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Trying to Understand...
Let's Be Enemies Since it seems to be the fashion these days.
over a year ago
Open Culture
Explore the Newly-Launched Public Domain Image Archive with 10,000+ Free Historical Images We’ve often featured the work of the Public Domain Review here on Open Culture, and also various...
7 months ago
99
7 months ago
We’ve often featured the work of the Public Domain Review here on Open Culture, and also various searchable copyright-free image databases that have arisen over the years. It makes sense that those two worlds would collide, and now they’ve done so in the form of the just-launched...
TheCollector
The 8 Biggest Cities in Africa (By Population) Despite its diminutive size on the all-too-common world maps that use Mercator projection, Africa is...
3 months ago
16
3 months ago
Despite its diminutive size on the all-too-common world maps that use Mercator projection, Africa is the second-largest continent, second only to Asia (or Eurasia). It covers 11.7 million square miles (30.3 million square kilometers) and is home to almost 1.5 billion people,...
African History...
The myth of Mansa Musa's enslaved entourage "Stories about his [Mansa Musa's] journey have numerous anecdotes which are not true and which the...
a year ago
95
a year ago
"Stories about his [Mansa Musa's] journey have numerous anecdotes which are not true and which the mind refuses to admit".
Open Culture
The Story Of Menstruation: Watch Walt Disney’s Sex Ed Film from 1946 From 1945 to 1951, Disney produced a series of educational films to be shown in American schools....
5 months ago
42
5 months ago
From 1945 to 1951, Disney produced a series of educational films to be shown in American schools. How to bathe an infant. How not to catch a cold. Why you shouldn’t drive fast. Disney covered these subjects in its educational shorts, and then eventually got to the touchy subject...
Flashbak
Charles Green Shaw’s Cocktail Book of Rhymed Recipes – c. 1920s “Art, since its inception has never depended upon realism. Why, one cannot help wondering, should it...
8 months ago
25
8 months ago
“Art, since its inception has never depended upon realism. Why, one cannot help wondering, should it begin now? – Charles Green Shaw     This great little book created by Charles Green Shaw (May 1, 1892 – April 2, 1974) in the late 1920s or early 1930s (given the styling, it’s a...
TheCollector
Did Life Continue in Pompeii After Its Destruction? In 79 CE, the disastrous eruption of Mount Vesuvius destroyed the prosperous cities of Pompeii and...
3 weeks ago
12
3 weeks ago
In 79 CE, the disastrous eruption of Mount Vesuvius destroyed the prosperous cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum near Naples. A densely populated city was buried under ash, lava, and stone, but its life was not over. Groups of survivors went on to rebuild their lives in other...
Global Inequality...
Russia’s apocalyptic messianism Questions raised by Nikolai Berdyaev
10 months ago
TheCollector
Did Rome “Abduct” Mithras, the Persian Sun God? The establishment of Roman Mithraism in the West (1st to 4th century CE) mirrored the military and...
a month ago
19
a month ago
The establishment of Roman Mithraism in the West (1st to 4th century CE) mirrored the military and cultural challenge to Roman hegemony that emerged in the East from the Parthian Empire.   Successor to a Persian legacy, Parthia was the true patron of Mithraism’s deeply antiquated...
A Collection of...
Collections: The Siege of Eregion, Part I: What Logistics? This is the first part of our [I don’t know; a few?] part series looking at the Siege of Eregion...
6 months ago
56
6 months ago
This is the first part of our [I don’t know; a few?] part series looking at the Siege of Eregion sequence from the second season of Amazon’s Rings of Power and what we can learn by pointing out its missteps. And I’m not going to bury the lede here: this entire sequence is a mess....
Wrong Side of...
The Indian-American century On the Anglo-Indo-sphere
7 months ago
Flashbak
Postcards From The First Bauhaus Exhibition, 1923 To promote their first major exhibition, from 15 August to 30 September 1923, members of Germany’s...
9 months ago
38
9 months ago
To promote their first major exhibition, from 15 August to 30 September 1923, members of Germany’s Bauhaus design school (der Bauhäusler) produced a set of postcards. Fellow lovers of collecting postcards (deltiology) understand the joy of holding these small picturesque moments...
A Collection of...
Continues the Hiatus, 2024 Friends, Readers, Countrymen, lend me your eyes! As sadly expected, the hiatus is going to continue...
