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Ancient Origins Tour IRAQ

Ancient Origins Tour IRAQ Mobile

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There are strange jobs, like cleaning toilets, and then there are really strange jobs, like the early barber surgeons of Europe, who drained you of blood, tore your mouth apart, and even stranger things. A sadistic tooth-drawer frightening his patient with a hot coal causing him to pull away violently in an 1810-AD color etching by J. Collier. Source: Wellcome Images / CC BY 4.0

11 of History’s Weirdest Jobs

There have been lots of interesting jobs throughout history, but some are certainly weirder than others. With changing technologies and shifting social norms, strange jobs have taken the forefront of...
Ancient Egyptian mummy photographed at the archaeological museum of Florence. Source: Massimiliano / Adobe Stock

Ancient Egyptian Worker Took Sick Leave to Embalm his Mother

The British Museum houses a tablet which provides a peek into work-life balance in ancient Egypt. It documents the number of sick days and why 40 workers took time off from their workplace in 1250 BC...
A geisha. Source:  juripozzi / Adobe Stock

World of the Geisha, Japan’s Enigmatic Entertainers

Japan is a nation rich in history and old, venerated traditions. The enigmatic geisha are considered as one of the cornerstones of that iconic Japanese tradition, and are certainly admired all over...
What was daily life like in ancient Rome?

Dawn to Dusk: The Highs and Lows of Daily Life in Ancient Rome

Living in the Mediterranean, daily life in ancient Rome revolved around the climate. Unlike the more northern Europeans of the past and today, the ancient Romans started their days early in the...
Portrait of an executioner. Warpedgalerie / Adobe Stock

The Dark Life of a Medieval Executioner – A Cut Away from the Rest

It is no surprise that the medieval period was filled with all kinds of undesirable jobs. There were leech collectors, cesspool cleaners, serfs, and gong farmers, to name a few. But one vocation that...
Papyrus; Hieratic legal text recto (2 columns) and verso (2 columns), recording complaint by Amennakht to the Vizier about the actions of Paneb.

This Ancient Egyptian Papyrus is the Oldest Known Account of Sexual Assault in the Workplace

Back in 1200 BC, a man named Paneb was accused of corruption and sexual assault and those charges likely cost him his job. His crimes were recorded on an ancient Egyptian papyrus and have been known...
These Norwegian children have traveled back to the Viking Age and practice archery.

Born for Valhalla: How Viking Children Learned the Art of War

By ThorNews We know from the sagas that Viking boys were trained in the art of war. The Viking’s success in killing and oppressing everyone who stood in their way was no accident: The warrior...
Tron Bon Lei cranium, photographed during excavation. Fish-hook A and perforated bivalve to the north of the mandible.

World’s Oldest Funerary Fish Hooks Indicate Women Fished in Ancient Indonesia

Fishing was an important part of life, and apparently death as well, in the Pleistocene on Indonesia's Alor Island, northwest of East Timor. The collection of fish hooks placed alongside the remains...
Cambridge Women’s Crew, The Cancer Research UK Women's Boat Race 2017

Hard-Working Prehistoric Women Had Stronger Arms Than Modern Elite Athletes

The first study to compare ancient and living female bones shows that women from early agricultural eras had stronger arms than the rowers of Cambridge University’s famously competitive boat club...
Did You Known That Baboons Were Trained in Ancient Egypt to Catch Criminals?

Did You Know That Baboons Were Trained in Ancient Egypt to Catch Criminals?

The ancient Egyptians were renowned for their worship of animals, and one of these was the baboon. In ancient Egyptian mythology, baboons are best known for their association with Thoth, the god of...
Exhibition showing salt production in Museo do Mar in Vigo, Spain. Source: Natalia Klimczak

Salt: Treasure of the Ancient World and Highly-Valued Currency of the Roman Empire

Salt was one of the greatest treasures of the ancient world. Production facilities dedicated to the mineral provided work for many people, but now most of the sites are destroyed or hidden deeply...
The Icelandic Kvöldvaka: Cultural Phenomenon in the Twilight Hours

The Icelandic Kvöldvaka: Cultural Phenomenon in the Twilight Hours

Iceland’s strong love of literature is a source of amazement to many people. In an era of declining book sales around the world, this small North Atlantic island continues to publish and sell more...