Past Uncovered

02/28/2025

02/26/2025

It was wielded by Aztec Eagle and Jaguar warriors, the elite forces of the empire, during battles and ceremonies.

No original macuahuitl survives today. The last known specimen, kept in a museum in Madrid, was destroyed in a fire in the 19th century.

02/26/2025

The Macuahuitl, a weapon used by Mesoamerican civilisations including the Aztecs. It features obsidian blades embedded onto the club sides, which are capable of having an edge sharper than high-quality steel razor blades. According to Bernal Diaz del Castillo, he witnessed it decapitating a horse.

02/26/2025

Whipped Peter (1863) or Whipped Muhammad Abu Tawila (2025):
Whose torture was worse?
One was an escaped American slave, and the other, a Palestinian released from an Israeli prison.

02/25/2025

Al-Idrisi completed his famous world map in 1154 AD, as part of his geographical work "Nuzhat al-Mushtaq fi Ikhtiraq al-Afaq" (The Pleasure of Those Who Long to Traverse the Horizons).

02/25/2025

Chinese world map of 1787.

02/25/2025

The Gangnido (Kangnido) map was made in Korea during the early Joseon Dynasty, based on earlier Chinese maps and updated with new information.

The map is one of the earliest East Asian depictions of Africa and Europe, showing knowledge of foreign lands long before extensive European-Korean contact.

The cartographers incorporated details from Islamic maps via the Mongol Empire’s trade routes.

02/25/2025

The 1402 'World' map from Korea, which was based on earlier Chinese maps.

02/25/2025

"Mensur" is a form of traditional german sword-duelling for the sole purpose of getting a "Schmiss" (facial scar).

02/25/2025

Considered to be the world’s largest horse in 1940, Brooklyn Supreme the Belgian Stallion weighed over 3,200 pounds and had a girth of 10 feet.

02/25/2025

The Terrace Houses of Ephesus showcase Roman luxury with intricate mosaics, frescoes, and advanced heating systems. Built in the 1st century AD, they highlight the wealth of Ephesus' elite, blending Hellenistic and Roman architectural styles.

These houses were rediscovered in the 1960s and are among the best-preserved Roman residential complexes. Their frescoes often depict mythological scenes, offering insights into Roman art and daily life. The underfloor heating system, or hypocaust, was a marvel of ancient engineering.

02/24/2025

Yamaçevler (Terrace Houses), located within the borders of the Ephesus Archaeological site is a settlement area of the ancient city consisting of seven houses from the Roman period. These well-preserved houses were built on terraces on the slopes of Mount Bülbül.

The Yamaçevler region, where the notables of Ephesus lived in ancient times, was used as a cemetery in the Hellenistic period before it was converted into a living space by the Romans. The new settlers also used materials left over from their predecessors to build their houses. first built date M.S. The houses, which were determined as the 1st century, were used until the city was abandoned with various additional changes in the following years.

These houses, which reflect the wealth of the inhabitants quite vividly, were built as two storeys around an open peristyle courtyard. The floors are colored mosaics and the walls are marbled. In addition, they are decorated with frescoes depicting scenes that often take their subjects from mythology. It is understood that there are also fountains and underfloor central heating systems inside the houses.”

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