Charlemagne, also known as Charles the Great, stands as a pivotal figure in European history.
Read moreSection: NewsVideosHistoryFamous PeopleResearchers have linked the travels of a 14,000-year-old woolly mammoth with the oldest known human settlements in Alaska.
Read moreSection: NewsEvolution & Human OriginsExperts have successfully reconstructed the face of a man who was a victim of Roman crucifixion.
Read moreSection: NewsHistory & ArchaeologyAncient PlacesEuropeHistoryAncient TraditionsHave you ever wondered how our ancestors measured intelligence? It’s a concept that has intrigued societies for millennia.
Read moreSection: NewsHuman OriginsScienceThe Tetrarchy, inaugurated in 285 AD by Emperor Diocletian, had been instituted mainly with the intent of mitigating successions tribulations such as those that had plagued the third century. But the system began to breakdown in 306 when Emperor Constantius Chlorus died in Eboracum (York, UK) and the army serving under him illegitimately designated his son Constantine I as his successor. The latter emerged, 19 years later, as the last man standing following a series of deadly rivalries between several determined candidates to the purple cloak. By then, the well envisioned experiment of the Tetrarchy had become a distant memory and Constantine I ruled the Empire as sole emperor from 325 until his death in 337.
During this crucial 12-year period, important administrative reforms were undertaken, and the Roman army experienced a major reorganization in its structure and composition. As the Empire was recovering its former military might, Christianity officially became the state religion.
Modern bronze statue of Constantine I in York, England, near the spot where he was proclaimed Augustus in 306 (Chabe01 / CC BY-SA 4.0)
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The demise of the Seleucid Empire unfolds as a consequence of the intricate power struggles following Alexander the Great's death.
After Alexander's demise in 323 BC, his vast empire, extending from the Adriatic Sea to the Indus River, faced internal strife. With no clear heir, the ensuing Diadochi period witnessed rival generals vying for control, and among them, Seleucus, a cavalry commander, emerged as a key player.
Seleucus' journey to power involved strategic alliances, marriages to consolidate cultures, and territorial expansion. In 307 BC, he founded the Seleucid capital, Seleucia, initiating the Seleucid Empire.
Facing challenges from rival generals and external conflicts, Seleucus navigated the complex geopolitical landscape. Notable was the Babylonian Wars and a significant campaign against the Mauryan Empire in present-day Afghanistan and India.
Read moreSection: NewsVideosHistoryIn a remarkable find of ancient military technology, a team of cantonal archaeologists in Kyburg, Switzerland, has unearthed a completely preserved armored gauntlet dating back to the 14th century. The find was made during excavations southeast of Kyburg Castle, in what appears to have been a medieval weaving cellar that burned down in the same era. So what was it doing there?
It is believed there must have been a forging carried out in the proximity of the cellar, as over 50 well-preserved metal objects, including tools like hammers, tweezers, pliers, and keys, as well as knives and bullet points were also found.
Among these artifacts, the fully intact gauntlet stands out as a particularly sensational discovery. Remarkably, it is accompanied by fragments of its counterpart for the other hand.
The significance of this find cannot be overstated, as gauntlets from the 14th century are extremely rare, especially those with detailed designs and decorations. Prior to this, only five other gauntlets from this period had been discovered in archaeological digs across Switzerland, none of which were as well-preserved as the Kyburg gauntlet.
This gauntlet is a four-fold finger glove for the right hand, with iron plates arranged in a scale-like fashion and connected by side rivets. The intricate craftsmanship is evident in the way the metal components were riveted onto a leather or textile base, which was then sewn onto a textile finger glove.
Read moreSection: ArtifactsAncient TechnologyNewsHistory & ArchaeologyYour wedding is meant to be one of the most special nights of your life. And your wedding night, well, that should be one of the most exciting. Of course, that’s not always the case.
Read moreSection: NewsHistoryFamous PeopleIn my previous two-part article titled "The Exceptional Cuban Underwater City," I argued that the existence of a city at a depth of over 2,000 feet (609 m) below sea level off the coast of Cuba.
Read moreSection: NewsAncient PlacesAmericasUnexplained PhenomenaGuest AuthorsAncient Greece boasts some of the most remarkable colossal statues, with the works of the renowned sculptor Phidias taking center stage.
Read moreSection: ArtifactsAncient TechnologyNewsAncient PlacesEuropeVideosSurveyors in Brazil were appraising a site identified for the building of a new apartment complex.
Read moreSection: NewsEvolution & Human OriginsArchaeologists have unearthed two “exceptional” temples in the historic ancient city of Poseidonia Paestum, a settlement in Magna Graecia on the southern coast of Italy. Constructed in the Doric style
Read moreSection: NewsHistory & ArchaeologyAncient PlacesEuropeIn the annals of history, tales of giants have permeated diverse cultures, weaving a rich tapestry of myth and legend.
Read moreSection: NewsUnexplained PhenomenaHistorically, betrayals have often been met with unexpected consequences.
Read moreSection: NewsVideosHistoryImportant EventsArchaeologists from Newcastle University have recently concluded the first, in-depth investigation of the most extensive Roman bronze vessel hoard ever unearthed in Britain.
Read moreSection: NewsHistory & ArchaeologyIn 2021, a team of researchers unearthed a 2,800-year-old temple at the ancient Thracian city of Heraion Teikhos, in Turkey.
Read moreSection: NewsHistory & ArchaeologyAcross the world we have different myths and legends from the elephant god Ganesha to the Maya Jaguar gods.
Read moreSection: NewsHuman OriginsFolkloreMyths & LegendsIndulging in extravagant feasts throughout history, these banquets were grand spectacles of excess and luxury.
Read moreSection: NewsVideosHistoryAncient TraditionsThe Herto Man is a common name for a group of prehistoric human remains that were discovered in 1997, in the Afar Triangle in Ethiopia, in the famed Bouri Formation that yielded many ancient fossils.
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