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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.

29 December, 2018 - 01:58 ancient-origins

A Christmas story: the arrival of a sweet baby boy – or a political power to change the world?

Robyn J. Whitaker / The Conversation Dear tiny Jesus, with your golden fleece diapers, with your tiny little fat balled-up fists … Dear 8 pound 6 ounce newborn infant Jesus, don’t even know a word...
A fight between a Roman and a Germanic warrior.
28 December, 2018 - 18:49 Caleb Strom

Raiders of Hispania: Unravelling the Secrets of the Suebi

In the 5th century AD, the reign of the Roman Empire in the west came crashing down with a series of barbarian invasions. Visigoths, Franks , and other groups laid waste to the villas and cities of...
Magi paying homage to Jesus.
28 December, 2018 - 15:33 Cam Rea

Political Landscape of the Nativity of Jesus

To paint the canvas around the time of the birth of Jesus, one needs to examine the unfolding political landscape of Judea a generation before Jesus’ birth. By 40 BC, Judea was under Parthian rule...
‘The Fall of the Titans’ (1588-1590) by Cornelis van Haarlem.
28 December, 2018 - 13:59 Theodoros Karasavvas

Homosexuality in Ancient Greece - One Big Lie?

You may have heard that homosexuality was celebrated in ancient Greece more than any other place and time. Some scholars have even called ancient Athens a gay paradise, where same-sex romance...
13th-century depiction of Henry II and his legitimate children: William, Henry, Richard, Matilda, Geoffrey, Eleanor, Joan and John.
28 December, 2018 - 01:48 Mark Miller

King Henry II Brought Law and Order to His Kingdom But His Rebellious Family Was A Different Matter

King Henry II of England ruled in the 12th century from Ireland to the Pyrenees, was warlike, given to anger, and was educated in law and languages. He was the first king of the Plantagenet dynasty...
Arthur Rackham Christmas
27 December, 2018 - 17:00 Charles Christian

Come Over to the Dark Side of Christmas

The Festive Season - a time of peace and goodwill to all men. It is a message people in the Western World have grown up with since childhood. Except it is not. It one forgets the saccharine...
Cavalry attack on the Bayeux tapestry. This tapestry depicts the Normans preparing for and invading England.
26 December, 2018 - 22:56 dhwty

The Norman Invasion: An Epic 11th Century Battle for the English Throne

When Edward the Confessor died childless, the stage was set for the Norman invasion of England in the 11th century. Although the king was succeeded by his brother-in-law, Harold Godwinson, the...
Christ at the home of Martha and Mary by Georg Friedrich Stettner, 17th century
26 December, 2018 - 16:10 MartiniF

The Women in Jesus’ Life and Early Christianity: Patrona’s, Prostitutes and Princesses

Women have been important members of Christianity from the very beginning of the early Christian church. In fact, women were among Jesus’ earliest followers. Apart from learning from and speaking to...
Still life with skull and withered opium head.
23 December, 2018 - 18:58 dhwty

Heroin: Killer Drug was Marketed and Sold by Bayer as a Non-Addictive Cough Syrup

Heroin is a deadly drug with a notorious reputation. It is considered to be a dangerous addiction-producing drug, and the abuse of this substance has extremely negative results on individuals and...
‘Egyptian on Chariot in Crossroads of Civilization exhibit at Milwaukee Public Museum’. King Menes is credited with uniting the upper and lower lands of Egypt through both political alliance and military means.
21 December, 2018 - 18:52 Alicia McDermott

Menes: Legends Say He United Egypt Under its First Dynasty…But Did He Even Exist?

Much like the ancient Romans had Romulus and Remus to thank for the foundation of their civilization, so too did the ancient Egyptians have a legendary figure that united the Upper and Lower lands –...
Der Mönch
21 December, 2018 - 17:18 nrushton

Santa Claus – A Siberian Shaman on a Magic Mushroom Trip?

The idea that there is a direct link between our modern representation of Santa Claus and historic shamanic practice in Siberia is not new. It seems to have been first suggested by the historian of...
The Royal Game of Ur.
21 December, 2018 - 14:02 dhwty

The Enigmatic Ancient Royal Game of Ur – Will We Ever Understand It?

