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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.

Detail of a painting representing Krishnadevaraya.
29 June, 2018 - 01:59 dhwty

Krishnadevaraya: The Kingly Diplomat, Patron of the Arts and a Military Force

Krishnadevaraya ruled ancient India’s Vijayanagara Empire for only about two decades, however his power, skills, and personality were made known in that short amount of time and so it seemed much...
Pavement mosaics showing ‘Sarn Helen’ routes in Wales, one of which lies between the two mosaics.
27 June, 2018 - 15:23 Elyn and Gary

Following ‘Sarn Helen’, an Ancient Roman Network of Roads, Across Wales

Looking at a detailed roadmap of Wales, one will notice an unusual feature; alongside, and sometimes between the expected highways and scenic byways is a broken assortment of dotted lines identified...
Cataphracts: Armored Warriors and their Horses of War
27 June, 2018 - 13:36 dhwty

Cataphracts: Armored Warriors and their Horses of War

By the 7 th and 8 th centuries B.C., the role of the chariot in battle was gradually being replaced by cavalry units in the Near East. Some were armed lightly and were used to harass the enemy from...
Stone temple car in the Vitthala Temple at Hampi. (Vijayanagara).
27 June, 2018 - 01:52 dhwty

The Vijayanagara Empire: Friendly and Feuding Brothers Who Ruled the South of India

For a time, there was a strong divide between political rule in the north and south of India. While the northern part of India was under the rule of the Muslim Delhi Sultanate, the south withstood...
1893 Reconstruction of the Alexander Mosaic.
26 June, 2018 - 18:59 Mark Oliver

Remorseless Chronicles of Slaughter: Fatal First Contact Between Ancient Greece and the Tribes of India

Colonialism hasn’t changed much. More than 2000 years ago, when Alexander the Great conquered the Persia, he sent an ancient explorer named Nearchus to sail down the Indus River and map the lands...
Detail of ‘The Introduction of the Cult of Cybele at Rome’ (1505-1506) by Andrea Mantegna.
25 June, 2018 - 22:45 Miranda Aldhous...

Candles in the Dark and Spice from the Orient: Mystery Cults

‘But what a small part of our dregs Is Greek! Long ago the wide Orontes of Syria poured into the Tiber And brought With its lingo and morals its flutes And harps...’ - Juvenal Rome did not sit...
Pyramids of Giza at Night
25 June, 2018 - 15:10 Richard Heath

The Significance of Planetary Harmony: Creating Megalithic Structures Through Music

Over the last 7,000 years, hunter-gathering humans have been transformed into the 'modern' norms of city dwellers through a series of metamorphoses during which the intellect developed ever-larger...
Sunset behind Buddha Image at Wat Phasornkaew
24 June, 2018 - 18:59 valdar

Ancient Indian Sages Who Held Advanced Knowledge on Science and Technology

Many modern-day scientists see themselves as the first to create all the technological advancements we use today. Yet many of the so-called discoveries are nothing more than re-inventions created by...
Giant Boabab Tree
24 June, 2018 - 13:57 ancient-origins

9 Oldest Trees in Africa, Some Over 2,000-Years-Old, Now Dead

Nine of 13 of Africa’s oldest and largest baobab trees have died in the past decade, it has been reported. These trees, aged between 1,100 and 2,500 years, appear to be victims of climate change...
Sir Isaac Newton and the Philosopher’s Stone
22 June, 2018 - 15:36 ashley cowie

Sir Isaac Newton’s Secret Quest for the God Engine

Isaac Newton, English physicist, mathematician, astronomer, inventor and natural philosopher was one of the most influential and accomplished scientists in history. After Newton died, however, he...
A view of ruined fort of Tughlaqabad, created during the Delhi Sultanate, at sunset.
22 June, 2018 - 14:00 dhwty

The Delhi Sultanate: 300 Years of Muslim Power Over the Indian Subcontinent

The Delhi Sultanate was a Muslim sultanate that was existed between the 13th and 16th centuries. Based in Delhi, the territory of the Delhi Sultanate was mainly confined to the northern part of India...
Pliny the Elder
21 June, 2018 - 04:54 Riley Winters

The Illustrious Life of Pliny the Elder, Ancient Historian and Roman Commander

Gaius Plinius Secundus, better known in history as Pliny the Elder, was an influential administrator, officer, and author during his life. Although he was only fifty-six years old at the time of his...
Detail of a bronze statue presenting Shiva as the Lord of Dance. Nataraja from Tamil Nadu, India. Chola Dynasty.
21 June, 2018 - 01:56 dhwty

