Prior to the discovery of the Rosetta stone, people thought Egyptian hieroglyphs were very pretty pictographs perhaps representing concepts perhaps something else. The knowledge of how to read them had been lost for almost two thousand years. When the Rosetta stone was found, it was immediately recognized as the key to unlocking the secrets within [...]
On the 4th of July in 1776, the Second Continental Congress declared American independence from Great Britain. Their slogan for independence was, “No taxation without representation!” Because of the Boston Tea Party, some might think it was the tax on tea which started that independence ball rolling for the American colonists. However, it was actually the tax on [...]
I recall in my classical archeology class, a while back, we were discussing the various periods of ancient Greek history and how, in the Bronze Age, there were Greek homes decorated with stunning Minoan style frescoes. Our professor also mentioned that it was called the Bronze Age because when excavating that period of time, the [...]
The earliest Pubs in Europe were called taverns, from the Roman word taberna, or wine shop. In those days, the taverns functioned as inns which provided food, lodging and wine, and probably local ale, for weary travelers. Literacy was not widespread in the ancient world, so it was not uncommon for taverns to have grapevines [...]
Back in the day when Rome was a Republic, wine, bread and entertainment flowed free, and free of charge, to all the city’s voting citizens. In the ancient world, this was the traditional way the upper classes bought the votes they needed for elective office. This tradition in Rome was called “Bread and Circuses” In [...]
It is a happy coincidence that Saint Patrick’s Day falls in the middle of Lent. Lent is a Christian tradition of fasting during the 40 days leading up to Easter. As my first grade catholic school teacher, Sister Mary Ann, used to say, “Sacrificing the eating of meat during lent is but a small reminder [...]
Traditions of the heart that many cannot resist on Valentine’s Day are chocolates, wine, bubbles and strawberries. Whether you prefer red or white, still or bubbly, dry or sweet, within all categories there are wines that seem to pair well with chocolate. Some think that chocolate goes well with dry red wine, while others disagree. [...]
In ancient societies, it was the job of the King to serve as an advocate for their subjects (i.e. the regular humans) with the gods who controlled the forces of nature. Essentially, it was the King’s job to ensure that crops were bountiful and also to manage the generated wealth for the benefit of that [...]
The Wari culture which preceded the Inca in Peru was only recently recognized as a distinct culture in the late 1940s. They are interesting because they were overlooked for so long. Their culture extended to the north beyond Lima and to the south all the way to Cerro Baul near lake Titikaka. Their culture was [...]
Thanksgiving is unique among American holidays. Unlike any other holiday, it weaves together our whole nation on that special day with a tradition of giving thanks for blessings we might otherwise overlook. We all come together to be a part of a group on that day. Somehow we all know that, on that day, no [...]
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