The Twilight of the Ancient Mayans — The greatest mistake that historians have made is to simplify history into a straightforward and one-sided narrative. The classic trope of a great civilization that rose, and then fell in one fell swoop is common across many places. Aside from the Romans and their poor “Byzantine” successors, the greatest victims…

Call for all writers interested in earning a commission! — Hello writers! It’s been a long few months, but let’s make this Summer a blast by kick-starting it with a fun little writing challenge! For this challenge, we are partnering with our good friends at the Medieval Reporter, so this will be all things medieval fun! …

The Better Aztecs? — The true scale and enormity of Mesoamerica deserve far more attention in media. The standard narrative of Mesoamerica is the brutal conquest of a warmongering and homogenous Aztec Empire at the hands of the Spanish, and then suddenly the colonial powers pocketed an entire continent. This narrative not only fails…

A Medieval Cosmopolitan — Behind the glory of kings, or the vanity of empires, multiculturalism provided the backbone for many great civilizations to flourish. Glorious states such as the Achaemenid Persians, or Norman Sicilians were centres of innovation and art due to their ability to blend the different cultures that inhabited them. The latter…

The Ancient Centres of Power — How do empires exhibit and maintain power? Through administration, bureaucracy and grandeur. In a modern sense, these elements can be seen in government buildings and historical monuments, but in the past, palaces mostly served these functions in the name of a monarch. With empires and kingdoms ranging from the size…

Creative ways of destroying heritage — In the vast cities and landscapes in the world, history has been lost, and important buildings of culture and heritage have been replaced with modern designs. However, many beacons of history and heritage remain, namely the Queen of the Adriatic, Venice, and the ancient Manhatten of the Desert, Shibam. These…