The Chola Dynasty: Exploring the Achievements of an Indian Empire Spanning 400 Years

The Chola Dynasty was a dynasty that ruled over the southern part of India for about 400 years. Although there were some up’s and down’s, including a time when Chola princesses were the only ones...
The Levite of Ephraim avenging the death of his wife as the victim of brutality by the Benjamites by Alexandre-François Caminade (1837)
20 June, 2018 - 15:25 Cam Rea

The Gibeah Incident: Ancient Israel’s First Civil War Over a Concubine

The first civil war among the tribes of Israel broke out over the Gibeah incident, which was between the Israelite confederation and the tribe of Benjamin. While this incident is normally placed...
Central shrine decor at Somapura Mahavihara, a Buddhist center of learning from the Pala empire.
19 June, 2018 - 14:01 dhwty

The Pala Empire: An Indian Dynasty Ruled by Protectors of Buddhism

The Pala Empire was an empire that was centered on the area of Bengal and Bihar, in the north and northeastern parts of India. This empire was founded during the 8th century AD and existed for about...
The Visit of the Queen of Sheba to King Solomon, painting by Edward Poynter, 1890, Art Gallery of New South Wales
19 June, 2018 - 02:36 Robin Whitlock

The Ethiopian Gold Mine that may have supplied the Queen of Sheba with her riches

Ever wondered where the Queen of Sheba got her gold from? Sudan and Ethiopia are both in the region of what was the kingdom of Sheba, and both have ancient mines. In fact, the Asosa zone of Ethiopia...
Tribal Shamanic Music
18 June, 2018 - 15:32 jim willis

Music, Math, Megaliths and the Dawn of Humanity

"Musick hath Charms to sooth a savage Breast, To soften Rocks, or bend a knotted Oak. I've read, that things inanimate have mov'd, and, as with living Souls, have been inform'd, by Magick Numbers and...
Scene from the Rāmāyaṇa, northwest India, Gupta period, 5th-6th century, terracotta, Honolulu Academy of Arts.
18 June, 2018 - 13:58 dhwty

Gupta Empire of Ancient India Was Golden Age of Goodwill, Artistic Endeavors and Military Might

The Gupta Empire was an ancient Indian empire that existed between the 3rd and 6th centuries AD. During this time India advanced, especially culturally. Achievements in architecture, sculpture, and...
A depiction of Sextus Empiricus.
17 June, 2018 - 22:47 ancient-origins

Sextus Empiricus: Suspending Judgement and Promoting a Skeptical Search for Truth

The following two quotes will help you gain a quick perspective on how the ancient philosopher Sextus Empiricus understood the world: Those who claim for themselves to judge the truth are bound to...
From the Shawangunk Mountains by S Gifford
15 June, 2018 - 15:33 Glenn M. Kreisberg

Spirits in Stone: Ancient Megalithic Culture Reveals Hidden Skyscape Clues to Sun and Goddess Worshiping

An American census on agricultural stone fence survey conducted in 1880, documented over 240,000 miles (386,242 kilometers) of stone walls in north-east America alone. That’s enough to reach to the...
Detail of Qin Shi Huang's imperial tour across his empire. Depiction in an 18th century album.
15 June, 2018 - 02:03 Mark Oliver

How the Search for Immortality Killed the First Emperor of China

No man had ever risen as high as Qin Shi Huang. He was the first emperor of China - the first man to conquer its seven kingdoms and rule them all. There was only one threat left for him to overcome:...
Deriv. Image of Native American woman, believed to be Juana Maria, of the Nicoleño tribe
15 June, 2018 - 01:54 dhwty

Juana Maria, the Lone Woman of San Nicolas Island

Island of the Blue Dolphins is a book written by the American author Scott O’Dell about a girl stranded on an island in the Pacific. This popular children’s novel is based on a real story of a woman...
Kamehameha the Great
14 June, 2018 - 02:56 dhwty

Secret and Safe: Hawaiian Royal Burials and the Missing Bones of Kamehameha the Great

The magical properties associated with the bones of Hawaiian kings were valuable to the ancient Hawaiians, and were even seen potentially dangerous. Great rites and elaborate ceremonies were...
Detail of a statue of Mahavira at Shri Mahavirji, Rajasthan.
14 June, 2018 - 01:57 dhwty

Mahavira: Abandoning Luxury to Revive Jainism

“A living body is not merely an integration of limbs and flesh but it is the abode of the soul which potentially has perfect perception (Anant-darshana), perfect knowledge (Anant-jnana), perfect...

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