10 months ago
73
10 months ago
Friends, Readers, Countrymen, lend me your eyes! As sadly expected, the hiatus is going to continue through October. I am making good progress on my writing, but still need to keep focusing. I am currently, I believe, on track for us to go back to normally scheduled posts in...
A Collection of...
Fireside Friday, March 22, 2024 Fireside this week! The ACOUP schedule might end up being a little unstable for the next few weeks...
a year ago
46
a year ago
Fireside this week! The ACOUP schedule might end up being a little unstable for the next few weeks as the coincidence of illness, the dense part of the teaching semester and unexpected travel are playing havoc on my schedule. I can only promise that we will finish the series on...
Classical Wisdom
Weekend Roundup Lost and Found
over a year ago
Open Culture
What Makes Diego Velázquez’s Las Meninas One of the Most Fascinating Paintings in Art History Diego Velázquez painted Las Meninas almost 370 years ago, and it’s been under scrutiny ever since....
5 months ago
41
5 months ago
Diego Velázquez painted Las Meninas almost 370 years ago, and it’s been under scrutiny ever since. If the public’s appetite to know more about it has diminished over time, that certainly isn’t reflected in the view count of the analysis from YouTube channel Rabbit Hole above,...
TheCollector
What Is the History of Mexican Pyramids? Mexican pyramids are a key feature of ancient Mesoamerican architecture. While they share some...
3 months ago
18
3 months ago
Mexican pyramids are a key feature of ancient Mesoamerican architecture. While they share some similarities with Egyptian pyramids, these structures have flat tops, often with temples built on them, and stairways that rise along their sides. The stairways resemble ancient...
TheCollector
What Were the Political Effects of the Iran-Iraq War? The Iranian Revolution and Iran Hostage Crisis of 1979 shocked the world and turned the West against...
4 months ago
23
4 months ago
The Iranian Revolution and Iran Hostage Crisis of 1979 shocked the world and turned the West against the new Islamic revolutionary government of Iran. Less than a year later, the neighboring nation of Iraq, a secular dictatorship under former army officer Saddam Hussein, invaded...
TheCollector
Joséphine Bonaparte: Empress of the French Napoleon’s impact on the world cannot be understated. He upset the entire balance of power in the...
4 months ago
44
4 months ago
Napoleon’s impact on the world cannot be understated. He upset the entire balance of power in the world and conquered most of Europe in armed conflicts that would see the deaths of hundreds of thousands of soldiers.   Behind the man who led armies into battle was his wife,...
Patterns in Humanity
Historical Accounts of African Cannibalism A short chronology of references to cannibalism in Africa
a year ago
Classical Wisdom
Jews in the Roman Bathhouse Is it time to rethink the relationship between Judaism and Greco-Roman society?
over a year ago
Trying to Understand...
A Week Off And A New Language See you again soon
a year ago
TheCollector
11 Historical Places to Visit in Oxfordshire Home to some of England’s most known poets, scientists, and religious figures, the county of...
5 months ago
41
5 months ago
Home to some of England’s most known poets, scientists, and religious figures, the county of Oxfordshire can trace its roots back 5,000 years to Neolithic times. Discover C. S. Lewis’s house, Oxford’s Castle and Prison, abbey ruins, an ancient Iron Age Hillfort, and a wealth of...
TheCollector
Who Was Legendary Pirate Captain Kidd? Captain Kidd was one of many notorious pirates that operated during the 17th century “Golden Age of...
3 weeks ago
13
3 weeks ago
Captain Kidd was one of many notorious pirates that operated during the 17th century “Golden Age of Piracy.” Legend has it he hid his treasure, intending to come back to it, but was stopped short when the law caught up with him. So where is this alleged treasure, and if people...
Flashbak
A Civil War Vateran Created The Esoteric Fraternity and the Cult of Solar Biology in 1890s ... Some forty miles northeast of Sacramento, north California, off I-80 near the village of Applegate,...
a year ago
23
a year ago
Some forty miles northeast of Sacramento, north California, off I-80 near the village of Applegate, is the remains of one of the States’s religious cults: the Esoteric Fraternity. Founded in 1887, the Fraternity was a pioneer in modern astrology, readied its followers to run a...
weird medieval guys
Why did medieval people invent so many collective nouns? A pride of lions, a paddling of ducks, and....a herd of harlots?
over a year ago
Classical Wisdom
Weekly Wisdom Quiz Wrath of the Gods!
