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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.

Sorcerer in hood standing in front of an ancient destructed Babylon tower with flood, fire & hurricane illustration
16 February, 2019 - 18:52 Sarah P Young

Mesopotamian Magic: Ancient Tablets Reveal a World of Witches, Sorcerers and Exorcists

Ancient Mesopotamia was a vast region in Western Asia which has become known as the ‘cradle of civilization’ due to the huge number of feats the culture achieved. Agriculture, animal herding, and...
The Sea Maiden by Herbert James Draper (1894)
15 February, 2019 - 17:24 nrushton

Selkies, Sirens, Swan Maidens and Otherworldly Brides

A common motif in British folklore is that of an otherworldly female, who is somehow captured or charmed by a mortal man to be his bride. The females are often therianthropes, that is shape-shifters...
Closeup wedding accessory - bridal veil.
14 February, 2019 - 22:51 dhwty

The Origins of the Bridal Veil and Its Protection From Evil Spirits

The bridal veil is one of the most recognizable elements of a traditional Western bridal ensemble. This bridal accessory is reckoned to have its origins in Roman times. In the past, it was believed...
Relics of St. Valentine of Terni at the basilica of Saint Mary in Cosmedin.
14 February, 2019 - 19:02 ancient-origins

The ‘Real’ St. Valentine Was No Patron of Love

By Lisa Bitel / The Conversation On Feb. 14, sweethearts of all ages will exchange cards, flowers, candy, and more lavish gifts in the name of St. Valentine. But as a historian of Christianity, I can...
Illuminati Triangle and All Seeing Eye on an ancient temple.
13 February, 2019 - 22:59 dhwty

The Man Who Started The Illuminati and His Thwarted Promotion of The Enlightenment

The Illuminati was a secret society that was established in Germany during the 18 th century. The Illuminati has a notorious reputation in popular culture, being associated with numerous conspiracy...
Socrates in conversation with Diotima by Franz Caucig (1755–1828)
13 February, 2019 - 17:21 MartiniF

Socrates’ Philosophy of Love Inspired by Diotima Princess, Priestess and Philosopher

Symposium , Plato’s philosophical text dated at circa 385 to 370 BC, depicts a friendly contest of speeches delivered by a group of notable men attending a banquet. During the discussion, Socrates...
Was Jesus Greek and not Jewish?
12 February, 2019 - 18:48 ashley cowie

Controversial Documentary Claims Philosopher May Have Been the Real ‘Son of God’

An explosive new documentary called ‘Bible Conspiracies’ makes the claim that the Greek religious preacher Apollonius of Tyana was actually the true 'son of God’ - not Jesus Christ as is commonly...
Spartan warrior holding spear and shield.
12 February, 2019 - 14:00 dhwty

How the Spartan Arsenal Helped Make Them Some of The Deadliest Warriors of the Ancient World

The ancient Greek city state of Sparta is renowned for its military prowess. As a militaristic society, Spartan males were trained to be warriors from a young age, and this was the only career they...
“Zeniff Battle” by James Fullmer. The Gadianton robbers fought many battles in the Book of Mormon.
11 February, 2019 - 18:47 dhwty

The Gadianton Robbers: Organized Crime in the Ancient Americas

The Gadianton robbers were a band of robbers in the ancient Americas according to the Book of Mormon. This dangerous group operated as a ‘secret combination’, a term used to describe various...
Stonehenge
11 February, 2019 - 17:25 John Patrick Hill

Can Ancient Mathematics Avert Meteor Strikes and the Hopi Prophecy of Fiery Cataclysm?

Imagine a skryer standing in the newly erected circle of Stonehenge, working instruments to ‘see’ if there have been any disruptions in the fields of asteroids high above. The circle of stone has...
Main: The Crown Jewels. Credit: Historic Royal Palaces. Inset: An illustration of Thomas Blood. Photo source: Wikimedia.
10 February, 2019 - 13:56 dhwty

Thomas Blood: The Man Who Stole the Crown Jewels

Thomas Blood is an infamous Irishman known as the ‘Man Who Stole the Crown Jewels’. The self-styled colonel lived during the 17th century and established his reputation as a rogue and trickster...
Amazonian native
9 February, 2019 - 22:55 Sarah P Young

Ten of the Most Critically Endangered Languages in the World

There are 195 countries in the world, but a staggering 7000 living languages. UNESCO’s list of endangered languages , which functions in a similar way to the lists for endangered animals and plants,...
Beautiful woman with fashion make-up and hairstyle like Egyptian queen Cleopatra (EmotionPhoto / Adobe Stock)
9 February, 2019 - 13:31 Sarah P Young

