Featured Definition
Definition
George Frideric Handel
George Frideric Handel (1685-1759) was a composer of baroque music who was born in Germany but became an English citizen. His most famous works include...
Featured Image
Image
Map of the Travels of Leo Africanus, 1507-1520
The travels of Leo Africanus (al-Hasan ibn Muhammad al-Wazzan al-Fāsī, c. 1494 - c. 1554) illuminate the cultural and political complexity of 16th-century...
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Definition
German East Africa
German East Africa (Deutsch-Ostafrika) was a colony of Imperial Germany from 1885 until 1918. The territory, much larger than Germany itself, covered...
Article
Ten Ancient Mesopotamia Facts You Need to Know - Fun Facts on the Cradle of Civilization
Mesopotamia is the ancient Greek name (meaning "the land between two rivers," the Tigris and Euphrates) for the region corresponding to modern-day Iraq...
Definition
Mesopotamian Naru Literature - The World's First Historical Fiction
Mesopotamian Naru Literature was a literary genre, first appearing around the 2nd millennium BCE, which featured a famous person (usually a king) from...
Definition
Aethelred I of Wessex - The Forgotten Victor of the Battle of Ashdown
Aethelred I ruled the Kingdom of Wessex (southern England) from 865 to 871 and led the English resistance to the Viking invasions of Britain. He won...
Article
Ten Great Ancient Mesopotamian Women - Monarchs, Generals, and Scribes
The lives of women in ancient Mesopotamia were regulated by a patriarchal hierarchy, but within this social structure, there were many who distinguished...
Definition
Near East - A Modern Term for an Ancient Land
The 'Near East' is a modern-age term for the region formerly known as the 'Middle East,' comprising Armenia, Cyprus, Egypt, Iraq, Iran, Israel, Jordan...
Definition
Gutians - The Great Villains of the Sumerian Scribes
The Gutians were a West Asiatic people who are thought to have lived around the Zagros Mountains in a region referred to as Gutium. They had no written...
Definition
Belgian Congo - One of Africa's Most Notorious Colonies
Belgian Congo was a colony of Belgium from 1908 until 1960. Prior to that, the region had been the Congo Free State (created in 1885), which was effectively...
Article
Inanna and Ebih - A Poetic Narrative on Feminine Power
Inanna and Ebih is a Sumerian/Akkadian poem attributed to Enheduanna (circa 2300 BCE), daughter of Sargon of Akkad. The work's original title is Inninmehusa...
Article
Enheduanna - Poet, Priestess, Empire Builder - Redefining the Gods for the People
Enheduanna (circa 2300 BCE) is the world's first author and was the daughter (either literally or figuratively) of the great empire-builder Sargon of...
Definition
War of the Austrian Succession - How One Woman's Right to Rule Plunged Europe into War
The War of the Austrian Succession (1740-1748) was a major conflict fought between the great powers of Europe, sparked by a dispute over the right of...
Image Gallery
Viking Ship Construction - A Step-by-step Visual Guide
In this gallery of 30 illustrations, we present the stages and techniques required to build the type of Viking ship Harald Hardrada, the future Norwegian...
Definition
Anglo-Zulu War - Britain's Invasion of Zululand
The Anglo-Zulu War of 1879 saw British-led armies invade the Zulu Kingdom in Southern Africa as part of a wider plan to unify various territories into...
Definition
Naram-Sin - The God-King of Akkad
Naram-Sin (reign 2254-2218 BCE) was the last great king of the Akkadian Empire and the grandson of Sargon the Great (reign 2334-2279 BCE), who founded...
Article
Hymn to Inanna - An Ancient Praise Poem
The Hymn to Inanna (also known as The Great-Hearted Mistress) is a passionate devotional work by the poet and high priestess Enheduanna (circa 2300...
Definition
Zulu Kingdom - Southern Africa's Dominant Power
The Zulu Kingdom was one of the most powerful states in Southern and Central Africa during its peak in the mid-19th century. The Zulu expansion and...
