684 Items Tagged

Ancient

A young woman working out using boxing gloves and a punching bag in 1890.

The Women Who Overcame Insults and Even Death to Become Athletes

From bow-wielding Amazons to the trash-talking, 18th-century “Mother of Boxing.”

Sarah Durn February 16, 2024

Imbolc, Groundhog Day, and Brigantia All Celebrate the Coming Spring

Whatever you call it, early February's cross-quarter day reconnects us with ancient astronomical timekeeping traditions.

Rebecca Boyle January 30, 2024

Using teeth as tools likely led to early tooth decay.

Ancient Gum Reveals Stone-Age Teens Chewed on Bones and Made Poison

And had some pretty bad oral health.

Olivia Young January 24, 2024

The birth of jazz music can be traced all the way back to this unassuming New Orleans public square.

5 of Our Favorite Podcasts Exploring Surprising Bits of Human History

From a complaint logged on an ancient tablet to the birth of jazz in a tiny New Orleans public square.

The Podcast Team January 19, 2024

The Tomnaverie Stone Circle is a dramatic megalithic monument devoted to the Moon. A large recumbent stone, arranged between two smaller, upright stones, is visible just to the left of the image's center.

Scotland's Ancient Stone Circles Mark Our Deep Connection to the Moon

Unlike Sun-focused Stonehenge and other megalithic monuments, Tomnaverie and similar stone circles hint at the Moon's importance to ancient people.

Rebecca Boyle January 17, 2024

Cliffony, Ireland

Creevykeel Court Tomb

One of Ireland's best-preserved chambered cairns can be found next to a wishing tree.

A detail from a third-century mosaic depicting two gladiators in combat from the House of Gladiators on Cyprus.

The Surprising Roots of Ancient Rome's Gladiator Fights

The quintessential Roman spectacle, originally a way to honor the dead, was not Roman in origin.

Nicky Nielsen January 9, 2024

Looming over the people he visits, clacking his jaws and dancing wildly, Turoń may look terrifiying, but he just wants to deliver blessings.

Meet Turoń, Poland's Dancing Bull-Beast of Winter

The ancient tradition of Turoń bestowing blessings has faded but, like the creature itself, it may be resurrected.

Emma Cieslik December 15, 2023

One of nine ice patches released objects from 6200–5300 years ago.

Unusual Boxes and 7,000-Year-Old Trove Found Locked in Ice

Along with obsidian that dazzled scientists in Canada.

Meg St-Esprit December 12, 2023

<em>Apicius</em> doesn't specify decorating this dish with rose petals, but it adds a nice touch.

Make Ancient Roman Brain and Rose Soufflé

Somebody in the fifth century combined these ingredients into one recipe, and probably no one has since.

Andrew Coletti November 14, 2023

New research says humans began sculpting a small hill into a larger pyramid around 6,000 BC, and then building layers of sand and rocks on top of that.

Is the World's Oldest Pyramid Not in Egypt or the Americas, But in Indonesia?

Perhaps it’s not just an oddly shaped hill, after all.

Jennifer Billock November 8, 2023

Mawaki Site

The site of a prehistoric settlement spanning millennia, complete with a reconstructed timber circle.

After hosting months of events at Rice University, the Houston mudhif will be relocated to a permanent home at the end of the year.

Ordering Off a 5,000-Year-Old Mesopotamian Menu

A community effort brings ancient flavors to modern Texas.

Andrew Coletti November 3, 2023

By the New Kingdom (1550-1069 BC), both royals and non-royals were buried with dozens of figurines known as shabti, which would serve them in the afterlife.

In Ancient Egypt, Human Sacrifice and Shabti Figures Ensured an Afterlife of Servitude

Clay figurines and murdered retainers provided plenty of company—and a workforce—for the dead.

Nicky Nielsen October 17, 2023

Eguílaz, Spain

Dolmen of Aitzkomendi

A stone structure built thousands of years ago on the Iberian peninsula.

Elaborately inscribed false doors in tombs of the elite allowed family and friends to leave offerings that ensured the dead would want for nothing in the afterlife.

In Ancient Egypt, Soul Houses and False Doors Connected the Living and the Dead

Rich or poor, you could reach out to friends and family in the afterlife—and communication went both ways.

Nicky Nielsen October 10, 2023

This is not exactly how most animals react to an eclipse.

Six Stories to Illuminate the Upcoming 'Ring of Fire' Eclipse

The annular eclipse will make its way across the Western Hemisphere on October 14.

April White October 6, 2023

Each night during his journey across the netherworld, the sun god Ra's barque crosses the desert Rostau, realm of the falcon god Sokar, borne by snakes.

In Ancient Egypt, the Duat Was a Netherworld of Gods and Monsters

A guide called the Amduat helped pharaohs navigate the complex afterlife.

Nicky Nielsen October 3, 2023