All  

Store Banner Mobile

Store Banner Mobile

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.

Towers of Silence, Iran (delbars / Adobe Stock)
13 October, 2019 - 23:01 Caleb Strom

Achaemenid Religion: Lighting the Spirit of Ancient Persia

The Achaemenid Persian Empire is historically important for the Western world because of the influence of the Persian civilization on both the ancient Greeks and the ancient Jews. Because of this...
Paquiquineo - a chief’s son converted to Christianity. Source: jozefklopacka / Adobe Stock.
12 October, 2019 - 02:01 Caleb Strom

Paquiquineo: Brave Traitor or Freedom Fighter?

In 1561, a Native American from Virginia by the name of Paquiquineo was invited, in some accounts kidnapped, to Spain where he met the king and eventually was sent back to the Americas to assist the...
11 October, 2019 - 23:17 Pierluigi Tombetti

The Myth of National Socialism: How the Nazis Distorted the Nordic Past

National Socialism is one of the most unusual and documented regressus ad uterum historical events in modern times. It’s a unique case in history when a modern political party returned to its...
Mammoth hunt, Hyogo Prefectural Museum of Archaeology, Japan (CC BY-SA 2.5)
11 October, 2019 - 20:20 ashley cowie

Did the Pre-Clovis Cultures in America Originate from Japan?

One of the most contentious issue in American, if not world archaeology is the validity of the ‘Clovis first’ theory, which is based on the argument that humans first came into America with the...
Liberty Leading the People by Eugène Delacroix (1830), celebrates the French Revolution (Louvre Museum). Source: Public Domain
11 October, 2019 - 02:00 dhwty

The French Revolution and Birth of Liberty, Equality and Fraternity

The French Revolution is often considered to be one of the most significant events not only in the history of France and Europe, but also in the world. This revolution is known also as the Revolution...
An ancient fresco of Macedonian soldiers from the tomb of Agios Athanasios, Thessaloniki, Greece, 4th century BC (Public Domain)
9 October, 2019 - 17:46 David Grant

The Floating Warhorses of Alexander the Great: The Menacing Mount of the Macedonians

The rider must have a firm seat when going at full speed over all sort of ground and must also be able to use his weapons well on horseback. ( Xenophon, On Horsemanship , 8) When Philip II came to...
Ancient tsunamis destroyed and killed. Source: Kevin Carden / Adobe Stock.
8 October, 2019 - 14:05 Karen Mutton

Creating Waves, Destroying Lives: Ancient Tsunamis That Left Their Mark

The catastrophic Indian Ocean tsunami of late 2004 claimed up to 300,000 lives in the space of 24 hours. In 2011, the Japanese tsunami claimed another 20,000 lives. Prior to these events, few...
The ancient city of Blaundus; It was built on a peninsula surrounded by deep valleys in the Hellenistic Age. (muratti6868/ Adobe Stock)
7 October, 2019 - 22:18 jim willis

Ancient Architecture, Ancient Alcohol, Ancient Religion and the End of Our World

In 1995 a German archeologist named Klaus Schmidt decided to begin work in Turkey at a place called Potbelly Hill, or Göbekli Tepe. He didn't know at the time that he was about to turn the world of...
The Ionians were Greeks who revolted against the Achaemenid Empire in Asia Minor. Source: Fernando Cortés / Adobe Stock.
7 October, 2019 - 19:00 dhwty

The Ionian Revolt - Prelude to the Graeco-Persian Wars

The Ionian Revolt was a series of revolts that broke out in Asia Minor at the beginning of the 5th century BC. At that time, the whole of Asia Minor was under the rule of the Achaemenid Empire. The...
Portrait of an executioner. Warpedgalerie / Adobe Stock
6 October, 2019 - 13:59 Aleksa Vučković

The Dark Life of a Medieval Executioner – A Cut Away from the Rest

It is no surprise that the medieval period was filled with all kinds of undesirable jobs. There were leech collectors, cesspool cleaners, serfs, and gong farmers, to name a few. But one vocation that...
Goddess of Egypt, Bastet. Credit: MiaStendal / Adobe Stock
5 October, 2019 - 22:56 Aleksa Vučković

Egyptian Cat Goddess Bastet, Protector of the King

The wondrous world of Egyptian deities is filled with all manner of fantastic creatures, each one captivating in its unique depiction. This vast pantheon features hundreds upon hundreds of deities,...
The drum has been used since ancient times for rituals and communication. Source: zolotareva_elina / Adobe Stock.
5 October, 2019 - 14:03 B. B. Wagner

