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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.

Exposing the Shady Secrets of Charon's Obols: Spirit Coins of Ancient Greece
11 May, 2016 - 03:44 dhwty

Exposing the Shady Secrets of Charon's Obols: Spirit Coins of Ancient Greece

Charon’s obols were coins supposedly used by the ancient Greeks for funerary purposes. More precisely, the belief is that these coins were used by the shades (roughly equivalent to the concept of ‘...
Kemari: Revival of a 7th Century Japanese Football Game in Modern Times
9 May, 2016 - 03:50 dhwty

Kemari: Revival of a 7th Century Japanese Football Game in Modern Times

Kemari is an ancient ball game that has its origins in Japan, and has some similarities to the modern sport known as association football (more commonly known as football in the UK or soccer in the...
The Blooming and Fragrant History of Roses
8 May, 2016 - 03:50 Natalia Klimczak

The Blooming and Fragrant History of Roses

Roses are one of the most popular flowers around the world. Over the centuries they have been a symbol of love but they also sometimes served as symbols in parts of royal coats of arms. The first...
Unravelling the Spellbinding Story of the Inuksuit – Mysterious Structures from the Prehistoric Arctic
6 May, 2016 - 14:45 Natalia Klimczak

Unravelling the Spellbinding Story of the Inuksuit – Mysterious Structures from the Prehistoric Arctic

While the first pyramids were being built on the sands of the desert in Egypt, people in the cold north were creating a very different civilization. They produced a mysterious system of communication...
The Story of the Brave Horatius Cocles, One-Eyed Hero
6 May, 2016 - 03:48 Theodoros Karasavvas

The Story of the Brave Horatius Cocles, One-Eyed Hero

Through the centuries there have been many brave men who wrote their name in history with blood. One of these men was the glorious Roman Publius Horatius Cocles, a young officer in the army of the...
The Famous Egyptian Martyr Saint Menas and His Shrine at Abu Mina
4 May, 2016 - 03:52 dhwty

The Famous Egyptian Martyr Saint Menas and His Shrine at Abu Mina

Saint Menas (spelled variously as Minas, Mina, Mena and Mennas) is an Egyptian saint and martyr, and has the epithets of the Wonder-worker and the Martyr . St. Menas was one of the most well-known...
Queen Tamar: The Confident Female Ruler of the Georgian Golden Age
3 May, 2016 - 21:55 dhwty

Queen Tamar: The Confident Female Ruler of the Georgian Golden Age

Queen Tamar was a ruler of Georgia who lived between the 12th and 13th centuries AD. This monarch presided over what is today known as the Georgian Golden Age . This was a period that began in the...
The Surprising Links Between Alexander the Great and Christianity
3 May, 2016 - 03:53 Natalia Klimczak

The Surprising Links Between Alexander the Great and Christianity

Alexander the Great died three centuries before Christianity officially appeared, but his cult was so strong that some symbols connected with the ancient Macedonian king were adopted by the new...
Solon, the wise lawgiver of Athens.
1 May, 2016 - 03:54 Theodoros Karasavvas

Solon: The Father of Western Law

Solon the Athenian was a great philosopher and one of the seven sages of ancient Greece. However, he’s mainly remembered for being the legislator who laid the foundation for Athenian democracy with...
Presumed Portrait of Jayavarman VII
30 April, 2016 - 14:50 dhwty

Jayavarman II: Self-Proclaimed God-King of the Khmer Empire

Jayavarman II is traditionally regarded as the founder of the Khmer Empire, a powerful state which ruled much of mainland Southeast Asia from the 9th century AD until the 15th century AD. The Khmer...
Unravelling the Tragic Story Behind the Impressive Lion Monument of Lucerne
29 April, 2016 - 03:50 dhwty

Unravelling the Tragic Story Behind the Impressive Lion Monument of Lucerne

The Lion of Lucerne (known also as the Lion Monument) is a memorial located in Lucerne, Switzerland. This monument is a rock relief carved into the cliff face of a former sandstone quarry, and...
Sigrid the Haughty, Queen Consort of Four Countries and Owner of a Strong Personality
28 April, 2016 - 03:50 Natalia Klimczak

Sigrid the Haughty, Queen Consort of Four Countries and Owner of a Strong Personality

In Norse sagas, Sigrid appears as the wife of Eric the Victorious of Sweden, then Sweyn Forkbeard of Denmark. She's also known as a famous Polish queen of the Vikings, who was called Świętosława...
The Commanding Clovis I: King of the Merovingian Dynasty and Founder of France
26 April, 2016 - 03:53 dhwty

The Commanding Clovis I: King of the Merovingian Dynasty and Founder of France

Clovis I was the second king of the Merovingian Dynasty, and its first ruler to unite all the Franks in the region of Gaul under Merovingian rule. Due to this achievement, Clovis is often regarded as...
Anne Boleyn, Queen of England, 18th Century Miniature based on Holbein's Sketch.
26 April, 2016 - 00:44 Natalia Klimczak

Intelligence and Witchcraft – What Caused the Downfall of Anne Boleyn?

