middle ages

Archaeologists In Peru Unearth The Single Largest Child Sacrifice Site In The World

Before the Inca conquered the Chimú, the coastal Peruvian civilization built the largest mud-brick city in the world. They also partook in the ritualistic mass sacrifice of children.

By Marco Margaritoff • Mar 20, 2026

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Archaeologists In Peru Unearth The Single Largest Child Sacrifice Site In The World

Before the Inca conquered the Chimú, the coastal Peruvian civilization built the largest mud-brick city in the world. They also partook in the ritualistic mass sacrifice of children.

By Marco Margaritoff • March 20, 2026

New Analysis Just Disproved The Claim That 1 In 200 Men Alive Today Are Descendants Of Genghis Khan

It's commonly believed that as many as one in 200 men alive today are descended from Genghis Khan, but a recent DNA study found that the Mongol ruler's lineage may not be quite so extensive.

By Cara Johnson • Mar 10, 2026

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New Analysis Just Disproved The Claim That 1 In 200 Men Alive Today Are Descendants Of Genghis Khan

It's commonly believed that as many as one in 200 men alive today are descended from Genghis Khan, but a recent DNA study found that the Mongol ruler's lineage may not be quite so extensive.

By Cara Johnson • March 10, 2026

An Archaeology Student Swimming In The Mediterranean Just Happened Upon A Crusader’s Sword From The 12th Century

Shlomi Katzin found this three-foot blade in the seabed just offshore at Israel's Dor Beach — not far from where he'd found another Crusader's sword in 2021.

By Kaleena Fraga • Mar 6, 2026

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An Archaeology Student Swimming In The Mediterranean Just Happened Upon A Crusader’s Sword From The 12th Century

Shlomi Katzin found this three-foot blade in the seabed just offshore at Israel's Dor Beach — not far from where he'd found another Crusader's sword in 2021.

By Kaleena Fraga • March 6, 2026

The Agonizing History Of The Breaking Wheel, One Of History’s Cruelest Execution Methods

Also known as the Catherine wheel or simply the wheel, the breaking wheel crushed the limbs and bones of the condemned, sometimes over the course of several days.

By Austin Harvey • Mar 4, 2026

The Agonizing History Of The Breaking Wheel, One Of History’s Cruelest Execution Methods

Also known as the Catherine wheel or simply the wheel, the breaking wheel crushed the limbs and bones of the condemned, sometimes over the course of several days.

By Austin Harvey • March 4, 2026

The Incredible Story Behind Italy’s Real-Life Sword In The Stone That Has Nothing To Do With King Arthur

Galgano Guidotti was a 12th-century knight who purportedly thrust a sword into a boulder in Tuscany after having a religious vision, a feat that led to his sainthood after his death.

By All That's Interesting • Feb 22, 2026

The Incredible Story Behind Italy’s Real-Life Sword In The Stone That Has Nothing To Do With King Arthur

Galgano Guidotti was a 12th-century knight who purportedly thrust a sword into a boulder in Tuscany after having a religious vision, a feat that led to his sainthood after his death.

By All That's Interesting • February 22, 2026

Half Of Japan’s Samurai In The Edo Period Were Actually Women, According To A New Exhibition At The British Museum

By the early 17th century, as an extended era of peace dawned across Japan, female samurai served as everything from patrons of the arts and scientists to painters and firefighters.

By Cara Johnson • Feb 10, 2026

News

Half Of Japan’s Samurai In The Edo Period Were Actually Women, According To A New Exhibition At The British Museum

By the early 17th century, as an extended era of peace dawned across Japan, female samurai served as everything from patrons of the arts and scientists to painters and firefighters.

By Cara Johnson • February 10, 2026

The True Story Of Triboulet, The 16th-Century Court Jester Whose Wit Saved His Life

One of the most beloved court jesters to ever live, Triboulet once slapped the King of France on the rear and told jokes so scandalous that they put his life in danger.

By Marco Margaritoff • Jan 30, 2026

The True Story Of Triboulet, The 16th-Century Court Jester Whose Wit Saved His Life

One of the most beloved court jesters to ever live, Triboulet once slapped the King of France on the rear and told jokes so scandalous that they put his life in danger.

By Marco Margaritoff • January 30, 2026

Research Suggests That An 11th-Century Monk Discovered Halley’s Comet 600 Years Before Astronomer Edmond Halley

Halley's Comet is named after Edmond Halley, the British astronomer who first identified it as a periodic comet in the 18th century — but new research has revealed that a monk named Eilmer of Malmesbury actually discovered the comet's cyclical appearance 600 years earlier.

By Austin Harvey • Jan 26, 2026

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Research Suggests That An 11th-Century Monk Discovered Halley’s Comet 600 Years Before Astronomer Edmond Halley

Halley's Comet is named after Edmond Halley, the British astronomer who first identified it as a periodic comet in the 18th century — but new research has revealed that a monk named Eilmer of Malmesbury actually discovered the comet's cyclical appearance 600 years earlier.

By Austin Harvey • January 26, 2026

A Metal Detectorist In Germany Just Happened Upon A 1,000-Year-Old Cross Featuring Jesus Surrounded By A Wheel

Known as a "wheel cross," this type of totem was common when the region first began to embrace Christianity in the 10th and 11th centuries.

By Kaleena Fraga • Jan 26, 2026

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A Metal Detectorist In Germany Just Happened Upon A 1,000-Year-Old Cross Featuring Jesus Surrounded By A Wheel

Known as a "wheel cross," this type of totem was common when the region first began to embrace Christianity in the 10th and 11th centuries.

By Kaleena Fraga • January 26, 2026

This Medieval ‘Super Ship,’ The Largest Of Its Kind Ever Found, Was Just Discovered Off The Coast Of Denmark

Measuring 92 feet long by 30 feet wide and capable of carrying up to 300 tons, the Svaelget 2 is the largest vessel of its type ever found.

By Austin Harvey • Jan 15, 2026

News

This Medieval ‘Super Ship,’ The Largest Of Its Kind Ever Found, Was Just Discovered Off The Coast Of Denmark

Measuring 92 feet long by 30 feet wide and capable of carrying up to 300 tons, the Svaelget 2 is the largest vessel of its type ever found.

By Austin Harvey • January 15, 2026