The Study of Antiquity and the Middle Ages

In this episode I host Anya Leonard who is one of the founders of Classical Wisdom which is an online platform that specializes in educating the public involving ancient history, art, philosophy, culture and so much more.

We talk about why she started the organization, how far they have come and what do they have planned for us in the future.

She excitedly tells us about an upcoming symposium that we can all attend with an awesome list of scholars titled End of Empires and Fall of Nations.

Get your ticket to the upcoming symposium here: https://classicalwisdom-symposium-2021.eventbrite.ie

Lastly we approach the benefits of becoming a member of classical wisdom from free eBooks to webinars and beyond. To appease our awesome fanbase here at SAMA, Anya Leonard kindly and graciously allowed us to use segments from a talk by Donald Robertson on Stoicism and How to think like a Roman Emperor and I hope that you all enjoy this.  

Support Classical Wisdom below!

https://classicalwisdom.com/

https://www.facebook.com/ClassicalWisdomWeekly

https://www.instagram.com/classicalwisdomweekly/

https://twitter.com/ClassicalWisdom

https://ar.pinterest.com/classicalwisdom/

 The podcast Classical Wisdom Speaks in available on all major platforms – and you can see the Youtube channel here: https://youtube.com/c/classicalwisdom

Does Facebook have a war on history? The answer is a simple no but the story is complicated.

In this episode I am joined by author and reporter Peter Suciu on his article '"On Facebook, History Can Violate Community Standards."

To quote the article * One thing that is often taught to students of history is that "history" didn't happen. Events happened in the past, but history is just our way of chronicling those events. There is also a saying that history is written by the winners, but that too isn't entirely accurate – if history were only written by the winners we'd never hear of the setbacks, mistakes made by generals or losses incurred by said winners. History, to put it bluntly, is written by historians and those with knowledge of past events.

On Facebook it now seems that merely writing about – and then sharing those writings – could violate community standards. Even in this era of "fake news" it isn't so easy to understand why the social network has taken this stance - end quote.

Recently an incident on Facebook lead me to create this video.... while scrolling through my Roman themed history groups I noticed a post by a member showing that their history post had been taken down by Facebook for violating community standards. The post was a picture of the Roman Eagle with SPQR under its feet. This particular illustration was actually from the Rome Total War Gaming Franchise and that lead me to wonder more about how and why Facebook targets certain posts?

Is there confusion among Facebook employees and its algorithms involving not just Ancient History but specifically Roman History? 

Why are Third Reich posts and photos censored? And why are they censored even if there are no violent images or symbols of hate shown? 

Why are militaria groups coming under fire for trading, buying and selling Third Reich memorabilia when other memorabilia such as relating to the USSR or the CCP are deemed acceptable?

Why is Facebook warning me that the history groups I'm in may be exposing me to extremist content?

These are questions that I pondered while making this episode and so I hosted a fellow history buff and militaria collector on whether or not history can violate Facebooks Community Standards?

Support our great guest at all these links below!

On Facebook, History Can Violate Community Standards

https://www.forbes.com/sites/petersuc...

Twitter: https://twitter.com/PeterSuciu

Forbes: https://www.forbes.com/sites/petersuc...

National Interest: https://nationalinterest.org/profile/...

His awesome history store: https://www.plundererpete.com/

In this episode we are joined by Dr. Eric Singleton who is the Curator of Ethnology at the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum to talk about religion and tradition in the Ancient Mississippian World.

We explore a variety of topics but first we define the geographic boundaries of the ancient Mississippians which covered large portions of the Midwest, South and South-East of what is now the USA.

We go back into history into a time of Native American migration and cultural expansion and ponder whether or not these migrations played a role in the evolution of Mississippian Religion similar to the arrival of Indo Europeans and its consumption of previous peoples and cultures and its transformation in ancient Europe.

We then explore sacred sites in the Mississippian world and discuss sacred geography in the Native American world from Spiro to Cahokia.

We turn to a crucial aspect of the story and we look at what evidence can tell us about their religions ranging from archaeology to primary sources and beyond to tribal oral traditions that still echo in our world today.

We then look at the minds of the ancient Mississippians themselves and ask how did they view the spiritual world around them? How did they view the afterlife? The Human Soul?

A brief overview of Mississippian Religion below.

Mississippian religion was a distinctive Native American belief system in eastern North America that evolved out of an ancient, continuous tradition of sacred landscapes, shamanic institutions, world renewal ceremonies, and the ritual use of fire, ceremonial pipes, medicine bundles, sacred poles, and symbolic weaponry. Mississippian people shared similar beliefs in cosmic harmony, divine aid and power, the ongoing cycle of life and death, and spiritual powers with neighboring cultures throughout much of eastern North America. Although similarities in religious practices and rituals existed throughout the Mississippian world, individual polities possessed divergent trajectories of religious thought that over time resulted in differing paths of belief and ritual.

Above all, Mississippian people were logical, pragmatic, and rational in their religious beliefs, and their observations and thoughts about the world around them were reflected in their views of the spiritual world. Their rituals and sacred narratives embodied abstract meanings, archaic language, complex symbolism, and esoteric metaphors. The numerous and widespread Mississippian polities gave rise to a remarkable tradition of religious beliefs and practices. Their religious system flourished for more than half a millennium as a meaningful and vibrant set of beliefs. Identifying the circumstances, complexity, and nature of Mississippian religion is a major focus of current research among a number of scholars, including anthropologists, archaeologists, ethnohistorians, folklorists, and historians. Although scholars debate various points of religious belief, there is general agreement on the overall religious traditions.

Dye, D. (2000). Mississippian Religious Traditions. In S. Stein (Author), The Cambridge History of Religions in America (Cambridge History of Religions in America, pp. 137-155). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. doi:10.1017/CHOL9780521871105.008

In this episode I host Megan Lewis and Dr. Joshua Bowen from Digital Hammurabi on Dr. Bowens latest work "The Atheist Handbook to the Old Testament" and I'd add to that by saying it is also a handbook to the ancient Near East itself in general.

The Old Testament is a fierce battleground for atheists and Christian apologists, with each side accusing the other of taking challenging and troubling passages out of context. In this handbook, Joshua Bowen not only provides the background to the Old Testament and the ancient Near East, but engages with hotly contested topics like slavery, failed prophecy, and the authorship of debated Old Testament books.

In this episode I explore what lead him to write this book? How has it been received? And what does the book address? 

This book provides:

-clear and straightforward explanations to complex topics

-direct engagement with hot-button Old Testament issues

-specific arguments to help you in a debate or discussion.

Whether you are looking to debate problematic Old Testament issues on social media or have a relaxed, meaningful discussion with a family member over coffee, The Atheist Handbook to the Old Testament is an indispensable resource for you.

Get a copy of the book here :  https://www.amazon.com/Atheist-Handbook-Old-Testament-ebook/dp/B094RF3CF3

Subscribe to their YouTube Channel below!

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCBQo27DbqeB-xG17-kekrdQ

Website: https://www.digitalhammurabi.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/digi_hammurabi

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/digitalhammurabi

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/digitalhammurabi

On May 9, 1865, the American Civil War ended, or did it?  Historians acknowledge that exact starting and ending dates of wars are open to debate, and likewise, so are the causes and reasons those wars were fought.  In the case of the American Civil War, April 1861 to May 1865, the “cause” of Southern independence is a controversial and contentious subject even to this day.  The main debate centers on whether or not slavery, that “peculiar institution,” was the main cause of the war and the reason for fighting such a costly conflict.  Revisionist “historians” have tried mightily over the years to justify the Confederacy and their “Lost Cause,” which serious historians have repeatedly debunked.

