The year 2019 marked the 50th anniversary of Man’s landing on the Moon. It was on July 21, 1969, when Commander Neil Armstrong stepped onto the surface where the Eagle, the lunar module of the Apollo XI mission, had landed six hours earlier. He was then followed by Buzz Aldrin while Michael Collins stayed behind […]
Religion
Posted inAncient Greece
The Intriguing Magic Sphere that Was Found at the Foot of the Acropolis of Athens
Although at first glance one might think that the figure represented on the 30-centimeter-diameter marble sphere preserved in the Acropolis Museum in Athens is the Statue of Liberty, in reality, the idea it represents is much older. The geometric symbols carved on the sides of the image and above it add a bit more mystery […]
Posted inAncient Greece
Thesmophoria, the festival of ancient Greece where men were prohibited from participating
The Thesmophoria were a religious festival in ancient Greece honoring Demeter and her daughter Persephone, goddesses of agriculture and fertility. Held annually, mostly coinciding with the planting of seeds in late autumn, though in some regions it was associated with the harvest, this event celebrated human and agricultural fertility and was one of the most […]
Posted inModern Era
Montaner, the Italian Village where in 1967 a Religious Schism Occurred, with the People Converting Massively to Orthodoxy
1967 was an important year for the Italian town of Montaner, as an extravagant episode occurred that seemed straight out of an Alberto Sordi or Luigoi Comencini movie; it’s not hard to imagine Totò as the protagonist – or even Fernandel, considering the theme – although the neighbors didn’t experience it with amusement precisely. The […]
Posted inAncient Egypt
Egyptian Sky Goddess Nut Found to Be a Personification of the Milky Way
The ancient Egyptians were renowned for their religious beliefs and astronomical knowledge of the Sun, Moon, and planets. However, it was unclear what role the Milky Way played in Egyptian religion and culture. A recent study by an astrophysicist from the University of Portsmouth sheds light on the relationship between the Milky Way and the […]
Posted inClassical Archaeology
An Etruscan Bronze Lamp Found in Cortona is an Object of Worship Associated with the Mysteries of Dionysus
Archaeologists recently re-evaluated a remarkable relic from the ancient Etruscan civilization in central Italy – a massive, elaborately decorated bronze lamp that may have been used in rituals honoring the Greek god Dionysus. The lamp, found in a ditch near the town of Cortona, has long puzzled scholars due to its unique design and mysterious […]
Posted inIron Age Archaeology
Analysis of Seeds and Fruits at the Biblical Site where Goliath Lived Reveals Philistine Ritual Practices
For over 25 years, archaeologists have been excavating the historic site of Tell es-Safi in Israel, home to the biblical city of Gath. New evidence uncovered at the site is shedding light on the mysterious Philistine culture that flourished between 1200-604 BC. A recent study published in Scientific Reports details analyses of plant remains found […]
Posted inAge of Exploration
Amakusa Shiro, the Teenage Messiah who Led the Rebellion Against the Persecution of Christians in 17th Century Japan
When we talk about persecution of Christianity, usually the image that comes to mind is that of the Roman Empire, with Roman Christians identifying themselves incognito through drawings of the Chi-Rho or a schematic fish. However, in late 16th century Japan, a similar situation was also experienced. In 1587, the daimyo Toyotomi Hideyoshi, the unifier […]
Posted inMedieval Archaeology
Archaeologists Discover a Bronze Belt Accessory Referring to an Unknown Pagan Cult of Central Europe
Archaeologists discover a bronze belt accessory referencing an unknown pagan cult in Central Europe. An extraordinary find was made by archaeologists from the Faculty of Fine Arts at Masaryk University in the town of Lány, near Breclav in the Czech Republic. It’s a bronze belt from the 8th century AD featuring a depiction of a […]
Posted inMiddle Ages
Celestine V, the pope who resigned and was imprisoned in a castle for the rest of his life
Times have changed, and social evolution makes it possible that, if in the past access to the throne of St. Peter was in the hands of a dominant caste formed by families of ancient lineage linked to a series of class privileges and economically well-off, today that situation has been democratized, and it is no […]
