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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.

Stone Age early human child. Source: pxhere / Public Domain.
9 September, 2019 - 14:06 Caleb Strom

The Stone Age: The First 99 Percent of Human History

The Stone Age is the longest period of human history, lasting from 2.6 million years ago to about 5,000 years ago. It is also the period of human history that is the least well known relative to...
Medieval knights battle. Credit: Nejron Photo / Adobe Stock
8 September, 2019 - 14:05 Aleksa Vučković

A Red Dawn Rises - The Battle of Hastings, 1066

As the early morning sun dawned on October 14th, 1066 AD, casting its light on the clustered, eager soldiers, it would herald a new bloody, revolutionary epoch in the history of England. For on this...
Dia De Muertos. Credit: Yuliya Ochkan / Adobe Stock
7 September, 2019 - 22:53 george fery

Mexican Day of the Dead – Bittersweet Remembrance of Departed Ancestors

The celebrated Mexican Day of the Dead means one thing for city dwellers and quite another for country folks. It is a day dedicated to the bittersweet remembrance of departed family members. It also...
Hysteria was a term used to diagnosis wandering womb a female medical condition branded by ancient Greeks. Source: rodjulian / Adobe Stock
7 September, 2019 - 18:51 B. B. Wagner

Beware the Wandering Wombs of Hysterical Women

From ancient Greek physician Hippocrates to the infamous doctor Isaac Baker Brown of the 19th century, the pains and ailments of women were thought to be because of a ‘wandering womb’, better known...
The Feast of Attila by Ede Heinrich (1863) (Public Domain)
6 September, 2019 - 16:27 Shibumi

Attila The Great, Reviled as a ‘Barbarian’

Qin Shi Huang , first emperor of China and Genghis Khan have received what one might call a ‘bad rap’. They were of far greater honor and integrity than history has reported, and their achievements...
Joseph of Arimathea, Nicodemus and the Virgin Mary take Christ in the tomb watched by Mary Magdalene and Saint John the Evangelist by Titian (1559) (Public Domain)
5 September, 2019 - 02:35 Ken Jeremiah

Mummification in Christianity: The Incredible Exploding Pope

Pope Pius XII (Eugenio Pacelli) exploded in 1956. To understand why this occurred, it is necessary to explore the (Catholic and Orthodox) Christian practice of mummification, which is rarely...
Battle between Mongols clans and tribes during the time of Genghis Khan. Source: insima / Adobe Stock.
5 September, 2019 - 01:56 Dr. Timothy C. ...

Mosquito Hordes: How a Pesky Insect Destroyed the ‘Almost’ Invincible Mongol Empire

The inhospitable, remote high steppes and grassland of the austere and windswept northern Asian plateau were occupied by warring tribal clans and duplicitous factions. Alliances were capricious,...
Wintering of a team of Dutch sailors on the eastern coast of Novaya Zemlya by Eugène Lepoittevin (1839) Musée départemental de l'Oise. (Public Domain)
2 September, 2019 - 18:00 ashley cowie

Ancient Cult of the Brave Bear, Feared and Revered

All across the far northern hemisphere bear folklore is widespread, and as far back as the Paleolithic period around 50,000 years ago archaeologists have discovered evidence of bear cults where the...
Vlad the Impaler and the Turkish envoys, painting by Theodor Aman (Public Domain)
31 August, 2019 - 15:47 Roberto Volterri

Maria Balsa, Daughter of the Dragon: The Long-Lost Illegitimate Child of Vlad the Impaler?

Has a 16th-century Italian noble woman, Maria Balsa, wife of Giacomo Alfonso Ferrillo, Count of Muro Lucano and Lord of Acerenza, (Italy) been identified as the illegitimate daughter Vlad III Tepe,...
Egyptian gods and goddess. From left to right, Sekhmet, Isis, Ra, Horus, Wadjet, and Set. Source: Hotaru Ito / Public Domain.
31 August, 2019 - 13:56 Aleksa Vučković

Understanding the Gods of Egypt: In Unison With Nature

Ancient Egypt is a never ending source of inspiration for many of us – their myths , their history, and their art are so wonderful and enigmatic, that they have intrigued researchers for decades. But...
Matelotage is the marriage / civil union of two male pirates. Source: rdrgraphe / Adobe Stock.
29 August, 2019 - 19:02 B. B. Wagner

Be My Matelotage! The Civil Union of 17th Century Pirates

Love strikes hard like the broadsiding from a warship, leaving both splinters and buckshot in one’s heart. When it hits, there's nothing anyone can do but accept the bombardment with both arms open...
Remains of Taq Kasra in 2008. Arch of Cstesiphon, Capital city of King Ardashir (Public Domain)
29 August, 2019 - 00:35 Cam Rea

Ardashir’s Effective Reform of the Sassanid Military Machine

In the third century AD, Parthia and Rome had been waging war against each other for far too long. Sometimes Parthia was the victor while at other times Rome was the victor, and it seemed as if no...
Caligula (Towseef/ Adobe Stock)
26 August, 2019 - 15:47 Stephen Dando-C...