The so called “Lost Cause” is a construct of revisionist history that makes the case that slavery as practiced in the American South was a benevolent institution that was mutually beneficial to the master and the slave, and furthermore, contributed to the general wealth of the United States.  A mythology about the chivalrous nature of the Southern gentleman farmer and general social superiority of the Southern White population was promulgated and reinforced by a vigorous campaign over several decades to erect Confederate monuments and name many places after Confederate heroes.  Statistics about how few Southern White people actually owned slaves was used to undermine the notion that the Civil War was fought over the issue of slavery, although such numbers grossly misrepresent the reality of the situation in the South.  Since only the head of the household was likely to be listed as the slave owner, the several others in his family that benefited from the slave holding were technically not slave owners, but in reality were indeed people that were benefiting from the institution of slavery and living the lifestyle afforded by such human bondage.

Another fact that belies the storyline that slavery was not the main or even a main issue leading to the secession of the Confederate States from the United States is found in the documents announcing the secession of those various states.  In fact EVERY Southern state that seceded to join the Confederate States of America prominently cited slavery as an issue of contention leading to secession.

Link to article titled "The Lost Cause? No!"

https://www.historyandheadlines.com/the-lost-cause-no/

In this episode we are joined by the awesome YouTube channel host from Tipsyfish history to walk us through a complicated and controversial topic involving modern history and that is why did non slave owners support and fight for the Confederacy?

It is easy to understand and see why slave owners would be concerned about the threat, real or imagined, that Lincoln and the growing abolitionist movement posed to slavery.  

But what about those Southerners who did not own slaves?  What about the lower class in the Confederate States?

Why would they risk their livelihoods by leaving the United States and pledging allegiance to a new nation grounded in the proposition that all men are not created free or equal, a nation established and founded to preserve a type of property that they did not own?

Why did people who couldn't afford slaves support a slave society and economy?

Did non slave owners benefit from slavery?

Was state nationalism a contributing factor in their decisions to fight and oftentimes die in a conflict that revolved around the enslavement of human beings?

In this episode these questions are addressed and much more as Aster describes the motivations that drove non-slaveholding white Southerners to fight for the Confederacy and to protect slavery.

Support Tipsyfish and her awesome work at these links below!

YouTube Channel : https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC3JcwC4qjfi-zbe759tCv2Q

Patreon : https://www.patreon.com/Tipsyfishs

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Tipsyfishs

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TipsyfishHistory/

This is the second episode of a long series that we have titled "On the Fringe" where we host controversial guests and as the host play the "Devils Advocate" where we ask critical questions about their work, theories and etc.

In this episode I host fringe archaeologist | theorist involving his claims of ancient advanced civilizations and technology.

To begin I ask him to explain his views on ancient advanced technology and he goes into what he considers to be "machine" markings and drill holes and saw marks that in his view couldn't be done by a handsaw.

I ask him to explain why he doesn't believe that Dynastic Egyptians didn't construct the pyramids of Egypt and why he believes the timeline for these monuments should be pushed back by thousands of years.

I counter his claim by asking about experimental archaeology that has shed light on how ancient monuments were built and with what tools and whether of not he discounts their work while also pointing out that we have the tools and living quarters of the workers who built the pyramids while asking how he counters that archaeological evidence.

I ask what criticism he has received?  

I ask why he believes that an advanced civilization built Stonehenge and if he discounts the ancient populations that could have built it and I get him to come to a common ground on the issue.

I bring up a question posed by Stefan Milo (YouTube Historian) who asks how he can justify his claims when he has no evidence to support ancient advanced civilizations in the prehistoric era.

 Lastly, I ask him * where is the evidence? Discount the marks and I ask him where are these tools? Why have we not found them?

He then explains that (1) they could have been covered up in a conspiracy or (2) these advanced cultures left and took the tools with them.

Lastly in the video comment section I provide links to mainstream sources and references that critique his work so that you the viewer can make up your own mind.

This is the first episode of a long series that we have titled "On the Fringe" where we host controversial guests and as the host play the "Devils Advocate" where we ask critical questions about their work, theories and etc.

In this episode we host Brien Foerster who has starred in Ancient Aliens on the History Channel and we explore the elongated skulls of Paracas Peru, the DNA of these skulls and the controversy surrounding his work and theories.

For those not familiar with the subject elongated skulls are artificial cranial deformation or modification, head flattening, or head binding is a form of body alteration in which the skull of a human being is deformed intentionally. It is done by distorting the normal growth of a child's skull by applying force. Flat shapes, elongated ones (produced by binding between two pieces of wood), rounded ones (binding in cloth), and conical ones are among those chosen or valued in various cultures. Typically, the shape alteration is carried out on an infant, as the skull is most pliable at this time. In a typical case, head binding begins approximately a month after birth and continues for about six months. Many people believe that this involves social status and group belonging.

In this episode we ask what lead him to investigate these skulls?

What criticism has he received based on his work and I ask if his work is "mainstream?" 

Was he connected to the DNA tests run on these skulls? Who all was involved? In what condition and environment were these skulls kept and what precautions were taken? Was the Peruvian government involved? 

What were the results? What did the Peruvian archaeologist have to say about the findings? Why was his work never published?

Did they really have red hair? How does he know that the hair didn't turn read after death?

Lastly I ask why he thinks archaeologists and historians ignore his work? I pose the question that wouldn't it be more beneficial for them to promote his work if it was factual rather than overlook it and not make a name for themselves?

In this episode Spencer McDaniel from the Tales of Times Forgotten Blog joins us for a rebuttal of sorts aimed towards a controversial work by Catherine Nixey titled "The Darkening Age: The Christian Destruction of the Classical World."

We begin with Spencer explaining how his religious and educational background differs from Nixey’s and how this might be influencing this perspective.

Spencer continues with where, on a general level, they disagree with Nixey’s framing.

We explore if it’s true that early Christians did try to destroy certain kinds of writings and, if so, what kinds of writings did they target?

I ask why, if Christian attempts at censorship were so limited and generally unsuccessful, so many writings from antiquity have been lost?

We discuss if it’s true that early Christians did, in some cases, destroy works of Greek and Roman art?

We then approach the Christian desecration and destruction of "Pagan" temples.... did it happed? If so, to what extent?

Lastly I ask a question involving a subject that the history world is obsessed with and that is if it’s true that Christians deliberately destroyed the Library of Alexandria? The answer is a definite no, but Spencer will gladly and thoroughly explain why.

For those not familiar with this subject "The Darkening Age: The Christian Destruction of the Classical World," is a book published in 2018 by Catherine Nixey. In the work itself, she argues that early Christians deliberately destroyed classical Greek and Roman cultures including art, sources, architecture and in some cases mass murder and caused the Dark Ages. It enjoyed popular publishing success (I myself own a copy and I did enjoy it but I acknowledge certain issues) but it has received major criticism from certain religious communities and many historians in general. 

To support our guest, check out these links below!

Website : https://talesoftimesforgotten.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/SpenceMcDaniel

Original article titled : What Was the Conversion of the Roman Empire to Christianity Really Like?

https://talesoftimesforgotten.com/2020/04/11/what-was-the-conversion-of-the-roman-empire-to-christianity-really-like/

In a long series that explores the ancient Aegean cultures, peoples and civilizations of the Bronze Age we host PhD student Theodore Nash on a fascinating topic and that is the history, development and archaeology relating to ancient Aegean scripts and their writing systems.

