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Ancient Origins Tour IRAQ

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hierarchy

Medieval serf. Source: Demian / Adobe Stock.

How Much It Sucked to Be a Medieval Serf (Video)

Medieval serfs endured a harsh existence, occupying the lowest rung of society . Unlike peasants, they couldn't sell themselves, though they weren't technically slaves. Lords in some regions could...
Maya Wealth Inequality Was Linked to Despotism, Claims Belize Study

Maya Wealth Inequality Was Linked to Despotism, Claims Belize Study

A new study of hundreds of Maya habitations in Belize has revealed a massive wealth gap developed in the Classic Maya period. While it may not come as a surprise to discover that Maya society was...
Medieval village with key players from the hierarchy including: the king, queen, priests, monks and soldiers.   Source: Matrioshka / Adobe stock

Feudalism and the Medieval Village Hierarchy

Life in a medieval village was surely no fairytale. Hard work, poverty, uncertainty of life and its comforts, the iron fist of the feudal lord - the disadvantages were numerous, and benefits few and...
Images from the manuscript ‘Seventy-Two Specimens of Castes in India.

The Controversial Indian Caste System Has Been Dividing India for 2000 Years

A study of genetic populations in India suggests the Indian caste system, a traditional method of social organization into a hierarchy of hereditary groups, has been prevalent in the South Asian...
Chaco Canyon Pueblo Bonito Ruin.

Was a Key Ancient Puebloan Society Ruled by Women?

Discovering who was a leader, or even if leaders existed, from the ruins of archaeological sites is difficult, but now a team of archaeologists and biological anthropologists, using a powerful...
Deriv; Statue of the Fallen Angel and The Hell, Inferno Canto 34, circa 1301

Devils or Angels? Defining the Dark Entities of Christianity’s Past

Devil or angel? Sometimes it’s hard to tell. The concept of demons is an old one, harking back to the confiscation of pagan nature deities by the Roman Empire, which turned them into something more...
Indi Cast System

Genetic Study Reveals Origin of India's Caste System

A new genetic study published in the American Journal of Human Genetics has revealed that the Indian caste system– which is the traditional organisation of South Asian society into a hierarchy of...