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The Battle of Colmar (58 BCE): Caesar against Ariovistus
Article by Jona Lendering

The Battle of Colmar (58 BCE): Caesar against Ariovistus

The Battle of Colmar (58 BCE): one of the first battles of the Gallic War, in which Caesar defeated an army led by the Germanic leader Ariovistus. In 58 BCE, Julius Caesar had invaded Central Gaul. The pretext had been the plan of...
Making and decorating Athenian black- and red-figure vases
Article by Trustees of the British Museum

Making and decorating Athenian black- and red-figure vases

The first stage in making a pot is to dig the clay out of the ground. Pieces of grit or plant matter must be removed before the clay can be used. This was done in ancient times, as it is today, by mixing the clay with water and letting the...
Greek vases: names, shapes and functions
Article by Jan van der Crabben

Greek vases: names, shapes and functions

The system of names used today for Greek vases has quite rightly been described by one leading scholar as 'chaotic'. Many of the names were first applied in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries by scholars who tried to fit the names of...
Greek Vase Painters & Potters
Article by Trustees of the British Museum

Greek Vase Painters & Potters

We know the names of some potters and painters of Greek vases because they signed their work. Generally a painter signed his name followed by some form of the verb 'painted', while a potter (or perhaps the painter writing for him) signed...
Firing Athenian black and red figure vases
Article by Trustees of the British Museum

Firing Athenian black and red figure vases

A distinctive red and black colour scheme characterises most of the painted pottery of sixth- and fifth-century Athens. The colours result from the skilful exploitation of the high iron content of Athenian clay by an ingenious process of...
Initiation of religions in India
Article by Sanujit

Initiation of religions in India

The religious practices of the early Indo-Aryans, known as the Vedic religion (1500 BCE to 500 BCE) were written down and later redacted into the Samhitas, four canonical collections of hymns or mantras, called the Veda, in archaic Sanskrit...
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Article by Patrick Hurley

Life of Caracalla

NOTE: This article has now become the definition of Caracalla. Even though it is now a duplicate entry we're keeping it for all those who have linked to it. The emperor Caracalla was born Lucius Septimius Bassianus on the 4 of April...
The Mystery of the Great Sphinx
Article by Brian Haughton

The Mystery of the Great Sphinx

Buried for most of its life in the desert sand, an air of mystery has always surrounded the Great Sphinx, causing speculation about its age and purpose, method of construction, concealed chambers, role in prophecy, and relationship to the...
The Nebra Sky Disk - Ancient Map of the Stars
Article by Brian Haughton

The Nebra Sky Disk - Ancient Map of the Stars

The Nebra Sky Disk is one of the most fascinating, and some would say controversial, archaeological finds of recent years. Dated to 1600 BCE, this bronze disk has a diameter of 32cm (about the size of a vinyl LP) and weighs around 2 kg. It...
Gobekli Tepe - the World's First Temple?
Article by Brian Haughton

Gobekli Tepe - the World's First Temple?

Located in modern Turkey, Göbekli Tepe is one of the most important archaeological sites in the world. The discovery of this stunning 10,000 year old site in the 1990s CE sent shock waves through the archaeological world and beyond, with...
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