Take A Look

Visual imagery— including statues, inscriptions, and paintings—carried deep meaning for the ancient Romans. In essence, it was a powerful and lasting way of communicating with the masses. Rulers of Rome often used art to make clear their authority to their subjects and to express political and religious beliefs and practices. Just as Augustus started a new political tradition when he became Rome’s first emperor, so he also re-imagined Roman art.

According To Tacitus

The Roman historian Cornelius Tacitus (c. 55–117 C.E.) wrote a number of important works that offer an insight into life in the early Roman Empire. In his Annals, he presents a history of the emperors from the death of Augustus (14 C.E.) to the death of Nero (68 C.E.). But Tacitus did not just recount events. Rather, he included moral and political judgments about the people he highlighted.

Livia's Magic Garden

Chilling out on a hot summer day in ancient Rome? For the emperor  Augustus, his wife, Livia, and their friends, the ideal place was the dining room of Livia’s home at Prima Porta on the outskirts of the city.

Not Always A Win

The Battle of Teutoburg Forest (as shown in this 1909 illustration) was fought when an alliance of German tribes ambushed and destroyed the three legions and their auxiliaries led by the Roman general Publius Quintilius Varus.

You're The One!

In 27 B.C.E., Octavius, having saved Rome from civil war in the battle against Mark Antony and Cleopatra, was awarded the civic crown, a wreath made of oak leaves tied with a ribbon

'Father Of Europe'

On December 25, in the year 800, the huge nave of St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome buzzed with Roman nobles, Frankish counts, and archbishops, bishops, abbots, and priests from many parts of Western Europe, all eager to witness an unprecedented event.

Spreading The Word

Charlemagne was determined to carry out his ambitious educational and cultural agenda to reform and renew both the church and society. To achieve this goal, he issued a decree to bishops and abbots to create schools in every monastery and bishop’s residence for the sons of both serfs and freemen. He then instructed these schools to teach the boys psalms, music, math, and grammar and to provide the students with “correct Catholic books.” If new copies of the books were needed, Charlemagne decreed, “Let men of full age do the writing, with all diligence.”

The Song Of Roland

In the centuries after Charlemagne’s death, the number of poems, legends, anecdotes, and tall tales about him multiplied at an increasing rate. Among the most popular were the chansons de geste (French for “Songs of Heroic Deeds”). One, the Song of Roland, is based on an expedition Charles made to Spain in 778 to help a Muslim ally in Saragossa against the emir of Cordoba. When Charles learned that the ally had already settled with the emir, he retreated.

Weapons + Warfare

Homer’s Iliad tells the story of a war.

Kings And Heroes

Recognize these scenes? Heroes and kings of ancient empires strive for victory and glory.

Shot From The Past

How did a German gun from the First World War end up, 9,000 miles away, in a small north Queensland mining town?

A Fair Price From Medieval Turkey

Nasreddin Hodja was a 13th-century teacher, philosopher, and judge.

The Lion Under the Ground

His horse stumbled, and George Ledwell Taylor stopped to see why: an odd-looking rock in the path.

Fulvia & Benazir Bhutto

Powerful women are sometimes controversial women, and it can be difficult to sort out the true details of their lives.

Marry Him!

The year was 1469, and the 18-year-old Castilian Princess Isabel (also spelled Isabella) was struggling with an important question: Whom should she marry? Marriage is a big decision for any young woman, but for Isabel it was more than personal. She was heir to the throne of Castile, so her decision would affect the entire realm.

The Alhambra

The Alhambra of Granada is one of the very few Islamic palaces to have survived almost intact since medieval times. Founded as a small fortress in the year 897, it was expanded to its present beauty in the 14th century by the Nasrid rulers of the Kingdom of Granada. After the conquest of Granada by Isabel and Fernando in 1492 (see pages 14–17), the Spanish monarchy championed its preservation for two centuries. A period of abandonment followed. In the 19th century, it was rediscovered after artists and travelers from across the world began to visit it. The most famous, an American writer named Washington Irving, even took residence within its crumbling walls. He wrote, “Such is the Alhambra…an elegant memento [reminder] of a brave, intelligent, and graceful people who conquered, ruled, and passed away.” In recent times, the Alhambra has been restored, excavated, and studied in detail. Today, it is the most visited historical site in Spain.

