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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.

Constellation Map. (DarkWorkX/Pixabay)
21 October, 2019 - 23:45 Martin Sweatman

Prehistoric Zodiacal Dating Code Revealed At Göbekli Tepe

Archaeologists agree, Göbekli Tepe changes everything. This hilltop sanctuary in southern Turkey, probably the World’s first megalithic temple, is like a time capsule that dates back nearly 13,000...
Morning Prayers
20 October, 2019 - 13:54 dhwty

The Essenes: The Mystery Holy Men Behind the Dead Sea Scrolls?

The Essenes were a Jewish sect that flourished around the end of the Second Temple Period, i.e. between the 2nd century BC and the 1st century AD. The main source of information regarding this...
Representative image of Aethelflaed, Lady of the Mercians
19 October, 2019 - 18:51 dhwty

Aethelflaed, Lady of the Mercians, Struck Fear in Viking Hearts

Aethelflaed, also known as the Lady of the Mercians, was an Anglo-Saxon ruler of Mercia who lived between the 9th and 10th centuries AD. When Aethelflaed was still a child, the Vikings controlled a...
Everything is distinct in the shaman’s secret world. Source: Ammit /Adobe Stock
18 October, 2019 - 22:39 george fery

The Shaman’s Secret World: Living in Light and Darkness

Shamanism is described in Shamanism, Archaic Techniques of Ecstasy as a every ancient coherent system of esoteric beliefs and practices that attempt to organize and explain the interrelationship...
The Trials and Tribulations of BM 22542 (1889,0731)
18 October, 2019 - 17:35 Charles Christian

The Trials and Tribulations of BM 22542 (1889,0731)

Spies have code names, so who was the mysterious BM 22542 (1889,0731), of Egyptian origin, that caused the deaths of many, sabotaged ships including the Titanic and Lusitania and disrupted the London...
Detail of a Manicheanism scene.
17 October, 2019 - 21:20 mrreese

Manichaeism: The Ancient Religion that Rivaled Christianity

Manichaeism is a multi-faceted religion that was founded by Iranian prophet Mani. After a revelation with the angel Eltaum, Mani prepared for 12 years to proclaim himself to the people. Manichaeism...
Mermaid (DarkWorkX/Pixabay)
17 October, 2019 - 01:10 MartiniF

Sirenas, Songstresses of the Philippine Seas

In 1493, Christopher Columbus claimed to have spotted a few mermaids and left decidedly unimpressed, writing that they: “were not as pretty as they are depicted, for somehow in the face they look...
The Greek motto gnōthi sauton (know thyself, nosce te ipsum) combines with the image to convey the famous warning: Respice post te; hominem te esse memento; memento mori. (Look behind; remember that you are mortal; remember death.)(Public Domain)
14 October, 2019 - 20:45 jim willis

Know Thyself: The Science of Uncovering the Ancients’ Origins

"Know thyself!" These words were inscribed in the court of the Temple of Apollo at Delphi. They were later quoted and expanded by Socrates, the Greek philosopher. He used them to highlight the fact...
Towers of Silence, Iran (delbars / Adobe Stock)
13 October, 2019 - 23:01 Caleb Strom

Achaemenid Religion: Lighting the Spirit of Ancient Persia

The Achaemenid Persian Empire is historically important for the Western world because of the influence of the Persian civilization on both the ancient Greeks and the ancient Jews. Because of this...
Paquiquineo - a chief’s son converted to Christianity. Source: jozefklopacka / Adobe Stock.
12 October, 2019 - 02:01 Caleb Strom

Paquiquineo: Brave Traitor or Freedom Fighter?

In 1561, a Native American from Virginia by the name of Paquiquineo was invited, in some accounts kidnapped, to Spain where he met the king and eventually was sent back to the Americas to assist the...
11 October, 2019 - 23:17 Pierluigi Tombetti

The Myth of National Socialism: How the Nazis Distorted the Nordic Past

National Socialism is one of the most unusual and documented regressus ad uterum historical events in modern times. It’s a unique case in history when a modern political party returned to its...
Mammoth hunt, Hyogo Prefectural Museum of Archaeology, Japan (CC BY-SA 2.5)
11 October, 2019 - 20:20 ashley cowie

Did the Pre-Clovis Cultures in America Originate from Japan?

