Connecting the dots across time
Move beyond treasure chests and discover the surprisingly organized business of 17th-century piracy. Far from being chaotic brutes, pirates operated under democratic principles, wrote corporate-style articles of agreement, and even…
History often pictures a grizzled sea captain at the helm, but many of America’s most vital lighthouses were run by women of incredible fortitude. Delve into the forgotten stories of…
In the 17th and 18th centuries, a new, bitter drink from the East arrived in Europe, replacing the alcoholic haze of beer and wine with sober, focused energy. The coffeehouses…
Meet the Scythians, the fierce nomadic warriors who thundered across the Eurasian steppe on horseback. From their mastery of archery and stunning gold treasures to their epic confrontations with the…
Long before software developers and data analysts, the ancient world had its own information technologists: the scribes. This post explores how these masters of the written word—through rigorous training and…
In the sweltering summer of 1858, London was brought to a standstill by an unbearable stench rising from the River Thames, which had become a vast, open sewer. This public…
While Rome's aqueducts stand as monuments to engineering, the true story of the city's hydration lies with the *Curatores Aquarum*. These elite officials were part administrator, part engineer, and part…
From the tragic fall of the Greenland Vikings to joyous carnivals on a frozen River Thames, the Little Ice Age was a centuries-long cold snap that reshaped human history. This…