Can you imagine a world without the wheel? No wheels would mean no cars, trains, or airplanes, and no machines or industry. In the absence of the wheel, the world would come to a standstill. We can thank the Babylonians for pioneering discoveries like the wheel, the chariot, and the sailboat, as well as the development of the first-known map, … Read more >>
Hammurabi, also known as Khammurabi, was the greatest emperor of Babylon and one of the greatest rulers in the world. He was the sixth emperor of the Amorites, and he inherited the throne from his father, Sin-Muballit. He was born in the city of Babylon in 1810 BC, now present-day Iraq. His contributions to the development of Babylon were outstanding. … Read more >>
Gladiators were Roman warriors who fought solely for the entertainment of the masses. Some would fight with weapons while others would simply wrestle it out. The fights were held in arenas called colosseums, with each arena able to host more than 50,000 spectators at a time. The events were enthusiastically attended and were held on a grand scale. They were … Read more >>
China is a vast country with an intricate history involving many kingdoms, revolutions and myths. With its ever-increasing tourism and rise as a vibrant superpower, interest in China has increased manifold. Many people are intrigued by the country’s ancient history, for example, the first appearance of the Chinese dragon in 4000 BC. The oldest-known depiction of the dragon was a … Read more >>
The Sumerians lived in southern Babylonia from 4000 to 3000 BC and had strong spiritual beliefs. Their history is shrouded in mystery. We know that they were pantheistic and their gods were the personification of the elements and natural forces. The Sumerians believed that first there was the primeval sea that gave rise to a united heaven and earth. Between … Read more >>
When students or museumgoers are asked to name examples of art from ancient times, they frequently list examples from Egypt, Greece, or Rome. Depending on their country of origin, they might also include works from China and India. Historians generally consider the ancient period of Egypt to be from about 3150 BC to 332 BC, that of Greece from 1200 … Read more >>
Mesopotamia was situated between the Euphrates and Tigris rivers and it was the first-known civilization. It covered parts of modern-day Kuwait, Iraq, eastern Syria, southeastern Turkey, and regions along the Iran–Iraq and Turkish–Syrian borders. Mesopotamia has been ruled by many different people from the Sumerians and the Akkadians to the Achaemenid Empire in 539 BC, Alexander the Great in 334 … Read more >>
The people of Mesopotamia were highly religious, and Mesopotamian scribes recorded more than a hundred gods and goddesses. The pantheon of gods in Mesopotamia was an extension of their culture and spiritual beliefs. Though the names of the gods differed among different Mesopotamian civilizations, their roles were the same. As time went on, the gods changed and developed. For example, … Read more >>
For years, China has attracted many travelers and explorers keen to soak up its cultural atmosphere, but it has also attracted foreign rulers who came to conquer and take advantage of its rich natural resources. Ancient China has always been an intriguing topic, so here are the top 12 most popular Chinese figures of all time. Two of them are … Read more >>
The world we live in today has been created by the hard work of our ancestors. Wars have been fought, and treaties and pacts have been signed in order to create the relatively peaceful world we now enjoy. It has been a long journey, filled with stories and events which have been passed on and retold by subsequent generations. China, … Read more >>