Ancient Traditions (Page 4)

Jay Silverstein with an Olmec head he helped discover in Mexico in 1994. Source: Jay Silverstein, Author provided

25 January, 2024 - 23:57 ancient origins

Has the Archaeologist’s Spade Been Replaced By Modern Technology?

Jay Silverstein /The Conversation A valley of lost cities has been discovered in the Ecuadorian Amazon. When you hear of such a discovery you might think of archaeologists with chisels and brushes or...

AI illustration of Crown Jewels of the United Kingdom. Source: Michael/Adobe Stock

25 January, 2024 - 20:12 Robbie Mitchell

How Does the Line of Succession to the British Throne Work? (Video)

The British line of succession is a complex historical tapestry woven over centuries, marked by twists and turns. Beginning with Egbert in 827 AD, the hereditary path to the throne was often...

A close up of the woman buried with neck rings at the 1000-year-old burial site found near Kyiv, Ukraine. Source: Courtesy of Vyacheslav Baranov/National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine

23 January, 2024 - 23:50 Gary Manners

Bizarrely Adorned Ancient Burials Found In Ukraine

A recently unearthed cemetery in Ukraine, dating back 1,000 years, has yielded an array of fascinating finds, including weapons, jewelry, and, unusually, buckets positioned around the feet of some of...

An ancient Roman gladiator. Source: Luis Louro /Adobe Stock

21 January, 2024 - 19:51 Robbie Mitchell

The Reality of Gladiator Life and Their Training (Video)

In the world of gladiators , once perceived as either heroic warriors or despised villains, their existence is marked by brutality and ritualized training rather than the romanticized notions of...

Image of books and family tree diagrams, tracing surname origins. Source: Bazoom

20 January, 2024 - 23:56 Sadie Smith

How to Sleuth Your Ancestral History From Your Surname

Have you ever wondered where your last name comes from or what hidden stories it might hold? Embarking on a surname search journey can be both enlightening and engaging. With curiosity and clever...

Left; the reconstruction imae of Feb=nsatantion Man. Right; The first evidence of Roman-British crucifixion has been found in Fenstanton, Cambridgeshire, England. The heel of a man found with an iron nail pounded through his heel bone was clear evidence of crucifixion. Source: Left; Impossible Factual/BBC, Right; Albion Archaeology

18 January, 2024 - 02:57 Nathan Falde

Face of the Only Victim of Roman Crucifixion Found in Britain is Revealed

Experts have successfully reconstructed the face of a man who was a victim of Roman crucifixion, a discovery hailed as "almost unique" by Corinne Duhig, a bone specialist from Cambridge University...

Painting of a Renaissance banquet, by Władysław Bakałowicz. Source. Public Domain

14 January, 2024 - 19:55 Robbie Mitchell

The Most Decadent Banquets in History (Video)

Indulging in extravagant feasts throughout history, these banquets were grand spectacles of excess and luxury. In 1873, a German businessman orchestrated a lavish gathering in New York, featuring a...

Representational image of a medieval troubadour. Source: artemstepanov / Adobe Stock

14 January, 2024 - 13:56 Robbie Mitchell

The Chivalrous Melodies and Colorful Lives of the Medieval Troubadours

From the 11th to 14th centuries, medieval Europe was home to a class of poet-musicians known as troubadours. They started out in Occitania in the 11th century before spreading across much of the...

AI portrait of fearless powerful warrior Viking man with blood marks. Source: Asiri/Adobe Stock

9 January, 2024 - 19:55 Robbie Mitchell

The Vikings Had a Justice System Based On Blood Feuds (Video)

The Icelandic Vikings of the Middle Ages had a justice system centered on blood feuds , in stark contrast to modern legal proceedings. Unlike today's courtroom dramas with attorneys and evidence,...

Scene of cannibalism based on European accounts of expeditions to the Americas from America tertia pars by Theodor de Bry, circa 1592. Source: Public domain

5 January, 2024 - 14:13 Robbie Mitchell

8 Ancient Cultures Practicing Cannibalism Through the Ages

When we think of cannibalism today it usually conjures up images of characters like Hannibal Lecter. In reality, many cultures practiced cannibalism throughout history. Therefore, while it may be a...

Chimney sweep in work clothes writes the year 2024 with sparklers. Source: Werner/Adobe Stock

1 January, 2024 - 19:51 Robbie Mitchell

Surprising New Year’s Day Facts We Bet You Didn’t Know (Video)

Unveiling the intricate tapestry of New Year's celebrations, a history often overshadowed by the commonplace revelry. Contrary to the universal January 1st celebration, the roots of this global...

Happy New Year Crown at Times Square New York. Source: lazyllama/Adobe Stock

31 December, 2023 - 19:57 Robbie Mitchell

Auld Lang Syne - The New Year's Eve Song Explained (Video)

The ubiquitous New Year's Eve anthem, "Auld Lang Syne," holds a rich tapestry of cultural interpretations. Originating as a Scottish celebration song penned by poet Robert Burns in the 1700s, its...