Primeval Communication and the Beat of the Drum

Human beings need complex communication, no matter if it's through speech or music . The invention of drums has become an essential factor in all musical forms of artistic expression. It is through...
In the medieval England magic was a service industry. Source: Вероника Преображенс / Adobe Stock.
5 October, 2019 - 01:55 ancient-origins

In Medieval England, Magic Was A Service Industry

Tabitha Stanmore / The Conversation Chances are that when you hear the words “ medieval magic ”, the image of a witch will spring to mind: wizened old crones huddled over a cauldron containing...
God Appears to Moses in Burning Bush by Eugène Pluchart (1848). Saint Isaac's Cathedral, Saint Petersburg. (Public Domain)
5 October, 2019 - 01:21 Roberto Volterri

The Enigmatic Name and Face of YHWH

Who has picked up the wind in the hollow of both hands? ” “Who wrapped the water in a cloak?” “Who raised all the ends of the earth?” “What is his name and what is the name of his son, in case you...
Abraham's Journey from Ur to Canaan by József Molnár (1850)
2 October, 2019 - 17:05 Enrico

The Other Side of the Flood: Was Abraham of Indian Descent?

A fascinating hypothesis, developed in recent years, proposes a vision of the patriarch Abraham totally different from what eminent biblical studies have until today reported. In 1552, the French...
The riches of the sea with Neptune, tritons and two nereids by Luca GIORDANO Giuseppe RECCO (1684) Art Gallery of South Australia (Public Domain)
1 October, 2019 - 12:35 MartiniF

The Old Man of the Sea: Shape Shifting in Service of Poseidon

Described as elusive and difficult to pinpoint, the ‘Old Man of the Sea’ may take on many names in mythology, but he embodies the virtues of truth and justice, until he was usurped by a sinister...
Mysterious Monk Walking Alone During Sunset. Source: Igor Ovsyannykov / CC BY 2.0
28 September, 2019 - 14:00 Morgan Smith

Italy’s Ancient Benandanti: Harvest Rites and Ghostly Battles

In the Friuli region of Italy in 1580, during the peak of the Roman Inquisition’s foray into witchcraft, an inquisitorial examination of a local town crier produced the following eerie testimony: “…...
The Flagellation of Christ by Jaume Huguet (1412–1492) Louvre Museum (Public Domain)
27 September, 2019 - 16:35 Roberto Volterri

Cryptic Crosses, Mystery Medallions and Enigmatic Relics in Christian Churches

To the naked eye, they lie hidden in plain sight, but medieval artists hid cryptic messages in fresco’s, medallions and paintings and collected relics believed to have apotropaic qualities to ward...
The Baptism of Emperor Constantine
26 September, 2019 - 01:28 Natalia Klimczak

Was the Emperor Constantine a True Christian or Was He a Secret Pagan?

Constantine the Great is known in history as the first Roman Emperor to convert to Christianity . However, legends and archaeological evidence suggest a different story– it seems that Constantine had...
The Meditation on the Passion by Vittore Carpaccio (1510) (Public Domain)
25 September, 2019 - 15:34 ashley cowie

Contemplating the Navel: The Origins of Ancient Mindfulness

The words of the 16th-century Bishop of Geneva, Saint Francis de Sales, are truer today than ever before: “ Half an hour's meditation each day is essential, except when you are busy. Then a full hour...
A traditional bedroom in Cappadocia, Turkey. Credit: EvanTravels / Adobe Stock
22 September, 2019 - 22:45 ancient-origins

What Humans Have Been Doing in Bed for 77,000 Years

Groucho Marx once joked , “Anything that can’t be done in bed isn’t worth doing at all.” You might think he was referring to sleeping and sex. But humans, at one time or another, have done just about...
Surgical instruments of ancient physicians. Credit: Kai Beercrafter / Adobe Stock
22 September, 2019 - 18:56 Aleksa Vučković

The Gory History of Barber Surgeons: Medieval Medicine Gone Mad

It’s no surprise that the history of medicine had a rocky and somewhat gruesome journey before reaching its current, modern state. From the earliest meddling in surgery in Classical Antiquity to the...
Statue of a woman covering herself. Credit: macondos / Adobe Stock
21 September, 2019 - 19:02 B. B. Wagner

The Shocking History of Virgin Tests and Cures

Virginity has been the obsession of men for thousands of years. It has driven the best people, like the virgin warrior Joan of Arc, to fight for just cause. Virginity has also lured the worst people...
Roman soldiers and their general by vukkostic (Adobe Stock)
21 September, 2019 - 15:43 MartiniF

Roman Mars vs Greek Ares as the God of War

In the ancient battle of Thurii in 282 BC, between Rome and the Greek colony of Tarentum, the Romans noticed a youth of extraordinary height marching in front of them and performing miracles of...

Pages