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.

23 December, 2014 - 22:07 Katrina Sisowath

The Serpent Priestesses and Ancient Sexual Rites

Women robed in scarlet sheaths, conducting rituals associated with serpents away from prying eyes, serving Innana, the Goddess of Love, Fertility and War. The color of their clothes was symbolic of...

A famous silk scroll, The Emperor Approach, showing the luxury in which the Chinese emperor travelled during the Ming Dynasty, more than a thousand years after Fu Sheng short and brutal rule

19 December, 2014 - 23:33 dhwty

The short and brutal rule of Chinese Emperor Fu Sheng, the one-eyed tyrant

According to Chinese historical records, the history of Chinese kingship can be traced all the way back to the Xia Dynasty at the end of the 2 nd millennium B.C. Over the course of almost 4,000 years...

Reconstruction of what the monument in the Siwa Oasis would have once looked like

18 December, 2014 - 10:33 Liana Souvaltzi

The despairing cry of the tomb of Alexander the Great from the desert at Siwa Oasis

The following is an article written by Liana Souvaltzi, Archaeologist and Director of the Greek Mission at Siwa Oasis, who we invited to report on her research regarding the discovery of a large...

Mark the Evangelist symbol is the winged lion, the Lion of Saint Mark. Canvas painting, circa 1516.

18 December, 2014 - 01:25 Ahmed Osman

The origins of the ancient Coptic Church of Egypt

The Coptic Church of Egypt is the earliest Christian church in the world, going back to around 42 AD. According to Bishop Eusebius of Caesarea, as well as Coptic traditions, Saint Mark the evangelist...

15 December, 2014 - 12:09 mrreese

Roman Emperor Caligula and the Floating Bridge of Baiae

Roman leader Caligula is well-known for his brief stint as the emperor of Rome, from 37 AD through 41 AD. Some say that Caligula displayed signs of madness during his reign. According to historical...

7 December, 2014 - 00:41 Ivan Petricevic

The Mighty Wall of Hadrian, Emperor of Rome

Built by Emperor Hadrian of the Roman Empire, Hadrian's Wall stretches across the width of England south of its modern border with Scotland. This incredible monument covers over seventy miles (120 km...

Infant skeleton found beneath Roman bathhouse in Ashkelon, Israel

4 December, 2014 - 08:02 mrreese

The discovery of a mass baby grave under Roman bathhouse in Ashkelon, Israel

Along the shores of Israel's Mediterranean coast, in the ancient seaport of Ashkelon, archaeologist Ross Voss made a gruesome find. While exploring one of the city’s sewers, he discovered a large...

26 November, 2014 - 11:44 dhwty

Theodora: From humble beginnings to powerful empress who changed history

It is often said that ‘behind every great man is an even greater woman’. Justinian I was one of the most powerful emperors of the Byzantine Empire. During his reign, he sought to revive the empire’s...

Mosaic depicting Alexander the Great fighting Darius III of Persia

19 November, 2014 - 00:44 Ashlee McCabe

Alexander the Great: Was he a Unifier or a Subjugator?

Interpreted by many historians as proof of a vision for the unison of man, much of Alexander’s dealings in Persia have come to be attributed with a policy of racial fusion. Accordingly, echoed in...

Phidias Showing the Frieze of the Parthenon to his Friends

17 November, 2014 - 12:58 mrreese

The masterful works of ancient sculptor Phidias

Phidias was a master sculptor in ancient Greece. Very little is known of his life, but his accomplishments are famous throughout the world. Phidias worked masterfully with bronze and other materials...

The Vision of Saint Eustace, Pisanello, 1438–1442. Rider wearing high heels.

15 November, 2014 - 11:39 dhwty

The Ancient Origins of High Heels – Once an Essential Accessory for Men

High heel shoes are today a form of footwear worn almost exclusively by women. Yet, the history of high heels shows us that this was not always the case. On the contrary, high heels were, at various...

10 November, 2014 - 00:23 aprilholloway

Transcription of ancient manuscript suggests Jesus married Mary Magdalene and had two children

An ancient manuscript unearthed at the British Library and dating back nearly 1,500 years says that Jesus married Mary Magdalene and had two children, with their names and descendants reportedly...

Sokushinbutsu - The ancient Japanese monks mummified to death

9 November, 2014 - 22:16 aprilholloway

Sokushinbutsu and the ancient Japanese monks that mummified themselves to death

Over 1,000 years ago, a practice was pioneered by a Japanese priest named Kukai, which was intended to demonstrate the ultimate act of religious discipline and dedication – self-mummification. The...

1 October, 2014 - 03:14 aprilholloway

The Quest to find Nefertiti, Queen of the Nile

Nefertiti is one of the most famous queens of ancient Egypt, second only to Cleopatra. While many aspects of her life are well-documented, there are many mysteries surrounding her death and burial...

13 September, 2014 - 00:11 aprilholloway

Boudicca, the Celtic Queen that unleashed fury on the Romans – Part 2

(Read Part 1 ) Queen Boudicca had every reason to hate the Romans – by 60 AD, the lands of the Iceni clan of Britain had been captured, her people had been killed or taken as slaves, she was publicly...

19 August, 2014 - 12:45 aprilholloway

The Mysterious Disappearance of Nefertiti, Ruler of the Nile

Nefertiti was the chief consort of the Egyptian Pharaoh Akhenaten (formerly Amenhotep IV), who reigned from approximately 1353 to 1336 BC. Known as the Ruler of the Nile and Daughter of Gods ,...

1 April, 2014 - 13:33 aprilholloway

Tracing back the ancient origins of April Fools’ Day

On 1 st April every year, people around the world celebrate April Fools’ Day, sometimes called All Fools’ Day, a day when merriment and joviality is supposed to reign and pranks, practical jokes, and...

30 March, 2014 - 00:25 aprilholloway

New Future for the Ancient Art of Golden Eagle Hunting

Eagle hunting is an ancient art which has been in existence on the Central Asian Steppe, from Kyrgyzstan to Kazakhstan and Mongolia, for some 6,000 years. Societal and political changes have meant...

9 August, 2013 - 11:38 ancient-origins

The Serpent Scion: Mythic Traditions and the Brotherhood of the Snake - Part 2

Brad Steiger, an author whose research into different varieties of strange phenomenon truly runs the gamut in terms of his interests and expertise, notes in his book Real Aliens, Space Beings, and...

8 August, 2013 - 13:31 ancient-origins

The Serpent Scion: Mythic Traditions and the Brotherhood of the Snake - Part 1

That fabled moment when Eve, the first mythic wife of man and mother of all living, accepted fruit from the serpent will remain in infamy as the first great deceit of man by the snake. Of course,...

16 February, 2013 - 14:42 johnblack

Pharaoh Akhenaten

Pharaoh Amenhotep IV was one of the most puzzling pharaohs of Egypt, also mentioned as the ‘Heretic Pharaoh’ or ‘Rebel Pharaoh’. His father was Amenhotep III , the King of the 18 th dynasty when...