Today’s video will be about the most bizarre unsolved mysteries to this day. Watch it to find out more!
The history of chocolate
If you can’t imagine life without chocolate, you’re lucky you weren’t born before the 16th century. Until then, chocolate only existed as a bitter, foamy drink in Mesoamerica. So how did we get from a bitter beverage to the chocolate bars of today? Deanna Pucciarelli traces the fascinating and often cruel history of chocolate.
The myth of Thor's journey to the land of giants
Thor – son of Odin, god of thunder, and protector of mankind – struggled mightily against his greatest challenge yet: opening a bag of food. How had the mighty god fallen so far? Scott Mellor tells the myth of Thor's journey to Utgard.
The rise and fall of the Byzantine Empire
Most history books will tell you that the Roman Empire fell in the fifth century CE, but this would’ve come as a surprise to the millions who lived in the Roman Empire through the Middle Ages. This Medieval Roman Empire, today called the Byzantine Empire, began when Constantine, the first Christian emperor, moved Rome's capital. Leonora Neville details the rise and fall of the Byzantine Empire.
Why Hagia Sophia Doesn't Collapse? Architect Explains
Nestled in the historical heart of Constantinople, nowadays Istanbul, the Hagia Sophia tells a story deeply interwoven with architectural genius and spiritual significance.
Originally commissioned by Emperor Constantine as a church, it was enveloped in flames during the Nika riots in 532 AD. Over its charred remnants, Emperor Justinian envisioned a new church, incorporating unparalleled architectural innovations and conceptual depth.
The Role of Pendentives
The Hagia Sophia stands as a synthesis of basilican and centralized architectural elements. With architects Isidorus of Miletus and Anthemius of Tralles at the helm, the church introduced the pendentive, a triangular structural element that facilitated the placement of a circular dome over a square base. This innovative solution allowed for a simultaneously linear and centralized spatial articulation, intertwining the traditional basilican aisle structure with a dominating central dome.
Structural Acumen
The pendentive does not merely serve a structural purpose but is drenched in symbolic meaning, especially in the context of Hagia Sophia's Christian origin. The reconciliation between the circle, representing the cosmos, and the square, symbolizing the earth, is achieved through the pendentive – a triangle that embodies the Christian Trinity. It unites the cosmic and earthly realms, mediating a divine connection between them.
The Dichotomy with the Pantheon: Material vs. Dematerialization
In comparison to the Pantheon in Rome, Hagia Sophia employs a sophisticated and 'dematerialized' architectural approach. While the Pantheon impresses with its voluminous materiality, Hagia Sophia awes observers with its seeming defiance of gravity and its ethereal interplay of space and light. The Byzantine aesthetic here diverges significantly from the heavy, earth-bound Roman architectural tradition, floating towards an almost otherworldly manifestation.
Light and Material
The Hagia Sophia is emblematic of a divine presence through its strategic and meticulous use of light. Described by historian Procopius as a space singularly brimming with light and sunshine, its interior creates an illusion of an inner source of light, of rays being produced from within. The marble, tesserae, and other materials, each carefully chosen and placed, enhance this ethereal luminosity, converging into a luminous, ornamented surface that speaks of the divine.
An Evolving Symbol of Faith: Navigating through Histories and Cultures
Throughout centuries, Hagia Sophia has donned various spiritual and cultural cloaks. It transitioned from a church to a mosque, then to a public museum, and back to a mosque again, absorbing and reflecting the diverse sociopolitical and religious contexts of its time. Minarets, added during its tenure as a mosque, meld with its Byzantine architectural expression, symbolizing its journey through different epochs and faiths.
Hagia Sophia, standing majestically as a testament to human architectural ingenuity and profound spiritual symbolism, is a melting pot of history, art, and religion. It is not merely a structure but a narrative woven over centuries, reflecting the manifold facets of human civilization, belief, and aesthetic appreciation. From the pioneering introduction of the pendentive to the opulent utilization of light and material, it manifests an intricate blend of tangible reality and the intangible divine, inviting generations across epochs to ponder, marvel, and seek connections between heaven and earth.
Through its ever-evolving roles, from an emperor’s church to its current status as a mosque, Hagia Sophia has and will continue to enchant and mystify humanity with its sublime beauty and layered historical significance. It perpetually oscillates between two realms, being a palpable architectural marvel and an ethereal symbol of the divine interplay between light, space, and faith.
Ancient Egypt Timeline & Mythology Family Tree
In the video below we will go through the Ancient Egypt timeline and Mythology family tree. Enjoy!
Chinese Magic Mirrors are really clever
Sometimes called transparent metal mirrors, these curiosities from China baffles western scientists for 100 years. The way they works is really surprising.
