Ancient civilizations continue to fascinate. Despite rising and falling hundreds if not thousands of years ago, these cultures remain a mystery and help explain how the world developed into what it is today. A timeline of ancient civilizations helps to map the growth of human society while also demonstrating how widespread civilization has been since …
Ancient Sparta is one of the most well-known cities in Classical Greece. The Spartan society was known for its highly-skilled warriors, elitist administrators, and its reverence for stoicism, people today still look to the Spartans as model citizens in an idealist ancient society. Yet, as is often the case, many of the perceptions we have …
Life itself depends on salt, and people in early civilizations went to great lengths to acquire it. It was, and still is, used to preserve and season food, and it is important in medicine as well as religious ceremonies, all of which have made it a valuable trade commodity. Some early cultures even used it …
Monumental advances in math, science, philosophy, government, literature, and art have made the Ancient Greeks the envy of world’s past and present. The Greeks gave us democracy, the scientific method, geometry, and so many more building blocks of civilization that it’s hard to imagine where we would be without them. However, images of Ancient Greece …
The Battle of Thermopylae, fought between the Greeks and the Persians in 480 BCE, has gone down in history as one of the most significant last stands of all time, despite the fact the “hero,” the Greeks, walked away from this battle defeated and on the brink of complete destruction. However, when we dig a …
Iran is the world’s 18th most populous country, and it’s a major player in both Middle Eastern and world politics. However, most mentions of Iran in the news focus on some of the many problems the country is facing, such as its controversial nuclear program, undemocratic government, and harsh gender divide. But Iran, or Persia, …