Ancient Civilization
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Ancient Artifacts Found in 10-foot Well Outside Major City June 11, 2024
Archaeologists in Italy have unearthed artifacts buried deep in a well for nearly 2,000 years on the outskirts of Rome. Italy’s Ministry of Culture said the roughly 10-foot-deep well in the ancient Roman city of Ostia Antica was excavated as part of ...
Ancient Egyptian Skull Shows Attempt at Cancer Surgery June 03, 2024
A pair of ancient Egyptian skulls, both thousands of years old, belonged to some of history's earliest known cancer patients, according to a study published Wednesday.The skulls had cut marks around cancerous growths — providing evidence that ancient...
Rediscovering our Shared History: Tracing Buddhist Trails May 24, 2024
In the heart of Central Asia lies a tapestry woven with the threads of history, spirituality, and cultural exchange. Beyond the hustle of the modern world, the ancient remains of Buddhism connect us to a time when caravans traversed the Silk Road, ca...
Was this the Pilgrims First Stop? May 24, 2024
Site, just south of the Bedouin city of Rahat, was likely the first inland stop for Christian pilgrims touring the Holy Land after arriving by sea at Gaza....
7 Spectacular Wonders of Ancient World June 19, 2023
The art and architecture of the ancient world is one of its most influential legacies. From the Parthenon a'top the Acropolis in Athens to the Colosseum in Rome and the sacred Baths at Bath, we are fortunate to have so many magnificent structures sti...
Roman Generals Slaughtered Their Own June 14, 2023
n ancient times, few armies were feared as much as the Romans. But Roman generals sometimes went to great lengths to keep their soldiers in line. One of the cruelest punishments they utilized was decimation, which involved slaughtering a tenth of a d...
Relentless, Revolutionary General Felled Spartans June 13, 2023
Astounding news swept through Greece in the summer of 371 bc. In Boeotia, a crossroads for armies that was usually littered with the dead of its own citizens, the invading Spartans had been beaten, and one of their two kings had been slain in battle....
Backstory to This Rumor Entertaining, If Not Historical June 12, 2023
Although not numerous, some people claim that Egyptians once inhabited the Americas. Some stories are too outrageous to believe, yet they are still interesting historical accounts. None more than the one involving ancient Egypt, the Grand Canyon in ...
Secrets of the Powerful Scythian Bow June 02, 2023
The Scythians, nomadic warriors originating in Southern Siberia, flourished between 900 and 200 BC. At their peak their culture spread over central Asia from Western China to the Black Sea.Militarily they were superlative horse-archers and at the hea...
Was Cleopatra Murdered? May 31, 2023
Accepted historical accounts claim that Cleopatra, the last active pharaoh of ancient Egypt, committed suicide. Cleopatra assumed the throne of Egypt after the demise of Alexander the Great during the Hellenistic period, but facing capture and humili...
Insights Into the Kingdom of Kush May 18, 2023
On the dusty banks of the Nile River in central Sudan, archaeologists digging in the “city of the dead” at Sedeinga recently found a huge trove of inscriptions in Meroitic, the earliest written language of Sub-Saharan Africa. Examples of Meroitic are...
What Were These Ancient Roman Objects For? May 15, 2023
IN THE FIRST EPISODE OF Buck Rogers, the 1980s television series about an astronaut from the present marooned in the 25th century, our hero visits a museum of the future. A staff member brandishes a mid-20th-century hair dryer. “Early hand laser,” he...
New, Updated Take on Western Civilization May 15, 2023
In her new book, classical archaeologist Naoíse Mac Sweeney sets out to challenge and reinterpret the notion of “western civilisation” over the past 2,500 years, through the lives and writings of 14 women and men – ranging from Herodotus, the great G...
Constantine and the Birth of 'New Rome' May 11, 2023
By the time of Diocletian in the late 3rd century, it was already clear that Rome no longer occupied the position of the capital of the Roman Empire. During the period known as the tetrarchy, when four emperors ruled, none of them used Rome as their ...
Debunking Myths About Ancient Egypt May 08, 2023
The mystique of ancient Egypt has fascinated humans throughout history.With their impressive architecture, scientific knowledge, religious cults, and beautiful artwork, the ancient Egyptians continue to impress historians long after the end of their ...
Ancient Greece Wasn't All That Great to Live In May 04, 2023
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 philosophers, artists, and scientists in human history. But...
Delicate Carved Roman-Era Gems Found in British Bath-House Drain May 03, 2023
Down the drain is where British archaeologists recently discovered 36 artfully engraved semiprecious stones, in an ancient bathhouse at the site of a Roman fort near Hadrian’s Wall in Carlisle, England. The colorful intaglios — gems with incised carv...
1453: Bridge Between Medieval and Modern Times April 10, 2023
If the slightly dubious calculations of ancient historians are to be believed, then the Roman Empire lasted 2,100 years from the days of semi-legendary founders Romulus and Remus. Its final end came in 1453 at the hands of the rising Ottoman Empire, ...
Rome Brought Its Biggest Battle Upon Itself March 29, 2023
The immense battle that occurred in modern France in the year 197 is little-known. This is partially because of how long ago it was, and partially because of how little we know about the actual fighting. However, we can be fairly sure of one thing – ...
Pertinax's 87-Day Reign Ended in His Beheading March 28, 2023
Following the assassination of Commodus on December 31, AD 192, Publius Helvius Pertinax, as both a revered elder member of the Senate and a chief lieutenant of the former emperor, was chosen to replace him. The reign of Pertinax is intriguing for it...
Ancient 'Zombie Viruses' Capable of Infecting Ameobas March 15, 2023
New research from a group of international climate scientists shows that so-called "zombie viruses" once revived, can infect amoeba cells. The study, published in the open journal Viruses, looked at more than a dozen new viruses isolated from seven p...