Rome’s Most Infamous Emperor: Was Caligula Mad or Bad?

Today, pundits and psychiatrists furiously debate the definition of ‘madness’. Where do narcissism, self-delusion, and an apparent inability to conceive of consequences of actions cross the boundary...
La Quintrala serial killer evades capture Source: kharchenkoirina / Adobe Stock
25 August, 2019 - 23:04 Aleksa Vučković

La Quintrala: Flaming Redhead Serial Killer Evaded Capture

In the world’s history of aristocracy, abuse of power was always a distinct possibility, and quite a few female landowners built up a macabre reputation based on torture, imprisonment, and abuse. In...
An ancient gift. Credit: kharchenkoirina / Adobe Stock
25 August, 2019 - 01:52 John Bradley

Anniversary Gifts: From Medieval Wreaths to Modern Getaways

It is not entirely clear when the custom of anniversary gifting began. However, early records show that marriage ceremonies and contracts were in existence four millennia ago – as far back as in...
Hippocrates Statue and Dooley Hospital Door. Source: CC BY 2.0
24 August, 2019 - 14:01 Sarah P Young

Ancient Greek Physician Hippocrates and the Medical Revolution

Classical Greece is considered by many to be the birthplace of modern Western civilization. The ancient Greeks made astounding progress in a huge number of areas - from politics and governing to...
Odysseus, Off Course in the Baltic Sea
23 August, 2019 - 20:50 Roberto Volterri

Odysseus, Off Course in the Baltic Sea

Homer’s Odyssey tells of the adventures of the ancient seasoned mariner, Odysseus, hero of the Trojan War, who offended Poseidon and as a result was cursed to sail the seas and prolong his journey...
Kreka was Attila’s first wife. (matiasdelcarmine / Adobe Stock)
22 August, 2019 - 23:01 B. B. Wagner

The Wives Who Made Attila the Hun

In 448 AD, Priscus , a Roman diplomat and a Greek historian , and Maximus , the head of the Byzantine embassy, were on a mission by Eastern Roman Emperor Theodosius II to meet with the infamous...
Like a Virgin? The Controversial Account of Mary, Mother of Jesus
21 August, 2019 - 22:42 Natalia Klimczak

Like a Virgin? The Controversial Account of Mary, Mother of Jesus

The Virgin Mary, mother of Jesus, is one of the key symbols of Christianity and a woman whose cult changed the world. However, she may be one of the most misunderstood biblical people. According to...
Christ in the Labyrinth (Image © Giancarlo Pavat) and Knights Templar deriv (Luis Louro / Adobe Stock)
21 August, 2019 - 03:39 Giancarlo Pavat

Christ in the Labyrinth, Pointing to a Sacred Pilgrimage of the Knights’ Templar

In 1996 during restoration work on a medieval cloister in the ancient city of Alatri, in the southern district of Lazio in Italy, a fresco was discovered with the image of Christ in the centre of an...
Victory over the Muslims at the Battle of Tours marked the furthest Muslim advance and enabled Frankish domination of Europe for the next century. Source: Bender235 / Public Domain.
20 August, 2019 - 14:05 Aleksa Vučković

The Franks, Charlemagne, and the Forging of Europe

The earliest histories of many European nations are firmly rooted in the ancient periods of migrations – when all sorts of tribes traveled from their homes in search of new grounds for settlement...
The discovery of the Tomb of Tutankhamun is one of the greatest archaeology achievements in history. Source: merydolla / Adobe Stock.
19 August, 2019 - 18:50 Aleksa Vučković

Unearthing the Ancients: Discovery of the Tomb of Tutankhamun

The ancient age of Egypt, the enigmatic pharaohs and the rich history of the Nile valley , are without a doubt one of the most exciting and wondrous aspects of modern archaeology. Filled with several...
Keepers of the Sacred Flame from Ancient Rome to India
19 August, 2019 - 15:43 MartiniF

Keepers of the Sacred Flame from Ancient Rome to India

The ability to ignite, maintain and control fire was a dramatic and powerful development in the habits of early humans and changed mankind’s quality of existence forever. Fire generates heat and made...
Viking explorers Source: Vlastimil Šesták / Adobe Stock
18 August, 2019 - 18:39 Dr Pat Hanratty

Pre-Columbian Explorers in the Americas: The Hard Evidence

These days, few people still believe Christopher Columbus was the first explorer to travel to the “New World.” But there is still a debate over whether adventurers and explorers from Europe, Asia,...

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