Exploring why one-third of humanity doesn’t consume pork — Pork is divisive. With 36% of humanity eating pigs, it's the most widely consumed meat on the planet. Yet, almost a third of the world’s population doesn’t eat pork. The reason behind not eating pork is often a religious taboo. Pork is…

A look at ancient historical records that talk about Israel before the 8th century BC — On 16 December 1896, Egyptologist Flinders Petrie stumbled upon an unimpressive temple in the ancient Egyptian city of Thebes. The crumbling sandstone sphinxes and the looted remains saddened him. Petrie was about to move on. But then he discovered a ten-foot-long, five-foot-wide black granite stele. The inscription caught his eye…

Archaeology and genetics shed light on the origins of the sworn enemies of the Israelites — Gaza must have appeared at least once in your newsfeed recently. Ashkelon is another city that may have shown up in the headlines during the current conflict between Israel and Palestine, though it may not have received as…

Can history and forensics join hands to solve the puzzling death of one of history’s great conquerors? — The year was 453. Attila the Hun, Europe’s most powerful man, had ravaged Italy. After promising the Pope that he would pull his troops back, he was enjoying his wedding with his new wife. Her name was Ildico. Attila prepared a sumptuous banquet. Everyone ate, drank, and enjoyed themselves. After…

Boost heroes and insights for writers — I began this publication intending to bring history to a wider audience in an engaging and approachable way. Nowadays, history is overly scholarly and dry, or it is rife with conspiracy theories. History writing was once a literary tradition that is sadly fading. In recent years, pop history books, video…

Exploring the origins of the culprits blamed for the Late Bronze Age collapse — In 1177 BC, Ammurapi, the last king of Ugarit, a port city in Northern Syria sent a frantic cry for help. The letter addressed to the ruler of Alashiya, a kingdom in Cyprus, said: “My father, behold, the enemy’s ships came; my cities were burned, and they did evil things…

University of Minnesota’s recent data leak made me embrace VPNs — I avoid checking emails early morning. But when I’m not working, old habits kick in. Recently I received a concerning email from the University of Minnesota. The email was about a major data leak that could’ve compromised my personal information. It happened in July this year. It has been over…

The Siberian Ice Maiden continues to invoke strong emotions — On September 27, 2003, a 7.3 magnitude earthquake struck Russia’s Altai area. 300 houses were damaged, and three people lost their lives. Many people in this region, where shamans still hold sway, were ready to…

#4. 300,000-year-old giant-hand axes made by human relatives — As we approach the fourth quarter of 2023, we’re just a few days away from starting our countdown to the end of the year. Let’s face it, your newsfeeds are overloaded with political, tech, sports, and celebrity news. …