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Ancient Origins Tour IRAQ

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Geishas, once misunderstood as courtesans, they were the epitome of grace, mastering arts and skills that challenged the stereotypes of their time. Source: Max Ferrero/Adobe Stock

Geishas: The Truth Behind These Fascinating Women (Video)

Unveiling the reality of historical geishas challenges Western stereotypes, dispelling the notion that they were mere courtesans or prostitutes. In contrast to misconceptions, the geisha's life was a...
The perfectly preserved bronze mirror found in a shallow grave alongside the Hellenistic escort. Source: Yoli Schwartz / Israel Antiquities Authority

High-Class Hellenistic Escort Remains Found At Roadside

The body of a Greek Hellenistic woman has been discovered in a shallow grave beside the highway to Jerusalem. Laid to rest with a rare box mirror, this was no ordinary female, as she was a highly-...
From ancient to modern times the abominable violation of human rights has occurred. Referred today as human trafficking, it is nonetheless, a form of slavery, of human exploitation for personal or commercial gain. Source: Rick/Adobe Stock

From Sumerian Gods to Modern Day: The Long History of Slavery and Lost Children

The recent film Sound of Freedom is a fictionalized account of the true story of Tim Ballard, a former US Department of Homeland Security agent who founded the nonprofit organization Operation...
Medieval couple. Source: Dmytro Sandratskyi / Adobe Stock.

What Was Sex Really Like in the Middle Ages? (Video)

Contrary to popular belief, medieval attitudes towards sex were often far from puritanical. Surviving sources, largely influenced by the Catholic Church, give a skewed impression of the era. In...
Ancient cult prostitutes. Source: stockcrafter / Adobe Stock.

Ancient Goddess Cults and Temple Prostitution (Video)

In the depths of ancient civilizations, a peculiar practice intertwined sexuality with religious devotion. Revered as sacred, this ritual, known as sacred temple prostitution , involved engaging in...
Chinese concubine. Source: TK0920 / Adobe Stock.

Life and Death in the Harem: China's Imperial Concubines (Video)

Imperial China's history is full of tales of rich and powerful men who kept concubines in their lives, with the most famous system of concubinage existing within the Chinese imperial family. From the...
Ancient Greek prostitute. ‘Phryne’ by Jose Frappa (Public Domain)

Prostitution, One of History’s Oldest Professions!

Prostitution is often described as the world’s oldest profession. Although this isn’t true – hunters, farmers, and shepherds predate prostitution – the sale of sex traces back to time immemorial. The...
Left; Aztec god Xochipilli as described in the 16th century Codex Borgia, Right; Xochipilli, Aztec terracotta Lombards Museum. Source: Left; Public Domain Right; CC BY 3.0

Xōchipilli: Fun-Loving Aztec God of Sex, Drugs, and Music

The Aztecs were known for their many unique deities, but one of the most fascinating is Xōchipilli, the Aztec god of flowers, love, art, and fertility, as well as patron of homosexuality. Xōchipilli’...
The Silk Road offered opportunities to explore, not only new lands, but new sexual adventures.	Source: Demian / Adobe Stock

Sexual Exploits and Exploitation along the Silk Road

The Silk Road created a convergence of cultures like no other. The route is deemed influential by historians because of the contributions it made to trade and the economy, as well as society in...
Marble body lines of young naked Roman women of Renaissance Era Source: Neurobite / Adobe Stock)

A Guide to Exploring Love, Sex, and Homosexuality in Ancient Rome

When people think about love and sex in ancient Rome, it tends to be pretty scandalous: orgies here, there, and everywhere! But the truth is rarely black and white. Were the Romans more sexually...
The Graveyard Prostitutes of Rome and Beyond

The Graveyard Prostitutes of Rome and Beyond

Ancient regulars of the world’s oldest profession may have grown bored with the “usual” items on the coitus menu. That may be why ancient Rome enjoyed a thriving sexual ecosystem with robust variety...
Old man beguiled by courtesans.

Protection or Profit? The 1000 Prostitutes Employed by the Church in 12th Century London

The modern Christian church does not condone prostitution and would never consider getting involved with it. However, in 12 th century England, a borough of London known as Southwark had eighteen...
Mural from a Pompeii brothel.

The Grim Reality of the Brothels of Pompeii

Like the anxious men who began excavations at Pompeii in the 18th century and discovered more about the ancient Italians than they had bargained for – such as phallic-shaped lamps – historians of sex...
Albertine to See the Police Surgeon.

The Fallen Women: Were Victorian Prostitutes Really Fallen?

The Victorian era is notoriously known as an era of female repression: sex, drugs and rock and roll—or rather, their Victorian counterparts—were believed to be highly taboo topics of conversation,...
Lost in Translation? Understandings and Misunderstandings about the Ancient Practice of “Sacred Prostitution”

Lost in Translation? Understandings and Misunderstandings about the Ancient Practice of “Sacred Prostitution”

In the modern world, the mere mention of “Sacred Prostitution” may receive raised eyebrows or disgusted grimaces. Evidently, this was also the case for the ancients as many ancient authors describe...
Pleasure, Procreation, and Punishment: Shocking Facts about Sex and Marriage in the Ancient World

Pleasure, Procreation, and Punishment: Shocking Facts about Sex and Marriage in the Ancient World

Much of what is considered normal in the present day might have been seen as shocking in the past and vice versa. This idea applies to many of the aspects of daily life, including customs related to...
The Four Great Beauties, and the Arts of the Courtesans in Ancient China

The Four Great Beauties, and the Arts of the Courtesans in Ancient China

The Four Great Beauties are four ancient Chinese women renowned for their beauty which they skillfully exercised to influence Chinese history. Although each of the Four Great Beauties frequently...
Actaeon Surprising Diana (Artemis) in the bath, by Titian

Poet Sappho, the Isle of Lesbos, and sex tourism in the ancient world

The sexual proclivities of ancient Greece is almost as mythologized as their legendary heroes. In fact, the entire Greek pantheon of gods is renowned for its hedonistic sexual antics and exploits...