From exploring the complexity of Linear A, Linear B and Cretan hieroglyphs to looking at the archaeology surrounding this subject we are taken on a journey into an obscure and complicated subject.

Though studying ancient writing systems lacks the imaginative glory of an ancient battlefield or the suspense of court intrigue I can't stress enough how important it is to study writing in the ancient world and why that history matters because without studying the history of writing you will never truly understand our history itself.

Support our awesome guest PhD Student Theodore Nash below!

Twitter: https://twitter.com/theo_nash

History Blog: https://mycenaeanmiscellany.wordpress.com/

The Wolf King of Murcia: Ibn Mardanish and the Second Taifa Period in Eastern Al-Andalus.

Before Game of Thrones was a thought in our imagination, literature and television there was man in medieval Iberia who would reshape trade, the borders of Kingdoms and would forever define the complicated relationship of Medieval Christians, Muslims and Jews in the Medieval World.

That man commonly known as El Rey Lobo or the Wolf King was officially known as Abu ʿAbd Allāh Muḥammad ibn Mardanīš.

Surrounded by rivals and potential allies the Wolf King set out to make medieval Murcia a force to be reckoned with as he expanded and fought to ensure the prosperity of his kingdom, family and people.

From working with Christian kingdoms to going to war with fellow Islamic kingdoms he was a man who looked beyond religion and ethnic bias in order to achieve what he wanted. 

As he expanded his impact would greatly impact trade in the medieval Mediterranean, Iberian coinage, architecture, traditional borders and the way that medieval chroniclers saw powerful Muslims in medieval Iberia.

But as he grew older caliphates and dynasties came and went into the abyss of history and a new power arose. Slowly the Almoravids came under conquest of the Almohads and the old wolf found himself in a world that was changing and he foresaw a future that would not bode well for his family.

Tragically he spent his last days trying to negotiate power between his Muslim enemies and his heirs who would follow him.

From battlefields to Christian courts the wolf king left a legacy of cunning ambition and one that would never be forgotten.

This episode explores a series known as "Heroes or Villains in Medieval Iberia where the audience decides if a certain historical character is a hero, a villain or if it is more complicated than one over the other.

Video Footage attribution goes to Adam Myrie of HAMAA | The Historical African Martial Arts Association.

Link: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC2AdDHTxTH9hzchUqxVeI1A

For more information on Dr. Lincoln and his awesome work check out these links below to his book and other writings!

KING ALFONSO VIII OF CASTILE : GOVERNMENT, FAMILY, AND WAR

Edited by Miguel Gómez, Kyle C. Lincoln and Damian J. Smith

https://www.fordhampress.com/9780823284146/king-alfonso-viii-of-castile/

Academia Profile: https://norwich.academia.edu/KyleLincoln

More than 150 years after the end of the Civil War, scores of websites, articles, and organizations repeat claims that anywhere between 500 and 100,000 free and enslaved African Americans fought willingly as soldiers in the Confederate army. But as Kevin M. Levin argues in this carefully researched book, such claims would have shocked anyone who served in the army during the war itself. 

Levin explains that imprecise contemporary accounts, poorly understood primary-source material, and other misrepresentations helped fuel the rise of the black Confederate myth. Moreover, Levin shows that belief in the existence of black Confederate soldiers largely originated in the 1970s, a period that witnessed both a significant shift in how Americans remembered the Civil War and a rising backlash against African Americans’ gains in civil rights and other realms.

Levin also investigates the roles that African Americans actually performed in the Confederate army, including personal body servants and forced laborers. He demonstrates that regardless of the dangers these men faced in camp, on the march, and on the battlefield, their legal status remained unchanged. Even long after the guns fell silent, Confederate veterans and other writers remembered these men as former slaves and not as soldiers, an important reminder that how the war is remembered often runs counter to history.

In this episode Historian Kevin M. Levin the author of Searching for Black Confederates: The Civil War’s Most Persistent Myth takes us into a fascinating discussion of the roots and causes of the American Civil War, the decline and collapse of the Confederacy and more importantly the origins, development and manifestation of the Confederate Lost Cause Movement.

At the beginning he talks about what he thinks about when pondering the American Civil War before moving on into the very heart of the episode.

He begins by setting a foundation and exploring core issues and events preceding the eventual secession and war from talking about the American expansion into new territories, the question of "New States" and slavery, Bleeding Kansas and naturally the Compromise of 1850 and the collapse of the Whig Party and the beginning of the Republican Party.

But then we come to the end of the Confederacy and the origins, birth and manifestation of the Lost Cause movement and its mythical and fictional narratives that became a cancer within American historiography and the role it plays in miseducating and misinforming the public today.

He discusses slavery and the "states rights" debate while debunking many of the myths put forward in Lost Cause narratives that are still defended today by Neo Confederates such as Black Confederates a term that attempts to explain away "camp slaves" which is narrative that Neo Confederates cling to today while avoiding the truth, horror and reality of American slavery.

We discuss confederate monuments, the monument debate and the role that groups have played such as the Daughters of the Confederacy from memorial services to the very monuments that spark debates today.

From modern Americans who struggle with their Confederate ancestors to the internet and its role in misinformation and the safe space it gives "fake history" this episode truly encompasses the very heart and soul of American history and the battle that still rages involving the origins of the American Civil War and the movements that came after.

We end by asking why Americans have a fascination and almost romanticized view of Civil War and why the USA continues to struggle with its past.

Topics debunked:

That slavery wasn't the fundamental cause of secession and the eventual outbreak of war.

The myth of unlimited Northern resources over Confederate bad generalship.

The States rights narrative.

Black Confederates.

The loyal slave narrative.

The myth of Northern Aggression.

The myth of Confederate Unity.

The myth of the "morally" superior South.

In this episode Medievalist Matias Vanhanen takes us into a fascinating subject that is really obscure and one that provides immense challenges to researchers and that is slavery in the "Viking World."

We explore archaeology such as Slavic pottery and what it tells us about slavery in Northern Europe as we move to Iceland and see the prominence of "Celtic" surnames that appear throughout Icelandic history as slaves, concubines and hostages are transported throughout the area.

We take a look at what the Vikings called their slaves and why... does it revolve around ethnicity? Was there a second class of people who were not slaves but were still not completely free?

From trade routes and beyond to what primary sources such as Muslim explorers and the Irish Annals we are painted a complicated and often contradictory narrative as we have to sift through what is "real" and what is not.

From slave routs to Viking Ireland and Viking raids in Africa we watch as a complicated subject becomes even more complicated.

Support our guest below!

Matias Vanhanen is an undergraduate student of Anglo-Saxon, Norse and Celtic at the University of Cambridge focusing his studies on the history and languages of Northern Europe in the Viking Age. 

He is from Finland and writes a blog that you can support at http://arktikronika.eu

Follow him on twitter: https://twitter.com/Vanhasen_Matias

To my dear subscribers, thank you all. You have my love and appreciation. 

