Featured Definition
Definition
Chinampas - Mexico's Human-Made Agricultural Islands
Chinampas are human-made islands built in shallow lakebeds that have fed the people of Mesoamerica and shaped local ecosystems for over a thousand years...
Featured Image
Image
Map of Cnut the Great’s Pilgrimage to Rome in 1027 - Kingship, Faith, and Diplomacy Across Medieval Europe
The pilgrimage of Cnut the Great (reign in England 1016–1035; Denmark 1018–1035; Norway 1028–1035) to Rome in 1027 illustrates the intersection of kingship...
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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...
Definition
Sargon of Akkad - From Gardener to King of the Four Corners of the World
Sargon of Akkad (reign 2334-2279 BCE) was the king of the Akkadian Empire of Mesopotamia, the first multinational empire in history, who united the...
Definition
Mesopotamian Literature - The Earliest Works of the Imagination
Ancient Mesopotamian literature developed circa 2600 BCE after scribes, who had formerly been record-keepers, began composing original works in the...
Definition
Enheduanna - The World's First Author Known by Name
The Akkadian poet Enheduanna (circa 2300 BCE) is the world's first author known by name and was the daughter of Sargon of Akkad (Sargon the Great, reign...
Article
Sargon and Ur-Zababa - Two Dream Visions and a River of Blood
Sargon and Ur-Zababa is a Sumerian poem, date of composition unknown, relating the rise to power of Sargon of Akkad (reign 2334-2279 BCE), founder of...
Definition
Civilization - From Nomadic Life to the Farm and City
Civilization (from the Latin civis=citizen and civitas=city) is a term applied to any society which has developed a writing system, government, production...
Article
Battle of Rorke's Drift - Heroic Stand of the Anglo-Zulu War
Immediately after their famous victory over the British at the Battle of Isandlwana on 22 January 1879, as many as 4,000 Zulu warriors pushed on across...
Definition
Script - The Written Record of Humanity
Script is the written expression of a language. Cuneiform, the first script, was invented in Sumer, Mesopotamia, circa 3600/3500 BCE; hieroglyphics...
Definition
Cuneiform - The Writing System That Made History
Cuneiform is a system of writing first developed by the ancient Sumerians of Mesopotamia circa 3600/3500 BCE. It is considered the most significant...
Definition
Secession of the Plebs - One of History's First Class Conflicts
The Secession of the Plebs (secessio plebis) refers to a series of general strikes in the early history of the Roman Republic, when the plebeians –...
Article
The Legend of Sargon of Akkad - Inspiration for the Story of Moses
The Legend of Sargon of Akkad (circa 2300 BCE) is an Akkadian work from Mesopotamia understood as the autobiography of Sargon of Akkad (Sargon the Great...
