Aramaic Inscriptions in Palmyra, Syria, Solve Mystery of the âAnonymous Godâ
The analysis of over 2,500 Aramaic inscriptions in Palmyra in south-central Syria has helped solve a 100-year-old mystery. Two hundred texts, dated mainly to the 2nd and 3rd century AD have been attributed to âThe Anonymous God of Palmyra,â named after the ancient city they were found in. This century-old mystery had been puzzling scientists […]
Romans Drank Gladiator Blood as an Epilepsy Cure!
The ancient Romans were known for enjoying violent forms of entertainment – public executions, animal hunts, chariot racing, and gladiatorial games. However, the blood and gore didnât stop with the spilling of gladiator blood â they drank it too! Records show that between the 1st and the 6th century, theological and medical authors believed that […]
Has the Lost Illyrian City of Bassania Finally Been Exposed in Albania?
Archaeologists believe they are uncovering the lost city of Bassania, an ancient Illyrian settlement mentioned by Livy as lying between two important ancient centers – the Illyrian capital of ShkodĂ«r and the Greek city of Lissos. The archaeological site lies on a hilltop near the modern village of Bushat in what is now Albania. The […]
436-Year-Old Neapolitan Mummy Found To Have E. Coli Hidden in Gallstone
Escherichia coli, popularly known as E. coli , is a bacteria that is commonly found in the lower intestine of healthy, warm-blooded organisms. Most E. coli bacteria are harmless, but a few have the potential to cause serious food poisoning and digestion trouble. Heavily studied since the 19th century, the evolutionary history of the pathogen […]
June 1815: Did Dead Waterloo Soldiers Become Fertilizer? Probably!
A new study published in the Journal of Conflict Archaeology has suggested that many remains of the roughly 60,000 Waterloo soldiers who died in the Battle of Waterloo in June 1815 may have been stolen by grave robbers and sold for making bone fertilizer across Europe, but especially in Britain. Professor Tony Pollard of the […]
Two Parts of the Same, Huge Viking Sword Separated 1200 Years Ago are Reunited
Two small chunks of metal, buried separately but near each other, have turned out to be parts of the same ornate Viking sword. Separated 1,200 years ago, the first part of the sword âQueen of Gauselâ was found on a farm in Stavanger, Norway, last year by an amateur treasure hunter. The second half of […]
Power Vacuum Caused by Extreme Drought Led to the Spread of Islam
A power vacuum caused by an extreme drought 1,500 years ago in the Arabian Peninsula led to political unrest, war, and societal change. These were the preconditions that led to the development and spread of Islam,  a newly emerging religion in the early 7th century AD, from a location near Mecca. More specifically, these extremely dry […]
Petal Power: Was Tulipmania the Worldâs First Ever Speculative Bubble?
Used frequently as a warning, almost, to deter people from shifting towards cryptocurrencies, particularly the Bitcoin boom, âtulipmaniaâ is often recognized as the first recorded speculative bubble in history. Modern finance and mercantilism, just emerging around the turn of the 16th and 17th centuries, during the Dutch Golden Age, experienced several speculative bubbles. Some were […]
Unique Viking Shipyard Found Showing A âMaritime Cultural Landscapeâ
An archaeological investigation of maritime remains connected to the Viking Age town of Birka in Sweden carried out since August 2020 has revealed a âfirst of its kindâ Viking shipyard. Birka, also known as the Viking City, was occupied in the 9th and 10th centuries. The Viking shipyard and settlement of Birka is located on […]
âFirst of Its Kindâ 2600-BC King Khufu Evidence Found In Cairo!
Artifacts belonging to the era of King Khufu (also known as Cheops), who ruled sometime in the 26th century BC or nearly 4,500 years ago, have been discovered in Cairoâs Ayn-Shams neighborhood by the joint German-Egyptian Archaeological Mission. Ayn-Shams, literally meaning âEye of the Sunâ in Arabic, was part of the ancient city of Heliopolis, […]