One of the most contentious issue in American, if not world archaeology is the validity of the ‘Clovis first’ theory, which is based on the argument that humans first came into America with the...
Liberty Leading the People by Eugène Delacroix (1830), celebrates the French Revolution (Louvre Museum). Source: Public Domain
11 October, 2019 - 02:00 dhwty

The French Revolution and Birth of Liberty, Equality and Fraternity

The French Revolution is often considered to be one of the most significant events not only in the history of France and Europe, but also in the world. This revolution is known also as the Revolution...
An ancient fresco of Macedonian soldiers from the tomb of Agios Athanasios, Thessaloniki, Greece, 4th century BC (Public Domain)
9 October, 2019 - 17:46 David Grant

The Floating Warhorses of Alexander the Great: The Menacing Mount of the Macedonians

The rider must have a firm seat when going at full speed over all sort of ground and must also be able to use his weapons well on horseback. ( Xenophon, On Horsemanship , 8) When Philip II came to...
Ancient tsunamis destroyed and killed. Source: Kevin Carden / Adobe Stock.
8 October, 2019 - 14:05 Karen Mutton

Creating Waves, Destroying Lives: Ancient Tsunamis That Left Their Mark

The catastrophic Indian Ocean tsunami of late 2004 claimed up to 300,000 lives in the space of 24 hours. In 2011, the Japanese tsunami claimed another 20,000 lives. Prior to these events, few...
The ancient city of Blaundus; It was built on a peninsula surrounded by deep valleys in the Hellenistic Age. (muratti6868/ Adobe Stock)
7 October, 2019 - 22:18 jim willis

Ancient Architecture, Ancient Alcohol, Ancient Religion and the End of Our World

In 1995 a German archeologist named Klaus Schmidt decided to begin work in Turkey at a place called Potbelly Hill, or Göbekli Tepe. He didn't know at the time that he was about to turn the world of...
The Ionians were Greeks who revolted against the Achaemenid Empire in Asia Minor. Source: Fernando Cortés / Adobe Stock.
7 October, 2019 - 19:00 dhwty

The Ionian Revolt - Prelude to the Graeco-Persian Wars

The Ionian Revolt was a series of revolts that broke out in Asia Minor at the beginning of the 5th century BC. At that time, the whole of Asia Minor was under the rule of the Achaemenid Empire. The...
Portrait of an executioner. Warpedgalerie / Adobe Stock
6 October, 2019 - 13:59 Aleksa Vučković

The Dark Life of a Medieval Executioner – A Cut Away from the Rest

It is no surprise that the medieval period was filled with all kinds of undesirable jobs. There were leech collectors, cesspool cleaners, serfs, and gong farmers, to name a few. But one vocation that...
Goddess of Egypt, Bastet. Credit: MiaStendal / Adobe Stock
5 October, 2019 - 22:56 Aleksa Vučković

Egyptian Cat Goddess Bastet, Protector of the King

The wondrous world of Egyptian deities is filled with all manner of fantastic creatures, each one captivating in its unique depiction. This vast pantheon features hundreds upon hundreds of deities,...
The drum has been used since ancient times for rituals and communication. Source: zolotareva_elina / Adobe Stock.
5 October, 2019 - 14:03 B. B. Wagner

Primeval Communication and the Beat of the Drum

Human beings need complex communication, no matter if it's through speech or music . The invention of drums has become an essential factor in all musical forms of artistic expression. It is through...
In the medieval England magic was a service industry. Source: Вероника Преображенс / Adobe Stock.
5 October, 2019 - 01:55 ancient-origins

In Medieval England, Magic Was A Service Industry

Tabitha Stanmore / The Conversation Chances are that when you hear the words “ medieval magic ”, the image of a witch will spring to mind: wizened old crones huddled over a cauldron containing...
God Appears to Moses in Burning Bush by Eugène Pluchart (1848). Saint Isaac's Cathedral, Saint Petersburg. (Public Domain)
5 October, 2019 - 01:21 Roberto Volterri

The Enigmatic Name and Face of YHWH

Who has picked up the wind in the hollow of both hands? ” “Who wrapped the water in a cloak?” “Who raised all the ends of the earth?” “What is his name and what is the name of his son, in case you...
Abraham's Journey from Ur to Canaan by József Molnár (1850)
2 October, 2019 - 17:05 Enrico

The Other Side of the Flood: Was Abraham of Indian Descent?

A fascinating hypothesis, developed in recent years, proposes a vision of the patriarch Abraham totally different from what eminent biblical studies have until today reported. In 1552, the French...
The riches of the sea with Neptune, tritons and two nereids by Luca GIORDANO Giuseppe RECCO (1684) Art Gallery of South Australia (Public Domain)
1 October, 2019 - 12:35 MartiniF

The Old Man of the Sea: Shape Shifting in Service of Poseidon

Described as elusive and difficult to pinpoint, the ‘Old Man of the Sea’ may take on many names in mythology, but he embodies the virtues of truth and justice, until he was usurped by a sinister...

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