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Socrates drinking poison

Brutal Draconian Laws of Ancient Greece Were Etched in Blood

Athens is perhaps most famous for being the birthplace of democracy. One of the cornerstones for the establishment of Athenian democracy was the introduction of a written law code that could only be...
Arowak Indian. Credit: Pixeltheater / Adobe Stock

Amazon Fires Unite Enemy Tribes Against Bolsonaro

The Amazon fires are uniting rival indigenous cultures against Jair Bolsonaro’s administration in Brazil. When I was young, my brother and I battled tooth and nail with the neighbor’s boys in what...
Potala Palace in the winter.

Closer to Enlightenment? Potala Palace, the Highest in the World

Potala Palace, the iconic heart of Tibetan Buddhism, is the highest palace in the world. It once served as the winter palace of the Dalai Lama and was the Tibetan seat of government. The palace is...
Attendant figurine (Sui Dynasty, 581 - 618) at the Hong Kong Heritage Museum - Sha Tin, Hong Kong. (CC0) Background: Votive plaque with Seated Buddha Shakyamuni, Attendant Bodhisattvas, and Monks, China, Sui dynasty, 581-618 AD, gilt bronze - Arthur M. Sackler Museum, Harvard University.

The Sui Dynasty: 37 Years, Two Emperors and One Grand Canal

The Sui Dynasty may not have existed very long, but this imperial dynasty made an impact on Chinese culture long after the memories of its rulers faded away. Peasants were both delighted with and...
Aztec Avenue of the Dead stretches out before pyramids and shops of Mexico.

Did Spanish Spin Doctors Change the Name of Teotihuacan to Sabotage the City?

The famous archaeological site of Teotihuacan may have served a different purpose for the Aztecs to what Spanish chroniclers claimed. A possibly deliberate change of the city’s name suggests that it...
Statue of an Iroquois man, Montreal, Quebec, Canada. (Theresa O’Connor/CC BY-SA 2.0) and background, Hiawatha by Thomas Eakins, 1874. (Public Domain);Deriv.

Thunder god and Skywoman – Myth and History of the Iroquois: Exploring a First Nations Tradition

Every year, western scholars look with wonder to the ancient mythologies, ruins, and histories of such places as Egypt, Greece, and the Near East. Due to the considerable efforts of professional and...
Fast Money: The Egyptian Economy, Monetary System, and Horrendous Taxes

Fast Money: The Egyptian Economy, Monetary System, and Horrendous Taxes

The ancient Egyptians created a sophisticated economic system thousands of years ago. Although they may seem far removed from modern life, their inventions in the monetary realm provided the basis...
The Birth of Arthashastra: Ancient Handbook of Science of Politics in India, and Those Who Wielded It

The Birth of Arthashastra: Ancient Handbook of Science of Politics in India, and Those Who Wielded It

In 1904, a copy of an ancient book which had been lost for more than 1400 years was discovered in India. A modest book written on palm leaves, its outward appearance was proven to be deceiving as the...
The enigmatic archaic faces, found in large numbers over the Burrup are among the earliest rock art works in the region.

Oldest and largest concentration of ancient rock art under threat from Australian Government

Australian Indigenous art is the oldest unbroken tradition of art in the world. It is so old in fact, that examples have been found that depict long extinct megafauna. One particular region, the...
Imperial office at the ruins of Daming Palace in China

Imperial Office of the Tang Dynasty discovered at the ruins of Daming Palace

Excavations at the ruins of Daming, the “Palace of Great Brilliance”, have unearthed ancient offices which are thought to have been responsible for issuing imperial edicts, official communications of...
The Ancient Parliamentary Plains of Iceland

The Ancient Parliamentary Plains of Iceland

In the modern world, the parliamentary system is one of the most common forms of government. The modern concept of this system has its origins in 18 th century Great Britain and Sweden. Nevertheless...
The ancient system of government in the land of the Pharaohs

The ancient system of government in the land of the Pharaohs

A discussion of ancient Egyptian government and administrative structures cannot be conducted in the same fashion as discussion about modern governments. This is simply due to the fact that the...
Underground Chamber - Phidias

Incredible underground chamber with 130 ancient Greek statues awaiting investigation

An underground chamber containing 130 ancient Greek statues was discovered in Athens 25 years ago. But no one, apart from the finders, has cared enough to battle the bureaucracy that has prevented...
New Information on the Petralona Skull Controversy

New Information on the Petralona Skull Controversy

Ancient Origins has recently presented the debate about the skull found in Petralona, Greece. This debate has been continuing in the scientific community for more than half a century. While the Greek...