Someone Has Just Reported That Something Massive Is Melting Out Of The Antarctica Ice Sheet
Someone has just reported that something massive is melting out of the Antarctica ice sheet. Today, we take a look at what has just been spotted melting out of the Antarctica ice sheet.
The frozen wasteland of Antarctica might not be much to look at, but when scientists and researchers have dug a little deeper, it turns out that Antarctica is storing some of Earth's previous secrets. For example, within the last few years, scientists have discovered million-year-old DNA in Antarctica, hidden life was discovered under Antarctica’s Larsen ice shelf, paleontologists have found fossils there from four dinosaurs, and just recently scientists have discovered remnants of a rainforest.
Medieval Rusty Pocket Knife Restoration
In today’s video we will restore a 16th-17th century pocket knife, which is also called a razor knife and is a very old antique knife. Enjoy!
11 Incredible Archaeological Discoveries, And It Is NOT What It Looks Like
Archaeology is the study of human activity through the analysis of material culture. It can tell us about past societies and how they interacted with their environments. Sometimes, archaeology can even reveal things that have been lost to history.
In today's video we are going to talk about 11 incredible archaeological discoveries that have shed new light on the past. Stick around until the end of the video because those discoveries did really amaze us!
Ancient Conspiracy Theories
A moral panic in classical Athens. Plots at the court of Alexander the Great. A mysterious cult from the east. In this video, we explore three of the classical world's most notorious conspiracy theories.
24 Deadly Animals You Will Be Glad To Know Are Extinct
By today’s standards, it’s always sad when you learn an animal no longer exists in the wild – like we’re losing something great in the environment because of it. Extinction is seen as a terrible end to any creature – and we should be working towards preserving that species as best we can. However, there sure were some that we’re glad went extinct long ago. From massive monsters to powerful predators, these are everything that haunts our dreams to this day. Some were long gone before humans, and some of them might have shared hunting spaces.
Socrates' Quotes you need to Know before 40
Socrates was a Greek philosopher from Athens who is credited as a founder of Western philosophy and the first moral philosopher of the Western ethical tradition of thought. Socrates' Life Changing Quotes and aphorisms will make you think about many things in life. Life quotes from Socrates are definitely worth your time.
Illustration by Dimosthenis Vasiloudis
It is currently in the archives of the British Museum, with identification number 125320. It was exhibited at the Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridge in 2018.
The Idalion Bilingual: A Keystone in Deciphering the Cypriot Syllabary
BY DIMOSTHENIS VASILOUDIS
In the realm of archaeology, some artifacts hold the key to unlocking hidden aspects of our past. The Idalion Bilingual, a small yet significant inscription discovered in Cyprus, is one such artifact. It played a pivotal role in deciphering the Cypriot syllabary, enabling researchers to unravel the linguistic threads of ancient Cypriot society.
Discovery of The Idalion Bilingual
The Cypriot syllabic script was deciphered in the 19th century (in 1870), by G. Smith. The reason was the Phoenician-Cypriot bilingual inscription found in Idalion. It was the key to the decipherment of the Cypriot syllabary, in the manner of the Rosetta Stone for hieroglyphs.
Egyptologist Samuel Birch (1872), numismatist Johannes Brandis (1873), philologist Moritz Schmidt, Wilhelm Deecke, Justus Siegismund (1874), and linguist H.L. Ahrens (1876) also contributed to the decipherment.
The Idalion Bilingual, found in the ancient city of Idalion, is an inscription that bears the same text in two different scripts. It was uncovered during excavations conducted in the 19th century, amidst the remains of the once prosperous city. The script on one side is in the well-known ancient Phoenician alphabet, while the other side is inscribed with the then-undeciphered Cypriot syllabary.
It was discovered by Robert Hamilton Lang in his excavations at the Temple of Idalium (modern Dali, Cyprus), whose work there had been inspired by the discovery of the Idalion Tablet in 1850. The stone was found in the centre of the temple, together with the five other Idalion Temple inscriptions. The stone is thought to have been a pedestal for a statue, as there is an apparent dowel hole in the top.
Lang wrote of his discovery:
The most valuable monument uncovered by my excavations is unquestionably the bilingual inscription in Cyprian and Phoenician, engraved on marble; an inscription which, I feel confident, will ultimately prove the means of enabling philologists to decipher the Cyprian alphabet ... The bilingual inscription proves also that, the two alphabets, Phoenician and Cyprian, had a contemporaneous existence.
It is currently in the archives of the British Museum, with identification number 125320.
Cracking the Code: Deciphering the Cypriot Syllabary
The Cypriot syllabary is an ancient script that was used in Cyprus from the 11th to the 4th centuries BC. Until the discovery of the Idalion Bilingual, the syllabary remained a mystery, its signs and symbols inscrutable to researchers.
