To protect their kings, ancient Mesopotamians discovered how to predict eclipses, which were associated with the deaths of rulers. This eventually led to the birth of astronomy.
The grave of Andrew George Scott, famously known as Captain Moonlite, may not bear the significance attributed to it in a recent proposal by the Heritage Council of NSW.
Maya Angelou’s political journalism, written in the 1960s, was radical and anti-colonial.
Pictorial Press/Alamy Stock Photo
Angelou’s 1960s political journalism in Africa demonstrates her desire to link the struggle for civil rights in the US to global campaigns against racism.
Depiction of an eruption of Vesuvius seen from Portici, by Joseph Wright (c. 1774–6).
Huntington Library, Pasadena
Purple was highly valued and associated with royalty, power, and prestige in various ancient cultures, including the Roman and Byzantine Empires. So how did red creep its way in?
Portrait of Lady Margaret Beaufort by Meynart Weywyck (circa 1510).
National Portrait Gallery
The story of human evolution is inextricable from the story of gynaecology.
The Vesuvius Challenge incentivizes technological development by inviting researchers to figure out how to ‘read’ ancient papyri excavated from volcanic ash of Mount Vesuvius in Italy. Columns of Greek text retrieved from a portion of a scroll.
(Vesuvius Challenge)
However exciting the technological developments may be, the task of reading and analyzing the Greek and Latin texts recovered from the papyri will fall to human beings.
Several campaigns have been waged against statues linked to Africa’s colonial past.
Rodger Bosch/Getty Images
Mentions of total solar eclipses in ancient history help researchers pinpoint precise dates of notable events.
Christopher Nolan accepts the award for Best Director for ‘Oppenheimer’ during the Oscars on March 10, 2024, at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles, Calif.
(AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)
The success of ‘Oppenheimer’ at the Academy Awards presents an opportunity to think about critical criteria for viewing historical film — and what we are owed by historical filmmakers.
Democracy was enshrined in Roman currency.
American Numismatic Society
Fighting for voter access is an inevitable part of any democracy, from ancient Rome to the US today. Roman legislators were able to thwart elite political sway by introducing written ballots.