Rome Gets Its Revenge on Jerusalem March 03, 2023
After a summer of starvation and siege had been imposed on the people of Jerusalem, the great Second Temple was finally on fire. No one knows who threw the flaming brand, or indeed how the temple had avoided such a fate for so long, but once the conf...
Credit Augustus With the Flourishing of Roman Empire March 03, 2023
With the final defeat of Antony, and Octavian's emergence as sole political ruler of the Roman world, the Roman Republic still teetered on the edge of potential disaster. Despite Octavian's victory, and initial attempts to appear as a great advocate ...
Romans Fought in Germany Far Later Than Thought February 27, 2023
The wilds of Germany may not have been off-limits to Roman legions, archaeologists announced on Monday. At a press conference in the woods near the town of Kalefeld, about 100 kilometers south of Hanover, researchers announced the discovery of a batt...
Odd Ancient Roman Find: Pestle or Sex Toy? February 24, 2023
Archaeologists believe they may have found the only known lifesize Roman dildo, discovered in a ditch in what were the farthest northern fringes of the empire.If it was not used as a sexual implement then the 2,000-year-old object may have been an er...
The Ancients Knew How to Party February 16, 2023
Sometimes people just need to let their hair down. Whether you’re a despotic ruler seeking to distract from a major controversy or a downtrodden peasant looking to get away from the daily grind, nothing else distracts like a good party. It should com...
Every Day in Ancient Rome Was Scandalous October 04, 2022
The Roman Republic and its Roman Empire successor are mostly remembered for both their glories and follies – both done on a grand scale. A great civilization that collapsed centuries ago, yet its legacy is still felt to this day. A culture that produ...
Alexander's Definitive Victory Over Persia September 30, 2022
On September 30, 331 bc, the fate of two empires was decided on a plain 70 miles north of present-day Irbil, Iraq. Lying near the hamlet of Gaugamela, the plain was part of a vast territory north of the Persian provincial capital of Babylon where Kin...
Pompey the Great and His Roman Empire September 30, 2022
Gnaeus Pompeius Magnus (Pompey the Great) was born in 106 BC in the northern Italian town of Picenum. Though not a native Roman family, the Pompeys were moderately successful at making inroads into Senate seats. His father, Pompey Strabo, was elected...
Theories on Why the Roman Empire Split September 27, 2022
An old adage states that Rome wasn't built in a day, meaning that big projects take time to complete. The Roman Empire, as an example, was established gradually and grew over hundreds of years from a city-state to a colossal empire stretching from Br...
What Would Machiavelli Say? Treasure Liberty September 23, 2022
In his book Machiavelli: A Very Short Introduction, Quentin Skinner, perhaps the foremost contemporary scholar of modern republicanism, relates how the renowned republican thinker Niccolò Machiavelli, discouraged by his failed efforts to secure a pos...
Once Majestic Cities That Sank September 23, 2022
No great metropolis stands forever. Eventually, every city falls. Some due to war, others to disaster. But the saddest and most poignant ruined cities might be the ones which have been swept under the ocean. Here are some of the most beautiful submer...
What Is the World's Oldest Civilization? September 21, 2022
Countless civilizations have risen and fallen over the millennia. But which one is the oldest on record?About 30 years ago, this question seemed to have a straightforward answer. Around 4000 B.C., the earliest phase of the Sumerian culture arose as t...
Exploring Thousands of Years of Rome in 40 Maps September 20, 2022
Two thousand years ago, on August 19, 14 AD, Caesar Augustus died. He was Rome’s first emperor, having won a civil war more than 40 years earlier that transformed the dysfunctional Roman Republic into an empire. Under Augustus and his successors, the...
Cats Ruled in These Ancient Civilizations September 19, 2022
Cats have been alongside humans for most of the time we’ve lived in complex societies, but the exact chronology of their domestication is unclear.One study found that cat domestication may have started as early as 12,000 years ago, while another more...
Rome's Most Cunning, Ruthless Ruler September 15, 2022
Upon the death of Augustus, Tiberius Claudius Nero stood as the last logical choice in a long and tumultuous line of potential heirs. In 14 AD, at the age of 56, Tiberius ascended to Imperial power as a somewhat uncertain figure. The continuation and...
In Ancient Germany, Divorce by Duel Was a Thing September 15, 2022
Divorce is a subject that has provided endless material for drama and comedy writers through the ages, from Euripides to Shakespeare to today’s New York Times bestseller list. When Kenneth Hodges, a Professor of English at the University of Oklahoma,...
Rome's Revenge on Jerusalem September 08, 2022
After a summer of starvation and siege had been imposed on the city’s people during the fall of Jerusalem, the great Second Temple was finally on fire. No one knows who threw the flaming brand, or indeed how the temple had avoided such a fate for so ...
Spartans Remembered as Big Winners, But Lost a Lot, Too September 08, 2022
Despite being known for their formidable military, Sparta has actually suffered as many if not more famous defeats as they have won victories in battle. Therefore, we ask, “Is Sparta’s much celebrated military actually overrated?” Please examine th...
Ancient Bronze Recipe Deciphered August 11, 2022
Knowledge of alloying practices is key to understanding the mass production of ancient Chinese bronzes. The Eastern Zhou text, the Rites of Zhou, contains six formulae, or recipes, for casting different forms of bronze based on the combination of two...
Shedding Light on 10 Ancient Civilizations July 27, 2022
You already know about ancient Egypt and her pyramids, ancient Greece and her philosophers, ancient China's order, ancient Rome's splendor, and ancient Babylon's conquering armies. But what about their neighbors? It hardly seems plausible that these ...
Ancient Roman Coins Found in UK Field July 13, 2022
A cache of gold coins found buried on farmland in the United Kingdom has caught the attention of coin experts, who have linked the treasure trove to the Roman Empire. So far, metal detectorists have discovered 11 coins on a remote stretch of cultivat...
Titus' Reign Was Short, But Stellar June 24, 2022
Following up on the success of Vespasian would be no easy task, and while ancient accounts of Titus are somewhat mixed, he for the most part was remembered with the highest praise. Perhaps his short yet continuing stable reign after his father, follo...
