Considered as one of the most powerful and influential civilizations of its time, the Persian Empire was a major hub in the region. Archaeology has revealed precious few clues about this great empire, but several excavations and studies have yielded some fascinating, albeit limited, information. It is perhaps this lack of information that most piques our interest. Here is a … Read more >>
Ancient Sumer was located in the southernmost region of Mesopotamia, and the civilization lasted for approximately 1,500 years from 5500 to 4000 BC. Its people were commonly referred to as the “black-headed people.” Sumer was a collection of city-states, each one operating independently. Its society had a distinct class structure of kings, nobles, priests, and commoners. The upper classes lived … Read more >>
Babylonia was an ancient Akkadian-speaking state which grew up after the downfall of the Akkadian dynasty around 2300 BC in modern-day Iraq. The Akkadian Empire split into Assyria in the north and Babylonia in the south. For more than two millennia, Babylonia was at the center of Mesopotamian civilization. The Amorites were the first dynasty of Babylonia, and they ruled … Read more >>
Mesopotamia is located between the Tigris and the Euphrates rivers which converge at the Persian Gulf. The name itself is a Greek word meaning “the land between two rivers.” It is in the eastern Mediterranean region and is bordered by the Zagros Mountains on the northeastern side and the Arabian Plateau on the southeastern side. Mesopotamia covers modern-day Iraq, Kuwait, … Read more >>
Can you imagine a world without rulers or heads of government to make necessary decisions on behalf of their nations? A country’s prosperity depends on the effectiveness of its ruler and those rulers who have gone before. By the turn of the 19th century, most rulers had been male, but there have been female rulers like Cleopatra and Sobekneferu who … Read more >>
There is always a beginning and an end for everything, and the beginning – as we know it – is when people started keeping records of their existence such as cave engravings and paintings. In ancient times, mankind relied on hunting and nature for survival, and we can find evidence of this from fossils, cave paintings, and ancient texts. The … Read more >>
They were moms, sisters, daughters, and spouses, but another thing they all had in common was that they were fierce warriors. Throughout history and all around the world, warrior women have taken up arms and fought alongside their male counterparts. Despite being vastly outnumbered by the men, these fearsome females have each made a permanent mark on history. 1. Grace … Read more >>
Genghis Khan was one of the world’s greatest and most well-known rulers. He was born on the banks of the Onon River in 1162, and his death is thought to have occurred on August 18, 1227, although the details remain unconfirmed. He was the founder of the Mongol Empire which went on to become the largest ever contiguous empire. He … Read more >>
The Maya civilization, based in Mexico and Central America, is one of the oldest-known civilizations. The Maya people inhabited the lands of Yucatan, Campeche, Tabasco, El Salvador, and Honduras and had an amazing culture with some fascinating beliefs such as no one is ever born and no one ever dies. They worshiped the gods and their ancestors. The civilization was … Read more >>
Maya architecture is one of the most exceptional styles of architecture found in early civilizations. It has its roots in the Mesoamerican architectural style, with its most notable architectural structures being palaces and pyramids such as those found at El Tajin in the north and Copan in the south. Being a provincial civilization, the Maya’s architecture varied little from state … Read more >>