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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.

15th century the basement of a "market house" used as a prison
25 October, 2015 - 13:21 dhwty

Prisons and Imprisonment in the Ancient World: Punishments Used to Maintain Public Order

One of the most well-known forms of punishment today is imprisonment. One could argue that for any society to function properly, public order has to be maintained. This is an important function of...
Sack of Rome
24 October, 2015 - 14:50 dhwty

Exploring the Origins of the Vandals, The Great Destroyers

The word vandal today may be defined as a person who deliberately destroys or damages property. Historically speaking, a Vandal was “a member of a Germanic people who lived in the area south of the...
The Death of Cleopatra by Reginald Arthur, 1892.
22 October, 2015 - 21:48 Mark Miller

Cleopatra probably did not die of snakebite to her breast, Egyptologist claims

According to accepted historical accounts, Cleopatra, the last active pharaoh of ancient Egypt, committed suicide by holding a snake to her breast and allowing it to bite her, killing her with its...
Tsarevich Dimitry by Mikhail Nesterov. (1899)
22 October, 2015 - 14:38 dhwty

Dmitri of Uglich and the Three False Dmitris: One of the Most Bizarre Episodes in Russian History

Dmitri (Dmitry) of Uglich, known also as Tsarevich Dmitri or Dmitri Ivanovich, was the youngest son of the first Tsar of All the Russias, Ivan IV Vasilyevich, more commonly known as Ivan Grozny or...
Ashoka the Great and an Ashoka Pillar at Tilaurakot, Lumbini, Nepal
21 October, 2015 - 03:54 dhwty

Ashoka the Great: From Cruel King to Benevolent Buddhist

The emperor Ashoka is considered to be one of India’s greatest monarchs, and was the third ruler of the Mauryan Empire. Whilst Ashoka’s conquests pale in comparison to his illustrious grandfather’s,...
Mix of ancient weapons
19 October, 2015 - 14:35 Joanna Gillan

Ten Diabolical Weapons and Strategies of War from the Ancient World

Warfare has been a part of the human condition throughout recorded history. While weapons, strategies, and tactics have changed, there are a number of methods that have been used across the millennia...
The treasure-hunters. Working with a metal detector.
19 October, 2015 - 04:07 ancient-origins

History wars: archaeologists battle to save our heritage from the nighthawks

Like grave-robbers, they come at the dead of night, wearing camouflage and dark clothes to avoid detection. Armed with increasingly powerful metal detectors, they work their way across the fields,...
Artist’s depiction of a Viking King
19 October, 2015 - 00:41 Mark Miller

From Olafir Thick-Legged to Ragnar Fur-Pants, Viking nicknames were colorful, descriptive and fascinating

An American scholar did both his master’s thesis and his doctoral dissertation on old Norse nicknames as recorded in medieval literature to reveal a world of people with monikers like Wise of Dreams...
The print depicts a samurai fighting snakes, which are conjured by a ghost as the ghosts of Heian court ladies watch. Japan, 1850.
17 October, 2015 - 00:45 lizleafloor

Malevolent Phantoms, Corpse Brides, and Ancestor Spirits: The Ancient Belief in Ghosts – PART II

Many ancient civilizations had beliefs surrounding the hauntings of ghosts and malevolent spirits, and so they relied on careful rituals and exorcisms to keep the supernatural at bay. Read Part I...
Ancient legends tell of ghost hauntings.
16 October, 2015 - 00:56 lizleafloor

Malevolent Phantoms, Corpse Brides, and Ancestor Spirits: The Ancient Belief in Ghosts – PART I

Ghosts and malevolent spirits haunted the ancients, and so they relied on careful rituals and exorcisms to keep the supernatural at bay. The concept of a spiritual afterlife connects cultures across...
The mastaba of Khentkawes I, Giza, Egypt.
14 October, 2015 - 14:48 Gisele Santos

Khentkawes I: The Mysterious Mother of two Kings of Egypt and a Forgotten Ruler of the 4th Dynasty

Queens of Ancient Egypt played significant roles throughout history both in life and in death, but the attention is usually given to striking noble women such as: Nefertiti, Hatshepsut, Nefertari,...
King John on a stag hunt. (1300-1400)
11 October, 2015 - 00:50 dhwty

Will New Technology Help Relocate the Long Lost Treasure of King John?

