‘Joyeuse’ – Legendary Sword With Relics Of Saints Was A Private Treasure Of Emperor Charlemagne
A. Sutherland – AncientPages.com – Many legendary weapons have been described in ancient documents and books. Some were authentic weapons, and others gained a mythical status that inspired artisans who created weapons for famous knights and warriors over centuries. One such weapon is “Joyeuse” (which in French means “joyful”) and is widely known as the […]
Oh, Whistle, And I’ll Come To You, My Lad – A Christmas Ghost Story
Jan Bartek – AncientPages.com – No Christmas is complete without a ghost story. Our fascination with ghostly tales around Christmas time goes back thousands of years and is rooted in ancient celebrations of the winter solstice. One of the most famous ghost stories we read or watch on television is A Christmas Carol by Charles […]
Ephemeral Evidence Of Mediterranean Mobility – Boats, Migration, And The Central Mediterranean Pᴀssage In Focus
Jan Bartek – AncientPages.com – The central Mediterranean throughout time has been a region defined by the continuous flow of people, goods, and ideas. Excavation and analysis of ancient shipwrecks along these coastlines reveal the overlapping social, political, and economic relationships that fostered the development of the region and spurred wide-ranging movement across the Mediterranean […]
Tomte – A Beloved Scandinavian Christmas Gnome
Ellen Lloyd – AncientPages.com – Shortly before Christmas, you can see this little fellow everywhere in Scandinavia. He appears on Christmas cards, in shops, the Christmas tree, outdoors, and places where you wouldn’t expect to find him. Tomtenisse protects animals, and he is happy when you serve him Christmas porridge. Artist Jan Bergerlind – Image source […]
New Astronomical Knowledge Sheds Light On The Start Of Viking-Age Trade
Jan Bartek – AncientPages.com – Mobility shaped the human world profoundly long before the modern age. But archaeologists often struggle to create a timeline for the speed and impact of this mobility. An interdisciplinary team of researchers at the Danish National Research Foundation’s Centre for Urban Network Evolutions at Aarhus University (UrbNet) has now made […]
Pre-Columbian Societies Declined 2,000 Years Ago Due To Sea Level Fall
Jan Bartek – AncientPages.com – Sea level changes caused the decline of one of the longest pre-Columbian coastal societies of the Americas 2,000 years ago, known as Sambaqui. This is demonstrated in a study carried out in Brazil by researchers from the Insтιтute of Environmental Science and Technology (ICTA-UAB) and the Department of Prehistory of […]
Ostrich Eggshell Beads Reveal 50,000-Year-Old Social Network Across Africa
Jan Bartek – AncientPages.com – New archeological study shows ancient connection between populations 3,000 km apart, and provides first direct link between climate change and ancient human social behavior. Humans are social creatures, but little is known about when, how, and why different populations connected in the past. Answering these questions is crucial for interpreting […]
Cache Of 13,000 Ostraca Unearthed In Upper Egypt’s Sohag
Conny Waters – AncientPages.com – A German-Egyptian mission at Al-Sheikh Hamad archaeological site in Tel Atribis in Sohag has unearthed a collection of 13,000 ostraca (clay vessel fragments) which bear engraved text in demotic, hieratic, Coptic, Greek and Arabic, the Egyptian Ministry of Antiquities and Tourism said on Wednesday. Image credit: Egyptian Ministry of Antiquities and […]
Did The Viking Blood Eagle Ritual Ever Happen Or Was It A Misunderstood Story?
Jan Bartek – AncientPages.com – For decades, historians have debated whether an infamously violent Viking torture ritual ever really happened, or if it was a misunderstood or embellished story pᴀssed down through poetry over the centuries. The blood eagle ritual has been highlighted throughout history as an example of Viking brutality and ruthlessness, both in […]
Mysterious Ancient Fish People – Who Were They And How Did They ‘Change’ Civilizations Worldwide?
Ellen Lloyd – AncientPages.com – Stories of mysteries ancient fish people can be found among civilizations worldwide. Known under different names, these enigmatic beings do not appear to have been ordinary humans. Yet, they provided our ancestors with valuable knowledge that helped them evolve and greatly expand their intelligence. One is particularly interesting among these […]