All  

Iraq Banner Desktop

Store Banner Mobile

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.

The modern paleo diet is also called the caveman diet, as it’s inspired by Paleolithic eating habits. But is this meat-heavy depiction of ancient diets accurate? Source: Gorodenkoff / Adobe Stock
21 November, 2022 - 13:50 Molly Dowdeswell

Three Ancient Diets That Are Still Popular Today

There is no denying that the weight loss and diet industry in the Western world is huge. For many people, inspiration comes from our very early ancestors, who are believed to have eaten a simple,...
The backboard of the Kiribati armor was designed to protect from rear attacks (British Museum / CC BY SA 4.0)
20 November, 2022 - 13:55 Robbie Mitchell

Kiribati Coconut Armor - Not as Nutty as it Sounds!

At first sight, Kiribati armor might look a little strange, it is certainly not a suit of armor as we tend to think of it. It was surprisingly effective, given that it was made from coconut fibers,...
Fight with Cudgels by Francisco de Goya, circa 1820, resembles a bataireacht brawl Source: Public Domain
18 November, 2022 - 13:57 Mark Brophy

Bataireacht: The Irish Stick Fighting Martial Art Making a Comeback

Many countries have martial arts that are closely associated with their national identity. Kung-fu and China, Tae Kwon Do and Korea, and Muay Thai and Thailand. Few people would ever associate...
Medieval medicine understood that the placebo effect could induce self-healing. Source: GINGER_Tsukahara / Adobe Stock
17 November, 2022 - 21:41 ashley cowie

Medieval Medicine Understood How the Placebo Effect Could Heal

Is it time to kill the term “placebo effect”? A researcher looking at questionable medieval medicines, that are today shunned as placebos, has shown how early physicians triggered patient’s brains...
Swear words in a speech bubble. Source: Yuliia / Adobe Stock
17 November, 2022 - 17:59 Lex Leigh

14 Old Swear Words That Should Totally Make a Comeback

Cussing has been around since the time we could stub our toes. Though we’re all familiar with the swear words of the modern age, what about swear words from before our time? Believe it or not, there...
A woman wearing a veil, a tradition which has taken many different fomes throughout time and place. Source: eugenepartyzan / Adobe Stock
16 November, 2022 - 21:59 Robbie Mitchell

Wearing of the Veil Traditions Throughout History

There is perhaps no piece of clothing in history that has caused more controversy than the veil. Currently, protests to raise awareness of the tragic death of Mahsa Amini, a lady who died after being...
Archaeologists prepare burial excavation unit for removal of remains at the Camden Battleground site. Source: Sarah Nell Blackwell / South Carolina Battleground Trust
14 November, 2022 - 21:59 Nathan Falde

Excavations at the Battle of Camden Site Unearth 14 Revolutionary War Victims

On November 11 the South Carolina Battleground Preservation Trust issued a press release announcing an important discovery related to the American Revolutionary War. While excavating at the site of...
The wako pirates are typically portrayed as Japanese pirates, but the reality was more complex. Depiction of a pirate ship sailing on the ocean against a golden sky. Source: Gasi / Adobe Stock
13 November, 2022 - 13:57 Molly Dowdeswell

The Notorious Wako Pirates of Japan

The wako (also called wokou or waegu) were a group of marauders that dominated the seas of East Asia for centuries. They have been seen by Western historians and culture as a kind of Japanese pirate...
The Kakatiya Dynasty: A Small Kingdom With A Fierce Heart
11 November, 2022 - 13:54 Robbie Mitchell

The Kakatiya Dynasty: A Small Kingdom With A Fierce Heart

Medieval India was a land divided. Each region was ruled by its own regional kingdoms and dynasties. Over time, a handful of larger kingdoms began to exert control over smaller kingdoms, forcing them...
Tattoo on the left femur of a mummified Egyptian woman buried at Deir el-Medina. Source: Anne Austin/University of Missouri-St. Louis
9 November, 2022 - 21:58 Sahir

Not A Tramp Stamp: Thigh and Hip Tattoos Found on Female Egyptian Mummies

Ancient burial sites in Egypt have yielded tattooed mummies, that are predominantly female rather than male. Over time, various debates have arisen about who these mummies were, in terms of their...
Was King Arthur's Guinevere a Real Historical Queen?
9 November, 2022 - 17:55 Robbie Mitchell

Was King Arthur's Guinevere a Real Historical Queen?

There is perhaps no more famous character in British legend than that of King Arthur. For centuries, people have been reading tales of King Arthur and his knight’s exploits. Of all the characters...
The structure and decorative elements of the Heliodorus pillar which links ancient India to Greece and serves as a precise time marker. The pillar originally supported a statue of Garuda, now lost, or possibly located in the Gujari Mahal Museum in Gwalior.
8 November, 2022 - 21:53 Robbie Mitchell

The Heliodorus Pillar: Proof of Greek Worshippers In 200 BC Hindu India?

Sometimes archaeological discoveries are made that don’t make much sense or seem out of place. Often these mysteries are solved and have simple explanations. Take for example the Heliodorus pillar in...
Hygiene has evolved over the years, but we’ve been taking showers for centuries. Women bathing in a public gymnasium; Gouache painting based on an ancient Greek vase. Source: Wellcome Collection / Public Domain
7 November, 2022 - 22:00 Molly Dowdeswell

Hygiene Through History: How Filthy Were Our Ancient Ancestors?

