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Gaul
Gaul (Latin Gallia, French Gaule) is the name given by the Romans to the territories where the Celtic Gauls (Latin Galli, French Gaulois) lived, including present France, Belgium, Luxemburg and parts of the Netherlands, Switzerland, Germany...

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Sculpture of Charlemagne - Abbey of Saint John at Müstair
Sculpture of Charlemagne (Holy Roman Emperor r. 800-814 CE) in the Abbey of Saint John at Müstair, Switzerland. The Abbey, which began life as a monastery, is located in Switzerland's Graubünden Canton and was constructed in the late 8th...

Definition
Chiusi
Chiusi (Etruscan name: Clevsin, Roman: Clusium), located in central Italy, was an important Etruscan town from the 7th to 2nd century BCE. Relations with the Romans famously soured when the king of Chiusi, Lars Porsenna, attacked Rome at...

Definition
Castles of Bellinzona
The Castles of Bellinzona are a set of three medieval fortifications located in and surrounding the city of Bellinzona, which is located in Canton Ticino, Switzerland. These castles are the only remaining examples in the Alpine region of...

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Heracles fighting Nemean Lion
Hercules (or Herakles) fighting the Nemean lion on an ancient Greek clay pitcher in black figure style. In ancient Greek mythology, Hercules defeated the lion of Nemea and took the lion's skin to King Eurystheus. This specimen dates from...

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Gallo-Roman Altar
This Gallo-Roman altar was donated by Quintus Nicennius in honor of the Celtic goddesses of the crossroads. The worshiping of these deities dates back to the era before the Roman occupation of Gaul and what is now present-day Switzerland...

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View of Roman Temple on Schonbuhl Hill
Standing on Schönbühl Hill, one finds the old Roman religious district at Augusta Raurica in what is present-day Switzerland. It existed from the early days of the town. Around 50 CE, several small temples stood here. The buildings were typical...

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Early Prehistoric Handaxes
These two handaxes were made from flint by Homo erectus around 130,000 BCE. They were both found in Switzerland: The ochre one was found in Pratteln, Canton Basel-Land, while the white one was found in Schlieren, Canton Zurich. On display...

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The Daily Life of Medieval Nuns
Monasteries were an ever-present feature of the Medieval landscape and perhaps more than half were devoted solely to women. The rules and lifestyle within a nunnery were very similar to those in a male monastery. Nuns took vows of chastity...

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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...