The quest to ascertain the historical authenticity of Robin Hood, the legendary outlaw of English folklore, is akin to untangling a web of historical fragments and oral traditions.
Read moreSection: NewsVideosHistoryFamous PeopleA 280-million-year-old fossil that has baffled researchers for decades has been shown to be, in part, a forgery following new examination of the remnants.
Read moreSection: NewsMysterious PhenomenaThe early medieval nation of Kievan Rus’ emerged from the early Viking forays into the lands of the Eastern Slavic tribes.
Read moreSection: NewsHistoryFamous PeopleIn classical Japan, Sugawara no Michizane, later known as Tenjin, rose from humble beginnings to become a revered figure.
Read moreSection: NewsMyths & LegendsAsiaVideosHistoryFamous PeopleCave painting in the southern areas of South America may have started 8,200 years ago, several millennia earlier than previously thought.
Read moreSection: ArtifactsAncient WritingsNewsHistory & ArchaeologyAncient PlacesAmericasThe film "Braveheart," lauded for its cinematic achievements, takes considerable liberties with historical accuracy. Released in 1995
Read moreSection: NewsVideosHistoryFamous PeopleArchaeologists have discovered a prehistoric plaza high in the Andes, known as Callacpuma stone plaza, was built nearly 5,000 years ago
Read moreSection: NewsHistory & ArchaeologyAncient PlacesAmericasFrom the iconic pyramids of Egypt to the lesser-known discoveries in Sudan, a journey through ancient history unveils intriguing mysteries.
Read moreSection: NewsAncient PlacesAfricaAn international team of scientists recently completed a comprehensive analysis of the remains of a body extracted from a peat bog in Denmark.
Read moreSection: NewsHistory & ArchaeologyArchaeologists excavating at the foot of Tel Megiddo in Israel have uncovered “the largest Roman base” ever discovered in the country.
Read moreSection: NewsHistory & ArchaeologyBy David Albertson/The Conversation
Every year as Valentine’s Day approaches, people remind themselves that not all expressions of love fit the stereotypes of modern romance. V-Day cynics might plan a “Galentines” night for female friends or toast their platonic “Palentines” instead.
In other words, the holiday shines a cold light on the limits of our romantic imaginations, which hew to a familiar script. Two people are supposed to meet, the arrows of Cupid strike them unwittingly, and they have no choice but to fall in love. They face obstacles, they overcome them, and then they run into each other’s arms. Love is a delightful sport, and neither reason nor the gods have anything to do with it.
This model of romance flows from Roman poetry, medieval chivalry and Renaissance literature, especially Shakespeare. But as a professor of religion, I study an alternative vision of eros: medieval Christian mystics who viewed the body’s desires as immediately and inescapably linked to God, reason and sometimes even suffering.
Yet this way of thinking about love has even older roots.
Read moreSection: NewsHistory & ArchaeologyHistoryAncient TraditionsEvery Valentine’s Day, we’re inundated with hearts. We purchase cards with hearts and heart-shaped balloons. We wear clothing with hearts
Read moreSection: NewsHistoryAncient TraditionsAncient humans, in their quest for survival, honed their skills in weaponry, evolving from rudimentary tools to sophisticated arms.
Read moreSection: ArtifactsAncient TechnologyNewsHuman OriginsScienceVideosAn extraordinary discovery in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, has stunned archaeologists and scientists worldwide: a 1,700-year-old egg
Read moreSection: NewsHistory & ArchaeologyThe genetic legacy of Genghis Khan, the famed Mongol conqueror, extends far beyond his vast empire.
Read moreSection: NewsHuman OriginsScienceVideosHistoryFamous PeopleThe oldest known megastructure built by humans has been found in Europe in the form of a Stone Age wall, almost an entire kilometer in length!
Read moreSection: NewsHistory & ArchaeologyLong before the Roman Empire came along, the Ancient Greeks controlled much of southern Italy. From the 8th to the 5th centuries BC
Read moreSection: NewsAncient PlacesEuropeHistoryImportant EventsThe excavation of KNM-ER 1808, a Homo erectus specimen, in Kenya unearthed insights into the perilous dietary choices of our ancestors.
Read moreSection: NewsHuman OriginsScienceVideos