Archaeologists Uncover Ancient Roman 'D**k Pic' June 17, 2022
Archaeologists excavating the remains of a Roman auxiliary fort in the UK recently made a surprising and rather hilarious find: a small stone carved with the unmistakable image of a penis—basically an ancient Roman d**k pic, accompanied by a crude in...
In Ancient Times, Ground Up Mummies Were Medicine June 16, 2022
Why did people think cannibalism was good for their health? The answer offers a glimpse into the zaniest crannies of European history, at a time when Europeans were obsessed with Egyptian mummies.Driven first by the belief that ground-up and tincture...
Did Atilla the Hun Die of a Nosebleed? June 08, 2022
The idea of global conquest and total domination has been around since ancient times and has certainly produced some of the fiercest warriors to walk the face of the Earth.From Alexander, the Great to Julius Caesar and Genghis Khan, ancient history i...
Drought Reveals Ancient City in Iraq June 03, 2022
When an extreme drought caused a 3,400-year-old city to reemerge from a reservoir on the Tigris River in northern Iraq, archaeologists raced to excavate it before the water returned. The Bronze Age city, at an archaeological site called Kemune, is a ...
Trove of Ancient Statues, Sarcophagi Found in Egypt May 31, 2022
(CNN) — A large trove of ancient bronze statues and well-preserved sarcophagi discovered in Egypt's Saqqara were revealed to the public on Monday, the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities said in a statement.Archaeologists had discovered reli...
Nannofossils Reveal Awful Conditions on Earth May 23, 2022
Ghostly imprints of tiny plankton-like creatures have been found haunting the sediments of prehistoric oceans at a time when such organisms were thought to be extinct. The so-called nannofossil imprints reveal that the organisms survived acidic ocean...
Atilla the Hun Was a Real Guy, But Hard to Know May 06, 2022
Human history is littered with lost cultures and forgotten great leaders. Many are unfamiliar to the average person, but on rare occasions their actions earn them a place in our modern consciousness.The Vandals, for example, sent such a shockwave thr...
Shipwrecks Reveal Story of Rome's Rise to Power May 02, 2022
entists are not normally known for changing history. And yet a dentist in Sicily has played a small part in rewriting the history of one of Europe's most important battles.In the early 2000s, the late archaeologist Sebastiano Tusa was visiting the ho...
Meet the Most Badass Women in History April 25, 2022
Few were more powerful than Empress Matilda (1102 – 1167), heir to the English throne. When her father the king died, however, the magnates who had sworn to support her decided they did not want a female monarch. So they reneged, and supported a riva...
Ancient Warriors Wore This Dagger Between The Legs April 04, 2022
If you find the term ‘bollock dagger’ too crude, you could rightfully call this weapon a ‘kidney dagger.’ But that’s how the Victorians attempted to mask the true nature of this horrendous invention that was recently discovered outside a 13th century...
Inside Painstaking Process of Making Terra Cotta Warriors March 28, 2022
When a viewer first steps into the galleries of Age of Empires: Chinese Art of the Qin and Han Dynasties (221 B.C.–A.D. 220), he or she comes face-to-face with four life-size ceramic warrior figures with distinctive postures. Beyond the statues, one ...
All About Thinis, Ancient Egypt's Lost Capital March 23, 2022
Far back in the earliest history of Egypt, before Thebes and Memphis, before the sphinx and the great pyramids of Giza, lies the early dynastic period of Egypt. This period following the unification of Upper and Lower Egypt around 3,100 BC, is the fi...
Chemical Warfare May Have Started Long Before WW I March 21, 2022
One of the distinguishing features of the First World War was the widespread use of chemical weapons. Chemical gases of various lethality, including mustard gas, phosgene and tear gas, were used to disable and kill enemy defenders. Although chemical ...
Masterful History of Battle of Actium March 17, 2022
Cornell University classicist Barry Strauss is an accomplished author of several scholarly books and articles on ancient Greek military, social, and economic problems. Starting about 20 years ago, Strauss increasingly turned his expertise and attenti...
Japan's 'Killing Stone' Has Split in Two March 11, 2022
A legendary volcanic rock in Japan associated with an ancient evil vixen-demon, has split in two. While geologists assure the occurrence is natural, others are convinced the chaotic fox spirit has been released to cause havoc. According to Japanese s...
Battle of Teutoburg Forest Was 1 of Rome's Darkest Hours February 04, 2022
The Battle of the TeutoburgThe Battle of the Teutoburg Forest in 9 AD was one of the darkest episodes in Roman military history. Inflicted upon an Empire at its pinnacle, at a time when contemporary writers were boasting of an imperium sine fine, the...
Fort By Caligula Found Near Amsterdam December 30, 2021
A large Roman fort believed to have played a key role in the successful invasion of Britain in AD43 has been discovered on the Dutch coast.A Roman legion of “several thousand” battle-ready soldiers was stationed in Velsen, 20 miles from Amsterdam, on...
World's Oldest Politically Motivated Assassination December 24, 2021
A team of archaeologists and forensics experts studying the remains of the 'Prince of Helmsdorf,' dated to around 1940 BC, who was discovered in Klopfleisch in 1877, have announced that ‘he was murdered' in what might be the oldest ever ‘political as...
All You Ever Wanted to Know About Ancient Rome December 14, 2021
Characterised by a fearsome army, architectural innovations and a sprawling system of bureaucratic rule, Roman civilisation existed from 753 BC to 476 AD. At its peak, the Roman Empire ruled swathes of the planet, from Britain right through to the Mi...
Ancient Greeks Didn't Kill 'Weak Babies' December 13, 2021
In his biography Life of Lycurgus, written around 100 C.E., Greek philosopher Plutarch recounted how the ancient Spartans submitted newborns to a council of elders for inspection. “Fit and strong” babies survived, but those found to be “lowborn or de...
