Getting your audio player ready... Sumerian craftspeople in Mesopotamia didn’t simply scoop up natural bitumen and slap it on boats or bricks. A new materials study suggests they followed repeatable “recipes” that controlled strength, flexibility, and waterproofing in ways that...
Why Ghosts Haunt England at Christmas but Steer Clear of America A few years ago, the Downton Abbey Christmas special featured a ouija board which communicated a message from a dead character. American reviewers were extremely puzzled by this incursion of the supernatural,...
Ancient Astronomical Alignments: Reading and Mapping the Stars at Early Advanced Civilization Sites Many of the cuneiform tablets of Mesopotamia and hieroglyphs of Egypt make reference to the sun, stars, or planetary positions. Also, a number of ancient structures in...
Renaissance Gallows Unearthed in France With 32 Executed Victims Archaeologists working in Grenoble, France, have made a chilling discovery that sheds light on the brutal religious persecution of the 16th century. The remains of a rare Renaissance-era gallows, along with at...
Roman Occupation Exposed Britons to Disease and Class Divides The Roman invasion of Britain in 43 AD brought with it dramatic social upheaval that fundamentally altered the health landscape of the island's inhabitants. While the Romans claimed to deliver "civilization"...
Hidden Signatures Reveal Ancient Rome's Master Glassmakers A simple turn of the wrist at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in February 2023 has unveiled a centuries-old mystery about ancient Roman craftsmen. Washington State University art history professor Hallie Meredith, who is...
Scholars Say Many Beliefs About Vikings Are Based On Medieval Fiction Scandinavian studies scholars at the University of Münster have delivered a sobering message to enthusiasts of Viking culture: much of what modern audiences believe about Norse warriors and pagan mythology cannot...
4,000-Year-Old Bronze Age Tree Trunk Coffin to Make Museum Debut A massive 4,000-year-old Bronze Age coffin, carved from a single oak tree and discovered by chance at a Lincolnshire golf club, has arrived at Lincoln Museum, UK, where it will...
Gems That Represented Ancient Symbols of Wealth and Power Throughout history, precious gemstones have gone beyond decoration, serving as powerful symbols of wealth, authority, and divine blessing. Ancient civilizations across the globe attributed mystical properties and deep significance to these...
Healing, Purification and Holiness: How Ancient Cultures Used Olive Oil Tamara Lewit/The ConversationToday, olive oil is often hailed as helping to protect against disease, but beliefs in its medicinal or even sacred properties date back millennia.Olive oil was used for healing and...