3 months ago
TheCollector
Traitors or Survivors? The Tlaxcalans and the Conquest of Mexico Many see the fall of the Aztec Empire and the subsequent conquest of Mexico as a result of the wit...
a month ago
15
a month ago
Many see the fall of the Aztec Empire and the subsequent conquest of Mexico as a result of the wit and boldness of Hernán Cortés and his conquistadors’ endeavors. However, without the help of Tlaxcalan warriors, the Spanish never would have taken the great city of Tenochtitlan....
Classical Wisdom
Classics Friday Gifts for Wisdom Lovers
a year ago
TheCollector
10 Must-Visit Historic Small Towns in the UK From the Norman Conquest to the Tudor wool boom, from monastic power to the Industrial Age, the UK’s...
4 months ago
22
4 months ago
From the Norman Conquest to the Tudor wool boom, from monastic power to the Industrial Age, the UK’s most defining moments have left their imprint on landscapes far beyond the major cities. Historic castles, abbey ruins, medieval marketplaces, and literary landmarks can all be...
Classical Wisdom
Learn Like an Ancient Egyptian Who did it better: Egypt or Greek?
3 months ago
Dr Alun Withey
Cuts, Rashes & Chatter! The Pain of the 18th-century Shave! Unless there are particular reasons, for example a skin condition, or a faulty razor, shaving today...
over a year ago
93
over a year ago
Unless there are particular reasons, for example a skin condition, or a faulty razor, shaving today is usually a pretty mundane – if not a pleasant – experience. Indeed, the rise of traditional barbershops over the past few years, offering shaving as an experience, together with...
Classical Wisdom
How do we know what’s True? How can we decipher what is real among lies? “Triple Threat at Suez Canal, Panama Canal, & Mexico Attack Freight”
a year ago
TheCollector
The History of Neutral Moresnet, Europe’s Forgotten Micronation Following Napoleon Bonaparte’s defeat at the Battle of Waterloo in 1825, the Congress of Vienna...
a month ago
16
a month ago
Following Napoleon Bonaparte’s defeat at the Battle of Waterloo in 1825, the Congress of Vienna aimed to draw a new map of Europe. During the negotiation processes, the area of Moresnet, a small village in the province of Liège, modern-day Belgium, posed challenges as both the...
TheCollector
Ancient Tomb with Gladiator Epitaph Discovered in Italy Excavations at a necropolis in southern Italy’s Liternum Archaeological Park revealed two ornate...
4 months ago
32
4 months ago
Excavations at a necropolis in southern Italy’s Liternum Archaeological Park revealed two ornate tombs—one of which belonged to a gladiator, according to an etched marble epitaph.   “This necropolis, thanks to its excellently preserved wall structures and tombs, adds an important...
TheCollector
7 Historical Places in Xi’an, China Xi’an was the capital of 13 ancient Chinese dynasties and holds an important place in Chinese...
3 weeks ago
12
3 weeks ago
Xi’an was the capital of 13 ancient Chinese dynasties and holds an important place in Chinese history. It was the easternmost point of the Silk Road, a Eurasian trade route active from the 2nd century BCE until the mid-15th century. The city, previously known as Chang’An, has...
TheCollector
The Real Robin Hoods: Two Criminal Gangs in Medieval England The first written stories about Robin Hood emerged in the late 14th century, although they likely...
4 months ago
16
4 months ago
The first written stories about Robin Hood emerged in the late 14th century, although they likely stem from an older oral tradition. There are multiple theories as to where the tradition came from, but it may have been partly inspired by turmoil in the earlier part of the century...
TheCollector
The Impact of NASA’s Shuttle-Mir Program on Space Exploration When the Soviet Union collapsed, the space agencies of the United States and Russia began working...
4 months ago
39
4 months ago
When the Soviet Union collapsed, the space agencies of the United States and Russia began working together like never before. The culmination of the new partnership was the Shuttle-Mir program, a mission that took place over several years and saw American astronauts working...
TheCollector
6 Most Striking Fayum Portraits You Should See The Fayum portraits are realistic paintings of deceased individuals that were placed over their...
