16 Insanely Cool Suits of Armor
[ad_1] We have likely all seen the stereotypical image of a knight in shining armor , but there is more to the world of armory than the steel plate armor we are often exposed to. Armor came in innumerable shapes, sizes, materials, and functions, and it wasn’t just knights that wore them! We have chosen […]
8 Truly Puzzling Artworks Showing Ancient People Using Modern Tech!
[ad_1] How do we make sense of old and ancient artworks depicting laptops with USB ports, smartphones, spaceships, astronaut suits, and wrist watches? Historians say it is easy and that every one of these seemingly bizarre and puzzling images have a perfectly logical explanation! A Native American using an iPhone? Or, an indigenous person curious […]
20 Awesome Sarcophagi of the Ancient World
[ad_1] A s arcophagus is a receptacle, usually made of stone, that is made to hold a coffin or corpse. Unlike coffins, which are buried, sarcophagi are usually displayed above the ground and for this reason they are often elaborately decorated, carved, or inscribed, and usually formed an important part of elaborate burial practices. The earliest […]
Scold’s Bridles: 12 Torturous and Humiliating Shame Masks of the Middle Ages (In Pics)
[ad_1] There was no end to medieval creativity when it came to torture, punishment and humiliation! The ‘scold’s bridle’ or ‘mask of shame’ was a concept developed in medieval Europe to punish people, particularly women, who were found guilty of gossiping, gluttony, eavesdropping or lying. They were usually made of cold, unyielding metal, and molded […]
16 Bizarre, Impressive and Hilarious Funerary Masks of the Ancient World
[ad_1] Throughout history, many cultures and civilizations created funerary masks as part of their burial customs. The masks were used to represent a deceased individual, to honor them, and to cover their faces at the time of burial. Sometimes, they were seen as a connection between the physical world and the spirit world or afterlife. […]
Execution by Elephant Was a Brutal Form of Capital Punishment For 2,000 Years
[ad_1] Elephants are one of the smartest and most powerful animals in the world. It is no wonder then that these magnificent beasts were exploited and trained to be brutal executioners. Death by elephant is a form of capital punishment that has been used for at least 2,000 years, particularly in India, but also in […]
The Moche Uncensored! 15 Surprising Erotic Ceramics of Peru
[ad_1] The Moche were a mysterious civilization who ruled the northern coast of Peru beginning 2,000 years ago. Little was known about the Moche civilization  until the 1980s when archaeologists began uncovering monuments and tombs containing detailed murals, and incredible ceramics that depicted detailed scenes of hunting, fighting, sacrifice, ceremonies, and explicit sexual encounters . […]
12 Hauntingly Beautiful Headstones of Staglieno Cemetery
[ad_1] There may be no other cemetery on earth that captures the emotion of love, loss and grief around death like Staglieno Cemetery in the Italian city of Genoa. With its stunningly life-like sculptures of people mourning their loved ones, the Cemetery of Staglieno is considered one of the most beautiful in the world. The […]
20 Bizarre, Crude and Downright Weird Sketches in Medieval Manuscripts
[ad_1] Many medieval manuscripts are works of art with devotional passages written in careful calligraphy, accompanied by vivid illustrations and ornate, decorative borders. But equally captivating is the marginalia – the sketches and doodles in the margins of the text – which range from the mundane to the bizarre, obscene and just plain weird. Manuscripts of […]
12 Jaw-Dropping Helmets from the Ancient World
[ad_1] Helmets of the ancient world could be dazzling, terrifying, intimidating or sometimes simply practical. Here we look at 12 incredible helmets from across the ancient world. A Japanese Samurai helmet and mask. Samurai helmets were designed to intimidate the enemy. They were shaped to look like devils or mountain sprits. The helmets were constructed […]