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Ancient Origins Tour IRAQ

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History

From the powerful civilizations of Egypt, Mesopotamia, and the Indus Valley, to the fearsome yet sophisticated society of the Vikings, the ancient world was a surprising and challenging place. Here we feature some of the most seminal and influential events and people throughout history, that have helped shape the world we know today.

The residents of San Miguel De Gualdape were overcome with sickness in the swampy environment. (NPS / Public Domain)

To the Shores of Distant Death: The Failed Colony of San Miguel De Gualdape

The year is 1526. Onto the wild and wooded lands of what is today Georgia in the United States, European feet had never permanently walked. These forests and river valleys, the wild rolling hills of...
Marcus Aurelius Distributing Bread to the People by Joseph-Marie Vien

The Philosopher-King of Ancient Rome: Marcus Aurelius' Imperium

Marcus Aurelius is famed for various accomplishments—his title as the last of the Five Good Emperors; his extensive study of and literary accomplishments in the field of Stoicism; and, last but not...
The Tai Hang fire dragon dance is performed in Hong Kong during the Mid-Autumn Festival. Source: Hong Kong Tourism Board.

Happy Mid-Autumn Festival! Explore the Legends and the Myths

Nearly everyone has heard of the Chinese New Year festival, but there is another festival that is very important in China and East Asia. This is the Mid-Autumn Festival , which is an enormous party...
Odysseus and the Sirens by Otto Greiner  (1869–1916) (Public Domain)

The Itinerary of Odysseus, an Ancient Treasure Map

Did Homer’s Odyssey contain a secret code, that would guide the Greeks to gain complete control over the Black Sea and the North Atlantic and access to the riches of precious metals and other...
Several of the ancient pigments were deadly. Photo source: Ezume Images / Adobe Stock.

Poisonous Pigments: History’s Deadliest Colors

Throughout history, ancient civilizations have been using all kinds of ingenious ways to create pigments for the coloring of clothing, objects and even buildings. While some of the pigments were...
The Death of Ravana by Fernand CORMON (1875) Musée des Augustins. (Public Domain)

Rakshasas: Taunting Demons Tainted with Human Emotions

According to Hindu mythology, Satya Yuga signals the era during which the gods and intrinsic goodness ruled humanity, and at the end of his labors, the creator god, Brahma, sleeps. But during his...
Noble bandit of the forest. Credit: Fotokvadrat / Adobe Stock

The Noble Bandit Fulk FitzWarin and His Fight for Whittington Castle

George R. R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire series of books is a thrilling portrayal of the lives and intrigues of medieval lords, and it gained notoriety for its realism and complexity. But do we...
They newly discovered distillery in China. Source: Ecns.cn

Massive 500-Year-Old Distillery Found in China is on Industrial Scale

Archaeologists have discovered the ruins of a massive distillery in China that dates to the Ming and Qing dynasties. The discovery is believed to be the largest of its kind ever made in China,...
Trio of musicians playing an aulos, cymbala, and tympanum (mosaic from Pompeii) (CC BY-SA 3.0)

Orchestral Offerings on the Winds to the Gods

Ever since humans have been able to pull a blade of grass between their thumbs and blow into it, or tap two sticks on a third, our species has attempted to recreate the sounds of nature and over time...
Stone Age early human child. Source: pxhere / Public Domain.

The Stone Age: The First 99 Percent of Human History

The Stone Age is the longest period of human history, lasting from 2.6 million years ago to about 5,000 years ago. It is also the period of human history that is the least well known relative to...
Medieval knights battle. Credit: Nejron Photo / Adobe Stock

A Red Dawn Rises - The Battle of Hastings, 1066

As the early morning sun dawned on October 14th, 1066 AD, casting its light on the clustered, eager soldiers, it would herald a new bloody, revolutionary epoch in the history of England. For on this...
Dia De Muertos. Credit: Yuliya Ochkan / Adobe Stock

Mexican Day of the Dead – Bittersweet Remembrance of Departed Ancestors

The celebrated Mexican Day of the Dead means one thing for city dwellers and quite another for country folks. It is a day dedicated to the bittersweet remembrance of departed family members. It also...
Hysteria was a term used to diagnosis wandering womb a female medical condition branded by ancient Greeks. Source: rodjulian / Adobe Stock