Check out our store! History Merch:  https://the-history-shop.creator-spring.com/listing/get-sea-peoples-mediterranean?country=US¤cy=USD&product=212&tsmac=google&tsmic=youtube&utm_content=YT-AGNkefDmjQuev3D9FCdfGTzVei__NdcDvx6Ejc3PWFy0gRXdTwV7u-t0uMhtj-VthFY1CId-lUa7BzNUqiR6O9neIWOvztpS26tAAPnkRhzwYSlF9d0dAZj_z2EuNB3fzmCL01mSsMo9C9D6qjvFL5kyeyvBCf2foye1fpbZnEO4_mtrBSayL2AKr-CeMOFOPh0yJ_H1eZst8K_qNzfiiNSOXgFRku0NmiIMd6Ez&utm_medium=product_shelf&utm_source=youtube&utm_term=UCxRSpkGOH_09pxKvgD8S5jQ&variation=5819&view_as=USA

In this episode Dr. Andrew Traver takes us into the very heart and genesis of the future Roman Emperor Tiberius Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus.

From exploring his childhood in a world of uncertainty to his coming of age in the early Roman Empire, this story covers a variety of topics from his personal ailments that caused him to be scorned and oftentimes mocked by family members to his love of researching and studying the past and beyond to him being noticed by Emperor Augustus as someone who may have more potential after all.

It is a sad story, it is filled with tragedy but it ends in triumph as we see political figures rise and fall and we approach the eventual triumph of Claudius to the very heart of the Roman Empire itself and the "Emperorship" that held it together. Emperor Claudius was the Emperor that ancient Rome needed and deserved. 

Support Dr. Traver and his works at these links below!

Academia Page: https://selu.academia.edu/ATraver

Faculty Page: http://www.southeastern.edu/acad_research/depts/hist_ps/faculty/bio/traver.html

In this episode Dr. Florin Curta takes into a fascinating and controversial topic and that is the origins and history of the Bogomils and Bogomilism that originated and spread rapidly in the Medieval Balkans.

Before starting off Dr. Curta takes us into an introduction to Gnosticism and different Gnostic Sects and beliefs such as the Paulicianism, Manichaeism, Marcionism and etc, to set the foundation for this episode and different responses to these sects and those that came after.

We explore the persecution of the Paulicians under the Byzantine Empire and how their forced resettlement in places like the Balkans and the rushed Christianization of Bulgarian society could have actually created the groundwork for the rise of the Bogomils.

We discuss what their enemies thought of them including "The Treatise Against the Bogomils" and correspondence between the royal family and the church.

We talk about what they actually believed such as that God had two sons... Satan and Jesus. That Satan created all matter including human flesh in which contained trapped souls which is one of the reasons Bogomils didn't believe in engaging in sexuality or eating meat.

Lastly, we discuss... what happened to them? Are Stećci Medieval tombstones a testament to who they were? And are the Bogomils and the famous Cathars connected and if so.. then how?

Support Dr. Florin Curta at the links below!

Previous talk on the Origins and History of the Slavs.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3lBSm87304Q

His latest book titled "The Long Sixth Century in Eastern Europe."

https://brill.com/view/title/59822

Another important work by him titled "Eastern Europe in the Middle Ages (500-1300) (2 vols.)"

https://brill.com/view/title/34623?language=en

Purchase his other books : https://www.amazon.com/Florin-Curta/e/B001HD1RW4%3Fref=dbs_a_mng_rwt_scns_share

Academia : https://florida.academia.edu/FlorinCurta

Alfonso I “the Battler” of Aragon: Hero, Villain, or Both?

This episode explores a series known as "Heroes or Villains in Medieval Iberia where the audience decides if a certain historical character is a hero, a villain or if it is more complicated than one over the other.

Alfonso was the son of Sancho V Ramírez. He was persuaded by Alfonso VI of Leon and Castile to marry the latter’s heiress, Urraca, widow of Raymond of Burgundy. In consequence, when Alfonso VI died (1109) the four Christian kingdoms were nominally united and Alfonso I took his father-in-law’s imperial title. The union failed, however, because Leon and Castile felt hostility toward an Aragonese emperor; because Urraca disliked her second husband; and because Bernard, the French Cluniac archbishop of Toledo, wanted to see his protégé, Alfonso Ramírez (infant son of Urraca and her Burgundian first husband), on the imperial throne. 

At Bernard’s prompting, the Pope declared the Aragonese marriage void, but Alfonso continued to be involved in civil strife in the central kingdom until he eventually gave up his claims in favour of his stepson after the death of Urraca (1126). Despite these embroilments, he achieved spectacular victories against the Moors, capturing Saragossa in 1118 and leading a spectacular military raid far into southern Andalusia in 1125. 

In his campaigns he received much help from the rulers of the counties north of the Pyrenees, resulting in the involvement of Aragon in the affairs of southern France. Alfonso was fatally wounded in battle at Fraga in 1134. Deeply religious, he bequeathed his kingdom to the Templars and the Hospitallers, but his former subjects refused to accept the donation, and the kingdoms eventually came under the control of the counts of Barcelona.

Description above was taken from Britannica.

And so at the end we look at his achievements, his shortcomings and we put him on a scale to see who he really was and how he is viewed today.

For more information on Dr. Lincoln and his awesome work check out these links below to his book and other writings!

KING ALFONSO VIII OF CASTILE : GOVERNMENT, FAMILY, AND WAR

Edited by Miguel Gómez, Kyle C. Lincoln and Damian J. Smith

https://www.fordhampress.com/9780823284146/king-alfonso-viii-of-castile/

Academia Profile: https://norwich.academia.edu/KyleLincoln

The Muslim Conquest of Medieval Iberia has been framed as this massive expansion of Islam and a vicious Holy War to seize lands from the defensive Christian Kingdoms of Europe and Asia and no other conquest comes to mind such as the Muslim Conquest of Medieval Iberia that is modern day Spain and Portugal.

But what if..... that isn't entirely true? What if rather than it being an "invasion" we find out that it is way more complicated than that?

What if we told you that they were invited in by Visigoths themselves?

In this episode Dr. Kyle Lincoln debunks, clarifies and explains many common misconceptions and inaccurate narratives and opinions when it comes to medieval Islam, its conquests and medieval Iberia.

During this period the Visigoths were at war with each other and some of them looked to mercenary help from the outside to help them defeat their enemies and so they turned to professional soldiers who realistically may have been "Muslim" in name and minor practice only. Upon arrival they fought for their Visigoth Employers and eventually the Visigoths attempted to cheat them out of their pay. Naturally these mercenaries then proceeded to take what was theirs and eventually that lead to more armies and factions moving into Iberia and expanding across the peninsula creating what is commonly referred to as "Muslim or Islamic" Spain - Iberia.

In short.... always pay your mercenaries and lastly Dr. Lincoln gives us a list of works by actual experts that dive into this complex subject that better explains it and leaves us with a much better understanding of the past.

For more information on Dr. Lincoln and his awesome work check out these links below to his book and other writings!

KING ALFONSO VIII OF CASTILE : GOVERNMENT, FAMILY, AND WAR

Edited by Miguel Gómez, Kyle C. Lincoln and Damian J. Smith

https://www.fordhampress.com/9780823284146/king-alfonso-viii-of-castile/

Academia Profile: https://uwlax.academia.edu/KyleLincoln

In this episode PhD student takes us into a fascinating and obscure topic relating to ancient history, maritime history and military history, and that is the development and use of the battery ram in ancient naval warfare with a focus on the Greeks and Romans.  From discussing their origin and apparent unsuccessful proto rams we watch as craftsmen and experts perfect their work over time through trial and error to create a piece that would come to play a crucial war in warfare on the ancient seas.  