Pot, Exorcism, Herpes Trace Histories to Antiquity December 09, 2021
When someone does something outrageous, people often rush to use the phrase, “What is the world coming to?” But the fact of the matter is, human beings have always been weird. They were doing strange things long before you and I were born, and they w...
Beer Was Used in Egyptian Rituals 5,800 Years Ago December 09, 2021
New research published in the Journal of Anthropological Archaeology has revealed that Egyptian beer was produced and consumed as a staple as well as for ritual purposes as far back as 5,800 years ago. Moreover, Egyptian beer, according to the study,...
Roman Mosaic and Villa Found Under Farm Field November 29, 2021
A university in England has called “extraordinary” the discovery of a large Roman mosaic and villa in a field at a farm in Rutland.The find was made by Jim Irvine, the son of the landowner.Speaking in a video released by the University of Leicester, ...
5 Things in History We Still Don't Understand November 22, 2021
As modern humans with constant access to every piece of information that has ever been known, we like to think we're pretty smart. Surely, in these times of carbon dating, digital reconstruction, and computerized archiving, we've learned everything t...
Did Archimedes' Death Ray Really Work? November 01, 2021
Archimedes of Syracuse is generally regarded as one of the greatest mathematicians who ever lived. So revered was his wisdom and celebrated his legacy that legendary scholars who lived nearly two millennia after Archimedes' death in 212 BC hailed him...
Stunning Roman Statues Found on New British Train Route November 01, 2021
The Independent FollowArchaeologists discover ‘astonishing’ Roman statues on HS2 routeJane Dalton 2 days ago1 Comment|7Woman drowns, 13 people rescued after immigrants try to swim around…Moderna says FDA delaying review of COVID-19 vaccine for teens...
Rough Way to Die? 75% Roman Emperors Died Violent Deaths October 26, 2021
The Roman Empire was ruled by 175 men, from Augustus (63 BCE-19 CE) to Constantine XI (1405-53), including the Eastern or Byzantine Empire after the split in 395 CE, but excluding those who did not rule in their own right because they were minors dur...
Babylonia Gave Us Wheels, Other Luxuries October 08, 2021
Can you imagine a world without the wheel? No wheels would mean no cars, trains, or airplanes, and no machines or industry. In the absence of the wheel, the world would come to a standstill. We can thank the Babylonians for pioneering discoveries lik...
Ancient Romans Ate Pretty Well October 07, 2021
The Romans weren’t always reclining at a table loaded with roasted ostriches, literally eating until they were sick. The 1,000-year and pan-European extent of Roman history takes in an enormous culinary range. Rome was a hierarchical society too, and...
Byzantine Emperor Beheads Another Emperor October 07, 2021
On October 4, 610 A.D., Heraclius arrived by ship from Africa at Constantinople, on Oct. 4, 610 AD, and overthrew then beheaded Byzantine Emperor Phocas before taking over. ...
Divers Find Massive Trove of Roman Coins September 27, 2021
Two amateur divers cleaning trash from the seabed of Alicante while holidaying off the coast of Spain have uncovered a cache of 1,500-year-old gold Roman coins. Numbering 53 in total, the gold coins are in a ‘perfect state of conservation’ and are da...
Is There Any Truth to the Trojan War? September 16, 2021
Thousands of years after Homer’s Iliad described the events of the Trojan War, its dramatic resonance and memorable characters have preserved the conflict’s fame. Until relatively recently it was thought to be nothing more than an entertaining legend...
Study: Farming Led to Major Violence in This Desert September 09, 2021
Skeletal and mummified ancient remains from the Atacama Desert in what is now Chile show evidence of a surge of extreme violence tied to the rise of farming, a new study finds.The team analyzed the remains of 194 people who lived between 1000 B.C. an...
Does China Have a Claim on Spratlys? September 08, 2021
Beijingâ??s claims to nearly all of the South China Sea are now embossed in new Chinese passports and official maps. Chinese leaders and foreign ministry spokespersons insist with increasing truculence that the islands, rocks, and reefs have been Chi...
Tattoos Date to Ancient World; Tell Stories September 08, 2021
While most of us would likely care to forget the pandemic as soon as is possible, a few have opted for a permanent reminder of the health crisis – in the shape of a tattoo. Some of these tattoos are meant to serve as a reminder of the year gone by, d...
Rome Gets Its Revenge on Jerusalem September 08, 2021
After a summer of starvation and siege had been imposed on the city’s people during the fall of Jerusalem, the great Second Temple was finally on fire. No one knows who threw the flaming brand, or indeed how the temple had avoided such a fate for so ...
Punic War Battering Rams Found by Divers September 03, 2021
Four ancient bronze Roman battering rams, the kind used at the front of a battleship, have been discovered by divers near Ustica Island, north of Palermo, Italy. These rare artifacts of ancient naval warfare are perfect examples of Roman engineering ...
Rome Falls to Visigoths August 24, 2021
On August 24, 410 the city of Rome fell to foreign invaders for the first time in 800 years. Although no longer the capital of the Roman Empire (that had moved to Ravenna in 402), Rome was still the symbol of the Roman culture and world.Digging Deepe...
Yes, People Were Fed to Lions in Ancient Britain August 13, 2021
Archaeologists have presented gory visual evidence that problematic people were fed to lions in Roman Britain. Excavations at a Roman house in Leicester, England in 2017 unearthed a dirt-caked bronze artifact that turned out to be a Roman bronze key ...
Cleopatra Tested Poisons Before Suicide August 12, 2021
Cleopatra was determined that she would not be paraded through the streets of Rome before being executed, so she began to test poisons on condemned prisoners to see which one would be best. Deciding that the fast poisons were too painful, and the lea...
Beginning of End for Roman Empire August 09, 2021
The Fall of Rome was an arduous, drawn-out process, lasting centuries in the West to over a thousand years in the East. The so-called “barbarians” are often considered a main factor in the fall of the Western Empire and the weakening of the East.By t...
