Article archive
Research, stories and questions from the ancient world.
Browse every article on Spoken Past, or choose a category to explore the archive.
Hallstatt Salt Mines: How Salt Shaped Celtic Europe
At Hallstatt, prehistoric miners built vast salt workings. Preserved tools, food remains and rich graves reveal how salt supported Alpine trade and Iron Age…
Voynich Manuscript: Women’s Health, Astrology, and Baths
The Voynich Manuscript's bathing women, zodiac diagrams and herbal drawings may reflect medieval medicine. What do the evidence and recent research actually establish?
Palmyra in 3D: How Archaeologists Reconstruct Its Lost Monuments
After ISIS destroyed major monuments at Palmyra, archaeologists used photographs, laser scans and 3D models to document the ruins. What can those reconstructions prove?
Commodus: The Roman Emperor Who Killed a Giraffe
Cassius Dio says Commodus killed a giraffe. His arena hunts, Hercules imagery and the senators forced to watch explain why the spectacle mattered.
Was a Viking King Too Fat to Escape His Burning Hall?
The story of a Viking king too fat to escape a fire has no identified medieval source. The sagas tell different stories of rulers…
Did Romans Reach America Before Columbus?
Roman-style amphorae reported in Brazil raised claims of a Roman Atlantic crossing. Pottery chemistry can help identify a jar, but cannot prove when it…
Did Archaeologists Find a 1,600-Year-Old Nursing Home?
A Greek mosaic at Hippos says “Peace be with the elders.” The 2025 excavation study explains why it may mark an ancient home for…
The Lock of Berenice: How Hair Became a Star
Berenice II's missing hair became a constellation in a Greek court poem and Catullus 66. The surviving texts reveal how love, dynastic politics and…
Did the Huns Cut Their Babies’ Cheeks?
Roman historians claimed that Hunnic boys had their cheeks cut at birth. Their accounts survive, but the archaeology cannot confirm the practice.
How Susanoo Killed Yamata no Orochi With Eight Jars of Sake
Susanoo defeated the eight-headed serpent Yamata no Orochi with strong sake, then found the sword Kusanagi in its tail. The Kojiki and Nihon Shoki…
Aristarchus of Samos: Heliocentrism Before Copernicus
Aristarchus proposed a Sun-centred cosmos in the third century BCE. His lost theory survives through Archimedes, not a papyrus in a mummy’s skull.
Michelangelo’s David: Cross-Eyed on Purpose?
Michelangelo’s David has misaligned eyes and an oversized right hand. Its cathedral commission and modern 3D scans offer clues, but intention remains disputed.