He explores what sources we have from ancient historians and what do they have to say.  He then approaches the history of naval rams in general categorizing them by period and giving an awesome overview on the subject.  We also explore tactics and how they were used along with what we know about how they were crafted, how they were put on the ship and lastly we approach the end of the naval ram in Mediterranean and Aegean warfare as it becomes more of a sign of power and symbolism rather than a tool of war.  

Before leaving off he talks about an upcoming project where he and his colleagues will be setting out to build a naval ram to better understand the process and how the ancients built them.    

Support our awesome guest below!  Twitter: @SDeCasien  

Website: stephendecasien.com  

In this video award winning Medievalist Dr. Kyle C. Lincoln a Medieval Iberian Historian guides us through an introduction to his upcoming series titled "Heroes or Villains of Medieval Iberia" he will examine historical figures and explore their world that we know as Medieval Iberia.

The medieval figures that this series will cover in totem:

(1) Alfonso I “the Battler” of Aragon: Hero, Villain, or Both?

(2) The Wolf King: the Life, Legend, and Legacy of Ibn Mardanish of Murcia.

(3) Gerardo sem Pavor: Portuguese Brigand or Brave Profiteer?

(4) Who Was the Evil Twin: Berenguer Ramon and Ramon Berenguer of Barcelona.

(5) “Along Came a Bear:” The Story of Sancho Fernandez of Leon.

(6) Samuel ben Naghrela: Rebel or Revolutionary of Granada. 

(7) The Count who Killed an Archbishop: Guillem Ramon de Moncada. 

(8) Abd al-Rahman of Cordoba: The Refugee Who (Re-)Founded an Empire.

(9) The Myth of El Cid: Rodrigo Diaz.

From exploring the historical setting and climate that they emerged from to their actions that sealed their place in history and beyond to their mortality and historiography this series seeks to paint these characters as they were and leaves the audience to decide was this person a hero? A Villain? Or... is it more complicated than that?

For more information on Dr. Lincoln and his awesome work check out these links below to his book and other writings!

KING ALFONSO VIII OF CASTILE : GOVERNMENT, FAMILY, AND WAR

Edited by Miguel Gómez, Kyle C. Lincoln and Damian J. Smith

https://www.fordhampress.com/9780823284146/king-alfonso-viii-of-castile/

Academia Profile: https://norwich.academia.edu/KyleLincoln

To support the channel, become a Patron and make history matter!

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/The_Study_of_Antiquity_and_the_Middle_Ages

Donate directly to PayPal: https://paypal.me/NickBarksdale

Enjoy history merchandise? Check out affiliate link to SPQR Emporium!

http://spqr-emporium.com?aff=3

*Disclaimer, the link above is an affiliate link which means we will earn a generous commission from your magnificent purchase, just another way to help out the channel!

Join our community! 

Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/THESTUDYOFANTIQUITYANDTHEMIDDLEAGES/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/NickBarksdale

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/study_of_antiquity_middle_ages/

Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/164050034145170/

In this episode geneticist Razib Khan takes us into a topic that remains controversial to this day and that is the origins of the Huns.

He starts off by describing how the Huns were seen in Late Antiquity and how they were described by ancient historians while acknowledging that we have to be careful with these sources due to their bias - after all these sources are from their enemies.

We discuss historiography on the origins of the Huns and what the traditional views have been and how they changed over time and why?

Finally we actually talk about the DNA itself and what it tells us about the Huns, their origins and their neighbors.

Lastly, we arrive at a controversial topic and that is the legacy of the Huns themselves..... who are their descendants? 

Once again, we watch as DNA falls nicely into place and makes our understanding of the past much more clearer and yet.... even more complicated.

Support Mr. Khan and his awesome work below!

Website: https://razib.substack.com/

Razib Khan: https://www.razib.com/bio/wordpress/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/razibkhan

To my dear subscribers, thank you all. You have my love and appreciation. 

The Kingdom of Spiro | A Forgotten Civilization

The Spiro people, and their Mississippian peers, are nearly forgotten in the pages of North American history, yet they created one of the most exceptional societies in all of the Americas.

The Mississippian culture was a Native American civilization that flourished in what is now the Midwestern, Eastern, and Southeastern United States from approximately 800 CE to 1600 CE, varying regionally. It was known for building large, earthen platform mounds, and often other shaped mounds as well.

This documentary under the guidance and expertise of Dr. Eric Singleton explores the archaeological and historical data connecting the Spiro site to other communities throughout North and Central America, discusses the Spiroan community and religious activities, and highlights the enduring legacy of Native Americans today who are descended from Mississippian cultural groups.

Together at the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum we explore an a world that was almost lost to time but thankfully due to its enduring legacy through Native Americans today, archaeology and historians that story is being told so that the entire world can learn about Native American Civilizations in North America.

Tour the wonderous world of Spiro and ancient Mississippian art below!

https://spiromounds.com/event/

Spiro Exhibit: https://nationalcowboymuseum.org/all-exhibitions/spiro-and-the-native-american-art-of-the-mississippian-world/

https://spiromounds.com/

Video was filmed by Cameron Mosier of Tribal Video.

Hire him: https://tribalvideo.com/

Music Attributions: Free HD Videos - No Copyright 

Video Source: https://bit.ly/2CbkIcQ​ 

▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬ 

Music Composed by Luis Salazar And Fabian Salazar

Download from MUSIC STORE: 

https://wuauquikunamusic.bandcamp.com/​

More information:

Website: http://www.wuauquikuna-official.com

Were the Nazis Socialists? A talk by Dr. Eric Kurlander and YouTube Historians Dr. Zar of History and Headlines, Tipsyfish History and the Cynical Historian.

Today in a variety of formats from history groups to political commentaries and beyond to blogs and academic research, we see debates constantly appear involving the National Socialist German Workers' Party otherwise known as the NSDAP (Nazi Party,) and whether or not they were actually socialists?

We see constant claims from "It's in the name," to "they said they were" and "the Nazis were only Conservatives," and that "the Nazis were leftists."

But what is the correct answer? Is it a simple yes or no? Is it more complicated than that?

In this episode we define socialism and proceed to explore the differences between other socialists and communists, we then turn to look at fascism, Nazism and the far right.

We take a look at over a century of academic scholarship and see how "National Socialism" and the Nazi Party has been viewed and how these views have changed and why?

Did the Nazis nationalize industry and natural resources? Was there a link between the NSDAP and Big Business? How did capitalism fair during the rise and establishment of the Third Reich? Was Nazi Germany an authoritarian capitalist monopoly? Were there socialists in the Nazi Party? What set the Nazi movement apart from all the other radical movements during its time? And lastly, how should a general audience view the Third Reich and its political ideologies and policies?

In this episode Dr. Kurlander and several YouTube historians guide you through the questions above and leave you with a clearer picture on a subject that is not only controversial but one that people continue to argue about to this day.

Support Dr. Eric Kurlander at these links below!

Academia: https://stetson.academia.edu/EricKurlander

Get his book Hitler's Monsters here: https://www.amazon.com/Hitlers-Monsters-Supernatural-History-Third/dp/0300234546/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=

Faculty Profile : https://www.stetson.edu/other/faculty/eric-kurlander.php

Support Dr. Zar of History and Headlines below!

YouTube Channel History and Headlines: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQ38_Et4NgYVS7MpwbXy-3Q

Website: https://www.historyandheadlines.com/

Article "Were the Nazis Actually Socialists?

https://www.historyandheadlines.com/were-the-nazis-actually-socialists/

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/historyandheadlines

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/historyandheadlines/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/historyheaders/

Support Tipsyfish and her awesome work at these links below!

