Archaeology, the discipline that deciphers the remnants of human history, often focuses on interpreting material objects such as ceramic fragments, structural remains, and bones. However, understanding the complex social dynamics, ideas, and emotions of ancient peoples requires more abstract tools. This is where philosophical concepts come into play. While traditionally confined to theoretical debates, they […]
Europe
Posted inStone Age Archaeology
Neolithic Societies of Central Europe Had a Surprising Degree of Social Equality and Individual Freedom
The most recent genetic research has revolutionized our understanding of Neolithic societies, revealing a more complex and diverse landscape than traditionally conceived. Studies conducted by an interdisciplinary team from the universities of York, Vienna, and Harvard have shown that these communities were not only marked by mobility and interconnectedness but also by a surprising degree […]
Posted inPrehistory
Enigmatic Tablets: The Small Artifacts from the Bronze Age Found Across Central Europe That No One Knows the Purpose Of
The enigmatic tablets, the subject of intense study by archaeologists throughout Europe, are small artifacts made of terracotta or stone dating back to the Bronze Age, specifically between 2100 and 1400 BCE. These mysterious objects have been found since the second half of the 19th century at various archaeological sites across the continent, primarily in […]
Posted inModern Era
The Spread of Ideas Thanks to the Printing Press Boosted the Witch Hunt in Central Europe
A recent historical study, published in the journal Theory and Society, seeks to explain one of the darkest and most enigmatic episodes of early modern Europe: the great witch hunt. Researchers have discovered that the expansion of persecutions between the 15th and 17th centuries was closely linked to the spread of ideas through the printing […]
Posted inMedieval Archaeology
Genetic Analysis Reveals Post-Roman Elites United to Form Lineages and Power Groups across Europe
Recent genetic research led by Krishna Veeramah, an associate professor in the Department of Ecology and Evolution at Stony Brook University, has shed new light on the social dynamics and community formation in post-Roman Europe. This international study of ancient DNA provides vital insights into how early medieval elites in Europe, composed initially of several […]
Posted inBronze Age Archaeology
Market economy has existed for at least 3500 years, and predates any form of state
Market economies have been a driving force in human society for at least 3,500 years, predating even the earliest forms of state governance. A recent study published in the journal Nature Human Behaviour by archaeologists from the universities of Göttingen and Salento challenges the conventional notion that market economies are a modern innovation. By examining […]
Posted inModern Era
Latin Monetary Union, the First Attempt to Create a Supranational Currency, which Operated until after World War I
We all remember the night of December 31, 2001, because at the stroke of midnight, we not only entered another year but also adopted a new currency, the euro, and some rushed to ATMs to see and touch the freshly printed bills from the European Central Bank. The idea of an international currency unification was […]
Posted inStone Age Archaeology
Evidence of Ritual Human Sacrifices, Mainly of Women, Found in the European Neolithic Era
Recent archaeological findings in Europe have shed new light on the practice of ritual human sacrifice during the Neolithic period. Researchers have identified multiple cases of what appears to be ligature strangulation or positional asphyxia at ritual sites from approximately 5500 to 3500 BCE. Analysis of these findings suggests that human sacrifice was an integral […]
Posted inStone Age Archaeology
Europe’s Oldest Plough Marks Discovered, Testifying the Use of Animals in Agriculture 7000 Years Ago
Researchers have made an archaeological discovery that changes our understanding of prehistoric agriculture in Europe. Excavations at the Anciens Arsenaux site in Sion, Switzerland, have revealed evidence that Neolithic farmers were using animal traction to pull plows from 5,100 to 4,700 years ago. This discovery predates by nearly a millennium what were previously the oldest […]
Posted inModern Era
The Shield-Lantern, a Renaissance Gadget to Fight at Night Blinding the Adversary
The Kunsthistorisches Museum or Museum of Art History in Vienna is one of the most important of its kind in the world. It houses significant collections of art, archaeology, numismatics, and applied arts, including the imperial treasury and the most outstanding collection of works by Rubens, Velázquez, Dürer, Caravaggio, Brueghel, and many others. It also […]
