ancient history

Ancient grafitti painted in red on a white wall in Pompeii

5 Cs of History

**For F*ck’s Sake: A History of English-Language Swearing**

Swear words shock and offend. They also have a physiological impact on us: we blush, our heart races, and our brain is stimulated. The words that have this power vary over time and space. The history of swear words really drives home the idea that the past is a foreign Read more…

By Marissa Rhodes, 2 months2 months ago

a 19th century etching of Hannibal's war elephants crossing the Rhone on floating rafts

Animals

War Elephants from Ancient India to World War II

In mid-March of 2022, a video spread virally across social media platforms: an elephant with its trunk wrapped around the top bar of its enclosure, its eye casting an anxious look out. A keeper pats his cheek and holds an apple, trying to comfort the distressed animal. The elephant was Read more…

By Sarah Handley-Cousins, 1 year1 year ago