The value of the Idalion Bilingual lies in its nature as a bilingual text. This meant that scholars could use the known Phoenician inscription to interpret the corresponding text in the unknown Cypriot syllabary, creating an invaluable linguistic bridge between the two scripts.
The decipherment process relied on recognizing that the same message was inscribed in both scripts, even though they appeared quite different. Researchers carefully matched up corresponding words and phrases from both inscriptions, leading to the identification of the phonetic values of the signs of the Cypriot syllabary. The decoding was a significant breakthrough, revealing the ancient script's structure and linguistic characteristics.
The Implications of Decipherment
The successful decipherment of the Cypriot syllabary, aided by the Idalion Bilingual, brought about profound implications for the study of ancient Cypriot history and culture. It opened a new window into the socio-political, economic, and cultural life of ancient Cyprus, as researchers could now read and interpret a multitude of inscriptions found across the island.
Through these texts, scholars have gained insights into the religious practices, administrative systems, and economic activities of ancient Cypriot society. Moreover, the knowledge of the Cypriot syllabary has shed light on the linguistic evolution of the region, tracing the roots and influences of the Greek language in Cyprus.
Description of the block; base, and votive offering that carries the bilingual inscription
The maximum width and depth of the stone are preserved, but the upper front surface of the stone is damaged on both the top left and especially at the top right and along the right side, where the beginning of both the Phoenician and the Greek texts are missing. The top of the base is also damaged, though the maximum preserved height in the middle appears to represent more or less the top of the base; however, the surface at the front looks like it has been hacked or chiseled, perhaps to remove the statue (if this had been made of metal), so there may have been some loss of the original height.
At the back left of the top surface is a deep oval trough, probably for securing the statue mentioned in the inscription; again, this is likely to have been mutilated in order to remove any metal. There are no corresponding holes on the right side or elsewhere on the top surface, though the top right is particularly damaged. The back of the pedestal is roughly chiseled but not broken in the way that the top has been mutilated, suggesting that this is the original surface; the rough finish suggests that it was not meant to be seen and was probably placed against a wall or another pedestal when originally erected.
The Phoenician text consists of three lines, written right to left (sinistrograde), but is incomplete on both sides. The Cypro-Syllabic text occupies four lines, also sinistrograde, of which the beginning of the first three lines are also incomplete, but are fully preserved on the left side.
Inscriptions
In Conclusion: The Power of the Idalion Bilingual
The decipherment of the Cypriot syllabary, facilitated by the Idalion Bilingual, underscores the power of archeology in understanding our past. This modest artifact became a pivotal key to unlocking a centuries-old script, providing valuable insights into a fascinating civilization that existed over two millennia ago.
The Idalion Bilingual stands as a potent symbol of the interconnectedness of human societies, highlighting how the decoding of a language can dramatically widen our understanding of the human experience. It is a testament to the rich tapestry of human civilization, inviting us to continually probe, explore, and appreciate our shared heritage.
This Ancient Book Found In Egypt Revealed A Terrifying Message
In ancient Egypt, death was not seen to be a humane enough means to put an end to one's suffering. Even in the afterlife, danger lurked around every corner, and the deceased had to overcome what amounted to a spiritual obstacle course in order to arrive at Aaru, the glorious realm where Osiris, the God of Death, resided.
There were at least two routes to get to Aaru: one was by land, and the other was by sea. Both were challenging enough that they called for the use of a guidebook, which was suitably called the Book of Two Ways. It's possible that this complex map of the underworld of ancient Egypt was the first illustrated "book" in the history of our planet. And archaeologists have only recently uncovered a copy that is 4,000 years old, making it arguably the oldest version that has ever been found.
What chilling messages does this book hold, and what does its content mean for Egyptologists? Stay with us until the very end to learn everything there is to know about this most recent shocking discovery!
12 Most Mysterious Ancient Artifacts Finds
Despite having lived on this planet for thousands of years, archaeologists still keep digging things up. Sometimes, they find something that’s been hidden or buried for hundreds, or even thousands of years. What does it take to make an archaeological find “incredible?” We're setting off on a journey into the inexplicable. In today's video we'll be checking some objects, places, and perhaps even a few people discovered by archaeologists.
Archaeological Finds for 2022 That Could Change History
By studying the finds of archaeologists and paleontologists, we can observe the evolution of humans, animals and insects. We can see where life began and how evolutionary processes took place. In this video you will learn about large-scale excavations in Mexico, Egypt, Rome and other places on our planet. This video will make you think about the complex processes that have happened before and will continue to happen. These are discoveries that could change our history. I will not cease to assert that each find of archaeologists is of great importance in the study of the ancient world.