Cache of Roman-Era Weapons Found in Spain August 09, 2021
esearchers surveying the ancient Talayotic settlement of Son Catlar in Menorca, Spain, have unearthed a cache of Roman military equipment dated to around 100 B.C.As Antoni Agüera reports for Ultima Hora, scholars from the universities of Alicante, Mu...
Ancient Stone Showing Rome City Limits Found July 26, 2021
Archaeologists have discovered a rare stone delineating the city limits of ancient Rome that dates from the age of Emperor Claudius in 49 A.D. and was found during excavations for a new sewage system.Rome Mayor Virginia Raggi was on hand for the unve...
True Story Behind Ancient Olympics July 23, 2021
The ancient Olympic Games were primarily a part of a religious festival in honor of Zeus, the father of the Greek gods and goddesses. The festival and the games were held in Olympia (see 'Did you know' in the glossary), a rural sanctuary site (model ...
Sunken Settlement Found Under Venice July 23, 2021
The submerged remains of a Roman road have been found on the seafloor of the Venice lagoon, along with archaeological structures that are thought to be what's left of a dock and settlements.The remains are thought to date to centuries before Venice w...
Top 15 Historical Sites in the World July 22, 2021
The world is filled with mind-blowing man-made historical sites and wonders out there. Over the thousands of years of human history, we’ve produced some pretty amazing stuff, even if, sadly, not all of it has lastest until today.With many breathtakin...
Was Mesopotamia an Ancient Sin City? July 21, 2021
Ancient history can often become a snoozefest when presented within the confines of a stuffy classroom. Mesopotamia, for instance, a historical region known as the "Cradle of Civilazation," is typically blunted and overlooked in favor of Egyptian, Gr...
Scientific Look at Damage From 365 Alexandria Tsunami July 21, 2021
Extreme submarine geo-hazards, such as strong earthquakes, tsunamis, volcanic eruptions and submarine landslides have affected repeatedly the circum Mediterranean highly populated coastal regions. A record of these past events can be provided by larg...
'I've Got It!' Rosetta Stone Deciphered July 20, 2021
When Pierre-François Bouchard’s men discovered the ancient stone slab that would change the world on July 19, 1799, they weren’t on an archaeological dig; they were doing a last-minute construction job. The French soldiers occupied a run-down fort in...
More to Ancient Rome Than Gladiator Fighting July 09, 2021
The smell of the city is strong and foul as you make your way down Trajan's Market. The narrow streets are hot and overcrowded with soldiers supervising, civilians running errands, and the aristocracy taking a stroll in their expensive togas. All aro...
Ancient Headless, Marble Greek Statue Found June 30, 2021
In the ancient Greek classical city of Metropolis or “The City of the Mother Goddess,” located in the Torbali region of Turkey’s Izmir province, archaeologists have unearthed an 1,800-year-old marble robed statue of a headless woman. In fact, the mar...
Colosseum's Underground Tunnels Restored June 28, 2021
The din of caged animals, the smell of gladiators' fear and the thunder of tens of thousands of cheering spectators above have all evaporated with the passage of time.But walking through the bowels of the Colosseum, the subterranean ruins of ancient ...
Evidence Points to Ancient Egyptians in Ireland June 21, 2021
When ancient Egypt and Ireland are spoken about in the same breath it usually results in the rolling of eyes, polite exits and the sound of murmurs citing pseudo-history and new age babble.At least, that used to be the case.Recent discoveries in DNA ...
Celts Were More Than Just Warriors June 09, 2021
While the word “Celt” or “Celtic” may call up images of clovers, sports paraphernalia, or even intricate knotted jewelry, the ancient culture behind these popular symbols couldn’t be more different from our modern associations.Even the term itself — ...
Vesuvius Victim Identified as Elite Roman Soldier May 17, 2021
Anew analysis of a man killed by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius suggests that he was most likely an elite Roman soldier sent on an unsuccessful mission to rescue refugees from the natural disaster.As Claudio Lavanga reports for NBC News, the man’s sk...
Fall of Rome Was a Boon for Everyone Else April 23, 2021
or an empire that collapsed more than 1,500 years ago, ancient Rome maintains a powerful presence. About 1 billion people speak languages derived from Latin; Roman law shapes modern norms; and Roman architecture has been widely imitated. Christianity...
20,000-Seat Roman-Era Gladiator Arena Found April 21, 2021
Archaeologists in Turkey have discovered the remains of a "magnificent" Roman-era arena, where up to 20,000 spectators likely cheered and jeered as they watched gladiator matches and wild animal fights, the excavators said. The 1,800-year-old arena w...
25 Truly Horrific Torture Devices March 25, 2021
When it comes to torture or torturing, it's often not the technique nor the device's brutality that makes it unsettling, but rather the great amount of effort and creativity (no matter how perverse it may be) put into the creation of the torture meth...
Secret of 'Antikythera Mechanism' Unlocked? March 15, 2021
In the early 1900s, divers hunting for sponges off the coast of Antikythera, a Greek island in the Aegean Sea, discovered a Roman-era shipwreck that contained an artifact destined to dramatically alter our understanding of the ancient world.Known as ...
Ancient Environmentalism? Not So Much March 11, 2021
ptimism doesn’t come naturally to an environmentalist. Nevertheless, there’s been an unusually positive tone among climate activists in recent weeks. With the news that the United States has rejoined the Paris Agreement, China’s surprise announcement...
Ancient Civilization Loved Its .... Ornamental Plants March 09, 2021
Aesthetic appeal may have played a role in the domestication of plants and animals, but the rise of pure ornamentals, that is, plants cultivated only for their aesthetic characteristics, is a much later development. Long after the emergence of urban ...
Cicero's Path to Brutal Beheading March 04, 2021
The second-century A.D. historian Appian vividly captured the moment the Roman Republic truly died: When the great orator Marcus Tullius Cicero was struck down by the forces of his enemies:As he leaned out of the litter and offered his neck unmoved, ...
