This Ancient Greek statuette, a votive offering showing a pregnant women wearing a supportive binder, speaks to the palpable fears and worries that pregnant women from this part of history all faced. The figurine’s mouth seems to be contorted in pain, perhaps due to her labor. In the Ancient Greek world, when a woman became […]
Troubling Childbirth in Ancient Greece Read More »
Who doesn’t like themselves a good frightening Ancient Egyptian death mystery? These four statues here, found in the New York Metropolitan Museum of Art, depict Sekhmet, the cat goddess of sickness. Because she controlled disease, worshippers prayed to her for health. Tension between Ancient Egyptian health and disease-causing agents was recently resurrected by several articles
The “Pharoah’s Curse” Fungus Read More »
Theophrastus was an Ancient Greek dude, whose imporance I hope to persuade you of. Living between 371-287 BCE, he was one of Aristotle’s besties, and even ran the Lyceum as Aristotle’s successor.The reason people know him today is because Theophrastus wrote some books about plants that were among the most important on that subject for
Theophrastus and Plant Intelligence Read More »
Behold the Ishango bone! It may seem small (10 cm or almost 4 inches), but not only is it ancient — to the tune of 20,000 years old — but it also might be the first known recorded lunar calendar, perhaps indicating that a woman developed some of the earliest mathematics.But let’s back up a
This 1st century BCE “Ara Pacis” celebrates fertility with breastfeeding children on a woman’s lap along with other symbols of fecundity. The artistic program matched with the mode of the day in Imperial Rome — the Republic had ended, and the new leader wanted to increase the population of elite Roman citizens. The birthrate among
Marriage and Children in Augustinian Rome Read More »
The ruins of Guayaba, located in the Center of Costa Rica near the Turrialba Volcano, are the country’s most ancient. Those who dwelt here between 1000 BCE and 1400 CE stood at an epicenter of power in the region, and commanded excellent engineering skills which allowed them to construct underground aqueducts, wide imposing roads, and
The Great Pyramid of Giza is almost unfathomably old, but new information about its construction gets published with such regularity that it’s worthy of a post to review what some of the most recent studies have postulated.A great mind-bender is that Egypt’s largest pyramid was built about 2,600 BCE, and the last Egyptian Pharaoh, Cleopatra
The Great Pyramid of Giza Read More »
Along the Appalachian Trail in Virginia is a fascinating rock formation called “Dragon’s Tooth”. It sits atop of a mountain by the same name, and is one of the three “Crown Jewels” of the state beloved by nature-seekers, backpackers, and the like.The photos show first the obvious tooth formation, and second is a rock scramble
Appalachian Trail’s “Dragon Tooth” Read More »
Who wouldn’t be captivated by the Homeric rendition of the Goddess Athena? (-or this fabulous 6th-c BCE painting of her on display at the New York Met?) The Ancient Goddess of wisdom got away with behaviors completely off-limits to actual Athenian women during the city’s 5th-century “golden age,” when those born with XX chromosomes were
Athena as “Mentor” in the Odyssey and Her Identity in Ancient Greece Read More »
You may have seen this terracotta plaque from Ancient Mesopotamia (1800-1750 BCE ) known as the Burney Relief in your art history classes or, if you are lucky, at the British Museum where it resides. Often the lovely animal-human hybrid figure is associated with Ishtar, but the case can easily be made that instead she
Ereshkigal and Other Mesopotamian Ghosts Read More »
In the Sufi tradition of Islam, the role of Satan takes a very different direction than other Abrahamic traditions. Called Iblis, this angel is a true monotheist – unlike all the other angels, Iblis refused to prostrate himself to Adam. True, God had commanded the angels to do so, but whereas in most branches of
Iblis Traditions of Islam Read More »
Statue of Shiva from West Bengal, 1100. The vertical third eye and matted hair are typical features of the Hindu deity – his face on the right represents benevolence, on the left fierce protectiveness, and in the center his serenity – when this universal aspect of Shiva is emphasized his title is “Sadashiva.” From the
Shiva from West Bengal Read More »
The Hindu Goddess Durga was the original demon-slayer. As this sandstone carving made about 750 CE (from India) shows, she has a multitude of weapons that help her take down her opponents – in this case, the buffalo-demon Mahishasuramardini. The legend goes that the buffalo demon – who represents ignorance – was destroying the whole
Hindu Goddess Durga Read More »
This terracotta figure of a merchant dates from seventh-to-eighth century Tang China and is testimony to the role of long-distance trade along the Silk Road and other conduits. I also think this guy looks like Dr. Strange, so there’s that.
Chinese Terracotta Merchant Figurine Read More »
10,000 years ago is young in geological history. This relatively small number seems counterintuitive when one encounters the vast space of white sands in the Tularosa Basin of southern New Mexico. The dunes here make up the world’s largest gypsum fields: at 275 square miles, they can be seen by astronauts from space.
White Sands of New Mexico Read More »
You are looking at the footprint of a giant sloth – one of the megafauna mammals that died out by the end of the last ice age over 11,700 years ago. Nestled inside is a contemporary human footprint, one of the first concrete pieces of evidence that giant sloths interacted with people. At eight feet
Ancient Giant Sloth Footprints Read More »
This hooked metal tool was called a “strigil” by Ancient Romans. Centuries ago, such instruments were used in the process of bathing: you would scrape dirt, sweat, and the ubiquitous Mediterranean olive oil off your skin with it before your bath.
Ancient Roman Strigils Read More »
When the artist Larry Harvey first set fire to a 9-foot wooden effigy of a man and began a ceremony now celebrated annually at Black Rock City, Nevada, he had never heard of the famous 1973 cult horror film, “The Wicker Man,” which took its cue from an alleged Celtic practice of human sacrifice. In
Human Sacrifice in Ancient Celtic British Life Read More »
Musical instruments are one of the hallmarks of the radical change in complex culture that started to mark human history after 50,000 BCE. Some scientists even like to refer to our species after this benchmark era as _Homo Sapiens Sapiens_, stressing the “extra” smarts we apparently showcased after this time. But important questions remain. Pictured
The Neanderthal Flute Read More »
Kite flying was first recorded in Ancient China. Among the earliest accounts includes a story of the famed general Han Xin (d. 196 BCE), one of the most important leaders to establish China’s influential and long-lasting Han Dynasty. Desiring to tunnel under a city wall he was trying to conquer, Han Xin figured out the
Ancient Chinese Kite Flying Read More »