3 weeks ago
12
3 weeks ago
The Fayum portraits are realistic paintings of deceased individuals that were placed over their mummies during the first three centuries of the Common Era in Egypt. These were portraits of the elites who wished to reach the afterlife retaining their lifelike appearance. The...
TheCollector
The Stono Rebellion: America’s Largest Slave Uprising By 1739, slavery in colonial America had been entrenched for over 100 years. The dependence on...
6 months ago
22
6 months ago
By 1739, slavery in colonial America had been entrenched for over 100 years. The dependence on enslaved people to grow American crops was only increasing, but freedom was in the air. One September night, South Carolina slaves rose up to fight for their liberty. Though the exact...
TheCollector
The Surprising Ways Tomb Robbing Changed the Course of Egyptian History In ancient Egypt, the physical memory of the deceased was essential. They believed that another life...
5 months ago
35
5 months ago
In ancient Egypt, the physical memory of the deceased was essential. They believed that another life would begin in the afterlife that was the same as life on Earth but without any problems. Their tombs were packed with objects necessary for survival in this afterlife....
TheCollector
What Do Adventists Believe? The Adventist Church has a unique set of beliefs on several doctrines that set them apart from other...
4 months ago
25
4 months ago
The Adventist Church has a unique set of beliefs on several doctrines that set them apart from other denominations. Their theology focuses on the Hebrew Sanctuary, they keep the seventh-day Sabbath, they believe people enter an unconscious state when they die, and they highly...
TheCollector
The Fragile Beauty of Glass Art (From Ancient Glassware to Modern Art) Glass is an ancient artistic material, used by artists of all cultures for millennia. Despite its...
2 months ago
21
2 months ago
Glass is an ancient artistic material, used by artists of all cultures for millennia. Despite its fragility, it managed to preserve quite well, with traditions and artifacts being passed down from generation to generation of artists. Read on to take a look at the long history of...
Classical Wisdom
The Fury Within Anger in Ancient Greek and Roman Mythology
3 months ago
Flashbak
How John Steinbeck Harnessed Desire and Self-Doubt To Write The Grapes of Wrath “This is the longest diary I ever kept. Not a diary of course but an attempt to map the actual...
7 months ago
55
7 months ago
“This is the longest diary I ever kept. Not a diary of course but an attempt to map the actual working days and hours of a novel. If a day is skipped it will show glaringly on this record and there will be some reason given for the slip.” – John Steinbeck, Working Days, The …...
Open Culture
How the Moving Image Has Become the Medium of Record: Part 2 This piece picks up where Part 1 of Peter Kaufman’s article left off yesterday… The epistemological...
5 months ago
31
5 months ago
This piece picks up where Part 1 of Peter Kaufman’s article left off yesterday… The epistemological nightmare we seem to be in, bombarded over our screens and speakers with so many moving-image messages per day, false and true, is at least in part due to the paralysis that we –...
Open Culture
The Longest Construction Projects in History: Why Sagrada Família, the Milan Duomo, Greek Temples &... Public-transit projects are the religious building endeavors of twenty-first century America, less...
7 months ago
61
7 months ago
Public-transit projects are the religious building endeavors of twenty-first century America, less because they’re motivated by the belief in any particular deity than by how much time and money they now require to complete. Take New York’s Second Avenue subway, whose less than...
TheCollector
Is There a Historical Basis for King Arthur’s European Campaign? In the legends of King Arthur, the leader of the Britons is most famous for fighting against the...
2 months ago
18
2 months ago
In the legends of King Arthur, the leader of the Britons is most famous for fighting against the Saxons during their conquest of Britain. Most scholars acknowledge that this may have a factual basis. However, at least as early as the 12th century, King Arthur is also presented as...
TheCollector
Great Wall of China Is Centuries Older Than Previously Thought Dating back millennia and once spanning over 13,000 miles, the Great Wall of China is one of the...
5 months ago
34
5 months ago
Dating back millennia and once spanning over 13,000 miles, the Great Wall of China is one of the most ambitious construction projects ever undertaken by humans. Recent excavations at the ancient monument suggest that its oldest sections were built 300 years earlier than...
Res Obscura
How well can AI imitate a 17th century doctor? Arcadio Huang is ill in 1710s Paris. Can GPT-4 and Gemini find a cure?
a year ago