A Day in the Life of Ancient Romans February 16, 2021
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 morning and finished work by the early afternoon, as it ...
Who Was Greatest Warrior/Leader in Antiquity? February 03, 2021
The question of who was the ancient world’s greatest warrior usually boils down to a debate between Alexander the Great and Julius Caesar. For example, Alexander the Great changed history in more ways than many people realize. Although he was king of...
Ancient Egyptian Counterfeit Money Found in Israel December 14, 2020
A shortage of silver caused by the collapse of leading Bronze Age civilizations around the eastern Mediterranean about 1200 B.C. resulted in the original "dirty money" — several hundreds of years before coins had been invented.The ancient counterfeit...
Complete, Comprehensive Guide to Crusades November 27, 2020
During the last four decades the Crusades have become one of the most dynamic areas of historical enquiry, which points to an increasing curiosity to understand and interpret these extraordinary events. What persuaded people in the Christian West to ...
Saudi Arabia's Ancient City of Hegra Opens to Tourists November 25, 2020
In the scrub-speckled desert north of AlUla in Saudi Arabia, rocky outcrops and giant boulders the size of buildings, beautifully carved and with classical-style pediments and columns, poke out of the sands like divinely scattered seeds. As the sun s...
Founder of Arab Empire Stabbed November 04, 2020
Umar ibn al-Khattab (r. 634-644 CE) was the second caliph of the Rashidun Caliphate (632-661 CE, as the first four caliphs are referred to by the Sunni Muslims). He was an early convert of Islam and one of the close companions of the Islamic Prophet ...
Ancient Engineering Truly a Marvel November 03, 2020
An international team of scientists has reconstructed the hydraulic operations of the 1,900-year-old Barbegal industrial watermill complex in southern France, revealing the subtle brilliance of antiquity's engineers.The Barbegal watermill complex was...
Rome's Demolition of Jerusalem September 07, 2020
TitusHis father's accession to the Roman throne left the war against the Jews to Titus. He was not a very experienced general, but his assistant was Tiberius Julius Alexander, who had been governor of Judaea in 46-48 and knew how to fight a war. Titu...
Why Crusades Didn't Succeed August 03, 2020
The history of the Crusades and the establishment of Latin Christian (Frankish) ‘Crusader States' along the Eastern Mediterranean littoral has proved enduringly fascinating. Many publications tell the familiar, three-stage story, beginning with the c...
Real Story of the Hyskos in Egypt July 20, 2020
A mysterious dynasty of foreigners may not have invaded and taken control of ancient Egypt as was long thought. Rather, the ethnic group known as the Hyksos seems to have seized power from within Egypt.The Hyksos ruled Egypt from 1638 B.C. to 1530 B....
'Invasion' of Egypt May Have Been Immigrant Uprising July 17, 2020
Ancient Egypt’s first “foreign” takeover may actually have been an inside job. About 3600 years ago, the pharaohs briefly lost control of northern Egypt to the Hyksos, rulers who looked and behaved like people from an area stretching from present-day...
Amazing One-Eyed Warrior Unbeaten in Revolution July 15, 2020
Jan Zizka was a talented and successful military tactician as well as a statesman without equal. He led the Hussites in the turbulent 14th century while remaining grounded with the moral principles that supplied his motivation and guidance.Zizka neve...
Pass the Cabbage and Mutton, Please July 09, 2020
When William the Conqueror won the Battle of Hastings, he became King of England in 1066. This changed the political landscape of Europe and the course of world history. For the English aristocracy and religious leaders, the world turned upside down ...
Fireball May Have Destroyed Ancient Syrian Town June 22, 2020
Debris from a comet may have leveled an ancient village in Syria during a spate of several such explosions occurring around the world, according to new research.The village of Abu Hureyra was a mound settlement in northern Syria around 13,000 years a...
Merovingian Dynasty June 19, 2020
This collection of videos is a primer on the Merovingian Dynasty, exploring the dynasty's family tree, key players and the Battle of Tours in 732. ...
What Was So Great About Alexander the Great? June 12, 2020
In the wake of Oliver Stone's epic movie about the Macedonian conqueror's life we at LiveScience believe a reassessment of his triumphs is needed to right the wrongs inflicted by Colin Farrell's hair, Angelina Jolie's lips and Val Kilmer's performanc...
No Refrigerator? No Problem May 11, 2020
For quarantine cuisine, many of us are reaching deep into the kitchen pantry and freezer — recovering canned soups and frozen veggies, purchased who knows when. Though we may wonder, “Are these the same peas I used to ice my sprained ankle?” we’re co...
Rome's Decline Began Under Theodosius II May 01, 2020
Theodosius II was born to the eastern emperor Arcadius and the empress Aelia Eudoxia in April of 401. As Eudoxia had produced three girls prior to this time, Theodosius' birth was received with considerable excitement, both by his family and by the b...
How Ancient Greeks Dealt With Plague March 27, 2020
With the spread of the coronavirus, the world is becoming pointedly aware of the extent to which human beings are interconnected. The rapid spread of the virus has highlighted how much we are dependent upon one another, not just for basic biological ...
History, Reconstruction of Hadrian's Villa March 19, 2020
Interestingly enough, one of the greatest architectural marvels of the Roman empire in its apical stage (in 2nd century AD), was not actually constructed within the actual city of Rome. We are of course talking about Villa Adriana or Hadrian’s Villa,...
Scientists: Asteroid Ended Civilization 13,000 Years Ago March 12, 2020
The asteroid that hit Earth nearly 13,000 years ago and ended the Pleistocene era likely wiped out an ancient civilization in what is modern-day Syria, according to newly discovered evidence.The research, published in Scientific Reports, notes that e...