People in the past have a reputation for being dirty and unhygienic, but is this true? While many aspects of personal hygiene have evolved over the centuries, others have remained surprisingly...
Heralds acted as messengers on the battlefield. Source: rudall30 / Adobe Stock
6 November, 2022 - 21:55 Robbie Mitchell

Heralds: Diplomats, Referees, and the Ultimate Power on the Battlefield

If you’ve ever watched a royal ceremony on television, been to a medieval fair, or watched a film set in the medieval ages you’ve probably seen a herald busy at work. These brightly dressed men...
Tutankhamun’s golden death mask as discovered in King Tut’s tomb. Source: Tarekheikal / CC BY-SA 4.0
4 November, 2022 - 13:54 Lex Leigh

King Tut’s Centenary! 6 Fascinating Facts About Tutankhamun’s Tomb

100 years ago today (November 4th) British archaeologist Howard Carter discovered King Tutankhamun’s legendary tomb. This famous discovery was essential in the field of archaeology, as it became...
Egyptian slaves and others in Egyptian dress. Source: Adobe Stock / Ruslan
3 November, 2022 - 17:57 Mark Brophy

The First Recorded Incident of an Escaped Slave

Today, slavery is seen as one of the worst atrocities mankind has ever committed, but once slavery was seen as just another part of everyday life. The Hellenistic world of ancient Greece was no...
Left: The corridor leading to the Antechamber of Tutankhamun’s tomb. Right: The moment Tutankhamun’s shrine was opened revealing his sarcophagus. (Public Domain).
1 November, 2022 - 13:48 Joanna Gillan

28 ORIGINAL Photos from the Discovery of Tutankhamun’s Tomb

November 4, 2022, marks the 100th anniversary of the discovery of Tutankhamun’s tomb in the Egyptian Valley of the Kings, a watershed moment for the world of archaeology. The spectacular nature of...
Female monarchs have been rare, but not unheard of, across the world. Like their male counterparts, they had mixed track records. Source: FrankBoston / Adobe Stock
30 October, 2022 - 21:53 Khadija Tauseef

Five Female Monarchs of the Muslim World

The death of British Queen Elizabeth II earlier this year provoked retrospectives on her reign, as well as reflection on the rule of other female monarchs. Many powerful women leaders of the West are...
Roman centurions like this were the backbone of the Roman army. Source: Fernando Cortés / Adobe Stock
28 October, 2022 - 19:01 Robbie Mitchell

Roman Centurions: Elite Forces of the Roman Empire’s Military

The ancient world had some impressive military forces. For example, Egypt was famed for its chariots and Greece for its navy. The Romans? They were famous for their foot troops, the legionaries. Yet...
Death mask of William Shakespeare, 1616 AD (Public Domain). Shakespeare, an influential figure of Elizabethan England, is known for his plays and sonnets, and is considered to be the most famous writer of the English language. Shakespeare died on 23 April 1616, at the age of 52. He died within a month of signing his will, a document which he begins by describing himself as being in "perfect health". No extant contemporary source explains how or why he died.
28 October, 2022 - 01:59 Joanna Gillan

History’s REAL Faces: 15 Death Masks of Famous and Infamous Figures

The closed eyes and uncannily peaceful expressions of death masks are frozen in time, and show us a side of royalty, of military and political masters, of profound thinkers and artists, and of the...
Archaeologists peeled back layers of destruction to uncover recordings of Earth's magnetic field in burnt mud brick wall. Photo is from Tel Batash (Biblical Timnah) and shows markings of the magnetic field orientation. Source: Yoav Vaknin/ Tel Aviv University
27 October, 2022 - 18:52 Sahir

Magnetic Fields Reveal the Truth Behind Biblical Battle Narratives

Biblical accounts of ancient military campaigns against the kingdoms of Judah and Israel have been confirmed by archaeologists in a very interesting new study. By recording geomagnetic fields in 21...
Pastel style drawing of Anna Komnene writing the Alexiad in the monastery of the Virgin Mary Full of Grace. Source: Midjourney AI / Public Domain
27 October, 2022 - 14:52 Robbie Mitchell

Anna Komnene: The Byzantine Biographer Princess and First Female Historian

These days, it seems that if an author wants to go straight to the top of the New York Times bestseller list, all they need to do is release a tell-all memoir or biography aimed at a famous...
Medieval sex was frequently restricted by the Catholic Church in many ways. Detail from The Garden of Earthly Delights by Hieronymus Bosch, circa 1500. Source: Public Domain
27 October, 2022 - 01:58 Robbie Mitchell

Medieval Sex Rules - How Not to Have a Good Time

These days, sex is everywhere. It's in our books, films, songs, TV shows, and now, even our history articles. Although some countries still impose strict rules upon sex, the fact is most western...
Detail of the Austrian child mummy's face and left hand on the abdomen. Source: Frontiers in Medicine
26 October, 2022 - 22:53 Nathan Falde

Loved to Death? Autopsy Reveals Shocking Cause of Death for Mummified Child

As reported in the journal Frontiers of Medicine , a team of German scientists from the Academic Clinic Munich-Bogenhausen used medical procedures and historical research to identify a 17th century...

Pages