Article archive
Research, stories and questions from the ancient world.
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Lindisfarne Gospels: Inside a Medieval Masterpiece
Made around 700 in Northumbria, the Lindisfarne Gospels unite extraordinary Insular art, Latin scripture and a later Old English translation.
Byzantine Silk: How Monks Brought Silkworm Eggs to Justinian
Procopius says monks brought silkworm eggs to Justinian's court. A rival account names a Persian, and the empire continued to depend on imported silk.
Rosetta Stone: What It Says and How Hieroglyphs Were Deciphered
The Rosetta Stone records a royal decree from 196 BC. Its Greek, Demotic and hieroglyphic texts helped scholars recover ancient Egyptian writing.
Book of Kells: How Medieval Monks Made a Masterpiece
Made around 800, the Book of Kells combines Latin Gospels with extraordinary art. Its vellum, pigments, scribes and disputed origins reveal how it was…
Did the Trojan Horse Really Exist? Evidence and Myth
Troy was real, but no ancient wooden horse has been found. Homer’s Odyssey, Greek art and the ruins at Hisarlık reveal how the famous…
What Are the Gnostic Gospels? The Nag Hammadi Discovery
The Gnostic Gospels preserve alternative early Christian writings about Jesus, creation and salvation. Here is what the Nag Hammadi manuscripts actually contain.
The Chinese Civil Service Exams: How They Worked for 1,300 Years
From the Sui dynasty to 1905, China used imperial exams to select officials. See what candidates studied, how they were tested and who could…
Ancient Garbage Dumps: What People Ate and Threw Away
From shell middens in prehistoric Latvia to a Roman sewer and Rome’s mountain of broken jars, ancient rubbish reveals diet, sanitation and trade.
Political Marriages: How Medieval Royal Weddings Changed Kingdoms
Medieval royal marriages gave families claims to crowns and castles. Urraca, Berenguela and Blanche show why some alliances failed and others endured.
The Gallic Wars: How Julius Caesar Conquered Gaul, 58–50 BC
From the Helvetii and the Rhine to Vercingetorix at Alesia, follow Caesar’s conquest of Gaul, its brutal costs, and the Roman account that shaped…
Daedalus: The Inventor of the Labyrinth and Icarus’s Wings
Daedalus built the Minotaur’s Labyrinth, helped Theseus escape, and lost Icarus during their flight. Ancient sources tell several different versions of his life.
Ancient Army Scouts: How Greek and Roman Armies Gathered Intelligence
Greek and Roman armies used scouts, informants and signals to track enemies. Caesar, Ammianus and Adrianople show how reports shaped battles.