8 Ancient Beauty Secrets We Can Still Use Today

Beautification and cosmetology have been important to humans for many thousands of years. Obsessing over our appearance is something that seems to go back to the very roots of modern human behavior,...
Gods Forgotten Mount Sea Mountain Frozen Ocean
8 February, 2019 - 18:17 ashley cowie

The Mythological Pantheon of Ancient Islands: Cosmic Sharks and Whale Riders

Complicated words and pictures printed on parents’ newspapers mean absolutely nothing in the imaginative realm of children; however magical beings, fantastic creatures and obscure landscapes...
The three Figurines – Cycladic Art
7 February, 2019 - 01:52 dhwty

Pre-dating the Minoans: The Cycladic Civilization and Their Unusual ‘Modern’ Art

The Cycladic culture (known also as the Cycladic civilization) is an early Bronze Age culture located in the Cyclades. This culture thrived from around 3200 to 1100 BC, and predated two other major...
Formidable Viking in Armor with axe.
6 February, 2019 - 22:57 ancient-origins

Ragnar Shaggy-Trousers and Eystein Foul-Fart: The Truth Behind Viking Names

Vikings are pretty trendy of late. Marvel’s Thor films, for example, gave Viking mythology the Hollywood treatment and plonked its characters in contemporary America. There have been multiple Viking...
Le Morne Brabant, UNESCO world heritage site with depiction of a runaway slave.
6 February, 2019 - 16:13 micki pistorius

Le Morne, Mountain of the Slave Maroons in Mauritius

There is a legend that marooned slaves jumped off the high cliffs of a mountain to their death into the sea, when they saw a ship approaching, because they believed the ship was sent to capture them...
Departure of the Israelites by David Roberts, (1829)
4 February, 2019 - 16:59 Cam Rea

Exodus: Were the Israelites Slaves in Egypt or Not?

The Book of Exodus has intrigued churchgoers, academics and everyday readers. The approach to its content varies; an apologetic approach includes a literal interpretation of the Bible however a...
Morgan Le Fay by Frederick Sandys
3 February, 2019 - 22:54 ancient-origins

Morgan le Fay: How Arthurian Legend Turned a Powerful Woman from Healer to Villain

In the new movie The Kid Who Would Be King , the protagonist Alex thinks he’s just an ordinary schoolboy until he stumbles upon Excalibur, the legendary sword of King Arthur, in a building site...
Inside the planned mid-England Barrow.
3 February, 2019 - 18:36 Ed Whelan

A Return to Ancient Burial Traditions: Want to Be Buried in a Barrow?

Humanity has buried their dead in a variety of ways, down the ages. In the distant past the dead were often buried in barrows. It has been many millennia since one of these burial sites has been...
Statue of ancient Greek athlete
3 February, 2019 - 14:00 dhwty

Before the Olympiad There Was The Panathenaea – The Greek Festival and Games to Honor Athena

The Panathenaea was an ancient and important festival celebrated in the ancient Greek city state of Athens. This festival was held in honor of Athena Polias , the city’s patron goddess, and...
Woman in the countryside
2 February, 2019 - 18:21 Sarah P Young

Kulning: The Ancient Swedish Herding Call That Has Echoed Through the Ages

Kulning is a vocal art with its origins in the forests and mountains of Scandinavia. It was first used as a method to call back cattle who were left free to graze in the wild landscape, but it is...
An African girl is shown at the 1958 Expo in Brussels, Belgium that featured a 'Congo Village' with visitors watching her from behind wooden fences
1 February, 2019 - 18:56 dhwty

The Shameful History of Human Zoos: Displaying ‘Exotic Foreigners’ Only Stopped 60 Years Ago

During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the shocking display of human beings of various ethnicities was in vogue in the West, especially in the colonial empires of Great Britain, France, and...
The Slave Trade by Auguste-Francois Biard, (1840). As of June 2007 it hangs at the entrance to the "From Slavery to Freedom" exhibit at the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center in Cincinnati, Ohio.
1 February, 2019 - 17:41 ashley cowie

Arthur St. Clair the Viking Descendant and Abolitionist Who Fought For America

The man who instigated the abolition of slavery in North America was born on March 23, 1734, in Thurso, a small fishing village on the north-east coast of Scotland. Arthur St. Clair would live a life...

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