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Dreams of Space -...
Merry Mouse and His Trip to the Moon (1953) My next 4 posts are celebrating children's illustrated fiction about going to the Moon. Even though...
3 weeks ago
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3 weeks ago
My next 4 posts are celebrating children's illustrated fiction about going to the Moon. Even though I have been collecting these children's book for over 30 years it still is very exciting to find one that you never knew existed. Jack Coggins was an amazing space artist in the...
Flashbak
I Am a Stranger in This Country: An Outsider Photographs Britain and Ireland’s Travellers In I Am a Stranger in This Country Berlin-based photograph Frederik Rüegger shows us pictures from...
3 weeks ago
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In I Am a Stranger in This Country Berlin-based photograph Frederik Rüegger shows us pictures from the two years he spent visiting the Roma and Traveller communities in Britain and Ireland. The book’s title is a nod to his reflects his status as a foreigner abroad and the...
TheCollector
How the Hospitallers Lost the Holy Land but Survived the Ages During the Crusades, warriors devoted themselves to protecting the Holy Land from attack, dedicating...
3 weeks ago
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During the Crusades, warriors devoted themselves to protecting the Holy Land from attack, dedicating themselves to God, the Church, and their mission. Several orders of devout knights emerged, the most famous of which was the Knights Templar, but another well-known order was the...
A Collection of...
Collections: Life, Work, Death and the Peasant, Part IIIa: Family Formation This is the first part of the third part of our series (I, II) discussing the patterns of life of...
3 weeks ago
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3 weeks ago
This is the first part of the third part of our series (I, II) discussing the patterns of life of the pre-modern peasants who made up the great majority of all humans who lived in our agrarian past and indeed a majority of all humans who have ever lived. Last week, we looked at...
TheCollector
The Musket Wars That Changed Māori Society Forever The Musket Wars, which occurred from the early 1800s to the 1840s, brought about a significant...
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The Musket Wars, which occurred from the early 1800s to the 1840s, brought about a significant transformation in Māori society and warfare. This four-decades-long conflict was characterized by the widespread use of muskets, which had been introduced (both willingly and...
TheCollector
The Lost People Who Built Babylon and Vanished The Amorites were a Bronze Age people who were prevalent in the Levant and Near East. But for over a...
3 weeks ago
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The Amorites were a Bronze Age people who were prevalent in the Levant and Near East. But for over a century, historians and archaeologists have debated if they can even be considered a “people” in an ethnic or political sense. Early theories held that the Amorites were a...
TheCollector
The 8 Most Intriguing Nazca Lines Nestled in the Nazca desert in southern Peru, the group of geoglyphs popularly called the Nazca...
3 weeks ago
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3 weeks ago
Nestled in the Nazca desert in southern Peru, the group of geoglyphs popularly called the Nazca Lines fascinates history enthusiasts worldwide. Displaying geometric, animal, and humanoid forms, these glyphs stand out among other archaeological finds due to their sophisticated...
TheCollector
What Is the Significance of the Minoan Octopus Vase? Craftsmen from the Minoan civilization, a society that existed during the Bronze Age on the Greek...
3 weeks ago
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Craftsmen from the Minoan civilization, a society that existed during the Bronze Age on the Greek island of Crete, created the famous Minoan Octopus vase. Their vases typically featured artistic portrayals of a sinuous octopus and were created at a time when the Minoans were...
TheCollector
How the Normans Conquered England in 1066 Many people may not be aware that the governments of France and England were once closely linked,...
3 weeks ago
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Many people may not be aware that the governments of France and England were once closely linked, including through a single monarchy. In 1066, William, Duke of Normandy, invaded England to avenge the affront of not being named King of England, as he had been promised.  The...
TheCollector
7 Historical Places to Visit On Your Way to the Isle of Skye Scotland draws tourists year-round to discover its stunning nature, fantastic views, and rich...
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Scotland draws tourists year-round to discover its stunning nature, fantastic views, and rich history. The Isle of Skye is the largest of the Inner Hebrides islands and is famous for its breathtaking views. You can discover the top places to visit on the Isle of Skye here. If...
TheCollector
The Rise and Fall of the Second Bulgarian Empire That Dominated the Balkans The founding of the Second Bulgarian Empire in the late 12th century saw the restoration of...
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The founding of the Second Bulgarian Empire in the late 12th century saw the restoration of Bulgarian independence from Byzantine rule. Under the leadership of effective rulers such as Kaloyan and Ivan Asen II, Bulgaria conquered most of southeastern Europe from the Byzantines....