Hannibal Turns Tables at Cannae March 02, 2020
Long ranks of Carthaginian infantry stood on a dusty plain a few miles east of the ruined town of Cannae on August 2, 216 bc. Cavalry massed at each end of the Carthaginian line stood poised to harass the enemy’s flanks. Opposite the Carthaginians, a...
Plants Grown From 2,000-Year-Old Seeds February 11, 2020
Scientists have cultivated plants from date palm seeds that languished in ancient ruins and caves for 2,000 years.This remarkable feat confirms the long-term viability of the kernels once ensconced in succulent Judean dates, a fruit cultivar lost for...
Frederick Barbarrosa's Crusades Met Mixed Success February 03, 2020
Frederick Hohenstaufen, also known as Frederick Barbarossa, became Emperor Frederick I of the Holy Roman Empire in 1152, succeeding his uncle Conrad III. With a reign that lasted until 1190, he has been remembered as not only a long-lived emperor but...
50 Ancient Roman Slave Graves Uncovered in Europe January 20, 2020
Archaeologists have uncovered what may be the graves of 50 enslaved workers who labored at an elite Roman villa just under 2,000 years ago in what is now southern England.These burials date to the Roman period in the United Kingdom, from about A.D. 4...
Twisted Path of Spartan Warrior's Plan to Conquer Libya January 15, 2020
In early 324 BC a boyhood friend of Alexander the Great fled from the Macedonian king, becoming the most wanted man in the empire. His name was Harpalus, the former imperial treasurer.Absconding with a small fortune, thousands of veteran mercenaries ...
10 Ancient Civilizations That Mysteriously Disappeared January 13, 2020
Gone, without a trace. Mass disappearances are a very real and bizarre thing in which large numbers of people suddenly disappear without a trace, for seemingly no reason. Sometimes, an airplane full of passengers flies off into the night, never to be...
Plagues Weren't Just Medieval Phenomenon January 09, 2020
Three cases of plague in China made the headlines last November, reminding us that the Plague, the medieval disease par excellence, still exists today. A wildlife refuge was closed last summer near Denver, Colorado, when infected prairie dogs were di...
2 Greek Tombs Reveal Trading With Egypt, Near East December 27, 2019
Two large tombs have been discovered and excavated at the site of the ancient city of Pylos in southern Greece, suggesting that Pylos played a surprisingly prominent role in early Mycenaean civilization.Although the tombs had been looted in antiquity...
Story of This Ancient Doctor Is Actually a Myth December 20, 2019
Merit Ptah. In recent decades, the name of this ancient Egyptian doctor, said to have lived nearly 5,000 years ago, has become a figurehead of women in science, technology, maths, and engineering (STEM).She is credited as being the "first woman known...
7 Wonders of the World Digitally Recreated November 25, 2019
The Wonders of the Ancient World remain cornerstones of human culture, and the concept is regularly referred to in casual conversation as well as in the academic sphere. But how many people can actually name all seven wonders – and then, how many can...
Helen of Troy: Lauded, Damned, Branded a Whore November 22, 2019
n the archives of Trinity Hall College, Cambridge, there is an infrequently studied medieval manuscript. Created in 1406 it is an illustrated version of Boethius’ sixth-century Consolation of Philosophy. The Consolation is a fusion of Christian and p...
Here's Why Druids Remain a Mystery November 19, 2019
WERE DRUIDS PEACEFUL priests or dangerous prophets? Did they worship nature or foment rebellion? Not much is known about the ancient social class of people known as Druids, but that has never kept people from speculating on their real nature.The earl...
Ancient Egyptians Sacrificed, Mummified Wild Birds November 15, 2019
Ancient Egyptians captured and temporarily tamed wild birds by the millions in order to mummify the animals in ritualistic sacrifices, new research suggests. Egyptian catacombs contain troves of mummified birds, specifically African sacred ibises, st...
Pharaohs Covered Slaves in Honey, Lost War to Save Cats November 14, 2019
Like many rulers from the time before we had running water and microwaves, the pharaohs of Egypt were considered to be only rivaled in power by the gods their people worshipped. Considering the ancient Egyptians worshipped a god with crocodile for a ...
Are Hanging Gardens of Babylon a Myth? November 05, 2019
The Hanging Gardens of Babylon rose up toward the heavens like a mountain, and its exotic trees grew lush and tall on its highest tier. So striking was this paradise, that Greek historians of the Hellenic Age named it one of the Seven Wonders of the ...
Who Would Be Emperor of Rome Today? October 18, 2019
Multiple historians explore who would have the strongest claim to being Roman emperor today. ...
Are Accounts of Battle of Thermopylae Really True? October 16, 2019
In 480 BC a vast Persian army under king Xerxes crossed into Greece. The invasion was triggered by Athens' defeat of a Persian army at Marathon ten years earlier, but this was a far bigger force and the aim was to conquer the whole peninsula. The arm...
Phocas the Tyrant Beheaded ... By Rival Emperor October 04, 2019
On October 4, 610 A.D., Heraclius arrived by ship from Africa at Constantinople, overthrew Byzantine Emperor Phocas in one of the most badass coups in history, and became Emperor.Digging DeeperFuture emperor Phocas, seen on the coin above, did not ha...
Peek Into the Fascinating World of Akkadian Empire October 03, 2019
Think of how long ago it was that the Western Roman Empire fell in the 5th Century AD. That's nearly 1,600 years, more than 50 generations as understood by historians. Few nations from that time are still around today, major religions didn't exist ye...
Ramesses II a Great Leader or Spin Doctor? September 25, 2019
Ramesses II is often counted among Ancient Egypt's greatest pharaohs. He certainly saw himself that way: he spent most of his reign covering his kingdom in monuments dedicated to himself. The third ruler of the 19th Dynasty had an unusually long king...
Rome's Most Cunning, Ruthless Ruler September 16, 2019
Upon the death of Augustus, Tiberius Claudius Nero stood as the last logical choice in a long and tumultuous line of potential heirs. In 14 AD, at the age of 56, Tiberius ascended to Imperial power as a somewhat uncertain figure. The continuation and...
