Ancient history – The Conversation

One wonders what Cyrus the Great, founder of the Achaemenid Persian empire, would think of the comparison.

In new research, biochemical analyses align with imagery and historical sources to show how the pre-Inca Chincha society turned guano into a source of power.

Ancient furnace workers experimented with heating the ends of glass tubes to rework them. One day, someone blew into that tube and changed history.

After dozens of wars between the two ancient empires of Rome and Persia, peace deals often failed to solve problems – and sometimes made the situation worse.

The first mention of a pirate by name may be in a Greek book from 2,500 years ago. But sea-raiding has been around since the very first boats traversed the world’s waterways.

What did Thucydides really say on this? And what’s Athens and Sparta got to do with the current state of US-China relations?

Some of the ancients were obsessed with living beyond 100. Here’s how they thought they could do it.

St Patrick was actually a Roman Briton, who was kidnapped by Irish raiders, spirited across the sea and enslaved, aged 16. How did he become Ireland’s national hero?

Herodotus showed how human beliefs and choices affected the fate of nations. His insights are still relevant.

Control of the Dardanelles and the Bosphorus strait was life and death for ancient Athens. Waterways are no less important – and contentious – today.

At every difficult moment in their long history, the Persian people have fought to preserve what is theirs. The Trump administration may have underestimated this.

Israel’s airstrikes in the south of the country have damaged ancient Roman ruins, mosques, schools and churches.

Long before industry, ancient societies were already pushing their ecosystems to the brink

New research suggests olive trees have been exploited for more than 6,000 years. The first Italian olive oil was produced perhaps 4,000 years ago.

In Greg Sheridan’s latest book, “pagan” Rome is a straw man, against which he posits early Christianity as the loving and brave hero.

The Greeks and Romans figured out music and exercise go hand in hand more than 2,000 years ago – long before science backed it.

The Aeneas system promises ‘useful research starting points’ – and it seems to deliver.