Believe it or not, but by the 1700s, deciding whether or not to take sugar with your tea had become a political statement. While sugar-free diets are now all the rage, the motivations behind this...
Have you ever wondered what it would be like to live in ancient Greece? It's easy to romanticize the past, especially when it comes to a civilization that produced some of the most important...
We’ve all read a lot about ancient Greece, but what was it really like to live there, to experience it firsthand? There’s a lot we can learn from the daily lives of its people, how they worked and...
There is no denying the far-reaching and unique history of ancient China. Thousands of years before our time, the ancient dynasties and cultures of China excelled in a variety of arts and...
Nestled between the Congo River and the Atlantic Ocean lies a hidden gem of African history: the Kingdom of Kongo. Despite its vast territory spanning modern-day Angola, Congo and Gabon, this...
The ivory trade is a story as old as human civilization, filled with tales of adventure, greed, and exploitation. For millennia, ivory has been prized for its beauty, rarity, and versatility, making...
After 20 years of restoration, the lavish and opulent House of the Vettii has been opened up to the public, offering a glimpse into the life of ancient Pompeii’s elite. It was owned by two former...
For Mexicans, being called a malinchista is an insult. The word comes from la Malinche, remembered as the indigenous interpreter who helped Hernán Cortés during the Spanish conquest of the Aztec...
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...
The hair of black boys and girls was, and continues to be, an object of ridicule and discrimination. This kind of distain is a throwback to a more openly racist era, steeped in beliefs of African...
When studying ancient societies, it isn’t uncommon to experience some culture shock. Even after researching a society for years, you’ll come across something that will stop you straight in your...
It has long been known from carvings and tomb paintings that the ancient Egyptians used branding irons to mark their cattle. Now a new study presents evidence that they also used branding stamps on...
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...
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 shortest war in recorded history began at 9 am on August 27, 1896. It was over in less than three-quarters of an hour, with a shocking toll of 501 killed or wounded soldiers. This is the story of...
After more than a year-and-a-half of study and contemplation, the District Council that governs Stroud, Gloucestershire, England has voted to seek the removal of a controversial statue from its perch...