Religious History
Another Mysterious Roman Dodecahedron Has Been Unearthed in England
More than 100 such ancient artifacts have been found throughout Europe, but nobody knows what they are
Hagia Sophia Introduces Entry Fee for Foreign Tourists
Worshippers will be able to use a separate entrance to gain free access to the 1,500-year-old landmark in Istanbul
See the Face of Roman Britain's Only Known Crucifixion Victim
A forensic artist has reimagined what the man may have looked like 2,000 years ago
Roman Imperial Cult Temple Unearthed Beneath a Parking Lot in Italy
The pagan temple sheds new light on the empire's gradual embrace of Christianity
This 1,200-Year-Old Artifact Is Stunning—but Nobody Knows What It Is
The intricately decorated silver object was likely created by a highly skilled craftsperson in England
This Mysterious Hillside Carving Is Actually Hercules, Researchers Say
England's 180-foot-tall Cerne Abbas Giant may have served as a landmark for gathering troops
117 Fascinating Finds Revealed in 2023
The year's most exciting discoveries included a stolen Vincent van Gogh painting, a hidden medieval crypt and a gold-covered mummy
Notre-Dame Gets New Spire and Golden Rooster
The return of these two distinctive features marks a poignant milestone in the cathedral's reconstruction
The 19th-Century Novel That Inspired a Communist Utopia on the American Frontier
The Icarians thought they could build a paradise, but their project was marked by failure almost from the start
Modern Medicine Traces Its Scientific Roots to the Middle Ages
Contrary to popular belief, early medieval doctors relied on rational deduction to understand and treat disease
Mysterious Stone in 15th-Century Painting Could Be a Prehistoric Tool
Jean Fouquet's "Melun Diptych" is likely the earliest artistic representation of an Acheulean hand ax
1,000-Year-Old Sword and Cemetery Unearthed in Finland
Researchers identified eight burials, but they say the graveyard may hold dozens—or even hundreds—waiting to be discovered
The Medieval Sect That Inspired the Video Game 'Assassin's Creed'
The Order of Assassins is loosely based on the Nizari Ismailis, who formed a Shiite Muslim state that relied on political assassination to achieve its goal
How America's First Banned Book Survived and Became an Anti-Authoritarian Icon
The Puritans outlawed Thomas Morton's "New English Canaan" because it was critical of the society they were building in colonial New England
Thief Steals $1.5 Million Buddha Statue From Los Angeles Gallery
Gallery officials say they are stumped as to why the 250-pound artwork was targeted
A Century Before the Residents of a Remote Island Killed a Christian Missionary, Their Predecessors Resisted the British Empire
When a white clergyman tried to punish captive Andamanese for their supposed misdeeds, they slapped him back
Henry VIII’s Book of Psalms Reflects His Quest for Legitimacy—and His Fear of Death
Handwritten annotations in the Tudor king's psalter show how he looked to scripture to justify his break from Rome and the annulment of his first marriage
These 17th-Century Poems Painted Pictures on the Page—and Defied the Church of England's Rejection of Religious Images
George Herbert's shaped poetry subtly pushed back against the iconoclasm of the English Reformation
Archaeologists Discover 900-Year-Old English Cathedral's Hidden Medieval Crypt
The team also found the original foundations of Exeter Cathedral's high altar, Roman-era structures and empty graves
300-Year-Old Minaret Toppled to Make Way for Road Expansion in Iraq
Residents and cultural officials are dismayed by the city of Basra's decision to demolish the structure
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