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Cecilia Bogaard

Cecilia Bogaard is one of the editors, researchers and writers on Ancient Origins. With an MA in Social Anthropology, and degree in Visual Communication (Photography), Cecilia has a passion for research, content creation and editing, especially as related to the ability for art to provoke social change, and the dynamics of power in public space throughout history. This has taken her around the world to far-flung places such as Cuba, Spain, Scotland, India, the United States and now southern Ecuador, where she lives with her family.

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Mature ambergris, a.k.a. amber gris, is a valuable commodity which often washes up on the shore. Source: spline_x / Adobe Stock

11 April, 2023 - 22:50 Cecilia Bogaard

Arabians Used Ambergris Whale Feces To Make Perfume!

The origin of ambergris was a mystery for many hundreds of years. Christened “floating gold”, for millennium various cultures have been using ambergris and attributing it with fantastical qualities...

Guy Fawkes masks have become a symbol of anarchy and protest against tyranny, seen here during a protest in Madrid. Source: Daniel López García / CC BY 2.0

6 April, 2023 - 22:53 Cecilia Bogaard

Why Masks Depicting England’s Guy Fawkes Were Banned in Saudi Arabia

With its highly-stylized moustache, the so-called Anonymous mask has featured in multiple protests across the globe. Described by the Fair Observer as “a staple of anti-authoritarian activist...

Upper ivory denture with human teeth. Source: Science Museum, London / CC BY 4.0

4 April, 2023 - 01:56 Cecilia Bogaard

Teeth Scavenged from Fallen Soldiers at Waterloo Were Used as Dentures

Get ready to sink your teeth into a little-known fact about the infamous Battle of Waterloo! While many of us have heard of this bloody European battle that sent Napoleon Bonaparte packing, what you...

The Biblioteca Ambrosiana in Milan undergoing imaging to reveal the hidden text. Source: Lumiere Technology/Pascal Cotte and Salvatore Apicella

29 March, 2023 - 01:57 Cecilia Bogaard

Humans Have Been Keeping Dildos Handy for at Least 28,000 Years

When archaeologists assembled the pieces of an ancient stone artifact discovered in a cave in Germany, it was pretty clear what they’d found. Known as the Hohle Fels phallus, this prehistoric tool...

Tree-hugging has its ancient roots in environmental activism. Source: warnerbroers / Adobe Stock

26 March, 2023 - 22:55 Cecilia Bogaard

Tree-Hugging is Rooted in the Tragic Tale of the Khejarli Massacre

Throughout history there’s a multitude of examples of cruelty meted out by royalty , but the story of Abhai Singh of Marwar and the Khejarli massacre in India really stands out. In a David and...

Detail depicting the unusual death of King Edmund Ironside as portrayed in a 13th-century illustrated Anglo-Norman manuscript of the Life of St Edward the Confessor. Source: Cambridge University Library / CC BY-NC 3.0

22 March, 2023 - 00:59 Cecilia Bogaard

King Edmund Ironside Was Killed on the Toilet by a Cesspit Assassin

Having ruled England for less than a year, King Edmund is primarily remembered for his unusual death. In one of the most uncomfortable murders in history, legend has it the Anglo-Saxon king was...

Illustration by John Tensile of the Dodo from Lewis Carroll’s “Alice's Adventures in Wonderland.” Source: Archivist / Adobe Stock

15 March, 2023 - 00:51 Cecilia Bogaard

Scientists Plan to De-Extinct the Dodo!

Have you ever wondered where the phrase “dead as a dodo” comes from? Used to describe something obsolete, unimportant and unquestionably dead, the saying was inspired by the sad story of the long-...

Representational image of Chines paper armor. Source: AI generated

10 March, 2023 - 17:51 Cecilia Bogaard

Ancient Chinese Paper Armor Was Tougher Than Steel

You’ve probably heard the saying “the pen is mightier than the sword,” but have you heard of paper armor being stronger than metallic protective clothing? It goes against everything we’ve learned...

Portrait of Looty the Pekingese lion dog, commissioned by Queen Victoria and painted by Friedrich Wilhelm Keyl. Source: Public domain

8 March, 2023 - 13:54 Cecilia Bogaard

Queen Victoria’s Dog Was Stolen from Chinese Emperor and Mockingly Called ‘Looty’

What at first glance appears to be an unexceptional dog , actually started out its life in the household of the Chinese emperor before being looted by the English during their sacking of the Old...

Woman crossing the Queshuachaca Inca rope bridge near Huinchiri in Peru. Source: Danita Delimont / Adobe Stock

4 March, 2023 - 00:59 Cecilia Bogaard

Dizzying Inca Rope Bridges Were Grass-Made Marvels of Engineering

Spanish conquistadors couldn't believe their eyes while exploring the rugged terrain of the Andes during their invasion of Peru. On entering Inca territory in the 16th century, they were bowled over...

The Japanese Waseda he-gassen handscroll depicted farts so powerful they could uproot trees. Source: Public domain

26 February, 2023 - 21:58 Cecilia Bogaard

Fart Battles of the He-gassen Handscrolls Brought Toilet Humor to Life

Japanese art is full of surprises, including rowdy depictions of phallic contests, intercourse tournaments, and the unforgettable he-gassen fart battles. Bawdy, boisterous and downright delightful,...

Representational image of a curious dinosaur. With such curious resident dinosaurs, why don’t we know more about the long-lost continent of Appalachia? Source: simon / Adobe Stock

17 February, 2023 - 01:00 Cecilia Bogaard

Long-Lost Appalachia Was Filled with Dinosaurs You’ve Never Heard Of

Believe it or not, but once upon a time, in the area we now know as North America, there existed a forgotten continent which was inhabited by a cast of peculiar dinosaurs you’ve probably never heard...

Walrus ivory snow goggles, created by the proto-Inuit Thule culture of Alaska, dating back to about 800 to 1200 AD. Source: Public domain

12 February, 2023 - 21:52 Cecilia Bogaard

Snow Goggles Are Masterpiece of Inuit Indigenous Innovation

While most readers would never expect to see the terms “snow goggles” and “ancient history” in the same sentence, snow goggles are actually nothing new. Despite being a modern-day necessity in snow-...

Representational image of a Roman soldier with a red-crested helmet. Source: Sunshower Shots / Adobe Stock

10 February, 2023 - 00:59 Cecilia Bogaard

Romans Wore Red-Crested Helmets to Avoid Fratricide on the Battlefield

We’ve all become accustomed to seeing iconic red-crested helmets depicted in Hollywood battle scenes set in the Roman era. But, are these red crests historically accurate or just a product of...

Geta Dying in his Mother's Arms by Jacques Pajou. His death at the hands of Caracalla has been remembered due to the subsequent use of damnatio memoriae to erase him from public memory. Source: Public domain

7 February, 2023 - 00:54 Cecilia Bogaard

Caracalla Erased Hated Brother’s Memory Using Damnatio Memoriae

We’ve all had issues with family at one time or other. But the lengths taken by the Roman emperor Caracalla really take the biscuit. To ensure he would never again be reminded of his younger brother...

Nursing Madonna (Madonna Lactans) by anonymous master from the School of Bruges. At the Chapel of the Milk Grotto in Bethlehem, Virgin Mary milk powder is sold as a cure for infertility. Source: Public domain

31 January, 2023 - 17:48 Cecilia Bogaard

Even Today, Virgin Mary Milk Powder is Used as a Cure for Infertility

The Virgin Mary’s breast milk has been the subject of veneration for centuries and even today couples battling infertility often imbue it with miraculous powers. This is especially true at the Chapel...

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