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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.

Re-creation of the port at Eridu, an ancient “Court of the King of the World”.
14 January, 2016 - 03:42 MarkPinkham

The Royal Road of the King of the World, and the Ancient Center of the Earth

The Royal Road of the King of the World is a 20-degree band around the Earth that has 30 degrees north latitude as its center. This band is not, technically, the geographical center of the Earth,...
The Alchymist, in Search of the Philosopher's Stone by Joseph Wright of Derby, 1771.
14 January, 2016 - 00:45 valdar

Alchemy and Immortality – The Tale of Nicolas Flamel and the Lapis Philosophorum

For mankind, immortality has always been a remarkably fascinating idea. Throughout time, the quest to eliminate death in order to achieve indefinite life in the physical body has taken various forms...
Pirate Bellamy sailing in search of treasure
11 January, 2016 - 00:43 Natalia Klimczak

Samuel Bellamy and the Treasure of Whydah

Samuel Bellamy was one of the most famous pirates of the Caribbean Sea. He was also lucky to finish his life on the sea on the ship which carried the greatest treasure discovered by the pirate...
Celtic mercenaries in Egypt
4 January, 2016 - 14:51 Natalia Klimczak

Exploring the Little Known History of Celtic Warriors in Egypt

Celtic warriors were one of the most important supports of Mediterranean armies. However, it is a little known fact that apart from their role in the Byzantium, these powerful warriors also had a...
Stone palette depicting Yuezhi king and attendants
4 January, 2016 - 03:44 dhwty

Fighting Their Way Westward: The Nomadic Yuezhi People

The Yuezhi were an ancient nomadic group of people from Central Asia who spoke an Indo-European language. It is likely that most people today are unfamiliar with the Yuezhi Civilization. As they were...
Reconstruction of the funeral ceremony.
4 January, 2016 - 00:50 ancient-origins

Unravelling the Events Surrounding the Frozen Burial of a Pazyryk Noblewoman

Twenty years ago, on the Ukok Plateau in the Altai Mountains, one of the greatest discoveries of the national archaeology of the late 20th century was made in Russia: an intact “frozen” burial of...
A relief of Kiya, remade from Amarna limestone.
3 January, 2016 - 15:03 Natalia Klimczak

Kiya - The Most Mysterious Woman of Amarna

The only thing we really know for certain about Kiya is her name, written in the forms kiya, kiw, kia, kaia, and that she was a wife of Akhenaten titled The Great Beloved Wife . Much information...
‘Augustus and the Sibyl’ (1575-1580) by Antoine Caron. Louvre Museum, Paris, France.
30 December, 2015 - 14:52 Natalia Klimczak

The Terrifying Doomsday Prophecy of the Tiburtine Sibyl

The word sibyl comes from the Greek term sibylla , meaning prophetess. Legends of the sibyls have been known since ancient times. In the beginning, their prophecies were foretold at holy sites, often...
Rosa Solymanni uxor. (16th century).
29 December, 2015 - 03:46 Natalia Klimczak

Hurrem Sultan, the Cheerful Rose of Suleiman I and a Powerful Woman of the Ottoman Empire

Hürrem Sultan appeared in Topkapi Palace as a slave, but in a very short time she became one the most influential women of the Ottoman Empire . The name Hürrem was given her by the Sultan Suleiman I...
Zheng He: Famous Chinese Explorer
28 December, 2015 - 03:36 dhwty

Zheng He: Famous Chinese Explorer Who Added Wealth and Power to the Ming Dynasty

Zheng He (also known as Cheng Ho) is one of the most famous admirals in Chinese history, and is best known for his treasure voyages. These voyages served to project the power and the wealth of the...
Main: Teutonic Castle in Malbork, Poland
27 December, 2015 - 03:00 Natalia Klimczak

Murder in Malbork Castle: The Demise of Werner von Orseln, Grand Master of the Teutonic Order

The capital castle of the Teutonic Order at Malbork, Poland, was famous for being unconquered. Apart from many battles around the castle in Malbork, these old medieval walls also saw the...
Pope Gregory XIII, portrait by Lavinia Fontana (Public Domain) A Page from a 1584 version of the Gregorian Calendar.
26 December, 2015 - 21:37 dhwty

New Year, Old Calendar: The Origins and Controversy of the Gregorian Calendar

The most commonly used civil calendar today is known as the Gregorian calendar, which is also called the Western calendar, or the Christian calendar. This calendar was named after Pope Gregory XIII,...
Tang court ladies carrying precious treasures, from the tomb of Princess Yongtai in the Qianling Mausoleum, near Xi'an in Shaanxi, China. 706 AD.
25 December, 2015 - 17:44 ancient-origins