Patterns in Humanity
Immigration and crime in the Nordics A collection, description and visualization of data from the Nordic countries
3 weeks ago
TheCollector
The Tumultuous Ottoman Interregnum (Bayezid’s Fall & Civil War) Under Sultan Bayezid, “The Thunderbolt,” the Ottoman Empire had a series of stunning military...
4 weeks ago
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Under Sultan Bayezid, “The Thunderbolt,” the Ottoman Empire had a series of stunning military victories in the Balkans and Western Asia. However, Bayezid’s ambitions placed him in the path of the Turco-Mongol conqueror Timur, who captured the Sultan in battle. Known as the...
TheCollector
How Horses Shaped Human Civilization In no small part, horses have helped create and change human civilization. Although they are not as...
4 weeks ago
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In no small part, horses have helped create and change human civilization. Although they are not as conspicuous and as commonplace as they used to be, many civilizations were built on foundations provided for by equine labor.   From the plains of Eurasia, where they roamed free...
TheCollector
The Odyssey Still Matters! Dr. Paul Cartledge on Homer’s Epic With the star-studded new Odyssey feature film by Christopher Nolan in the works, everyone is...
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With the star-studded new Odyssey feature film by Christopher Nolan in the works, everyone is talking about Homer and his epic tales about the Trojan War and Odysseus’ long journey home following its conclusion. With this in mind, Richard Marranca spoke to Dr Paul Cartledge,...
Res Obscura
OpenAI's "Study Mode" and the risks of flattery Serious learning requires friction, frustration... and other humans
4 weeks ago
TheCollector
How the Crusades Reshaped Medieval Europe From 1096 to about 1300 CE, during the Middle Ages in Europe, European monarchs and other royals...
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From 1096 to about 1300 CE, during the Middle Ages in Europe, European monarchs and other royals sent armies to the Holy Land in the Middle East to attempt to secure the city of Jerusalem and surrounding territory for Christendom. These “holy wars,” fought between Christians and...
Flashbak
Teenagers in Their Bedrooms in the 1990s “Our bedrooms tell stories about us. They become the repository for memories, desire and self-image”...
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“Our bedrooms tell stories about us. They become the repository for memories, desire and self-image” – American photographer Adrienne Salinger   When Adrienne Salinger first published her portraits of teenagers in their bedrooms in the 1990s, the American photographer wanted In...
TheCollector
5 Alluring Female Portraits Painted by Gustav Klimt Gustav Klimt redefined the modern female portrait. He introduced elements that were previously...
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Gustav Klimt redefined the modern female portrait. He introduced elements that were previously reserved for decorative arts or medieval icons. Klimt used gold, restless geometrical shapes, and dazzling enamel-like colors. While most portraitists of his time focused on showing...
TheCollector
What Was Coco Chanel’s “Slavic Period”? During the 1920s, European fashion reflected the lure of exotic trends. From peasant shirts and...
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During the 1920s, European fashion reflected the lure of exotic trends. From peasant shirts and embroidered dresses to jeweled kokoshnik tiaras, this era saw a strong Slavic influence on Western couture thanks to thousands of émigrés who fled the Bolshevik Revolution. While Coco...
History Today Feed
Mental Health and the 17th-Century Ship’s Doctor Mental Health and the 17th-Century Ship’s Doctor JamesHoare Thu, 07/31/2025 - 08:19
4 weeks ago
TheCollector
What Did Sargon of Akkad and Sargon of Assyria Have in Common? Sargon of Akkad (ruled c. 2334-2279 BCE) and Sargon II of Assyria (ruled 721-705 BCE) were two of...
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Sargon of Akkad (ruled c. 2334-2279 BCE) and Sargon II of Assyria (ruled 721-705 BCE) were two of the greatest rulers in ancient Near Eastern history. Despite sharing the same name, the two men were from different dynasties and lived more than 1,500 years and hundreds of miles...
Trying to Understand...
Living With Russia. The alternative is what, exactly?
4 weeks ago
TheCollector
7 Unusual Saints of the Middle Ages During the Middle Ages, devout Christians venerated holy people known as saints. As everyday...
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During the Middle Ages, devout Christians venerated holy people known as saints. As everyday Christians made it through the struggles of life, they found comfort by identifying with saints, some of whom had extremely strange and unusual stories, or vitae. As strange as some of...
TheCollector
4 Major Monastic Reform Orders in Medieval Europee Although the tradition of Christian monasticism had its origins in 3rd-century Egypt and the Levant,...
