How the Chinese Compass Revolutionized Navigation
Jul 23, 2023 · The Chinese Compass Brought About the Age of the Sail. The compass, as we know it today, is believed to have emerged in China during the Han Dynasty (206 BC to 220 AD). However, the roots of the compass can be traced back even further to the Warring States period (475 to 221 BC), where the Chinese initially discovered the magnetic properties of certain …
Lilith: Ancient Demon, Dark Deity or Sensual Goddess?
Mar 3, 2024 · Lilith’s name comes from the Sumerian word lilitu, which meant a wind spirit or a female demon. Lilith was mentioned in the Tablet XII of the Epic of Gilgamesh, a famous poem of ancient Mesopotamia dated back to not later than c. 2100 BC. Tablet XII was added to the original text much later, c. 600 BC, in its later Assyrian and Akkadian ...
Daily Life of the Aztecs: A Blend of Agriculture, Hierarchy, and ...
Oct 30, 2023 · The Aztecs, often referred to as the Mexica, were a people whose daily lives were a vibrant tapestry of agriculture, art, religion, construction, and tradition. In the bustling streets of their magnificent cities, beneath towering temples, and amid the rhythm of their timeless rituals, the Aztecs crafted a society as complex and multifaceted as ...
The Magnificent Ishtar Gate of Babylon | Ancient Origins
Oct 16, 2023 · The magnificent gate, which was dedicated to the Babylonian goddess Ishtar, was once included among the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World until it was replaced by the Lighthouse of Alexandria in the 3 rd. century BC. Today, a reconstruction of the Ishtar Gate, using original bricks, is located at the Pergamon Museum in Berlin.
Predynastic Egypt: Life Before the Pyramids | Ancient Origins
Jun 29, 2020 · The Long Age of Predynastic Egypt. The areas adjacent to the fertile Nile valleys were always a hotbed of human development. To understand the emergence of the earliest predynastic Egyptian society, we need to reach far back in time. Some of the earliest steps of evolution and development in the Nile Valley began as early as 120,000 years BC.
The Renaissance: The ‘Rebirth’ That Changed the World
Dec 23, 2019 · The word ‘renaissance’ comes from the French language, and simply means ‘rebirth’. This term was made popular by the 19 th century French historian Jules Michelet, and became current in the English language during that time. This concept was further developed by Jacob Burckhardt, a Swiss historian who lived around the same time as Michelet.
Prometheus: The Creator of Mankind Who Stole Fire from the Gods
Jul 7, 2022 · According to the satirist Lucian, Prometheus, created the first man with the help of the goddess Athena. Made from fire and clay, he was shaped after the image of the gods. The creation of the first man took place after the famed Clash of the Titans, and in the Orphic the clay used was a blend of soil watered down with the blood of the Titans.
Greek Mythology, Stories & Myths | Ancient Origins
Greek mythology is a collection of stories and myths about the gods, goddesses, heroes, and monsters of ancient Greece. These stories have been passed down through generations and have become some of the most famous tales in all of history. Some of the most well-known Greek myths include the story of Demeter and Persephone, which explains the ...
Aboriginal Dreamtime Stories and the Creation Myths of Australia
Feb 19, 2021 · The Aborigines of Australia are considered one of the oldest continuously surviving cultures in the world, encompassing hundreds of diverse cultural groups, each with their own creation stories. These Aboriginal origin stories or “Dreamtime” stories play an important role in Aboriginal art and are considered a place where every person exists forever.
The Bronze Age - A Spark That Changed the World - Ancient Origins
Jan 15, 2021 · It began at different stages in the world, but more or less around the 5th millennium BC. It lasted for more than a thousand years, before the earliest discovery of smelting - a process in which molten copper and tin were mixed together to produce bronze, a tougher, more precious metal that brought on the Bronze Age.