Offering Table

Offering TableThis offering table was discovered at Medinet Habu, Ramses III’s mortuary temple (see pages 18–23).

The Varna Gold

In 1972, archaeologists excavating a necropolis (large cemetery) in southeastern Europe made an amazing discovery.

A Mystery Solved

Apapyrus scroll from the time of Ramses III records the trial of assassins who were plotting to kill the king.

Echoes Of Ramses

Today, there are many scary and funny movies that involve mummies.

The Lion And The Mouse-From Ancient Egypt

A lion prowled along the mountainside, strong, ferocious, and hungry. A mouse happened to run across his path, and the lion seized the tiny creature in his huge paw.

Ask Away!

Have a question about world history, archaeology, paleontology? Dr. Dig and Calliope are ready to answer your questions.

The What and Why

The sky begins to darken noticeably, even though it is daytime. The air cools, and a breeze picks up. Confused birds start heading back to their nests. Shadows start to become eerily sharp, and crescents of light can be seen in the shadows of trees. These are just some of the signs you may notice during a solar eclipse.

Fire- What Is It?

Fire is a chemical reaction, called combustion, during which a fuel combines with an oxidizer to release energy and some byproducts. We see fire, because fire emits energy in the form of light. Sometimes you see products of this chemical reaction as smoke. If you are close enough, you can feel a fire’s released heat energy.

Trail blazers, Tricksters, & Talking Animals

When, where, and how humankind acquired control of fire are all still unknowns.

The Ganges Flows To Earth

Let’s travel to the southeastern coast of India where the Bay of Bengal meets the Indian Ocean. Then, it’s off to an extraordinary place called Mahabalipuram(also spelled Mamallapuram), where Hindu stone sanctuaries from the seventh and eighth centuries c.e.dot the shoreline. One of the most remarkable of the monuments is a huge carving (pictured here).Measuring 98 feet long and 49 feet tall, it stretches across the surface of two boulders. This stone relief depicts the dramatic descent of the Ganges River,which, legends tell us, began in the heavens and then flowed gently to earth, thanks to the help of the Hindu deity Shiva. 

Welcome To Sanauli

A chance discovery in June 2004 of human skeletal remains in Sanauli led to the finding of a vast Late Harappan cemetery just north of Delhi, India. Dating to between 1900 and 1600 b.c.e., this was a time when local Late Harappan communities were developing new settlement patterns and trade networks. Excavations in 2005 and 2006 by Archaeological Survey of India uncovered the remains of numerous extended burials and ritual offerings, many of which were overlapping, and partly destroying earlier burials. This evidence shows that the cemetery was used over a long period of time and that there were some changes in the types of pottery and other objects buried with the dead.

The Future

You might expect that people would always be keen to do whatever was necessary to protect a sacred river. Notso. Many Hindus do not believe they are polluting the River Ganges with industrial and human waste. Rather, they believe that the river is so sacred that it is impossible to pollute. Changing this belief is critical to shaping the future of one of the world’s most contaminated waterways.

Bathed By The Ganges

To begin to understand the length of the Ganges River, you really need to spend time floating quietly downstream on a raft. But even then, you would need more time than most people have to spare. So, let us imagine traveling down river, starting 13,000 feet above sea level and then continuing along the icy melt water of the Himalaya Mountains. From here, the Ganges winds across extensive plains, irrigating farmlands and serving thirsty factories and more than 500 million people. By the time the waters of the Ganges reach Bangladesh, more than 1,500 miles from their source, the river spreads out to form the massive Ganges Delta (above). As it flows, it passes by and through many cities, towns, and villages. Let’s visit a few.

The Grand Canal

What are China’s greatest achievements? Surely, one of the first to come to mind is the Great Wall. But did you know that the Chinese also built the longest canal in the world? Its length of 1,104 miles easily compares with a route linking New York and Florida. This canal connects six provinces and five river systems, and its ends are marked by the city of Beijing in the north and the city of Hangzhou in the south. For this reason, the Grand Canal is officially called the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal.