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Did The Great Wall Really Work Keeping Out The Mongols?

admin — Sat, 20 Aug 2011 00:00:00 +0000

The great wall of China is truly a marvel of human engineering. The wall itself stretches for 3,890 miles with an additional 1,610 miles of trenches, rivers, and hills. The wall was begun in the 5th century BC and construction continued into the 16th century. In the beginning, construction was simple. The first sections of the wall were crude barriers made of rammed earth, wood and stones. In the 15th century, larger, more elaborate sections of wall were constructed from bricks and stone as a defense against Mongol raids.

While the improved great wall prevented the Mongols from re-conquering China as they had previously in the 13th century, it did not keep them out completely. A band of mongols was able to sneak through and capture a 15th century Ming Dynasty emperor and hold him captive for a year. Then, in 1644, internal rebellions destroyed the ruling Ming Dynasty and the Manchu were able to enter China through the great wall’s gates.

Urban space myth. Can the great wall be seen from the moon? No. Is the great wall one of the only man made structures that can be seen from space? Again, no. But an astronaut aboard the space station did get a grainy, indistinct picture of it using a camera with a high power lens.

20 Facts You Might Not Know About Persia

admin — Thu, 18 Aug 2011 00:00:00 +0000

Persia has had one of the greatest dynasty’s in the world but there are many facts that most people do not know about this middle-eastern country.

1. Persia is also known as Iran, and Iran is the name used to identify the country in political contexts.
2. Persia is the 18th largest country in the world.
3. Persia is home to one of the world’s oldest civilizations. The first dynasty was formed during the Elamite
Kingdom in 2800 BC.
4. Persia is a founding member of the UN.
5. Persian is the official language.
6. Shia Islam is the official religion in the country.
7. Tehran is the capital.
8. President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is the head of the country.
9. Persia ranks second in the world in natural gas reserves.
10. Persia ranks third in the world in oil reserves.
11. There was a revolution in 1978 known as the Islamic Revolution.
12. They celebrate Nowruz on March 21 each year which marks the beginning of Spring.
13. They became an Islamic Republic on April 1st, 1979 after the revolution.
14. Persia is referred to as ‘Persia’ due to the writings of Greek historians who called Iran Pers”s.
15. The country has a population of 78 million.
16. The most famous wildlife in the country is known as the Asiatic cheetah.
17. The country is divided up into 31 provinces, with each province having its own governor.
18. Mashhad is the second largest city in the country.
19. In 334 BC, Alexander the Great invaded the Achaemenid Empire, which was Persia.
20. Rulers in the Persian empire were known as ‘Shahs’.

Did The Mayan Empire Have Advanced Weaponry?

admin — Tue, 16 Aug 2011 00:00:00 +0000

For the longest of time, until recent archaeological material surfaced, many thought the Mayans were a peaceful culture who like the Greeks enjoyed philosophy and the arts. The Mayans did indeed produce spectacular art from their culture that has been preserved until now. But the Mayans were far from the peace loving people that once marked their culture.
Did the Mayan civilization expanded their borders because of superior military technology? Some archaeological evidence does suggest that they possessed unique weapons but none of these gave them any advantage in field military combat.The full explanation can be found at http://io9.com/5823728/ancient-mayans-are-still-shaping-their-environment-thousands-of-years-later Rather the biggest weapon in the Mayan arsenal was fear. To be captured by a Mayan army meant certain death. But death was reserved for special ceremonies where organs, usually the heart, were removed from a live victims so that the person performing the sacrifice might “inherit” the virtues of the one being sacrificed. These images impressed deeply into the minds of their enemies to avoid the Mayans at all cost. To die in the field of battle was one thing but to be captured for the purpose of being a sacrificial victim, especially if the one captured was a leader, demoralized the entire tribe and created an atmosphere of failure through fear.

