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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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Composite image of depiction of Freud, the father of psychoanalysis and a renowned coke addict, combined with a photo of lines of cocaine. Source: SergioArt22 / Adobe Stock & Josif / Adobe Stock

4 December, 2022 - 22:00 Cecilia Bogaard

Extracted from Andean Coca, Freud Promoted Cocaine as a Miracle Drug

Indigenous peoples in the Amazon and Andes regions of South America have been chewing coca leaves for as many as 8,000 years. But did you know that these leaves were only transformed into highly-...

The drunkard's cloak on display at the Torture Museum in Bruges. Source: Dimitris Kamaras / CC BY 2.0

3 December, 2022 - 00:58 Cecilia Bogaard

Wearing the Drunkard’s Cloak Was the Worst Hangover in History

After a night of drinking, few things are worse than a heinous hangover. Or so I thought! For during the early modern era, heavy drinkers were faced with a far worse punishment. Those guilty of...

Afro-Colombian slaves used their braids to communicate messages and escape routes. Source: Vanessa / Adobe Stock

30 November, 2022 - 00:55 Cecilia Bogaard

African Slaves Used Braids to Communicate Escape Routes in Colombia

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...

King Henry VI and Margaret of Anjou in an illuminated miniature. Source: Public domain

26 November, 2022 - 01:02 Cecilia Bogaard

Henry VI Needed a Helping Hand to Bed His Wife Margaret of Anjou

In her book The Shadow King: The Life and Death of Henry VI , historian Lauren Johnson claimed that the prudish 15th century king of England needed a helping hand to do the deed when it came to...

Wax likeness of Madame Tussaud with her guillotine victims of the French Revolution in Paris, on display at the Royal London Wax Museum in British Colombia. Source: Herb Neufeld / CC BY 2.0

20 November, 2022 - 21:59 Cecilia Bogaard

Madam Tussaud’s Breathtaking Waxworks Have a Blood-Soaked History

Behind the glitz and glam of modern-day waxworks of the likes of Donald Trump or Michael Jackson, lies the blood-soaked history of the French Revolution. In fact, the renowned Madam Tussaud franchise...

Composite image of French men’s shoes dating back to circa 1690 with image of a Persian ambassador, wearing high heels on visit to Poland in 1605, in the background. Source: Public domain & Public domain

16 November, 2022 - 00:57 Cecilia Bogaard

High Heels Were Originally Worn By Men

A lifetime critic of the self-inflicted pain of high heels, I’ve never understood why anyone would wear them when the risks involved are so well known. From ingrown toenails, back problems or...

The monster of London going to take his afternoons luncheon, in an etching by James Gillray. Source: Public domain

13 November, 2022 - 21:59 Cecilia Bogaard

Sadistic Serial Slasher Inspired a Trend in Bottom Guards

While the infamous Jack the Ripper and his legendary killing spree in the 19th century is the stuff of legends, few have heard of another forgotten assailant who terrorized the streets of London just...

12 November, 2022 - 22:09 Cecilia Bogaard

Queen Elizabeth Ran a Lottery and One Prize Was a Get Out of Jail Free Card

As you wait with baited breath for your lottery numbers to be called out, spare a thought for the people who took part in England’s first state lottery in the 16th century. Seen as an ideal solution...

Composite image combining stereoscopic image of Eton College with portrait of King Henry VI. Source: Public domain and Public domain

8 November, 2022 - 00:50 Cecilia Bogaard

In Ironic Twist of Fate, Elitist Eton Was Founded to Educate the Poor

When Eton says their school has history, they’re really not kidding. The famed £46k per year boys boarding school is a British brand synonymous with elitism, even though the school was originally...

Europeans were terrified of tomatoes when they were first introduced. Source: humanissa_rt / Adobe Stock

3 November, 2022 - 00:34 Cecilia Bogaard

Terrifying Tomatoes! Europeans Were Afraid of Newly Introduced ‘Poisonous Apples’

Everyone has a friend who hates tomatoes. But did you know that this fear or hatred of tomatoes is nothing new? Used in pizza , pasta and even gazpacho, the ubiquitous tomato is associated with Italy...

Eel depicted in a medieval manuscript. Source: Public domain

21 October, 2022 - 01:58 Cecilia Bogaard

Eels Were Used to Pay the Rent in the Middle Ages!

Before coinage became common, people in medieval England would pay their rent using an array of everyday items. Amongst these was the remarkably unattractive, and underappreciated, wormlike eel! Few...

The Death of King Attila the Hun in 453 from an illuminated manuscript within the Saxon World Chronicle (close up). Source: Public domain

13 October, 2022 - 01:51 Cecilia Bogaard

The Fearsome Attila the Hun Died of a Nosebleed on His Wedding Night

In what must have been one of the worst honeymoons in history, Attila the Hun, the brutal nomadic warrior of the 5th century AD, was found dead in his nuptial bed, drenched in blood the morning after...

The hands of a person with leprosy. Source: paul salmon/EyeEm / Adobe Stock

9 October, 2022 - 23:00 Cecilia Bogaard

Leprosy Was Treated with Ass Fat, Bull Gallbladder and Steamed Flies!

It wasn’t until the 1970s that scientists developed an effective cure for leprosy . Up until then this terrible disease was feared not just for its awful symptoms, but also for the stigma that came...

The golden mask of King Tut. Source: Jean-Pierre Dalbéra / CC BY 2.0

7 October, 2022 - 01:48 Cecilia Bogaard

King Tutankhamun’s Parents Were Brother and Sister

What does Tutankhamun have in common with Cleopatra, Charles II of Spain, or even Queen Victoria? Besides being royalty in their distinct corners of the world, all of them were a product of...

The Tomb of Jesus in Shingo, northern Japan. Source: smoke / Adobe Stock

5 October, 2022 - 14:51 Cecilia Bogaard

One Japanese Legend Claims That Jesus Christ Lived and Died in Japan

A small village in northern Japan attracts thousands of visitors each year claiming to be the site of the true tomb of Jesus Christ. Local legend has it that he visited Japan during his lost years ,...

Top image: Painting by Peder Severin Krøyer, entitled Hip, Hip, Hurrah!, depicting a group of artists toasting at a party. Source: Gothenburg Museum of Art / CC BY 4.0

2 October, 2022 - 23:00 Cecilia Bogaard

Despite its Ritual Importance, “Toasting” Came from a Piece of Toast

We’ve all taken part in toasting rituals. At birthdays and weddings, in remembrance of loved ones or as a sign of respect, modern-day toasts range from a polite nod while wetting one’s lips to...

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