Helen of Troy Was a Whore August 20, 2019
In the archives of Trinity Hall College, Cambridge, there is an infrequently studied medieval manuscript. Created in 1406 it is an illustrated version of Boethius' sixth-century Consolation of Philosophy. The Consolation is a fusion of Christian and ...
Easy to See Why Romans Lost at Adrianople August 09, 2019
Emperor Flavius Valens versus Fritigern: A Gothic army under Fritigern fights for not only its own but its families' lives as well against a Roman army under Valens. Can Fritigern delay Valens long enough for his cavalry to turn the tides?While this ...
Ancient Sculptures Show Early Grasp of Magnetism August 08, 2019
Magnets are a mystery that has baffled scientists and philosophers for millennia, and researchers still don't fully understand the properties that give magnetic fields their potency. Ancient Greek legend held that a shepherd named Magnes first discov...
Rome's Richest Man Was Greedy for Glory July 01, 2019
In 60 B.C. Marcus Licinius Crassus was one of the most powerful men in Rome. A military commander who crushed a slave rebellion, Crassus had become a respected orator, patron, and politician, serving as consul twice among other positions. Through a c...
Titus' Reign Was Short, But Stellar June 24, 2019
Following up on the success of Vespasian would be no easy task, and while ancient accounts of Titus are somewhat mixed, he for the most part was remembered with the highest praise. Perhaps his short yet continuing stable reign after his father, follo...
7 Spectacular Wonders of Ancient World June 19, 2019
The art and architecture of the ancient world is one of its most influential legacies. From the Parthenon a'top the Acropolis in Athens to the Colosseum in Rome and the sacred Baths at Bath, we are fortunate to have so many magnificent structures sti...
Exploring Usefulness of Tragedy in Statecraft June 14, 2019
In January 405 BCE, Athens was in a desperate situation. The city had somehow weathered the disaster of the Sicilian Expedition in 413, the subsequent revolt of many of its subjects, and the temporary overthrow of the democracy in 411. It had even se...
Who Really Killed Alexander the Great? June 13, 2019
In Babylon on June 10th, 323 BC, at about 5pm, Alexander the Great died aged 32, having conquered an empire stretching from modern Albania to eastern Pakistan. The question of what, or who, killed the Macedonian king has never been answered successfu...
Relentless, Revolutionary General Felled Spartans June 13, 2019
Astounding news swept through Greece in the summer of 371 bc. In Boeotia, a crossroads for armies that was usually littered with the dead of its own citizens, the invading Spartans had been beaten, and one of their two kings had been slain in battle....
Studying the Ancient Breakfast of Champions June 11, 2019
Cereals, in addition to being a major ingredient in daily meals, also play a role in the preparation of foodstuffs for ritual purposes. This paper deals with finds that may correspond to such ritual preparations retrieved from the hillfort site of St...
Did Mayans Really Sacrifice Ballplayers? June 03, 2019
Imagine a crowd roaring as royalty take to the ball court, rubber ball in hand in a sport so spectacular, it symbolized good versus evil. The ballgame played by the Maya, Aztec and neighboring cultures is famous for its ubiquity in Mesoamerica before...
In Ancient Pompeii, Romans Repaied Street With Molten Iron May 20, 2019
The legacy of Pompeii, while often tied to the Vesuvius eruption, goes beyond the catastrophe to account for an incredible chapter of history – ranging from pre-Roman temples to astounding frescoes. As it turns out, the legacy also boasts its fair sh...
All About Ancient Rome's 'Las Vegas' May 17, 2019
Rome's ultra-wealthy took weekend trips here to party. Powerful statesmen built luxurious villas on its beach, with heated spas and mosaic-tiled pools where they could indulge their wildest desires. One resident even commissioned a nymphaeum - a priv...
9 Nasty Ways to Torture: Brazen Bull, Death by Elephant May 15, 2019
For as long as societies have had to deal with crime, they've had to deal out punishment. In some, places, and situations the process was only meant to humiliate the guilty, but most of the following examples of ancient punishments are gruesome and o...
Alexander the Great Was Epitomy Charismatic Leader May 09, 2019
As the famous Latin proverb goes, “fortune favours the bold” and all of antiquity's greatest commanders at one time or other took monumental risks – Caesar crossing the Rubicon, Hannibal crossing the Alps and Pyrrhusfighting in the thickest of the ac...
Chariot Racer Scorpus' Rise From Slave to Superstar April 23, 2019
During the first century, people across Rome were obsessed with chariot races, which frequently produced horrific crashes.However, one charioteer steered his way to victory more than 2,000 times. Flavius Scorpus began his career as a slave, but rose ...
Ancient Urine Offers Insight at Ancient Turkish Site April 19, 2019
About 10,000 years ago, a group of hunter-gatherers settled on a floodplain in modern-day Turkey and stayed for a millennium. You can still see remnants of the houses they built. Archaeologists have mapped out alleyways and uncovered intact skeletons...
Elagabalus' Excesses Were Just Too Much April 12, 2019
THE MAN WHO became infamous as Elagabalus was born Varius Avitus Bassianus in Emesa, the city of Homs in Syria today. There he served as high priest of the sun god Elah-Gabal, a local form of the god Baal.At age 14, Bassianus became emperor of Rome a...
1453: Bridge Between Medieval and Modern Times April 09, 2019
If the slightly dubious calculations of ancient historians are to be believed, then the Roman Empire lasted 2,100 years from the days of semi-legendary founders Romulus and Remus. Its final end came in 1453 at the hands of the rising Ottoman Empire, ...
Caligula's Madness Made Him Infamous April 01, 2019
Caligula was Rome's most tyrannical emperor. His reign from 37-41 AD is filled with murder and debauchery, to levels even his infamous nephew Nero could not reach. The great-great grandson of Julius Caesar certainly left his mark by his possible madn...