Heartless propaganda made people believe that Anne Boleyn was a witch - a woman who manipulated the king and put spells on him to reach her goals. She was obviously a very intelligent woman, but her...
A group of Yotvingians
25 April, 2016 - 00:57 ancient-origins

Yotvingians – Mighty Warriors of the Baltic Sea

The Yotvingians were one of the most influential tribes to live near the Baltic Sea. Their name is known from the first historical books of the world. Despite their centuries of domination in the...
Agnes Waterhouse: The First Woman Executed for Witchcraft in England
21 April, 2016 - 00:53 Natalia Klimczak

Agnes Waterhouse: The First Woman Executed for Witchcraft in England

History remembers Agnes Waterhouse as one of the most influential witches of the Tudor period. Although the Inquisition in Europe started their trails and executions much earlier, Agnes was the first...
From the Gisla Saga: When Eyjólfur and his men attacked Gísli in overwhelming numbers, Gísli’s wife Auður stood by his side, armed with a club.
18 April, 2016 - 03:09 ancient-origins

Gunnhild, A Misidentified Bog Body and the Mother of Kings in Norse Sagas

Gunnhild, known also as Gunnhild Gormsdóttir or Gunnhild konungamóðir (meaning ‘mother of kings’), is a character who is found in a number of Norse sagas. In these stories, Gunnhild is depicted as...
Obradoiro square in Santiago de Compostela, Galicia (Spain), Saint James the Greater.
18 April, 2016 - 01:03 Natalia Klimczak

Who is Buried in the Famous Shrine of St James in Santiago de Compostela?

The legend of the Apostle John’s brother is one of the most important stories in Spanish Christianity. According to legend, a man who was a friend of Jesus is buried in the cathedral in Santiago de...
Gunnhild, A Misidentified Bog Body and the Mother of Kings in Norse Sagas
17 April, 2016 - 03:53 dhwty

Gunnhild, A Misidentified Bog Body and the Mother of Kings in Norse Sagas

Gunnhild, known also as Gunnhild Gormsdóttir or Gunnhild konungamóðir (meaning ‘mother of kings’), is a character who is found in a number of Norse sagas. In these stories, Gunnhild is depicted as...
William Marshal: One of the Most Important Knights in Medieval England
16 April, 2016 - 00:49 dhwty

William Marshal: One of the Most Important Knights in Medieval England

William Marshal (also called William the Marshal), 1st Earl of Pembroke, is one of the most important figures in the history of medieval England. He was a knight and nobleman who lived between the...
The Cursed Tomb of the Polish King Casimir IV Jagiellon
15 April, 2016 - 14:52 Natalia Klimczak

The Cursed Tomb of the Polish King Casimir IV Jagiellon

When Howard Carter opened the tomb of King Tut and people who were with him started to become ill and die many thought that it was due to the curse of the pharaohs. A similar way of thinking appeared...
Serpent Stones: The Vishap Steles of Armenia as a Symbol of Rock Art and Rich Heritage
15 April, 2016 - 03:49 dhwty

Serpent Stones: The Vishap Steles of Armenia as a Symbol of Rock Art and Rich Heritage

A vishap stele (known also as vishapakar and vishap stone) is a type of stone monument that can be found in Armenia. These steles may be identified by the carvings on them, usually of fishes or...
The Egyptian Goddess Isis, Found in India
14 April, 2016 - 14:53 Chris Morgan

The Egyptian Goddess Isis, Found in India

One of the great, largely untold adventure stories of late antiquity is the journey to the East, from Egypt’s Red Sea ports, across the open ocean for 40 days and 40 nights, to the legendary entrepôt...
Restoration of a group in late Pleistocene northern Spain, by Mauricio Antón
9 April, 2016 - 00:48 ralph ellis

Why do Ice Ages occur? A New Paradigm Shift on a Prehistoric Problem

Why do ice ages occur? Surprisingly, even after many decades of paleoclimatic research we simply do not know for sure. Most scientists will agree that ice age cycles have something to do with...

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