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The city of Babylon was once the most famous cultural and religious center of the ancient world and, in fact, was understood as the center of the world according to an ancient map. It did not acquire its reputation as a “city of sin” until...

Chinese culture developed from small communities such as Banpo Village (c. 4500 BCE) through the early Xia Dynasty (c. 2070-1600 BCE) and the great dynastic periods that followed after, creating some of the most striking and memorable works...

The American Revolutionary War (1775-1783) was intially a rebellion carried out by the Thirteen Colonies of British America against Great Britain, sparked by the issue of taxation without representation. It soon blossomed into a War of Independence...

The high status of women in ancient Egypt was reflected in many aspects of the culture but, notably, in the number of female deities who embodied the concept of the Divine Feminine and were honored by both women and men. Women were regarded...

The monarchs and nobility were at the top of the social structure in ancient Egypt and were supposed to serve as role models for the rest of the people concerning the will of the gods and one’s proper response to their many blessings. The...

The gods and goddesses of ancient Egypt were an integral aspect of the peoples’ daily lives, inhabiting not only the temples thought to be their homes but the streams, lakes, plains, and trees of the land and, of course, the Nile River. The...

The Indus Valley Civilization (c. 7000-c. 600 BCE) is among the oldest in the world but, as it was only “discovered” in 1829 – after ancient Egyptian and Mesopotamian sites had already been excavated – many of the “firsts” of civilization...

Death in ancient Egypt was understood as a transition of the soul from the earthly plane to the afterlife, a rebirth, not a conclusion. After death, the soul passed through judgment by the god Osiris and, if justified by a life well-lived...

Architecture in ancient Egypt reflected the Egyptian culture's values, primarily that of ma'at (harmony/balance) symbolized by the symmetry of the completed works. Exteriors and interiors were carefully planned and executed in accordance...

Ancient Egyptian art was created to serve a practical purpose, not for its own sake, and so every piece had a specific function. At the same time, these works were crafted in accordance with the cultural value of ma'at (harmony) and so attention...