Beware the Wandering Wombs of Hysterical Women

From ancient Greek physician Hippocrates to the infamous doctor Isaac Baker Brown of the 19th century, the pains and ailments of women were thought to be because of a ‘wandering womb’, better known...
The Feast of Attila by Ede Heinrich (1863) (Public Domain)

Attila The Great, Reviled as a ‘Barbarian’

Qin Shi Huang , first emperor of China and Genghis Khan have received what one might call a ‘bad rap’. They were of far greater honor and integrity than history has reported, and their achievements...
Joseph of Arimathea, Nicodemus and the Virgin Mary take Christ in the tomb watched by Mary Magdalene and Saint John the Evangelist by Titian (1559) (Public Domain)

Mummification in Christianity: The Incredible Exploding Pope

Pope Pius XII (Eugenio Pacelli) exploded in 1956. To understand why this occurred, it is necessary to explore the (Catholic and Orthodox) Christian practice of mummification, which is rarely...
Battle between Mongols clans and tribes during the time of Genghis Khan. Source: insima / Adobe Stock.

Mosquito Hordes: How a Pesky Insect Destroyed the ‘Almost’ Invincible Mongol Empire

The inhospitable, remote high steppes and grassland of the austere and windswept northern Asian plateau were occupied by warring tribal clans and duplicitous factions. Alliances were capricious,...
Wintering of a team of Dutch sailors on the eastern coast of Novaya Zemlya by Eugène Lepoittevin (1839) Musée départemental de l'Oise. (Public Domain)

Ancient Cult of the Brave Bear, Feared and Revered

All across the far northern hemisphere bear folklore is widespread, and as far back as the Paleolithic period around 50,000 years ago archaeologists have discovered evidence of bear cults where the...
Vlad the Impaler and the Turkish envoys, painting by Theodor Aman (Public Domain)

Maria Balsa, Daughter of the Dragon: The Long-Lost Illegitimate Child of Vlad the Impaler?

Has a 16th-century Italian noble woman, Maria Balsa, wife of Giacomo Alfonso Ferrillo, Count of Muro Lucano and Lord of Acerenza, (Italy) been identified as the illegitimate daughter Vlad III Tepe,...
Egyptian gods and goddess. From left to right, Sekhmet, Isis, Ra, Horus, Wadjet, and Set. Source: Hotaru Ito / Public Domain.

Understanding the Gods of Egypt: In Unison With Nature

Ancient Egypt is a never ending source of inspiration for many of us – their myths , their history, and their art are so wonderful and enigmatic, that they have intrigued researchers for decades. But...
Matelotage is the marriage / civil union of two male pirates. Source: rdrgraphe / Adobe Stock.

Be My Matelotage! The Civil Union of 17th Century Pirates

Love strikes hard like the broadsiding from a warship, leaving both splinters and buckshot in one’s heart. When it hits, there's nothing anyone can do but accept the bombardment with both arms open...
Remains of Taq Kasra in 2008. Arch of Cstesiphon, Capital city of King Ardashir (Public Domain)

Ardashir’s Effective Reform of the Sassanid Military Machine

In the third century AD, Parthia and Rome had been waging war against each other for far too long. Sometimes Parthia was the victor while at other times Rome was the victor, and it seemed as if no...
Caligula (Towseef/ Adobe Stock)

Rome’s Most Infamous Emperor: Was Caligula Mad or Bad?

Today, pundits and psychiatrists furiously debate the definition of ‘madness’. Where do narcissism, self-delusion, and an apparent inability to conceive of consequences of actions cross the boundary...
La Quintrala serial killer evades capture Source: kharchenkoirina / Adobe Stock

La Quintrala: Flaming Redhead Serial Killer Evaded Capture

In the world’s history of aristocracy, abuse of power was always a distinct possibility, and quite a few female landowners built up a macabre reputation based on torture, imprisonment, and abuse. In...
An ancient gift. Credit: kharchenkoirina / Adobe Stock

Anniversary Gifts: From Medieval Wreaths to Modern Getaways

It is not entirely clear when the custom of anniversary gifting began. However, early records show that marriage ceremonies and contracts were in existence four millennia ago – as far back as in...

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