Great Historical Shows on TV

www.ancient-empires.com — Sun, 17 Jul 2011 00:00:00 +0000

With so many television shows nowadays focusing on reality dramatics and game show antics it’s nice to know there are a plethora of shows specifically catering to lovers of history. Here are a few of our favorite suggestions – check out your DIRECT channels for reruns or head to Amazon to get some downloads:
ROME: This HBO masterpiece only lasted an astounding 2 seasons but it’s the historical show to end all shows. Spanning everything from Caesar’s fall to the death of Cleopatra, ROME brought historical accuracy and behind-the-scenes dramatics to a whole new audience.
The Bourgeois: This series is currently airing on Showtime and allows viewers a backstage pass to the corruption behind the Roman Catholic Church. If you’re at all interested in religious history, this is a great show to check out for both context and entertainment.
The Tudors: More medieval in nature than the other shows on the list this gem went off the air a few years back but you can still catch old episodes On Demand. There’s everything here from sex to politics and you’ll learn a bit about pre-modern civilizations, too.

Writings of Ancient India and China

admin — Mon, 20 Jun 2011 00:00:00 +0000

The writings of ancient India and China are the source of some of the world’s oldest records of philosophy, culture and religion. The consecrated writings of the “Vedas,” written by Vyas around the twelfth century, hold the earliest philosophy of India. Other ancient Indian writings include various theories on reasoning, pantheism, skepticism and numerous others. The beginning links to the scientific aspects of logic are found here as well as in Greek scripts. Pantheism is the primary top in these writings, having much influence on the Hindu religion, its writings and on society.

China’s ancient writings are the roots of its cultural philosophy. The revered books of “Kings” have very early beginnings, recordings primitively based traditions, viewpoints on God and the relationship between creator and created. These books led to two philosophical schools in the sixth century, those under Lao-Tseu and the other under Confusius. Lao-Tseu’s guidelines were focused in the metaphysical, while Confusius took a stance based on morals. The writings from both China and India during ancient times also discussed such topics as disease and military strategy. This has allowed historians and scientists today to track the course of illness and to study how ancient battles were fought.

Scientific Advances Of The Persian Empire

admin — Tue, 24 May 2011 00:00:00 +0000

The Persian Empire was, at its peak, one of the biggest empires in the world. During its existence, the Persian Empire was at the forefront of cultural and scientific advancement. Their advancements were both world changing and long lasting, contributing to the culture of modern day Iran.

One of the Persian Empire’s biggest inventions is still, to this day, the bane of many high school students. The Persians have been credited with inventing Algebra and Trigonometry. These two mathematical branches have been serving mankind since they were invented. They have given birth to more complicated branches, such as calculus, and have become a building block of many people’s education and part of everyday life. Another building block invented by the Persians is much more literal. They actually invented the brick in 6000 BC. The brick has obviously been an important part of human history, but it is still in use today. Less of an important building material, bricks are now chosen as an ascetic choice.

The Persian Empire still lives on in modern day Iran. Although they were an important and large empire, they often get overlooked. As you can see though, they have helped to advance mankind and should be well respected.

Ancient Greece – Homosexuality And Family Together

admin — Wed, 18 May 2011 00:00:00 +0000

Homosexuality has been a feature of social life throughout human history, albeit one that, at least in the West these days, is often ignored or even swept under the duvet of history. In ancient Greece, homosexuality existed alongside nuclear, heterosexual families, and was part of a vibrant, world-changing culture that spanned the Mediterranean Ocean and beyond.

Ancient Greece is highly regarded for its advances in politics, art, science and warfare. Homosexuality played a part in all of these cultural highlights. The Sacred Band of Thebes was an elite fighting force comprised entirely of matched pederastic couples, the elders in which would be otherwise family-oriented, heterosexual citizens, citizens who had taken younger male lovers. The Sacred Band was formed on the premise that men fighting next to the men they loved romantically would never flee the field of battle, a premise that was proved repeatedly as the Sacred Band carved great, bloody swaths through their opponents before returning home to Thebes to love their wives, raise their children, and to participate as free citizens in the body politic.

The greatest of Western philosophers, Plato, is rumored to have had an ongoing homosexual relationship, first with his mentor, Socrates, and then later with his pupil, Aristotle. The relationships between these men in no way diminished their civic standing, and it is only today that the picture of these men as lovers is kept from the casual regard of their lives.