King John of England (1166 – 1216 AD) is one of the most infamous kings in English history. In an article written in conjunction with the 800th anniversary of the signing of the Magna Carta , King...
Roman Key Ring made of iron and worn by the wife.
9 October, 2015 - 14:58 lizleafloor

Why Do Couples Exchange Rings with Vows? The Elusive Ancient Origins of Wedding Rings

The image of a couple exchanging rings during a wedding ceremony is instantly recognizable, and is held as an ancient tradition. A ring on a certain finger indicates that the wearer is married, but...
Detail of Portrait of Mary Tudor. Oil on panel by Antonio Moro. Prado Museum. Madrid Spain.
9 October, 2015 - 03:37 ancient-origins

Bloody Mary: The Marriage, Reign, and Death of a Queen of England

Read Part 1: Bloody Mary, Queen of England: Ascent to Throne Mary Tudor, Mary I, nicknamed by her enemies as Bloody Mary, was the third woman to hold the throne of England. She is often remembered...
Digital illustration of a portrait of Edgar Allan Poe
8 October, 2015 - 00:37 ancient-origins

Edgar Allan Poe: Was Mary Rogers his Muse or his Murder Victim?

Edgar Allan Poe is considered a literary genius and one of the fathers of horror literature as well as the inventor of the detective story. Poe was gifted with an undoubtedly brilliant mind able to...
Portrait of Princess Mary Tudor, future Mary I of England. Master John, 1544.
7 October, 2015 - 03:35 ancient-origins

Bloody Mary: Tumultuous Beginnings for a Future Queen of England

Mary Tudor, nicknamed by her enemies as Bloody Mary, was the third woman to hold the throne of England. She is often remembered for trying to counter the religious reforms introduced by her father,...
Convict Shirt, National Museum of Australia Ian Evans, Author provided
4 October, 2015 - 21:51 ancient-origins

These walls can talk: Australian history preserved by folk magic

The 160,023 convicts transported to the Australian colonies between 1788 and 1868 left leg-irons and chains a’plenty, but surprisingly little in the way of clothing. Sydney’s Powerhouse Museum has a...
‘Siege of Lachish’. Credit: The British Museum; photo by C. Reeder. This relief from Sennacherib’s palace in Nineveh celebrates the Assyrian destruction of the Judaean city of Lachish. Women and children, followed by a man driving oxen, flee from the besieged city.
4 October, 2015 - 00:45 ancient-origins

Looking to ancient wisdom for guidance on modern day refugee crisis

Berlin recently agreed to curb the number of migrants it welcomed after a backlash against Angela Merkel’s suspension of EU rules limiting numbers. It followed previous scenes of crowds welcoming new...
Figure of an Ife King
3 October, 2015 - 03:48 dhwty

The Rulers of Ife: The Traditional and Adaptive Roles of the Ooni

Ife is an ancient city of the Yoruba located in the south-western part of modern day Nigeria. Based on the archaeological evidence, the urbanization of the site may be dated back to around 500 AD...
Mosaic of the ‘bikini girls’ from the Villa Romana del Casale, Piazza Armerina, Sicily.
2 October, 2015 - 21:50 dhwty

When it Came to Ancient Undergarments Less Was Often More

Undergarments are an essential part of today’s society. They can be readily purchased from departmental stores, come in all shapes and sizes, and serve a variety of functions. In the ancient world,...
The death of King Olaf at the hands of Tore Hund, Viking chief
28 September, 2015 - 14:53 Mark Miller

Viking Chief Tore Hund and his successful resistance against Christian conversion

When Christians made their theological push into Europe, suppressing native religions and supplanting them with a foreign God, some pagans resisted by secretly practicing their old religion, while...
Paracelsus
24 September, 2015 - 03:56 dhwty

Paracelsus: the Father of Toxicology and the Enemy of Physicians

Toxicology is a branch of knowledge dealing with the scientific study of the characteristics and effects of poisons on living organisms. The man considered to be the ‘father’ of this discipline is...
Bélisaire, depicting Belisarius as a blind beggar.
17 September, 2015 - 15:41 dhwty

Belisarius: Powerful General of the Byzantine Empire

Flavius Belisarius was a Byzantine general who lived during the 6th century AD. He is often regarded as one of the greatest generals of the Byzantine Empire . Additionally, he is one of the...
“Krishna and Balarama Taking the Cattle to Graze” from a Bhagavata Purana Manuscript (1520-1540), Museum Rietberg, Zurich
15 September, 2015 - 00:59 dhwty

The Past Teaching the Present: Ancient Sanskrit Texts Discuss the Importance of Environmental and Species Conservation

One of the greatest challenges facing humanity in the 21st century is the destruction of the natural environment. Researchers have found that environmental change over the last 60 years is happening...

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