The comprehensive website for archaeology, history, heritage and the ancient world. Find out more about us here
The Casco-class Monitors
Following the success of USS Monitor – the ground-breaking ironclad warship, designed by Swedish-born engineer John Ericsson, that played a central role in the US Civil War Battle of Hampton Roads on
War of words – ‘Bazooka’
A signature piece of kit for American GIs in World War II, the bazooka was a tubular, shoulder-fired, 2.36-inch rocket launcher. It fired a projectile bearing a shaped-charge warhead, which contained a
Amaterasu – imperial goddess of the sun
Summer is in full swing, bringing with it the promise of long, bright days under the shining sun. This all-powerful celestial body has long been linked with kingship: Louis XIV of France,
Back to the Drawing Board: the Cruiser Tank Mark V ‘Covenanter’ (A13 Mk III)
DAVID PORTER ON MILITARY HISTORY’S DOOMED INVENTIONS.
War of words – ‘SIEGE’
‘Siege’ derives from the Old French sege and had appeared in English by the 14th century.
Words of wisdom: ‘Poetry is more like philosophy…’
The difference between a historian and a poet is not that one uses prose and the other verse. After all, you could take the History of Herodotus and turn it into verse, but it would still be history, not poetry.
The Bell Airacuda
Germany, France, the Netherlands, and Britain all produced their versions of the type, such as the Bf 110, Potez 630, Fokker G.I, and the Beaufighter.
War of Words – ‘GLADIATOR’
Gladius was a general Latin word for ‘sword’. A gladiator was someone who fought with a gladius – a swordsman. As usually employed today, gladius refers to a double-edged short sword.
Words of Wisdom: ‘At home, you can say or do anything’
What buddies could you prefer to a faithful wife? What brothers can you imagine skipping out on her for? A wife’s more trustworthy than friends, more faithful than a brother, and a beautiful bride even beats your mom for loyalty.
The Junkers 322 Mammut and the Messerschmitt 321/323 Gigant
All three of these aircraft originated with a 1940 requirement for a large assault glider in preparation for Operation Sealion, the projected invasion of Britain. Although Operation Sealion had effectively been cancelled
War of words – ‘ovation’
Marcus Claudius Marcellus asked the Senate to grant him a triumph. He was refused because the fighting in his former province of Sicily was still ongoing, and his army was not with him to support his claim. Instead, he was given only an ovation.
Words of wisdom: ‘Give to him who gives’
For the man who gives willingly, even if he gives much, rejoices in the gift and feels glad in his heart. The man who takes for himself, observing no sense of shame, even if it involves a small amount, hardens the heart.
War of Words – ‘ARMAGEDDON’
‘Armageddon’ came to English, via Greek, from Hebrew har megiddo, meaning ‘mountain of Megiddo.’
‘Arrogance and violence’
Suetonius’ Lives of the Caesars offers a series of sensational biographies of Roman rulers from Julius Caesar to Domitian, highlighting moments of depravity, viciousness, scheming, and excess.
Back to the Drawing Board: the Paris Gun
Although the design was an amazing technological achievement for its day, it was little more than a very expensive propaganda weapon.
Words of wisdom: ‘Not everything people laugh at is witty’
And here’s another point to take note of, that not everything people laugh at is witty.
Fashioning the Viking Age
The designs of these outfits are based on two high-status graves, which contained some of the best-preserved Viking Age textiles in Denmark: a male burial from Bjerringhøj, dated to AD 970-971, and a female grave from Hvilehøj, dated to the late AD 900s.
The Battlefields of England
I headed for the battlefield monument to get my bearings – an obelisk erected in 1740 to mark the spot where Warwick the Kingmaker, the greatest figure of the Wars of the Roses, was supposedly cut down…
