If we’re going to travel through the past, you’ll need to acquaint yourself with some of the events we’ll witness. Otherwise, you could inadvertently create a paradox that results in neither one of us being born.
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Is Leonardo da Vinci’s masterpiece hidden behind a wall in Florence?
Leonardo da Vinci. Michelangelo. Two names, one battle that culminated in a room where a hidden masterpiece may still be concealed.
Apollo and Daphne: Bernini and the golden laser Baroque burgers
The elegant and fragile statue of Apollo and Daphne by Bernini is the epitome of Baroque laser burgers. Yes, you have to read to find out what that means.
Roman Baths: Home to pickpockets and tapeworms
We tend to think of the Ancient Romans as having excellent hygiene, but a peek behind the curtains of the Roman baths will likely show rooms teeming with all sorts of nasty creatures.
Ancient Graffiti: Greeks and Romans left their bad reviews in this Egyptian tomb
“I visited and did not like anything but the sarcophagus!” That’s just one of many bits of ancient graffiti left behind in this Egyptian tomb.
Severed Hands: How Ancient Egyptians counted their defeated enemies
When the Ancient Egyptians needed to know how many enemies they killed, efficiency was key: Namely, just toting around baskets full of severed hands.
The evil baboon mummies of Ancient Egypt will eat your face
Aren’t baboons sweet? No. No, they aren’t. They’re nasty and cruel, but the Ancient Egyptians honored them. And used them as cops.
Ancient Ostracism: Banishment ballots stashed in a well, and the tale of the Rob Zombie sea battle
In Ancient Athens, “ostracism” was how you got rid of someone you didn’t like. Have a vote, and send them packing. Maybe you’d even stuff the ballot box.
Leonardo da Vinci’s “mysterious” backwards writing from his nearly-lost notebooks
Leonardo da Vinci wrote in reverse, in nearly every word in his unpublished notebooks. Is there a mysterious code, or is the reason far more mundane?
The best preserved house from Vesuvius, home to Herculaneum’s favorite son
Most of the homes destroyed by the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius are in pretty bad shape. This one’s in Herculaneum, and may be the best preserved of them all.
The Boy Slave: a funerary bust shares clues about the life of a Roman slave
Roman slaves were everywhere in the Empire. And yes, some of them were little kids. But how were they treated? And who made this bust of one?
Philae: The island where the last hieroglyphs were carved, and Ancient Egypt died a slow death
The Temple of Isis on the island of Philae came late in the history of Ancient Egypt. It’s the last place hieroglyphs were ever carved.
Pompeii’s Villa of the Mysteries is an actual mystery, possibly showing a wine-drinking cult
It sounds like nonsense Pompeii’s marketing director would come up with — but the Villa of the Mysteries contains an actual hippie-laden mystery.
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