Archaeologists excavating skeletal remains at Çatalhöyük in Turkey. Source: Anadolu Agency

30 December, 2023 - 01:35 Nathan Falde

Evidence of 8,500-Year-Old Head Surgery Excavated at Çatalhöyük

During ongoing excavations at the 9,000-year-old extinct Anatolian city of Çatalhöyük in central Turkey, a team of archaeologists discovered something remarkable. While examining the skeleton of a...

A shrunken head of Jivaro on display. Source: Tylwyth Eldar / CC BY-SA 4.0

30 December, 2023 - 00:00 dhwty

Jivaro's Macabre Mastery: The Enigmatic Shrunken Heads of Jivaro

Headhunting is a practice that has been carried out by numerous cultures throughout the world. For instance, during the Qin Dynasty in ancient China, it is claimed that soldiers collected the heads...

Close-up representation of an armed pirate captain in a frock coat and a vest with a sword, dagger and a hook, smoking a pipe. Source: sharpner/Adobe Stock

28 December, 2023 - 19:51 Robbie Mitchell

Pirate Potheads? Drug Use and the Golden Age of Piracy (Video)

In the Golden Age of Piracy , pirates embraced a ritualistic affair with tobacco alongside their famed rum-filled punch bowls. Amid the dangers and monotony of 17th-century life, tobacco became a...

Ancient Christmas customs still held today. A door decorated with a Christmas wreath. (CC0) Snowy holly. (liz west/CC BY 2.0) Mistletoe. (CC0) A Yuletide fireplace. (Randy Robertson/CC BY 2.0)

26 December, 2023 - 13:57 Joanna Gillan

Mistletoe, Holly, and Yuletide Cheer: Weaving Nature into Ancient Christmas Customs

It is estimated 2 billion people celebrate Christmas each year. Although the popular holiday is linked to Christianity and the birth of Jesus Christ, people all over the world, Christians or not,...

Father Christmas enjoying the Christmas tradition. Date: circa 1860. Source: Archivist / Adobe Stock

25 December, 2023 - 13:40 Alicia McDermott

Favorite Christmas Traditions PLUS Those You May Never Have Heard About

Every year as December rolls in, some 2 billion people start to feel the Christmas cheer. While the celebration is now primarily a Christian one honoring the birth of Jesus, its traditions merge with...

A nativity scene showing the scene of Jesus’ birth, now taken to be December 25th. Source: itsajoop/Adobe Stock

25 December, 2023 - 01:00 ancient-origins

Celebrating Christmas on December 25 Began As Early As the Second Century AD

By Martinus Ariya Seta /The Conversation Many people, including Christians, believe the origin of the date of Christmas is related to the pagan feasts to worship the solar god Sol Invictus , Saturn’s...

Pile of gold bullion coins and bars. Argor Heraeus, Münze Österreich, Royal Canadian Mint, U.S. Mint, Australian Mint of Perth, panda and Krugerrand. Source: Zlaťáky.cz/Unsplash

24 December, 2023 - 13:47 Sadie Smith

The Human Fascination With Gold Throughout History

Gold and humans have a very special relationship, and humans still think that gold is one of the most valuable materials on the planet. In this article, you can find an overview of the history of...

Traditional Christmas tree. Source: Asad / Adobe Stock

24 December, 2023 - 01:00 Joanna Gillan

From Mithraic Mysteries to Modern Mirth: Unraveling the Evergreen Christmas Tree Tradition

The Christmas tree is probably one of the most recognizable symbols of Christmas, seen on greeting cards, advertisements, cookies, wrapping paper and in the homes of millions of people around the...

A sunset at Stonehenge, perhaps not the Winter Solstice. Source: Nicholas/Adobe Stock

22 December, 2023 - 17:47 ashley cowie

Stonehenge Activates On the Winter Solstice Sunset, Not Sunrise

Today, as the northern hemisphere experiences the Winter Solstice, English archaeoastronomers remind us that Stonehenge was built to honor the sunset on this crucial date, and not just the Summer...

An artist’s depiction of the chinampas. Source: Archeomaps

22 December, 2023 - 13:48 dhwty

The Chinampas: The Ingenious Aztec “Floating” Farms of Mexico

When faced with the seemingly impossible task of feeding a huge population in the ancient city of Tenochtitlan, the Aztecs came up with an ingenious solution about 1,000 years ago. Located in the...

Egypt’s Edfu temple with its passage lined by two glowing walls full of Egyptian hieroglyphs. Source: Konstantin/Adobe Stock

18 December, 2023 - 19:54 Robbie Mitchell

Who Are The Lost Gods Of Ancient Egypt? (Video)

Exploring the ancient Egyptian pantheon reveals gods manifested in wood, paint, and stone, shaping a rich tapestry of beliefs. Shifting from a myriad of deities to the revolutionary era centered on...

Artist's reconstruction of a woolly dog by Karen Carr (The Conversation) and the pelt of Mutton, a Coast Salish wool dog who died in 1859. (Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution/ Science)

16 December, 2023 - 17:55 ancient origins

Mutton’s Legacy: The Last Woolly Dogs of the Americas

By Audrey T. Lin, Chris Stantis, Logan Kistler/The Conversation Dogs have been in the Americas for more than 10,000 years. They were already domesticated when they came from Eurasia with the first...