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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.

King Offa of Mercia in procession.
11 December, 2018 - 13:59 Mark Miller

King Offa of Mercia: A Ruthless Anglo-Saxon Hellbent on Power and Prestige

One of the most prominent Anglo-Saxon kings, Offa of Mercia in southern England, came to power upon the murder of his cousin, King Aethelbald. He went on to rule for 39 years and consolidated much of...
Portrait of Ivan IV, the first tsar of Russia, by Viktor Vasnetsov.
10 December, 2018 - 22:57 dhwty

Ivan the Terrible: How Did He Become the First Tsar of Russia?

The Tsar of Russia was the title used by the ruler of the Tsardom of Russia, a state that existed from 1547 to 1721. The Tsardom of Russia was preceded by the Grand Principality of Moscow, and was...
The Ramesseum witnessed high drama during the workers' protest against the third king to bear the name, Ramesses. Pictured here are headless Osiride statues of Ramesses II.
10 December, 2018 - 16:41 anand balaji

Striking at the Heart of the Pharaoh: Social Injustice and Deception in the Place of Truth – Part I

A couple of years before he celebrated his jubilee, Ramesses III was beset by internal problems. A great king who had combated vicious enemies from all corners and was deified by his subjects for his...
Princess Henrietta of England
9 December, 2018 - 22:52 dhwty

Henrietta of England and Her Tragic Life of Calamities and Heartbreak

Henrietta of England was an English princess who lived during the 17 th century. She belonged to the House of Stuart and after her marriage to Philippe I, Duke of Orléans, became the Duchess of...
Medieval castle
9 December, 2018 - 13:56 ancient-origins

Were the Dark Ages Really Dark?

The idea of a worldwide Dark Age or universal decline in man’s knowledge may be difficult to accept because the broad deterioration of ancient civilizations didn’t happen at an even pace in all...
Great Fire of London in the year 1666 by William Russel Birch
8 December, 2018 - 18:56 ancient-origins

Here is What it Would Have Been Like to be Caught in the Great Fire of London

Great explosions rang out in London’s Lower Thames Street: the sound of houses, shops, warehouses and taverns being blown up, a method intended to halt the spread of the seemingly unstoppable flames...
On Left - Miniature of Egbert, first king of England. On Right Top - Coin of King Egbert of Wessex. On Right Bottom - The entry for 827 in the C manuscript of the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle listing the territories he brought together to unite England. Source: Left, Public Domain; Right Top, Public Domain; Right Bottom, Public Domain.
8 December, 2018 - 01:47 Mark Miller

King Egbert of Wessex Conquers all to Become Bretwalda, the First King of a United England

King Egbert, later designated the first king of England, began his reign in the 9 th century, when England was fragmented into multiple small kingdoms and under attack by Norsemen. He was one of the...
Neanderthal man
7 December, 2018 - 16:39 jim willis

In Plain Sight, Our Neanderthal Ancestors

Left brain-right brain, intuitive-intellectual, patriarchy-matriarchy, make love-not war; is there a reason humankind seems so bi-polar? Maybe there is and the answer might be surprising. Of all the...
Amazonian Shaman Smoking
6 December, 2018 - 18:49 Thanush Poulsen

Kill or Cure: The Evolution of Addiction Treatment Through the Ages

As far back as history has been recorded, mankind has been using hallucinogens , opioids and stimulants for many varied purposes. Medical treatments, nutritional supplements, religious rituals, and...
The Funeral of a Viking - painting 1893.
5 December, 2018 - 22:58 dhwty

What Really Happened at Viking Funerals? It’s Not What You Think!

Like many ancient societies, the Vikings believed in an afterlife, and these were based on the religious beliefs they held. The current understanding of Viking funerary practices has been discovered...
The Conquest of the Amorites, as in Numbers 21:25, by James Tissot, before 1903.
5 December, 2018 - 15:05 Jason Jarrell

The Amorites: Bronze Age Invaders Who United an Empire

Sometime during the third millennium BC, a group of nomadic raiders expanded out of their mountainous homelands in Syria and stormed Mesopotamia. They were known as the Martu or Tidnum to the...
Meeting on the Isle of Pheasants, June 1660; Maria Theresa is handed over to the French and her husband by proxy, Louis XIV.
5 December, 2018 - 01:51 dhwty

Maria Theresa of Spain: Betrayal, Incest, and Black Baby Rumors

Maria Theresa of Spain was an infanta (meaning ‘princess’) of the Spanish Empire who lived during the 17 th century. She belonged to the Spanish branch of the House of Habsburg , and is best-known...
Tiresias transformed into a woman by Pietro della Vecchia (1626 – 1678)
3 December, 2018 - 16:27 MartiniF

