samurai took place between two legendary classes of warriors. Contrary to popular belief, Samurai did not engage in single combat dueling against the Mongols...
Upper ivory denture with human teeth. Source: Science Museum, London / CC BY 4.0

Teeth Scavenged from Fallen Soldiers at Waterloo Were Used as Dentures

Get ready to sink your teeth into a little-known fact about the infamous Battle of Waterloo! While many of us have heard of this bloody European battle that sent Napoleon Bonaparte packing, what you...
Greek hoplite. Source:  Art Gallery / Adobe Stock. Video Button Play Image by Dehweh / Adobe Stock.

Armored and Ready: Inside the Training of a Greek Hoplite (Video)

The life of a Greek Hoplite in the 5th century BC was heavily influenced by their status as warriors. Hoplites were not just soldiers, but members of the Greek citizenry who were expected to fight...
The Kalmar sword in situ where it was found. The tip is broken. Maybe in connection with battle? Source: Arkeologerna

This Rare Battle-Sword Just Found in Sweden Is “An Evolutionary Leap”

Researchers in Sweden were excavating a 400-year-old cellar floor when they came across this “rare” battle-sword from the Military Revolution. Archaeologists from Arkeologerna were digging at the...
Horse armor owned by Anna Jagellonica of Poland. Previous owners: Johan III of Sweden, Sigismund III of Sweden-Poland, Sigismund II August of Poland. Made of driven sheet steel with etched and enameled decoration on the outside. A total of eight parts. At Sweden’s State History Museum Source: Livrustkammaren (The Royal Armoury) / CC BY-SA

16 Striking Pieces of Horse Armor That Protected Them in Battle

The trusty steed was not just the loyal companion of knights and cavaliers, but invaluable to the war arsenal of many armies across the globe, as well as those in jousting tournaments. Such valuable...
Archaeologists prepare burial excavation unit for removal of remains at the Camden Battleground site. Source: Sarah Nell Blackwell / South Carolina Battleground Trust

Excavations at the Battle of Camden Site Unearth 14 Revolutionary War Victims

On November 11 the South Carolina Battleground Preservation Trust issued a press release announcing an important discovery related to the American Revolutionary War. While excavating at the site of...
Facial reconstruction of axe-wounded Visby warrior. Source: Cicero Moraes

Axe-Wounded Visby Warrior Brought to Life Over 600 Years Later

A medieval warrior’s skull, recovered from a mass grave outside Visby, a city on the Swedish island of Gotland, has been brought to life by a digital artist. Killed in the 1361 AD Battle of Visby, in...
Alexander driving off elephants with war pigs and musical instruments in a detail from a French illuminated manuscript from 1420’. Source: The British Library / CC BY 4.0)

War Pigs: A Flaming History of Nature’s Cutest Creations in Battle

Throughout human history, animals have been effectively domesticated and used as an extension of the territorial desires of human beings. While dogs and cattle became effective elements in the...
A Roman soldier’s fart sparked a riot that killed 10,000 people! Source: Fxquadro/ Adobe Stock

A Roman Soldier’s Fart Led to the Death of 10,000 People!

Farts are controversial things. Sometimes they lead to arguments, and between young siblings or friends they may even provoke a punch (with some giggles); but there are at least a couple of times in...
Fresco from the Vatican depicting the Battle of the Milvian Bridge that took place on October 28, 312 between the Roman emperors Constantine I and Maxentius. Source: CC BY-SA 2.0

The Battle of Milvian Bridge: The Battle That Brought Christianity to Rome

In October of 312, a battle would take place that would not only make Constantine I the ruler of the entire Roman Empire but would change its course in history forever. The Battle of the Milvian...
Battle of Waterloo soldiers fighting at the Hougoumont Chateau as portrayed in a watercolor by Denis Dighton. Source: Public Domain

June 1815: Did Dead Waterloo Soldiers Become Fertilizer? Probably!

A new study published in the Journal of Conflict Archaeology has suggested that many remains of the roughly 60,000 Waterloo soldiers who died in the Battle of Waterloo in June 1815 may have been...
Naked Warriors: Celtic Mercenaries Went to War in the Buff

Naked Warriors: Celtic Mercenaries Went to War in the Buff

It would take a lot of confidence and courage to face up to a heavily-armored Roman army with neither armor nor clothing. But this is precisely what a band of Celtic mercenaries known as the Gaesatae...
The palace at Zanzibar Town after the Anglo-Zanzibar war. Source: Public domain

The Anglo-Zanzibar War: The Shortest War in History Lasted Just 38 Minutes!

The shortest war in recorded history began at 9 am on August 27, 1896. It was over in less than three-quarters of an hour, with a shocking toll of 501 killed or wounded soldiers. This is the story of...
Medieval battlefield. Source: Gorodenkoff / Adobe Stock

Aeons of Battle: The 5 Longest Wars in History

In the annals of humanity there is one phenomenon that has consistently weaved and threaded itself through the fabric of time. It is, of course, war, which from the very earliest times until the...
Helmet still in the ground at the Velia temple site.	Source: Parco Archeologico Paestum

Two Warrior Helmets Unearthed At Greek Temple In Velia, Italy

A pair of sixth-century BC warrior’s helmets have been discovered along with a ruined temple at Velia in southern Italy. It is believed that these rare artifacts are relics from the legendary Battle...
The Roman dagger found by an amateur archaeologist with a metal detector that revealed the “unknown” Swiss Roman battle site, where the twelfth Roman legion fought against local Celtic tribes.			Source: Schweizer Radio und Fernsehen

Archaeologist Discovers Swiss Roman Battle Site and 2,000-Year-Old Dagger

Sometimes experts can get it wrong. And that is what seems to have happened in the case of a Swiss Roman battle site from 2000 years ago. The new site was found between the towns of Tiefencastel and...
Detail of ‘The Battle of Pavia’ (1528-1531) by Bernard van Orley and William Dermoyen.

The Battle of Pavia: Paving the Political Roads of Rival Rulers with Blood

February 24, 1525. A day that is not marked in infamy but in the blood of France. On this date, the Battle of Pavia occurred – the decisive event in a longstanding war and rivalry, and the crushing...

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