YouTube Channel : https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC3JcwC4qjfi-zbe759tCv2Q

Patreon : https://www.patreon.com/Tipsyfishs

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Tipsyfishs

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TipsyfishHistory/

Support the Cynical Historian below!

YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/CynicalHistorian/

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/CynicalHistorian

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cynicalcypher88

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Cynical_History

In this episode I am joined by Spencer McDaniel from Tales of Times Forgotten on a controversial episode that revolves around race, ethnicity and the ancient world.

Most people assume that everyone who lived in ancient Greece and Rome was white. This is a notion that has been continually reinforced through modern films and television shows. This is especially obvious in the egregiously historically inaccurate film 300, which portrays all the Greek characters as white and all the Persian characters as people of color. How accurate is this idea really, though? Were the Greeks and Romans really white? What does “whiteness” actually mean anyway?

I won’t deny that the majority of people who lived in Greece and Italy in ancient times would probably be considered white by most Americans if they were alive today. Nonetheless, the ancient Greeks and Romans certainly did not think of themselves as white and modern Greeks and Italians haven’t always been considered white either.

Furthermore, there were undoubtedly people whom we would consider Brown and Black present in ancient Greece and Rome from a very early date. These people almost certainly included famous ancient philosophers, writers, theologians, and even Roman emperors. In fact, people whom we would consider people of color probably made up a significant proportion of the total population of the Roman Empire, if not the majority.

Description above was taken from the original article.

To support our guest, check out these links below!

Website : https://talesoftimesforgotten.com/

Original article titled "Were the Ancient Greeks and Romans White?"

https://talesoftimesforgotten.com/2020/09/30/were-the-ancient-greeks-and-romans-white/

What Do Conservatives Really Mean When They Talk about “Western Civilization”?

https://talesoftimesforgotten.com/2020/02/23/what-do-conservatives-really-mean-when-they-talk-about-western-civilization/

The Debate about Classics Isn’t What You Probably Think It Is

https://talesoftimesforgotten.com/2021/02/26/the-debate-about-classics-isnt-what-you-probably-think-it-is/

Did Pythagoras Study Philosophy in Egypt?

https://talesoftimesforgotten.com/2021/02/26/the-debate-about-classics-isnt-what-you-probably-think-it-is/

In this episode I am joined by Dr. Gerrard who brilliantly guides us into the origins and establishment of the Seleucid Kingdom and its armies.

We explore the cavalry of the Seleucid Empire but more importantly we explore its Cataphracts from a variety of topics such as what was the general ethnic makeup of these units? What weapons did the typically fight with? What does archaeology and primary sources tell us about these troops? What would it have been like to fight with and against these mounted soldiers and how were they typically used on these ancient battlefields?

From equipment to the men and their horses we explore a world long since forgotten.  

In this episode Dr. Rebecca Futo Kennedy talks about the Netflix mini series titled "Troy: Fall of a City." The show retells the mythical story of the 10 year siege of Troy, which occurred in the 12 or 13th century BC.

However though a mere spin on historical fiction and mythology the show drew major controversy and backlash due to it casting black actors and actresses as major figures in the story line from Zeus to Achilles.

In this talk Dr. Kennedy goes through the various viewpoints that criticized the show and accused BBC of "Blackwashing" and "Whitewashing" ancient history or more correctly ancient Myths.....

From racists to Albanian nationalists we see a simple prejudiced become more complex as we explore the argument of what is and what was "Greek," the peculiar attempt to frame Achilles as not only a real person but as the foundation of particular cultures and etc.

We also sympathize with many Greeks who feel that their myths and stories are being ripped away and whitewashed by British actors who represent an Empire of the past with a long history of taking the history of others and representing it in a way that better suits the colonizer.

Additional reading ARCHIVE FOR BLACK ACHILLES.

http://pages.vassar.edu/pharos/black-achilles/

Support Dr. Rebecca Futo Kennedy and her awesome work at all of these great sites!

Academia: https://denison.academia.edu/RebeccaKennedy

Blog: https://rfkclassics.blogspot.com/

Buy her books: https://www.amazon.com/kindle-dbs/entity/author/B0024JIKS4

Twitter: https://twitter.com/kataplexis

Why I teach about race and ethnicity in the classical world (article.)

https://eidolon.pub/why-i-teach-about-race-and-ethnicity-in-the-classical-world-ade379722170

In this episode I host Dr. Jeroen W.P. Wijnendaele on a complicated and fascinating subject and that is "Were the Byzantines actually Roman?" Was the Byzantine Empire Greek? Or was it Roman?

We explore the very origins of "Byzantine" and "Byzantium" by starting off in the ancient Greek colony of Byzantium and then we watch as the Roman Empire expands while asking ourselves, what did it mean to be "Roman?"

We take a journey into Byzantine studies and historiography as we ask "why did some in the West call the Eastern Roman Empire the Empire of the Greeks?

Were there political motivations behind the framing of "Byzantine?" And more importantly, how did the Roman citizens in the Eastern Empire view themselves before and after the decline and fall of the Western Roman Empire?

As we journey through history and sources such as Anna Komnene

and her awesome work known as the Alexiad we see an intimate portrait of a complicated subject and that is how the ancient and medieval peoples of the Eastern Roman Empire viewed themselves?

Lastly, we arrive to the last two ultimate questions and that is "Is one term more accurate than the other?" And are there controversies within Byzantine Studies and should it evolve or change?

ACADEMIA PAGE: https://ugent.academia.edu/JeroenWPWijnendaele

TWITTER: https://twitter.com/_Dragases_

Buy his book The Last of the Romans: Bonifatius below!

https://www.amazon.com/Last-Romans-Bonifatius-Warlord-Africae/dp/1474295991/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=Jeroen+W.P.+Wijnendaele&qid=1618426985&sr=8-1

From the Spanish and French valleys of the Western Pyrenees to the Atlantic coast of the Bay of Biscay, the historically isolated Basque people have lived for millennia. 

In this diverse and fertile region, the Basque have retained their unique non-Indo-European language and dialects, Euskara, as well as their own cultural and regional identities. As the surrounding populations of Europe have shifted over the ages again and again, the Basque people remain.

Known today by its inhabitants as Euskadi, País Vasco, or Euskal Herria, the Basque Country has become a region famous for its cuisine and wine of ancient grapes such as Tempranillo, of traditional fishing villages and picturesque cities. Tourism has replaced much of history’s strife. But defining Euskal Herria is as difficult as defining the word Herria itself. In Euskara its root herri can mean everything from village to population to nation. Euskal Herria is the collective identity of this ancient people.

Basque Country has historically comprised of settlements located along the western edge of the Pyrenees, currently organized in seven provinces: Gipuzkoa; Bizkaia; Araba; and Nafarroa on the southern side of the Pyrenees and Zuberoa; Lapurdi; and Nafarroa Beherea on the northern side. Euskara has five main dialects, a non-Indo-European language isolate with no close relationship to any other extant language. Overall, Euskara is spoken by nearly thirty percent, or three-quarters of a million Basques. The vast majority are in the Spanish region. Only seven percent are in the French portion. The French dialects are Navarrese– Lapurdian and Souletin, and the Spanish dialects are Upper Navarrese, Biscayan, and Gipuzkoan. These dialects are sometimes mutually incomprehensible, especially in the case of Souletin. Studies suggest that these dialects branched from a unified Basque language sometime during the Middle Ages and developed according to geographical, cultural, political, and administrative reasons. Although structurally unlike any Indo European language, the official Euskara Batua today contains many loan words from Romance languages --up to 40% of its vocabulary, and a modified Latin script.

