Tracing Songlines: Unraveling Aboriginal Australia’s Ancient Oral Maps
From as early as 65,000 to 80,000 years ago, the first human settlements appeared on the vast continent of Australia. These left behind an archaeological record which bears witness to the remarkable continuity in material culture and lifestyle in prehistoric Australia. Amongst the enduring characteristics of this ancient culture, Aboriginal Australia songlines stand out. These […]
Tarchon and Tyrrhenus: The Etruscan Romulus and Remus?
The Etruscans, although enigmatic compared to the familiar civilizations of Greece and Rome, had a significant impact on the development of Roman civilization. As a result, it is unsurprising that the Etruscans play a prominent role in Roman mythology. One example of this may be the stories of Tarchon and Tyrrhenus. They are obscure figures […]
Mount Olympus, Dwelling Place of the Gods: Myth vs Reality
Few mountains have had greater impact on the history of Western civilization than the mountain situated on the Aegean coast on the border between Thessaly and Macedonia, referred to as Mount Olympus. Over the centuries, Mount Olympus has held importance, not only in mythology, but also geology and ecology. Mythically, the ancient Greek gods living […]
Medieval Scientists Tried to Make Little People with Semen, Blood, and an Animal Womb
The question of how to create life does not just go back to Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, when the eponymous character used forbidden science to create life. Medieval scientists tried for centuries to create miniature artificial people using human semen mixed with other substances and implanted in an animal womb! The homunculus is first referred to […]
Troubled King Charles VI of France Believed He Was Made of Glass
For several centuries, beginning around the 14th century AD, a strange affliction known as the ‘glass delusion’ spread around Europe, particularly amongst nobles, royals and elite members of society. Sufferers of the glass delusion believed their head, arms, buttocks, or whole body were made out of glass and that they needed to exercise extreme caution […]