The Spirit of Giving and Charity in Ancient China

By Cindy Chan , Epoch Times As we prepare for and take part in holiday festivities this time of year, celebration and merriment may come with increased demands that can add stress to our lives. But...
Painting of María Pita (1987) by Fernández Cersa
25 December, 2015 - 03:55 Natalia Klimczak

Maria Pita: The Woman Who Saved a Galician Town from the British

At the end of 16th century the fleet of Queen Elizabeth wanted to take control of the waterways from England to Portugal. The group of galleons headed by Sir Francis Drake were the dread of the ports...
Country Church on Christmas Day
24 December, 2015 - 21:48 ancient-origins

The Story of Silent Night

Walk into any public square or shopping mall at this time of year and an encounter with a traditional Christmas carol is well-nigh unavoidable. We may not sing them ourselves with anything like the...
Amulet of a Ba. Egypt, Ptolemaic Period, 332-30 B.C. Jewelry and Adornments; amulets. Gold with inlays of lapis lazuli, turquoise, and steatite.
24 December, 2015 - 03:54 valdar

Warding Evil and Welcoming Luck: Protective Amulets of the Ancient World

In the past, human life was vulnerable to disaster; Disease, wars, famine, natural disasters and many other factors could easily claim the lives of individuals. For this reason, people sought all...
Full moon over a winter landscape
24 December, 2015 - 00:53 Mark Miller

Rare Holiday Full Moon Will Provide Special Christmas Light for First Time since 1977

A full-moon calculator indicates the moon was full on December 25, 1 AD, in the old Western calendar, and it will be full again this year, 2015 years later. This is the first time we have had a...
Deriv; Moses and the Messengers from Canaan, Christopher Marlowe
18 December, 2015 - 21:55 rand

Questioning the Moses Timeline: Clues revealed in work of murdered playwright Marlowe

On May 29th, 1593, a government informer, Richard Baines, formally charged the famous playwright, Christopher Marlowe, with blasphemy. The complaint sent to Queen Elizabeth I read: “Containing the...
The Miracle of Empel (2015) by Augusto Ferrer Dalmau.
16 December, 2015 - 03:44 Marilo

The Miracle of Empel: An Astounding End to a Decisive Battle for the Spanish

The Battle of Empel was a decisive battle. The Spanish force was decimated and backed onto a mountain without food and their fate seemed to be left to the enemy’s whims. The die appeared to be cast...
Two varying depictions of the same figure, Jesus. (Deriv)
16 December, 2015 - 00:54 lizleafloor

Reconstructing Jesus: Using Science to Flesh out the Face of Religion

For being one of the most widely recognized men in the last 2,000 years, the true appearance of Jesus of Nazareth remains a mystery. Traditionally portrayed in western art as a be-robed, light-...
16th Century depiction of execution of a prisoner by Ottoman soldiers.
15 December, 2015 - 03:52 dhwty

Execution by Elephant: A Gory Method of Capital Punishment

Elephants have played a number of important roles in human history. In some cultures, the elephant is a revered creature. In Buddhism, for example, the vivid dream of Buddha’s mother which foretold...
Famous Seneca chief of the Iroquois league, Red Jacket, political negotiator and critic of European religion, speaking to crowd
14 December, 2015 - 03:22 dhwty

Iroquois League: The Ancient and Powerful Union of Six Nations

The Iroquois, known also as the Haudenosaunee (which means People Building a Long House ), were a powerful and important Native American confederacy located in the northeastern part of North America...
‘Visione di sant' agostino’ (vision of Saint Augustine) (1502) by Vittore Carpaccio.
11 December, 2015 - 03:53 dhwty

Saint Augustine of Hippo and His Detours on the Long and Winding Path to Christianity

Saint Augustine of Hippo is one of the most important Christian theologians, and his works have exerted a great influence not only on the development of Western Christianity, but also on Western...
‘Ayurvedic Medicine. Man of the Medical caste, masseuse.’
7 December, 2015 - 14:33 dhwty

Ayurvedic Medicine: A Traditional Knowledge of Life from India that Has Endured the Passage of Time

Ayurveda, known also as Ayurvedic medicine, is an ancient medical system that has its roots in India, and has been considered by many as one of the oldest healthcare systems in the world. In today’s...

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