The mystery of Euskara’s long linguistic isolation has led to many theories of its origins and possible related languages. Most of these hypotheses are very tenuous, such as Basque-Iberic comparisons based on fragments of extinct variations of Vasconic, Auquitanian, and Iberian tongues, or they are based on coincidence and pseudoscientific speculation, ranging from the popular assertion that the Basques are descended from Old Testament patriarchs to the folk beliefs that Basques are related to the distant Kartvelian populations of Caucasus Georgia to a slightly more plausible relation to the ancient Chechen language, neighbors of the Georgians whose language structure appears closer to Euskara. These models of Dené-Caucasian language families might mean that the Basque and their ancestors originated from the Caucasus. But only the latest genetic studies of modern Basque samples have reached clear conclusions.

In this episode Dr. Kontny guides us into the heart of ancient Central Europe and explores warfare and military customs of various peoples and cultures from the earliest times to the very height of the expansion of the Roman Empire.

From what the sources tell us to the insights given by the advances of modern archaeology we dive into a violent history wrapped in customs and spirituality.

We take you into the very basics from pre battle customs, to what they wore and typically fought with to the more obscure and complex subjects such as ceremonial burials of weapons and the vanquished prisoners in lakes, to multi ethnic groups fighting with and against each other to the presence of women on the Germanic battlefield.

An episode that will thrill the military history buff, ancient history lover and inner archaeologist of us all.

Support Dr. Kontny at these sites below!

https://www.archeologia.uw.edu.pl/en/bartosz-kontny-2/

https://uw.academia.edu/BartoszKontny

https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Bartosz_Kontny

In this presentation Dr. Florin Curta guides us thoroughly and intensely into not just the history of the early Slavs but into the very heart of the origins of the Slavic Peoples themselves.

He draws from archaeology, primary sources, material culture, DNA and so very much more to show the foundations of the Slavic world in the Early Middle Ages.

He explores a variety of issues and topics such as did they have their own origin stories? Was there actually Slavic migrations? Who were the Slavs before they were Slavs? And how did Slavic culture actually spread?

What did outside sources like the Eastern Roman Empire and Western European authors have to say about them?

What made them unique?

How influenced were they by Steppe peoples like the Avars or Sarmatians?

Their religious customs and practices before the eventual Christian conversion.

Lastly we approach the legacies of the medieval Slavs and how we can see that legacy today.

In this journey Catherine Nixey takes us into the early Church and to  the very heart of the Roman Empire.

From fanatical zealots attacking and destroying temples to harsh laws put in place by theocratic officials we see the origin and destruction of not just the classical world, but classical civilization itself.

In Harran, the locals refused to convert. They were dismembered, their limbs hung along the town’s main street. 

In Alexandria, zealots pulled the elderly philosopher-mathematician Hypatia from her chariot and flayed her to death with shards of broken pottery. Not long before, their fellow Christians had invaded the city’s greatest temple, smashing its world-famous statues and destroying all that was left of Alexandria’s Great Library.

Today we refer to Christianity’s conquest of the West as a “triumph.” But this victory entailed an orgy of destruction in which Jesus’s followers attacked and suppressed classical culture, helping to pitch Western civilization into a thousand-year-long decline.

From exploring her work and research to discussing how her work was received we cover a vast array of topics and viewpoints. 

Support our guest at these links below!

Get a copy of her book : https://www.amazon.com/Darkening-Age-Christian-Destruction-Classical/dp/0544800885

Follow her writings: https://muckrack.com/catherine-nixey/articles

Twitter: https://twitter.com/CatherineNixey

Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/The-Darkening-Age-The-Christian-Destruction-of-the-Classical-World-271456116807945

About the author : CATHERINE NIXEY is a journalist and a classicist. Her mother was a nun, her father was a monk, and she was brought up Catholic. She studied classics at Cambridge and taught the subject for several years before becoming a journalist on the arts desk at the Times (UK), where she still works. Author of The Darkening Age, which won the Jerwood Award from the Royal Society of Literature, she lives in London with her husband (the journalist and author Tom Whipple) and their two children.

In this episode the awesome scholar Dr. Andrew Latham guides us into the role of disease and how it defined ancient and medieval history.

We set out in the ancient world exploring pandemics like the Plague of Athens, the Plague of Justinian and the Plague of Cyprian; and as we explore the impacts that these diseases had on city states and empires.

We explore how these diseases caused society and history to evolve from the decline of paganism to the dominance of Christianity in the West and later the expansion of Islam in the East.

Slowly we reach the end of the Western Roman Empire, the survival for the time being of the Eastern Roman Empire and the birth of the "Barbarian" Kingdoms of Europe as we reach the foundations of the Medieval World.

And with a new era comes and equally vicious disease determined to make its mark in our history and that is the Black Death.

We watch as Europe is engulfed in a nightmare of apocalyptic proportions. However, there is a silver lining.

Society had to adapt. And we see the evolution of medieval society and the working class as the chains of feudalism and serfdom are cast to the way side and the foundation of the complex capitalistic world that will create the borders and parameters of our own world.

This is a story of disease. A story of collapse and revival. It is a story of triumph.

It is our story.

 Support Dr. Latham and his work by checking out the links below and if possible support him with your patronage and purchase one or more of his books!

Academia : https://macalester.academia.edu/AndrewLatham

Website: https://andrewlatham.academia.edu/

His career: https://andrewlatham.academia.edu/cv

Get his books here! 

The Holy Lance: 

https://www.amazon.com/Andrew-Latham-ebook/dp/B07DZ4TGR2

In this episode I interview Dr. Jacob Lackner from the awesome history YouTube Channel Nizzahon History on why the Crusades actually happened.

From historiography to heated conversations online we see a variety of narratives pushed that attempt to frame the Crusades in a way that oftentimes creates misconceptions and distortions of historical facts and sources.

Was the Crusades due to unstoppable Islamic expansion?

Were the Crusades unchecked colonial genocide carried out by Europeans?

Why did the Europeans participate in the Crusades?

What were the motives of the Crusaders themselves?

Dr. Lackner briefly and thoroughly takes us into the complicated subject and explains its complexity and leaves you with a far better understanding of the Crusades and those who took part in them.

Support Dr. Lackner and his YouTube Channel below!

YouTube Channel Nizzahon History

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwaA-6D36AiqGPCLtqOoeOQ

Academia Page: https://ou.academia.edu/JacobLackner

Twitter : https://twitter.com/Lackner_J

Minoan Origins | DNA by Dr. Peter Revesz

The Minoan civilization flourished in the Middle Bronze Age on the island of Crete located in the eastern Mediterranean from c. 2000 BCE until c. 1500 BCE. With their unique art and architecture, and the spread of their ideas through contact with other cultures across the Aegean, the Minoans made a significant contribution to the development of Western European civilization as it is known today.

In this episode we go back to a time before civilization. A time of mass migration.

This episode sets out to explore the Minoan Origins from different viewpoints.

Firstly, we explore traditional narratives and especially what they got wrong.

And then we approach Ancient DNA, Art motifs, Vowel harmony, Script similarity, Etymology and finally Translations.

Has Dr. Revesz deciphered Linear A Script and how has his work been accepted?

