All-Powerful Olympian Greek Gods and Titans You Should Know About
Introduction The narrative of the Greek gods, goddesses, and related mythology, unlike the Bible, was not available to the ancient Greeks through a singular compilation…
Articles by Dattatreya Mandal
The Ancient Carthaginian Army: Mercenaries and Professionals
From humble beginnings as just another Phoenician colony in a ‘distant part’ of the world, Carthage or Kart-hadasht (Phoenician – ‘new city’) – known as Karchedon by the Greeks and Carthago by…
The Oldest Known Recipe For Toothpaste Possibly Comes From Ancient Egypt
In our article on the subject of fascinating Ancient Egyptian inventions, we talked about how some of them “intrinsically related to personal hygiene, health, and even…
Remarkable Designs Of Leonardo Da Vinci
The painter of Mona Lisa was not only a genius with pure artistic sensibilities but also a man with his flurry of ‘hip’ designs that were far…
The Most Powerful Norse Gods and Goddesses
Introduction to Norse Mythology Norse mythology and legends probably have one of the vaguest origins of some of the renowned mythologies from history. Their primary lore…
8 Of The Biggest Guns Of Destruction Used During The Second World War
The 20th century easily stands out as one of mankind’s destructive epochs, with two World Wars and several intermittent conflicts encompassing regions across the globe….
Medieval English Knights: 10 Things You Should Know
Our popular notion associates the medieval knight with the imagery of the heavily armored horseman fighting with flair and dominating his ‘lesser’ foes. And while part of…
10 of the World’s Fascinating Oldest Objects You Should Know About
History is replete with the achievements of humanity in various fields, ranging from curious art to complex mathematics; from the simple pleasures of life to…
The World’s Oldest Known Beer Recipe Comes from Ancient Mesopotamia
It is hypothesized that beer (or at least the precursor to beer-like concoctions) was probably developed independently in different parts of the world. In fact,…
The Roman Praetorian Guard: From Elite Units to Kingmakers
Introduction The famed Praetorian Guards (or cohortes praetoriae) constitute a unique parcel of ancient Roman military history. In many ways, alluding to the proverbial scope of ‘too…
Take A Gander at the Mythological Family Trees of the Egyptian, Greek, and Norse Gods
One of the unifying characteristics of humanity’s history relates to the development and essence of myths and lore. Simply put, mythology (derived from the Greek mythos for story-of-the-people,…
29,000-Year-Old Venus of Dolní Věstonice, The Oldest Known Ceramic Artifact
Last year in August, the archaeological world welcomed the scanning of the Venus of Dolní Věstonice, the 29,000-year-old ceramic statuette of a woman that was originally discovered…
The World’s Oldest Known Secular Norse Song
Codex Runicus, the medieval manuscript dating from circa 1300 AD, comprises around 202 pages composed of runic characters. Known for its content of the Scanian Law…
Remarkable Visual Reconstruction of the Ancient Roman Soldier from 8th Century BC to 3rd Century AD
Introduction Starting out as a backwater inhabited by cattle rustlers who made their camps and rudimentary dwellings among the hills and the swamplands, Rome emerged…
6 Of The Most Expensive Products From The Ancient World
The oldest case of manufacturing and supplying of goods or services directly pertains to the very history of the economy (derived from Greek οίκος – ‘household’ and…
Poena Cullei: The Bizarre Ancient Roman Punishment Reserved For Parricide
Introduction Ancient Romans had a penchant for doling out punishments in a rather theatrical fashion, with one pertinent example relating to the noxii, the criminals who…
History and Reconstruction of the Palace of Knossos: The Stronghold of the Minoans
Introduction Often heralded as Europe’s oldest city, Knossos is the largest Bronze Age archaeological site in Crete. In fact, the communal character of the site…
Teutonic Knights: The Turbulent History of the Military Order
Introduction Almost as famous as the Knight Templars and Hospitallers, the Teutonic Knights and their popular imagery of extravagant horned helmets on steel-clad horsemen have stoked the fascination of many a…
McDonald’s Restaurant Preserves an Ancient Roman Road Underneath
It is not often that we can mention McDonald’s and Roman Road in the same sentence. But a fascinating $315,000 restoration project has combined the…
3D Reconstruction of the Antikythera Mechanism – World’s Oldest Analog ‘Computer’
Widely touted as the world’s oldest analog computer, the Greek-made Antikythera Mechanism was salvaged from Antikythera, an underwater location, south of Greece, in 1900. And…
Norman Knights: The Sword Arm of Western Europe
The resplendent image of a medieval “knight in shining armor” is even a trope of popular culture. But beyond visual magnificence and social elitism, the foremost…
10 Roman Military Innovations You Should Know About
While military innovations did play a crucial role in the armies of ancient civilizations, it was undoubtedly the Romans (among few) who pushed the scope…
10 of the Greatest Ancient Warrior Cultures You Should Know About
The episodes of war and human conflicts are persistent when it comes to the rich tapestry of history. And in such a vast ambit of…
Animation Showcases the Roman Maniple Army Formation ‘Triplex Acies’ in Action
The historical successes of the ancient Roman army had always intrinsically pertained to their ability to adapt and ‘learn’ from their enemies. One of these…
The English Longbowman: 10 Things You Should Know
Though the extended weapon of the longbow precedes the medieval Englishman by over 3,500 years (with the first known specimen dating from 2665 BC), it…
Hypatia: The Great Philosopher Who Was Also A Mathematician Extraordinaire
Introduction Was not Hypatia the greatest philosopher of Alexandria, and a true martyr to the old values of learning? She was torn to pieces by…
Assyrians: The ‘Ruthless’ Superpower of the Ancient World
Introduction – The Ancient War Machine In a conventional sense, when we talk about the ancient Assyrians, our notions pertain mostly to what is known…
Vikings And Their Warfare: 10 Things You Should Know
There is more to the fascinating scope of Viking warfare than just shooing away the misconception about their horned helmets. So, without further ado, let…
10 Tallest Architectural Triumphs From The Ancient World
While modern skyscrapers are designed as instruments of economy and industry, their counterparts in the ancient world were largely defined by the collective religious fervor…
Workmanship Beyond Warfare: The Fascinating Case Of Scythian Gold Artifacts
The realm of the nomadic Scythians stretched all the way across the vast Eurasian steppes, with their center of power being mainly based along the regions of…