The general public knows bits about the medieval period. Unfortunately, the general public think they know a lot about the medieval period. Whilst we start learning about this time in our history at school, a lot of what people pick up comes from popular media, in particular films and television series. And, even worse, from […]
Spring is in the air, and it felt like a perfect time to revisit the Historic Houses series. This tends to be the time of year us Brits start to make plans, as the weather gets (generally) better and the days are now longer again. Years ago I visited Sir John Soane’s Museum in London, […]
One unifying thing that people find enjoyable about history is learning about the people who have come before us. We want to feel connected to our ancestors, to understand how they dealt with the trials and tribulations of their times, how wars were started, palaces were built, empires spread – but also the stories of […]
Today we return to our Ancient Wonders series where we look to Bihar state in India and the Mahabodhi Temple. The temple is around 2,200 years old, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a major site of Buddhist pilgrimage – so let’s explore Mahabodhi Temple’s fascinating history! The origins of the Mahabodhi Temple lie with […]
Chocolate is a product that can be found in pretty much every cupboard. It is one of our favourite sweet treats, but few of us probably think twice about the history of chocolate when we’re having a craving. This unassuming product has been consumed for over 3,000 years, and the sweet chocolate bars that we […]
As the long month of January ends, and 2021 is firmly here, I thought it was a good time to have another round-up of historical and archaeological news that came out of January. From 3,000-year-old purple fabric, to a Victorian bath house, to an ancient pet dog, there have been plenty of exciting announcements! A […]
For the latest in our Ancient Wonders series, we look to France over 5,000 years ago. On a small island in the Gulf of Morbihan in Brittany lies the Gavrinis Passage Tomb. The uninhabited island is formed from granite rock but is a tourist attraction for it holds the region’s most impressive Neolithic site. The […]
Werewolves are perhaps one of the most popular modern-day mythical creatures, alongside vampires, and many teen films and television shows now feature both creatures. I have already written a post about the historical origins of vampires, and what medieval people believed to be true about these monsters, so I thought it was time to look […]
August has been another exciting month of archaeological and historical discoveries. From ancient stone age artwork, to historic graffiti, to a hoard of gold, and the impact of coronavirus, there has been plenty to talk about. Here is a pick of just eight pieces of news to have been announced last month. The grave of […]
So far in the Ancient Wonders series we have looked at The Hanging Gardens of Babylon, The Colosseum, Stonehenge and the Great Wall of China. We now return to the original list of the Seven Wonders of the World, compiled in the 2nd century BC, by investigating the Colossus of Rhodes. The Colossus has captured […]
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