The Royal Game of Ur (known also as the Game of Twenty Squares) is a board game from ancient Mesopotamia. This two-player game is one of the oldest known board games and was immensely popular in the...
Grinding bones into bread - human skull and fresh bread.
20 December, 2018 - 18:03 dhwty

The Desperate and Distasteful Practice of Grinding Human Bones to Make Bread

Fee-fi-fo-fum! I smell the blood of an English man: Be he alive, or be he dead, I'll grind his bones to make my bread. The rhyme comes from the popular fairy tale, Jack and the Beanstalk , and is one...
Argimusco - Star Trail behind the Eagle Monolith (ildiora/ Adobe Stock)
19 December, 2018 - 17:13 ashley cowie

Astronomical Legacy of the Ancient Sky Watchers

Astronomy is the oldest natural science and has calendrical, religious, cosmological, mythological and astrological origins. Long before famous monuments like Stonehenge in England and the pyramids...
Bogfoot
17 December, 2018 - 16:43 jim willis

On the Shoulders of Giants, Our Denisovan Ancestors

In 2010, the traditional theory of who we are and where we came from got knocked on its head. It was an exciting year. It was an exasperating year. It was a frustrating year. And it was a...
Roman Painting - Villa dei Misteri, Pompeii, Italy. Miltos was used for yellow and sometimes red in many Greco-Roman paintings
16 December, 2018 - 22:50 Caleb Strom

Miltos, The Wonder Dust of the Ancient World

What pigment could be used for ship maintenance, art, agriculture, medicine, and cosmetics? In the Greco-Roman world, the multi-use ocher pigment called Miltos filled all these roles. The powerful...
On Left – Early fourteenth-century manuscript showing Edward I. On Right – Early fourteenth-century manuscript showing Edward I and his wife Eleanor
15 December, 2018 - 22:55 dhwty

Edward I was a Strong and Formidable King Whose Presence Once Caused A Man to Die of Fright!

Edward I (known also as Edward Longshanks and the Hammer of the Scots) was an English king who lived during the 13 th and 14 th centuries AD. Edward belonged to the House of Plantagenet, whose...
Brave Scot with an amazing beard and mustache curls in the Hungarian style.
15 December, 2018 - 01:31 ancient-origins

Beards, Business and a History of Facial Hair in the Workplace

By Lucy Newton / The Conversation Recording the human face in art is a long-held tradition, from the Roman Bust to the 15th century Dutch painting. The portrait signals power, prestige and wealth...
View from Rennes-le-Chateau
14 December, 2018 - 16:28 ashley cowie

Gaul’s Solar Alignment: A Secret Deeper than Rennes-Le-Chateau

In 54 BC, the Celtic Mandubii tribe ruled by Vercingetorix capitulated to Julius Caesar and so ended Gaul’s resistance to Rome. However, was the Battle of Alesia, located in southern France actually...
Bayeux Tapestry - The death of King Harold Godwinson at the Battle of Hastings.
14 December, 2018 - 13:58 Mark Miller

Did Harold Godwinson Really Die on the Battlefield at Hastings as the Records Suggest?

The reign of Harold Godwinson, the last Saxon King of England, is mostly remembered for its ignoble end, a victim of war at the Battle of Hastings in 1066 when William of Normandy came to conquer...
Egyptian pyramids under a night sky. Several researchers believe astronomical alignments at this site point to signs of an ancient advanced civilization.
13 December, 2018 - 23:03 Walter Cruttenden

Ancient Astronomical Alignments: Reading and Mapping the Stars at Early Advanced Civilization Sites

Many of the cuneiform tablets of Mesopotamia and hieroglyphs of Egypt make reference to the sun, stars, or planetary positions. Also, a number of ancient structures in many parts of the world are...
Which is the real Santa Claus? Portrait of Saint Nicholas (BigStockPhoto), Santa Claus with tree and sack (Public Domain), and a modern depiction of Santa Claus.
13 December, 2018 - 01:56 ancient-origins

This Christmas Tell Your Children the Real Santa Claus Story

Lisa Bitel / The Conversation Santa Claus will soon be coming to town, bringing gifts to children. Santa has several aliases, depending on the part of the world you live in. The English call him...
Anglo Saxon Helmet, Sutton Hoo, Suffolk. A reproduction of the helmet rebuilt from the fragments found in mound 1 in 1949.
12 December, 2018 - 18:18 Mark Miller

The Anglo-Saxon Conquerors: Creators of Medieval England

The people of England got their name from the Angles, who, along with the Saxons, invaded in the early- to mid-5th century AD, after the Roman Empire began to groan under the weight of barbarian...
Discovered by Gaston Maspero in 1885–86, this wooden shabti box was inscribed for Paramnekhu, a ‘Servant in the Place of Truth’ who was a son or grandson of the famous Sennedjem and Iineferti. Families of artisans such as this brought the king’s tombs to life. 19th Dynasty. Thebes, Deir el-Medina, Tomb of Sennedjem (TT1).
12 December, 2018 - 16:43 anand balaji

Heart of the Pharaoh Part II

The artisans and builders who resided at Set Ma’at (‘The Place of Truth’) were among the most valued workers in all of Egypt. Yet, there came a time when the economy of the country was on the verge...

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