In 1898 the Venetian archaeologist Giacomo Boni was appointed director of the excavations of the Roman Forum at the Italian capital, a position he held until his death in 1925. Among the discoveries he made during that period are an Iron Age necropolis, the Regia (first a barracks and then the seat of Rome’s highest […]
History
The line of demarcation between prehistoric and historical times is crossed when people cease to live only in the present, and become consciously interested both in their past and in their future. History begins with the handing down of tradition; and tradition means the carrying of the habits and lessons of the past into the future. Records of the past begin to be kept for the benefit of future generations. (E.H. Carr)
Posted inAntiquity
A 4,500-year-old Mesopotamian pillar contains the first deciphered inscription about border disputes
A marble pillar or stele that has been preserved in the British Museum for 150 years bears a cuneiform inscription, deciphered in late 2018, and which has turned out to be the first known record of a border dispute. It also mentions, for the first time, the term no-man’s-land. The pillar is Mesopotamian and about […]
Posted inArt, Culture
The wrought iron bar chain that saved the Amiens Cathedral from collapsing
The Amiens Cathedral, listed as a Historical Monument in 1882 and included in the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1981, is a reference in its style and also has a series of curious elements that make it particularly interesting. One of them is the famous labyrinth that paves the floor of the nave; another, the […]
Posted inAntiquity
The Dur-Kurigalzu ziggurat that medieval travelers mistook for the Tower of Babel
The Dur-Kurigalzu ziggurat, mistaken for the Tower of Babel due to proximity to Baghdad, is a historically rich edifice at risk from invasions, urban expansion, and natural factors. Constructed around 1400 BC and showcasing ancient building techniques, its preservation is crucial for historical learning.
Posted inArchaeology, Art
The ancient sculptors of the stone heads and potbellies of Monte Alto, Guatemala, knew the magnetic properties of the rocks
Archaeologists discovered that ancient Mesoamerican sculptures from 2000 BC in Monte Alto, Guatemala, had deliberate magnetic properties, predating similar artifacts from Izapa, Mexico, dated 1500 BC.
Posted inAncient Greece
Electrum, the natural gold and silver alloy used to mint the first metal coins
If we were to ask about a metal alloy used since the beginning of history, the unanimous answer would surely be bronze. And, in fact, this combination of copper and tin gives its name to a whole period of prehistory, so that we could perhaps consider it the most important until the appearance of others. […]
Posted inCulture, Middle Ages
The Missal of Silos, the oldest European book made of paper
Egyptians wrote on papyrus, a material made from the plant of the same name (Cyperus papyrus) that grows on the banks of the Nile, before the 30th century BC. Later, during the Greco-Roman antiquity, the use of parchment became popular, made from sheep or goat skins tanned and polished to allow the fixing of the […]
Posted inAntiquity
The Assyrians, the people who built an empire in Mesopotamia 4,000 years ago, still exist
Assyria is the ancient region of northern Mesopotamia around the city of Assur, founded around 2600 BC on the banks of the Tigris (today its ruins are in northern Iraq). It was part of the Akkadian Empire of Sargon of Akkad until 2154 BC, which united all the Mesopotamian cities. And from the second millennium […]
Posted inMiddle Ages
Christine de Pizan, the first professional female writer in the Late Middle Ages and a forerunner of feminism
The honor of being a pioneer, of paving the way to something, is usually much disputed. Today we are going to see a female case, that of the considered first female professional writer in the western world, an honour that tradition bestows on the Venetian Christine de Pizan. Her legacy would have a considerable influence […]
Posted inMiddle Ages
Valknut, the Nordic symbol whose original meaning and name are unknown
Although today it is sadly famous for its appropriation and use by some supremacist groups, the truth is that Nordic Valknut seems to be more related to religion and funeral rites than to politics or other types of issues. It is a symbol that appears on inscriptions and rune stones, rings, furniture, ships and other […]
