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Seth God Statue (Catmando / Adobe Stock)

The Rise And Fall Of Seth, Egyptian God Of Volcanism

Numerous papers have been written about the Egyptian god Seth in recent years, but his essential identity seems to have evaded modern commentators. Seth's role is pivotal in determining the...
Conical tombs at the newly found site in the Lomas de Chapultepec area to the west of present-day Mexico City.		Source: INAH

Artifact Laden Pre-Hispanic, Pre-Volcanic Tombs Excavated in Mexico

Archaeologists in Mexico were digging at a high-altitude village from the Early and Middle Preclassic periods (2500-400 BC), when they found 12 unique cone-shaped, or conical tombs. Inside, they...
The prodigious death of Pliny the Elder, in which his body was reduced to ash by the flames of Vesuvius, could be a false representation of the reality of his death. Source: Wellcome Images / CC BY 4.0

Curiosity Killed Pliny the Elder During the Eruption of Mount Vesuvius

Remembered for having written the world’s first encyclopedia, Pliny the Elder’s curiosity got the best of him as he watched clouds of smoke emerging from Mount Vesuvius during its famed eruption in...
Cliff dwellings in Kandovan village, Iran. Source: Left; knovakov / Adobe Stock, Right; naytoong/Adobe Stock

Kandovan: The Volcanic Cave Cut Village of Iran

Kandovan is a unique cave village located in the northwestern province of East Azerbaijan, Iran. The village is famous for its extraordinary architecture, where people have carved their homes into...
Representational image of a person lava sledding in Hawaii. Source: AI generated

Ancient Hawaiians Would Sled Down Lava-Covered Volcanoes

He'e holua lava sledding was, and is, an exhilarating ancient Hawaii pastime. But this was not just an extreme sport enjoyed by natives to the islands. He'e holua was a significant part of Hawaiian...
The two earthquake victims found in Pompeii. Source: Archaeological Site of Pompeii

Earthquake, Not Volcano, Claimed Many Victims In Pompeii

Archaeologists in Pompeii have become acclimatized to uncovering the petrified remains of people who lost their lives in the 79 AD eruption of Mount Vesuvius. However, these two bodies provide...
Eruption of Mount Vesuvius and destruction of Pompeii. Source: Sunshower Shots / Adobe Stock.

The Final Hours: Witness Pompeii’s Catastrophic Demise (Video)

As Mount Vesuvius erupted violently in 79 AD, the skies above Pompeii turned dark and ominous. A deadly cloud of super-heated gases spewed forth, reaching a height of 33 km, and molten rock and hot...
 Apocalypse landscape. Source: ErenMotion / Adobe Stock.

Apocalypse 536 AD: The Catastrophic Event That Plunged the World into Darkness (Video)

In the year 536 AD, a mysterious event plunged the world into darkness for a year and a half. Constantinople writers of the time described the sun as dimmed and blotted out, causing crop failures,...
Humanity is no stranger to catastrophe, and some ancient disasters can help put current issues in perspective.            Source: yamonstro/ Adobe Stock

Seven Earth-Shaking Ancient Disasters that Changed Our World

When studying ancient history, it's sometimes surprising humanity ever made it to the 20th century. Ancient civilizations were repeatedly hit by disasters, both natural and man-made, the likes of...
Medieval depiction of Empedocles of Acragas throwing himself into Mount Etna. Source: Public domain

Empedocles of Acragas Committed Suicide by Jumping into a Volcano

Empedocles of Acragas was a pre-Socratic Greek philosopher who lived in the 5th century BC. It is said that wanting to prove he was an all-powerful god, he decided to leap into the volcanic Mount...
536 was a year of climate cataclysm. Winter landscape by Caspar David Friedrich. Source: Public domain

Year of Darkness: The Climate Cataclysm of 536 You’ve Never Heard Of

During 536 the world was beset by a long winter. Dubbed “the year of darkness” in the New Scientist , temperatures plummeted and the sun was dimmed by a vast fog which blocked its rays from hitting...
Excavated remains of the last fugitive at Herculaneum archaeological park. Source: Parco Archeologico di Ercolano

Heat from Mount Vesuvius Eruption as Deadly as Hiroshima Atomic Bomb

Archaeologists continue to excavate in search of remains left behind after the 79 AD Mount Vesuvius volcanic eruption which decimated the ancient cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum in Italy. Now, an...
Are the Yumbo lost forever? Source: Ammit / Adobe Stock.