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Although the tradition of Christian monasticism had its origins in 3rd-century Egypt and the Levant, its medieval form was firmly established by St. Benedict’s Rule of the 6th century. Benedictine monasteries adopted this set of rules and became widespread across Europe in the...
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...
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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...
TheCollector
What Ancient Greek Philosophers Said About Friendship (Philia) In Ancient Greek philosophy, friendship (or “philia”) was considered fundamental for shaping how one...
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In Ancient Greek philosophy, friendship (or “philia”) was considered fundamental for shaping how one thought, acted, and organized society. However, we will see that thinkers like Plato, Aristotle, and Socrates viewed the matter rather differently from how we might today. Of...
TheCollector
The Epic Story of El Cid (Rodrigo Díaz de Vivar) Few people have come close to achieving such legendary status as Rodrigo Díaz de Vivar, better known...
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Few people have come close to achieving such legendary status as Rodrigo Díaz de Vivar, better known as El Cid. Throughout his life, he fought for both Christian and Muslim armies, and was greatly respected and revered by both. In fact, his tale has been told so often that...
TheCollector
Queen Caroline of Denmark and the Forbidden Love That Rocked a Kingdom Caroline Matilda was born July 22, 1751. She was the daughter of Frederick, Prince of Wales and...
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Caroline Matilda was born July 22, 1751. She was the daughter of Frederick, Prince of Wales and Princess Augusta of Saxe-Gotha, and was the youngest of nine children. Her father passed away just before she was born; he was the oldest son and heir of King George II of Great...
TheCollector
How Alexander the Great Won the Battle of the Granicus With Greece and the Balkans secure, Alexander the Great led his army across the Hellespont into Asia...
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With Greece and the Balkans secure, Alexander the Great led his army across the Hellespont into Asia Minor. A revolt in Egypt had drawn away the new Achaemenid king, Darius III, and his army. However, the local Achaemenid satraps were not about to let Alexander do as he pleased....
History Today Feed
Charles de Gaulle is Sentenced to Death Charles de Gaulle is Sentenced to Death JamesHoare Wed, 07/30/2025 - 09:02
4 weeks ago
TheCollector
What the Book of Nahum Says About the Fall of Nineveh Nahum prophesied about the imminent destruction of Nineveh and, by extension, the Assyrian Empire,...
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Nahum prophesied about the imminent destruction of Nineveh and, by extension, the Assyrian Empire, though he did not prophesy directly to them. Instead, he brought his message to an audience in Judah that gained much hope from the news that Nineveh was about to fall. The Kingdom...
TheCollector
The Black Hawk War: Fighting Back Against US Westward Expansion As the United States expanded westwards, Native Americans were subjected to cultural genocide,...
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As the United States expanded westwards, Native Americans were subjected to cultural genocide, foreign diseases, and territorial loss. Faced with destruction and herded onto reservations, many Native Americans resisted what was happening to them and decided to take action.   In...
TheCollector
Why Did Ethiopian Rulers Claim to Be Descendants of King Solomon? Upon converting to Christianity in the 4th century, Ethiopia’s rulers took their new religion and...
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Upon converting to Christianity in the 4th century, Ethiopia’s rulers took their new religion and invested themselves with an entirely new national mythos. Dynasties traced their roots back as far as possible (and even beyond) in order to solidify their legitimacy. And where...
TheCollector
The 12th-Century Renaissance That Transformed Medieval Europe Europe’s long Middle Ages have a reputation as a low point in Western civilization. The period from...
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Europe’s long Middle Ages have a reputation as a low point in Western civilization. The period from the 5th to the 15th century is a byword for anything unenlightened and barbaric. Modern historians, however, prefer to view this stretch as a series of epochs and incremental...
TheCollector
A Complete Guide to the Greek Poet Hesiod & His Works Hesiod (c. 750-650 BCE) is one of the earliest extant Greek poets. His most notable surviving works...
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Hesiod (c. 750-650 BCE) is one of the earliest extant Greek poets. His most notable surviving works are Theogony, which describes the origins and genealogy of the gods and the universe, and Works and Days, which covers various subjects such as farming advice, mythical stories,...
TheCollector
Who Was Legendary Pirate Captain Kidd? Captain Kidd was one of many notorious pirates that operated during the 17th century “Golden Age of...
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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...
TheCollector
The Forgotten Irish Kingdom in Dark Age Britain It is well known that large numbers of Irish settlers migrated to western Britain, especially...
