Bone Sewing Needles (a brief history of…)
The humble sewing needle needs no introduction. Everyone has likely seen one used or has used one to sew thatContinue Reading
Category: History
The ‘Capitoline Vision’ of Edward Gibbon.
On the 15th October 1764, Edward Gibbon observed a group of friars singing in the ruins of the Temple ofContinue Reading
Coffee and the Ottoman coffeehouse (a brief history of…)
Coffee today, easily ranks in the top ten most traded commodities in the world. It sits comfortable amongst natural gas,Continue Reading
Roman Road Building 101
The Appian Way? No, just my garden path. Over the past few weeks I have (weather permitting) been building myContinue Reading
Marcus Aurelius: Emperor, General & Philosopher.
In his ‘Meditations’, Marcus Aurelius Antoninus simply wrote or described himself as ‘a male, mature in years, a statesman, aContinue Reading
The Napoleonic Expedition to Egypt.
The French were among the earliest modern explorers to “rediscover” the great monuments of the Ancient Egyptians. The King ofContinue Reading
“Ask me anything you like. But I warn you, I’m not a Byzantinist …” – John Julius Norwich.
This featured article had originally intended to highlight a collection of history books that bloggers or enthusiasts would find interestingContinue Reading
Bank Siege at Kredibanken and the Stockholm Syndrome
Forty years ago, on August 23rd, 1973, after four people were taken hostage by a bank robber in a StockholmContinue Reading
Sinkholes (a brief history of…)
Could there be anything more dramatic than the ground opening up and swallowing entire dwellings, buildings, cars roads, animals andContinue Reading
Greeks, Romans and Asbestos (a brief history of…)
Our earliest records of the use of asbestos dates back around 3,000 years ago in the lands around Scandinavia. ArcheologistsContinue Reading