Scientists Just Found Zeus's God Temple That Has Been Sealed & Undisturbed For Thousands Of Years
As always, archaeological news takes us throughout the world and through the ages, from the dawn of human history to the present day. Archaeological discoveries are fascinating because they reveal more about ancient humans' lives. Every find adds to our understanding of the ancient past, leaving us wanting more. And who knows how much more there could be out there, given the ancient people's incredible achievements. Many of the discoveries may be for the sake of curiosity, but others may hold the key to mankind's destiny.
Nevertheless, a recent dig by archaeologists have unearthed Zeus’s God temple that has been undisturbed for thousands of years. What mysteries do these ruins hold, and how significant is this discovery? Stay with us until the end as we go through the most recently uncovered things about the ancient world of humans.
Public SHOCKED After HORRIFYING Discovery At Great Pyramids Egypt
New findings in Egypt have a history of shocking archaeologists and the general public alike. To add to the mystery, each new find makes us wonder if aliens did construct the pyramids. Another horrifying discovery has been made that has shocked the public. What did they find?
Throughout Earth's history, humans have left behind some truly remarkable artifacts—buildings so large, so heavy, or so intricate that they defy modern engineering. Some have hypothesized that an alien blueprint was used by the ancient architects of the Egyptian Great Pyramid. Who knows—maybe the people who built these sites came from another planet.
Mycenaean Complex of Iklaina: Uncovering Homer’s Legendary Town
Just 10km from Nestor's Palace in the Messinia region of the Peloponnese lies another fascinating site—once a thriving city at the dawn of civilization.
Nestled amongst the hills of the southwestern Peloponnese, just a short journey from the well-documented Nestor's Palace, the ruins of Iklaina provide a breathtaking backdrop to the olive groves that surround them. Overlooking the bay where the crucial Battle of Navarino played out in 1827, this city—with its palatial complexes, methodically designed infrastructure, and well-preserved streets—offers a peek into the dawn of Western civilization.
The present-day vision of ancient Iklaina owes much to the dedication of Dr. Michael Cosmopoulos, an esteemed archaeologist based at the University of Missouri-St. Louis. Under his guidance, the first phase of excavation at the site unveiled a treasure trove of information, most notably a Linear B-inscribed tablet that lends insights into possibly the first federal governance system in the West.
Following the initial success, Cosmopoulos has embarked on a second phase, which aims to rejuvenate the city ruins into an archaeological park. His vision includes dual visitor paths—one within the ancient enclosure and another elevated, offering panoramic views. A mobile application is also in the works to help visitors reimagine the town's grandeur three millennia ago.
Iklaina's significance is further elevated when one considers its mention in Homer's epic, "The Iliad", despite the city facing destruction half a millennium prior. The city's prime, around 1500 to 1250 BC, witnessed the rise of the neighboring Palace of Nestor. Decades of research funded by numerous institutions, including UMSL and the National Geographic Society, revealed the city's division into administrative, residential, and industrial quarters, hinting at a mature socio-economic fabric.
The ruins have divulged their fair share of secrets. Cosmopoulos speaks of a gigantic cyclopean platform believed to have supported multi-story structures. Surrounding this were well-preserved streets, public spaces, and a monumental secondary structure. The residences outside this administrative core boasted innovative designs, including an impressive sewerage system, which, considering its age, is a testament to the city's advanced engineering skills.
The previously mentioned Linear B tablet, dating back to around 1300–1350 BC, stands as a testament to Iklaina's importance. Not only is it the oldest of its kind, but it also provides evidence of Iklaina’s status as an independent entity. This intricately documented governance system parallels modern-day federal states.
However, Iklaina's decline came about in 1250 BC, when it was annexed by the ruler of Nestor's Palace. The once-thriving administrative hub was relegated to mere manufacturing. A subsequent calamity around 1200 BC led to the desertion of these manufacturing units, coinciding with the downfall of Nestor's Palace.
The chronicles of Iklaina offer insights into the inception of states in mainland Europe and, by extension, Western civilization. As Cosmopoulos astutely points out, the transition from anarchy to structured governance shapes contemporary life, making it crucial to delve into our past for a better understanding of today.
Dr. Cosmopoulos, with a myriad of accolades to his name, has been pivotal in bridging the gap between ancient Greek civilization and the modern world. His endeavors, which span increasing enrolment in Greek studies at the University of Missouri-St. Louis to establishing cultural centers, aim to reignite an interest in Hellenic traditions, especially among younger generations.
In an era of rapid change, the significance of historical preservation cannot be overstated. After all, history isn't just about the past; it's the foundation of our future.