Pre-Inca Tulipe and the Yumbo: Traders Ahead of their Time?

The Yumbo of Ecuador first came to their Sacred Valley of Tulipe in around 800 BC. They were at that time peace-loving farmers. But what they left behind showed that, with their skills as merchants...
El Salvador’s Campana Maya pyramid structure, with the San Salvador volcanic complex in the background.	Source: A. Ichikawa / Antiquity Publications Ltd

Huge Maya Pyramid In El Salvador Built In Response To Volcanic Eruption

Archaeologists performing excavations around a massive Maya pyramid located in El Salvador’s Zapotitán Valley near the ancient village of San Andrés, close to Lake Ilopango, discovered something...
Perseverance Rewarded: NASA Mars Rover Samples Suggest Volcanic Origin

Perseverance Rewarded: NASA Mars Rover Samples Suggest Volcanic Origin

The National Aeronautic Space Association (NASA) launched its ambitious Mars 2020 project in the July of 2020, with the mission aim that stated: “Seek signs of ancient life and collect samples of...
Berenike Fortress Well Speaks of Volcanic Apocalypse

Berenike Fortress Well Speaks of Volcanic Apocalypse

Like in all ancient cultures maintaining access to fresh, unpolluted water, was infinitely more valuable than owning vast tonnages gold, silver and jewels. Archaeologists exploring a water well in...
The casts of two men, believed to be a master and his young slave, have been unearthed in the excavation of a villa outside Pompeii. Source: Parco Archeologico di Pompei

Tragic Remains of Master and His Slave Found in Pompeii

Archaeologists have uncovered the remains of a master and his slave from Pompeii , victims of the cataclysmic volcanic eruption that destroyed the city. They were found in the heart of the ruins of...
Ruins of Pompeii, the Amphitheater 		Source: Leonid Andronov / Adobe Stock

World’s Oldest Surviving Amphitheater Preserved at Pompeii

Amphitheaters, with their gladiators, executions, and macabre contests, have fascinated people for millennia. They have featured in countless novels, books, and video games. One of the best-preserved...
Lake Nyos Tragedy: A Deadly Demonic Fog in Cameroon

Lake Nyos Tragedy: A Deadly Demonic Fog in Cameroon

On August 21, 1986, in northwestern Cameroon , a massive froth shot up into the sky from the waters of Lake Nyos, followed by a thick ghostly fog which covered the surrounding landscape. In an...
Vesuvius Eruption Turned Victim’s Brain to Glass!

Vesuvius Eruption Turned Victim’s Brain to Glass!

The eruption of Mount Vesuvius is perhaps the best-known natural disaster in the ancient world. It preserved whole towns and human remains, which have all been priceless from an archaeological point...
The Little Ice Age and Its Giant Impact on Human History

The Little Ice Age and Its Giant Impact on Human History

The Little Ice Age is a period tentatively defined as running from the 13 th /14 th to the 19 th century in which the northern hemisphere of Earth endured a limited but substantial cooling period...
Fingal's Cave, Staffa Island, Scotland

Fingal’s Cave: Legends and Inspiration Near the Scottish Sea

Fingal’s Cave is a natural feature located on the island of Staffa, in the Inner Hebrides, Scotland. During the 18th century, Staffa was inhabited by 16 people. Now, no one lives on the island, and...
The 10km-wide caldera on Alaska's Unmak Island formed during the 43 BC Okmok II eruption that contributed to the collapse of Rome. Source: Kerry Key (Columbia University, New York, NY/ Desert Research Institute

Discovered: The Highland Volcano That Collapsed Ancient Rome

Following Julius Caesar ’ s assassination in 44 BC extreme climate change led to crop failures which in turn fueled the increasing social unrest in Rome, adding greatly to the social disruption...
1110 AD was the year volcanic eruptions caused the disappearance of the Moon and sparked global famine. Pictured: representation of the Moon over a volcano. Source: Daniel / Adobe stock

1110 AD, The Year Volcanoes Vanished the Moon and Sparked Global Famine

Scientists finally explain the Moon's mysterious disappearance and the cause of a global famine in 1110 AD. While the opening line of this article sounds like a bait and switch classic, every written...

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