Spoken Past
Essays, guides, and myth retellings grounded in sources. Evidence first, clear writing, and context you can trust.
Viking Shield Wall: Decisive Psychology and Tactics in Battle (AD 750–1100)
Homo floresiensis: What the “Hobbit” Reveals About Human Evolution
Homo floresiensis: What the “Hobbit” Reveals About Human Evolution
Homo floresiensis—nicknamed the ‘Hobbit’—was small-bodied, small-brained, fully upright, and tool-using on Flores. Island life shaped their bodies, behavior, and survival.
Lucian’s A True Story: The First Sci-Fi?
A second-century writer jokes that “I lie”—then launches a voyage to the Moon, an interplanetary war, and a tour of…
The Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor: Why China Won’t Open the Tomb
The Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor near Xi’an is a vast funerary city that includes the Terracotta Army and…
Ancient History
Exploring civilizations from Mesopotamia to Rome
The Silent Exodus: What Really Caused the Bronze Age Collapse?
Currency Before Coins: Exchange Systems in Early Kingdoms
Currency Before Coins: Exchange Systems in Early Kingdoms
Long before minting, early kingdoms priced and paid with weight-silver, measured grain, textiles, shells and ingots—secured by seals, balances and…
Forgotten Siege Weapons of the Bronze Age
Bronze Age sieges lacked catapults and towers—but not ingenuity. Ladders, shield-screens, hooks, fire and sapping, backed by archery, took walls…
The Sea Peoples: Tracing the Mystery of Bronze Age Raiders
Carved reliefs, urgent letters and burn layers frame the Sea Peoples. Follow ships, families and fortresses to understand raiders, migrants,…
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Mythology
Gods, heroes and legends of ancient cultures
Serpents at the Beginning: Why Snakes Guarded Creation
Forgotten Goddesses: Deities Lost from Myth
Forgotten Goddesses: Deities Lost from Myth
Many ancient goddesses were absorbed, renamed, or erased. From Arcadia’s Despoina and Aegina’s Aphaia to Nisaba, Asherah, Qetesh, and Tanit,…
Hero’s Journey in Ancient Myths: 12 Proven Archetypes, Motifs & Influence
A culture-aware guide to the Hero’s Journey in Ancient Myths—stages, archetypes, and examples from Greece, Rome, Norse, Egypt, and Mesopotamia,…
Mythical Creatures A–Z: Origins, Symbols, and Ancient Sources
A practical, illustrated A–Z of mythical creatures. Origins, key symbols, and ancient sources—Greek, Roman, Norse, Egyptian, and beyond—without losing cultural…
Academic Research
Scholarly insights and archaeological discoveries
Historical News
Recent findings and developments in ancient studies
DNA Confirms a Viking Warrior Was a Woman
Lost Maya City Revealed in Guatemala with LiDAR
Lost Maya City Revealed in Guatemala with LiDAR
LiDAR surveys in Guatemala’s Mirador-Calakmul Karst Basin have brought a complete city plan into focus—triadic pyramids, sacbeob and waterworks—showing how…
AI Deciphers a 2,000-Year-Old Vesuvius Scroll
AI-assisted virtual unwrapping has produced legible passages from a 2,000-year-old Herculaneum scroll. Here’s how scans, models, and papyrologists brought a…
2024 Discovery: Intact Etruscan Tomb with Bronze Mirrors and Jewellery
A sealed Etruscan tomb found in 2024 has revealed bronze mirrors, intricate jewellery, and imported amber, preserved in remarkable condition…
Ancient Stories
Narratives that shaped early human civilizations
Lucian’s A True Story: The First Sci-Fi?
How the First Tricksters Shaped Human Stories
How the First Tricksters Shaped Human Stories
Tricksters make reversible trouble so communities can learn. From Hermes and Odysseus to Loki and wise boundary-crossers, see how this…
Tyr vs Ares: Norse and Greek War Gods Compared
In Norse myth, Tyr is the one-handed god of honour and oaths. In Greek myth, Ares is the fierce but…
Fenrir’s Binding: Norse Wolf God as Political Allegory for Tyranny Fears
Fenrir’s binding is one of Norse myth’s most vivid moments. Beyond the drama, it works as a political allegory about…
Classical Art
Masterpieces from antiquity to the medieval world
Military History
Battles, strategies and warriors of the past
Viking Shield Wall: Decisive Psychology and Tactics in Battle (AD 750–1100)
Forgotten Siege Weapons of the Bronze Age
Forgotten Siege Weapons of the Bronze Age
Bronze Age sieges lacked catapults and towers—but not ingenuity. Ladders, shield-screens, hooks, fire and sapping, backed by archery, took walls…
Assyrian Psychological Warfare: Brutal Mind Games of the First Empire
The Neo-Assyrian Empire perfected psychological warfare: siege theatre, public cruelty, deportations, and royal boasts carved in stone—mind games that held…
The Siege of Masada: New Archaeological Evidence Contradicts Josephus’ Account
Archaeology at Masada points to a fast Roman siege and a messy end, not a choreographed mass suicide. Here is…
Cultural Heritage
Traditions and legacies that endure through time
The Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor: Why China Won’t Open the Tomb
Ancient Graffiti: Voices of the Forgotten
Ancient Graffiti: Voices of the Forgotten
Small marks, big voices. Ancient graffiti preserve names, jokes, prayers and drawings on city walls, temple stones and desert rock…
Rongorongo: Why Deciphering Easter Island’s Script Keeps Failing
The rongorongo tablets of Easter Island have resisted decipherment for 150 years. Here’s how the attempts failed—and what the boards…
The Dogon Sirius Mystery: What Did They Really Know?
The Dogon of Mali live along the Bandiagara cliff with strong ritual and craft traditions. A popular claim says they…