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Chinese emperor. Source:

Weird Things That Were Normal for Chinese Emperors (Video)

In the rich tapestry of Chinese imperial history , the idiosyncrasies of emperors present a captivating tableau. These divine sovereigns, reigning over China for millennia, engaged in customs that...
Watch the Remarkable Ancient Method of Casting Bronze Faces (Video)

Watch the Remarkable Ancient Method of Casting Bronze Faces (Video)

In the realm of ancient artistry , a remarkable technique emerged, known as the "lost wax" method. This ingenious process, dating back centuries, became the cornerstone of bronze casting, bringing to...
A representation of naumachia. 1894 painting by Ulpiano Checa. Source: Public Domain

The Spectacle of Naumachia: Rome's Brutal Naval Gladiator Battles

For centuries naval gladiator battles, known as naumachia , enthralled crowds with their realistic recreations of famous sea battles, complete with all the chaos, bravery, and brutality of the...
The profiles of the some of the most powerful and influential Ancient Leaders.  Source: Ded Pixto by Adobe Stock

9 Ancient Leaders Who Changed the Course of History

The annals of history are filled with tales of great leaders who have left their mark on the world, shaping the course of human events through their actions, decisions, and vision. From conquerors...
Broken parts of the flush toilet unearthed from the Yueyang archaeological site in Xi'an, Shaanxi province. Source: China Daily.

The Royal Flush: 2,400-Year-Old Toilet Used by Emperors Unearthed in China

Archaeologists have unearthed the bottom half of a manual flush toilet that dates back 2,400 years in the Yueyang archaeological site in China’s Shaanxi province. Yueyang served as a capital city...
Marble busts of Didius Julianus who bought the Roman Empire at the end of the 2nd century AD in a facial reconstruction artwork created by Daniel Voshart. Source: Daniel Voshart / CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Didius Julianus, the Man Who Bought the Roman Empire

In the year 193 AD an auction took place that sent shockwaves throughout the ancient world, as buyers competed for the greatest prize of a generation, the Roman Empire. Following the murder of...
A skull of one of the Spanish syphilis patients who died in Lima’s fist hospital that was built just 20 years after Pizarro took over the Inca Empire.		Source: Municipalidad de Lima

Syphilis-ridden Spanish Skeletons Found at Lima’s First Hospital

The remains of 42 syphilis-ridden, colonial Spaniards have been unearthed at a 500-year-old hospital in Lima. But it’s suspected that beneath these poor afflicted souls, might lie the lost mummified...
In a first for ancient Anatolia, archaeologists found this stone sarcophagus belonging to the elite bodyguard Tziampo, which was inscribed in Latin with the title “Emperor’s Protector.”		Source: TRT

Emperor’s Protector Sarcophagus Is A First For Anatolia

Representing a national first, an ancient sarcophagus bearing the title “Emperor’s Protector” has been unearthed in western Turkey (ancient Anatolia). Furthermore, it's also the first time the...
China’s world famous Terracotta Army, created over 2,000 years ago, was built  to protect the first Chinese emperor on a site near Xian that covered 98 square kilometers (38 square miles). 		Source: David Davis / Adobe Stock

Twenty-five “New” Chinese Terracotta Army Officers Unearthed Near Tomb!

Qin Shi Huang, the first Emperor of unified China, and the first Emperor of the Qin dynasty was buried with his now world-famous Terracotta Army, to protect him in the afterlife. For long, this has...
Livia Drusilla: Imperial Wife of Rome and Emperor Maker

Livia Drusilla: Imperial Wife of Rome and Emperor Maker

Livia Drusilla was the third wife of Augustus, the first Roman emperor. Prior to her marriage to Augustus, she was married to a Roman politician by the name of Tiberius Claudius Nero. Through this...
The Forum, Roman ruins      Source: sborisov / Adobe Stock

The Forum: Epicenter of the Mighty Roman Empire

Italy takes pride in its long history and is home to some of the most famous architectural monuments, as well as archaeological locations. The Roman Forum was the heart, not only of the city, but...
Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests, Temple of Heaven, Beijing

Temple of Heaven and Its Sacrificial Altar Where Blood Was Spilt for Bountiful Harvests

The Temple of Heaven in Beijing dates back almost 600 years, to a time when Chinese emperors sacrificed animals to the gods on the temple’s altars to atone and beseech them to bestow bountiful...
Deriv; Defaced bust of Alexander Severus. The head and bust were mutilated during Antiquity, the memory of the outlawed emperor was to be extinguished and portrait of Marino Faliero, Doge of Venice, painted over, as he was condemned to damnatio memoriae.

From Piso to the Baby Drusilla: The Legal Aspects of Damnation Memoriae - the Punishment of Non-Existence

The ancient Roman decree of damnatio memoriae (“damnation of one’s memory”) was a mark of great disgrace and a punishment, deemed worse than execution, for an ancient Roman. The object of the...
A watercolor painting overview of the Ming Tombs. (1875-1908)

A Final Resting Place Fit for an Emperor: The Thirteen Tombs of the Ming Dynasty

The Ming Dynasty was established in 1368 AD by Zhu Yuanzhang (who became the Hongwu Emperor) following the overthrow of the Mongol Yuan Dynasty. Until the collapse of the Ming Dynasty in 1644 AD,...
Wild carnivorous animals emerge from a trap door into the Colosseum. ‘The Christian Martyrs' Last Prayer, by Jean-Léon Gérôme, 1883.

Complex Elevator and Trap Door System for Raising Wild Animals into the Colosseum Reconstructed

Many thousands of people suffered violent deaths in the gladiatorial contests of the Colosseum and other arenas of the ancient Roman empire. Innumerable animals killed and were killed in the blood-...