How We Distribute Power Will Influence Our Future
As we head into a future shaped by climate change, we must find ways to stabilize societies and reduce conflict. Solutions may lie in the archaeological record.
A Hunter’s Hypothesis: Ancient Mammoth-Bone Circles Were Smokehouses
A modern day hunter may shed light on the ancient mammoth-bone circles of Russia, Ukraine and Moldavia with a new hypothesis.
Digging Up the Roots of Human Culture
What led humans on the unique path of cultural development? And can we do anything useful with newly reconstructed histories of this process?
Cities Made Differently: Try Imagining Another Urban Existence
We know from history that there are many ways we can live together—let’s explore the idea.
Behind the Spectacle
Evidence shows the gladiatorial games of ancient Rome were much more than entertainment.
Why Is Prehistory Inspiring So Many Artists?
What draws us to such a distant and long-gone time? A fruitful relationship has always existed between prehistory and the visual artists who interpret it.
The Gates of Rome
Author and scholar Frank Korn relates the story of the major walls and gates of the Eternal City.
Socrates: A Few Words
A brief Interview with Dr. Paul Cartledge about the man Socrates.
The Surprising Ways Inventions and Ideas Spread in Ancient Prehistory
You can learn a lot about humanity from the first technological revolutions of more than 10,000 years ago.
Political Collapse: Lessons From Fallen Empires
The conflictive political culture of the contemporary U.S. presents striking parallels to the conditions preceding civilization collapse of the past.
The Olympics: Origins, Events & Modern Reinvention
An interview with Dr. Paul Cartledge.
The Architectural and Archaeological Legacy of the Christian Persecution
For contemporary archeologists hoping to come upon the leftovers of the Rome of the Caesars, they must often search beneath the ubiquitous layers of the Rome of the Popes.
The Milpa Cycle
The way the ancient Maya used their forest environment was key to their development and prosperity as a civilization, and, contrary to the traditional or conventional conceptions about the...
Seeing Red: Our Ancient Relationship With Ocher and the Color of Cognition
Extensive ocher use reflects the culture and cognitive abilities of early humans, who inherited an affinity for red from primate ancestors.
Property and Debt in Ancient Rome
The ancient Roman concept of property was essentially creditor-oriented. As Rome’s power grew, practices quickly became predatory.
