1. Hook Swords A rather well-known tool used by the Shoalin monks of northern China, the crescent shaped hook sword was an excellent weapon for blocking blows as well as slashing those who got too close. Most of their usage came from civilians, as the Chinese military suprisingly did not use them in any of their…
Understanding the basic diet of the ancient world helps in understanding the cultural values of the various civilizations. The basic ancient diet consisted of cereals, legumes, oil, and wine, supplemented by vegetables, meat or fish, and some other items, like salt and honey. There are some ideas of what people ate in the ancient world…
Cave Paintings are paintings on cave walls and ceilings, usually dating to prehistoric times. Learn more about some of the world most mysterious and famous cave paintings. Altamira Cave Paintings: As Picasso famously exclaimed, “after Altamira, all is decadence.” The caves of Altamira are located near Santilliana del Mar in Cantabria, Northern Spain. Maria de Santuola,…
ATTENTION HISTORY BUFFS AND ANCIENT ART-SEEKERS! Check out these photos from the Yancey Richardson Gallery x-ray vision exhibit. It was titled “History’s Shadow,” and presented an x-ray view of artifacts of the art world. This abstract exhibit came to us from renown photographer David Maisel. Maisel is well known for his aerial photo work that often explores landscapes…
In honor of Black History Month, we’d like to recognize some of the incredibly influential black civilizations of the past and all of their accomplishments. ANCIENT MESOPOTAMIA Mesopotamia was the Biblical land of Sumer, which sprung up around 3000 B.C. After decrypting the cuneiform script of ancient Mesopotamia for many years, Henry Rawlinson (1810-1895) discovered that the founders…
The ancient Roman city of Pompeii was recently recreated at Sydney University’s Nicholson Museum… using 190,000 lego blocks! It is the largest model of the ancient city ever constructed out of Lego blocks. Within the model’s makeup, There is a mix of ancient and modern elements, displaying Pompeii as it was in 79AD, as it was in…
In today’s day and age, the Internet is filled with all kinds of educators; from scholars, to reporters, to bystanders. It’s incredible the kind of knowledge you can gain from simply searching the web. Bloggers have made a solid presence across the web, offering a mix of hard knowledge and opinion. Here are a few…
Archaeology is the study of human cultures from around the world throughout time. This is done by excavating artifacts to learn about the people who left them behind. Though being an archaeologist may not be as exciting as it was for say Indiana Jones, if you find the idea of unearthing an arrowhead that hasn’t been touched…
1. Greeks – The Crucible of Civilization This PBS production is a beautiful tribute of the glorious Ancient Greece. It tells the story of the Greek democracy from its first stirrings in 500 B.C. to the cataclysmic wars that virtually destroyed the empire. Much of the story relates how the Greeks indirectly invented politics, democracy, and philosophy…
Modern scholars have sought to assess women’s status, rights, duties, representation in the arts, and daily lives from a more objective standpoint than provided in the past. In earlier years, much of the scholars were male and were biased in a way that reflected their male-dominated world. The Ancient History Encyclopedia Online has given us some…