At some point in the last few decades BC, Roman legionaries paused on the banks of the Mera River, to the north…
Khentkawes is hardly a household name. The historical record passes over this elusive figure without comment, while the scraps that testify to…
For the Hittites of the Late Bronze Age it was a difficult, wild country where the restless Kashka people lived. For the…
Sicily was best known during the Roman Republic as the breadbasket of Rome. Although she never reached such dizzy heights again (Africa…
When Cyprus adopted the Euro early in 2008, the government had to decide what symbol should adorn its new currency. Although the…
Somaliland is not Somalia. Somaliland is in the northern part of Somalia, occupying the area of a former British colony. After gaining…
In the morning of 15 July 1099, the starving knights of the First Crusade broke through Jerusalem’s defences and stormed the Holy…
About ten years ago a collector of ancient Indonesian art contacted my husband and me to ask our opinion on a group…
Most people today probably think Marathon has something to do with the Ancient Greek Olympics. In fact, there was no marathon race…
Rome is an iconic city. From Grand Tour etchings to nocturnal portraits of the cityscape, Rome’s monuments have become familiar images. Yet…
Rome had a problem. The Tiber River is too shallow for maritime craft. So Roman vessels plying the Mediterranean routes had to…
The story of the rise of Rome is best studied not in the city itself, but in the area surrounding it. It…
Should you be caught in a heavy rain storm in modern Ercolano, you will understand why the local residents talk about ‘lava’…