Tiresias, Blinded by the Gods and Blessed with Second Sight

According to Greek mythology, Tiresias, the blind prophet of Apollo, was well-known as much for his clairvoyance as for being transformed into a woman for seven years. He was present for seven...
Coronation of Louis the Pious as King of Aquitaine.
3 December, 2018 - 14:01 dhwty

The Troubled Reign of Louis the Pious, Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire

Louis I (byname the Pious, the Fair, or the Debonair) was a King of the Franks and Holy Roman Emperor belonging to the Carolingian Dynasty. He lived between the 8 th and 9 th centuries AD and reigned...
‘The Birth of the Milky Way’ (1636-1637) by Peter Paul Rubens.
1 December, 2018 - 18:50 dhwty

Breastfeeding Beliefs: From Invincibility to Universal Creation

Breastfeeding is an infant feeding practice in which a child is fed breast milk directly from breast to mouth. Breastfeeding could be performed by the mother herself or by a wet nurse. Evidence of...
Sunset Ayers Rock Australian Outback Uluru
30 November, 2018 - 16:32 ashley cowie

Ancient Australian Song-lines and the Method of Loci

Indigenous Australian cultures held animistic beliefs and their everyday reality was a living, pulsing matrix of mythological cycles, outdoor rituals and ceremonies. Extending across the ancient...
The richly decorated wooden chair or ‘throne’ of Princess Sitamun that was found in KV46; design by Anand Balaji
28 November, 2018 - 16:29 anand balaji

Bedazzling Treasures of Yuya and Tjuyu: Stunning Burial on a Par with Royalty – Part II

With their daughter, Tiye, married into the powerful ruling family of Egypt, Yuya and Tjuyu led a charmed life. With strong ties to their hometown Akhmin, Yuya seems to have participated actively in...
A Silures wagon by Anne Leaver.
27 November, 2018 - 18:13 Veronica Parkes

The Silures Tribe: Rome’s Biggest Headache Hailed from Wales?

The people of Wales are fiercely proud of who they are, where they come from, and above all, their ability to remain a distinct people in the face of conquest. One such tribe in the south of Wales...
Dancing Bes figures on the left outer arm of the Sitamun's chair; and detail of the face mask of one of the coffins of Yuya; design by Anand Balaji
26 November, 2018 - 17:17 anand balaji

Bedazzling Treasures of Yuya and Tjuyu: K46 and the Golden Road to Nobility – Part I

Queen Tiye stands head and shoulders above all the Great Royal Wives of ancient Egypt. Though it is said that her background was that of a commoner, she rose to prominence mainly due to her...
A miniature depicting the defeat of the Georgian king George I ("Georgios of Abasgia") by the Byzantine emperor Basil II. Skylitzes Matritensis, fol. 195v.
26 November, 2018 - 13:45 Mark Miller

Byzantine Basil II: He Took an Icon of the Virgin into Battle Then Gouged Out the Eyes of Foes

The horrors and mass slaughters that many monarchs around the world perpetrated in ancient and more modern times may be eclipsed by the Byzantines, including Byzantine Emperor Basil II, known as...
Male karate fighter
25 November, 2018 - 18:34 ashley cowie

The Origins of the Top 5 Most Ancient Martial Arts that are Still Practiced Today

Movies, television shows, and cartoons are populated with dazzling martial artists ranging from the Kung-Fu antics of Hong Kong Phooey the crime fighting dog, to the mesmerizing Jeet Kune Do of Bruce...
: A hooded Inquisitor in a Medieval torture chamber. Source: diter /Adobe Stock
24 November, 2018 - 22:44 dhwty

Medieval Torture: The Terrifying Threat of Twisting off Limbs and Burning Flesh

The Medieval period is often called (rightly or wrongly) one of the most brutal eras in European history. One of the most notorious features of the Middle Ages was the use of torture. Although...
Hubert Vos' painting of a young Manchu man. Manchu shaman were important cultural icons
24 November, 2018 - 18:45 ashley cowie

The Heavenly Legacy of the Ancient Manchu Shaman

The Manchu people are an ethnic minority in China sometimes called "red-tasseled Manchus", a reference to the ornamentation on traditional Manchu shaman’ hats. Shamanism was the dominant religion of...
Ancient Khmer carving of childbirth.
24 November, 2018 - 13:49 dhwty

Ancient Childbirth Beliefs and Rituals Thought to Protect Mother and Child

For much of human history, pregnancy and childbirth was an extremely dangerous period in a woman’s life. It was often believed that the expectant mother and her baby were vulnerable to malevolent...

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