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It is well known that large numbers of Irish settlers migrated to western Britain, especially western Wales, during the early Dark Ages. This was mostly after, but some also before, the fall of Roman Britain. They managed to establish a relatively long-lasting kingdom in Dyfed,...
Flashbak
Saving Jesus: An Interview with Broadcasting Legend Melvyn Bragg, 1984 “I wear suits now basically because it’s easier if you are doing a television programme to wear the...
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“I wear suits now basically because it’s easier if you are doing a television programme to wear the same thing all the time. You don’t want to go in way over the programme. It’s another way to get people to forget about me and concentrate on the person I am talking to.” – Melvyn...
TheCollector
What Lao Tzu Believed and How It Shaped Taoism Lao Tzu (Laozi) is a complex figure, which makes capturing his essence through words difficult. This...
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Lao Tzu (Laozi) is a complex figure, which makes capturing his essence through words difficult. This is not only because of the minimal information we have about his existence but also the many titles that can be given to him. The ancient Chinese philosopher, sage, and to some,...
TheCollector
What Exactly Is Qi? Life Energy in Chinese Medicine & Martial Arts A character in a martial arts anime unleashes a planet-destroying burst of energy to defeat a foe. A...
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A character in a martial arts anime unleashes a planet-destroying burst of energy to defeat a foe. A martial artist in a wuxia film strikes at pressure points to paralyze someone. Another character places their hands on that same person to heal their injuries. These are...
TheCollector
The Three Graces “Charites” of Greek Mythology (Origins & Facts) The Charites, also known as the three Graces, were a group of beautiful goddesses who embodied...
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The Charites, also known as the three Graces, were a group of beautiful goddesses who embodied charm, grace, beauty, and joy. They presided over festival celebrations and were attendants to the goddess of love, Aphrodite. Initially, there were three Charites, but additional...
TheCollector
6 Most Striking Fayum Portraits You Should See The Fayum portraits are realistic paintings of deceased individuals that were placed over their...
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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
5 Roman Emperors (Almost) Lost to Time One of the main symptoms of the Crisis of the Third Century was almost constant civil wars and...
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One of the main symptoms of the Crisis of the Third Century was almost constant civil wars and internal fights for power. Over the course of almost half a century (235-284), many Roman generals and other commanders were proclaimed emperors, mostly by their soldiers after a...
TheCollector
The Game of Kings – The Intriguing History of Tamerlane Chess Tamerlane Chess is a medieval chess variant attributed to the 14th-century conqueror Timur, also...
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Tamerlane Chess is a medieval chess variant attributed to the 14th-century conqueror Timur, also known as Tamerlane. A complex and richly symbolic game, Tamerlane Chess is played on a unique 10×11 board and features over 25 distinct pieces, each with specialized movements. Known...
History Today Feed
‘José Martí Reader: Writings on the Americas’ review ‘José Martí Reader: Writings on the Americas’ review JamesHoare Mon, 07/28/2025 - 09:00
a month ago
TheCollector
The Adventures of Perseus, the Greek Hero Who Defeated Medusa Perseus, the son of Zeus, was abandoned by his grandfather, King Acrisius, due to a dark prophecy....
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Perseus, the son of Zeus, was abandoned by his grandfather, King Acrisius, due to a dark prophecy. He and his mother, Danae, were saved by a fisherman named Diktys on the island of Seriphos. However, Diktys’s brother, King Polydectes, desired to marry Danae and devised a plan to...
TheCollector
How Moriori Peacekeepers Survived a Forgotten Māori Invasion For decades, the Moriori have been considered extinct. When two Māori tribes invaded their homeland,...
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For decades, the Moriori have been considered extinct. When two Māori tribes invaded their homeland, the Chatham Islands, in 1835, the Moriori refused to fight back. They remained faithful to the Law of Nunuku, the central tenet of Moriori life, which prohibited warfare and...
Global Inequality...
New capitalism III: Capital Why is capital so concentrated and why so few have it?
a month ago
TheCollector
The Inca Empire’s Four Quarters Explained (Government & Challenges) The Inca Empire was the largest of the pre-Columbian civilizations. At its peak, the empire spanned...
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The Inca Empire was the largest of the pre-Columbian civilizations. At its peak, the empire spanned from the highest peaks of the Andes mountains to the inhospitable Atacama desert. At its peak between 1438 and 1533, the Inca Empire, known in the Quechua language as Tawantinsuyu,...