As we conclude Dr. Revesz believes his data analysis lead to the conclusion that we need to separate the Minoans into two groups: the Early Minoans and the Middle Minoans.(The Late Minoans could be a third group, but there is no archaeogenetic data about them.) Earlier studies have not separated these groups, which have different origins. 

The Early Minoans came from Anatolia, while the Middle Minoans came from the Danube Basin. (Sailing from the Danube Delta to Crete is quite possible via the Bosporus Strait.)

But what are your thoughts? Comment below!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8UJOaRDK5d4

Who were the Anunnaki? From pseudo scientific books to cinema like Ancient Aliens, these mythological figures have claimed a place in the popular imagination but amidst all of the fiction and misinformation we are left wondering who they actually were.

Dr. Miano is here to answer that question as he guides us through the proper context of the Anunnaki, their place in ancient Mesopotamia and the modern fiction that surrounds them. 

Wikipedia Reference Below.

The Anunnaki (also transcribed as Anunaki, Annunaki, Anunna, Ananaki and other variations) are a group of deities who appear in the mythological traditions of the ancient Sumerians, Akkadians, Assyrians and Babylonians.

Descriptions of how many Anunnaki there were and what role they fulfilled are inconsistent and often contradictory. In the earliest Sumerian writings about them, which come from the Post-Akkadian period, the Anunnaki are the most powerful deities in the pantheon, descendants of An and Ki, the god of the heavens and the goddess of earth, and their primary function is to decree the fate of Sumerians.

In Inanna's Descent into the Netherworld, the Anunnaki are portrayed as seven judges who sit before the throne of Ereshkigal in the Underworld. Later Akkadian texts, such as the Epic of Gilgamesh, follow this portrayal. During the Old Babylonian period, the Anunnaki were believed to be the chthonic deities of the Underworld, while the gods of the heavens were known as the Igigi. 

The ancient Hittites identified the Anunnaki as the oldest generation of gods, who had been overthrown and banished to the Underworld by the younger gods. The Anunnaki have featured prominently in modern pseudoarchaeological works, such as the books of Erich von Däniken and Zecharia Sitchin.

Celebrate the birthplace of civilization and get our Sumerian Shirt | Hoodie | Coffee Mug today!

CLOTHES: https://teespring.com/Sumerian-Clothing?pid=212&cid=5818

COFFEE MUGS: https://teespring.com/sumerian-coffee-mug?pid=658&cid=102908

Subscribe to the channel of Dr. Miano at World of Antiquity here:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC64TYItcUS940vNWhQRnJWg

Follow him on Twitter: https://twitter.com/DrDavidMiano

Get his free online book "Why Ancient History Matters" here: https://mailchi.mp/a402112ea4db/why-ancient-history-matters

Academia Profile: https://ucsd.academia.edu/DavidMiano

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/antiquorum

Video Attribution: kristina gaboyan

in 60°C visiting the ziqqurat Chogha Zanbil & The Palace of Susa

The Ancient Middle East Every Year by the awesome Ollie Bye:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oys6EQtpCJk

Check out our new store! https://teespring.com/stores/the-history-shop

Get your Sea Peoples | Late Bronze Age Merch below!

Mugs: https://teespring.com/new-sea-peoples-mediterranean?pid=658&cid=102950

Hoodies | Shirts | Tank Tops: https://teespring.com/get-sea-peoples-mediterranean?pid=212&cid=5819

Get your Hittite Merch below!

Mugs: https://teespring.com/HittiteEmpireMug?pid=658&cid=102950&sid=front

Shirts | Tank Tops | Hoodies: https://teespring.com/hittite-empire-shirt?pid=2&cid=2397

In this episode Dr. Miano guides us through a heated topic that continues to rage on social media and that is which civilization came first?

Was it the Mesopotamian Civilization? Egyptian Civilization? Or the Indus Civilization?

First he asks "What is Civilization? How do we determine a civilization? And then goes on to explain what academia generally defines as civilization.

Once we leave that aspect of the presentation he then discusses all three of these civilizations and explains which one came first and why?

Celebrate the birthplace of civilization and get our Sumerian Shirt | Hoodie | Coffee Mug today!

CLOTHES: https://teespring.com/Sumerian-Clothing?pid=212&cid=5818

COFFEE MUGS: https://teespring.com/sumerian-coffee-mug?pid=658&cid=102908

Subscribe to the channel of Dr. Miano at World of Antiquity here:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC64TYItcUS940vNWhQRnJWg

Follow him on Twitter: https://twitter.com/DrDavidMiano

Get his free online book "Why Ancient History Matters" here: https://mailchi.mp/a402112ea4db/why-ancient-history-matters

Academia Profile: https://ucsd.academia.edu/DavidMiano

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/antiquorum

In this episode Dr. Miano from the World of Antiquity YouTube channel is here to walk us through the subject of Nibiru and its context in ancient Mesopotamian texts and astronomy.

What is it? What does it mean? In this episode we sift through erroneous novices like Zecharia Sitchin and the misinformation and oftentimes lies that they created in order to get to the heart of the truth.

Nibiru (also transliterated Neberu, Nebiru) is a term in the Akkadian language, translating to "crossing" or "point of transition", especially of rivers, i.e. river crossings or ferry-boats. However, the nature of the "crossing" in astronomy has "long been a source of confusion in scholarly and popular opinion".

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nibiru_(Babylonian_astronomy)

How much did THE SUMERIANS know about our SOLAR SYSTEM?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Sch8CYWjtc

Celebrate the birthplace of civilization and get our Sumerian Shirt | Hoodie | Coffee Mug today!

CLOTHES: https://teespring.com/Sumerian-Clothing?pid=212&cid=5818

COFFEE MUGS: https://teespring.com/sumerian-coffee-mug?pid=658&cid=102908

Subscribe to the channel of Dr. Miano at World of Antiquity here:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC64TYItcUS940vNWhQRnJWg

Follow him on Twitter: https://twitter.com/DrDavidMiano

Get his free online book "Why Ancient History Matters" here: https://mailchi.mp/a402112ea4db/why-ancient-history-matters

Academia Profile: https://ucsd.academia.edu/DavidMiano

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/antiquorum

Video Attribution: kristina gaboyan

in 60°C visiting the ziqqurat Chogha Zanbil & The Palace of Susa

The Ancient Middle East Every Year by the awesome Ollie Bye:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oys6EQtpCJk

Check out our new store! https://teespring.com/stores/the-history-shop

Get your Sea Peoples | Late Bronze Age Merch below!

Mugs: https://teespring.com/new-sea-peoples-mediterranean?pid=658&cid=102950

Hoodies | Shirts | Tank Tops: https://teespring.com/get-sea-peoples-mediterranean?pid=212&cid=5819

In this episode Dr. Miano once again takes us into a fascinating and brief exploration soundbite into the very fringes of history and explores one of the most controversial and influential figures in the world of pseudoscience\ pseudoarcheology and that is Zecharia Sitchin.

From discussing his background in business to his lack of expertise on the subjects he discusses such as Sumerology and how that impaired his ability to properly translate the sources such as Sumerian Texts.

From poor and inaccurate translations to wildly spectacular and fictitious claims Sitchin has written a prolific amount of fake histories that when taken literally can be dangerous in distorting the actual facts and encouraging the spread of misinformation.

We end this by discussing how there is nothing wrong with attempting to teach yourself ancient languages and writing scripts but that when able you need to ensure you are doing it accurately and I end it by saying there is nothing wrong with reading fringe history and pseudoscience as long as we remember it isn't trustworthy and should not be taken to seriously. 

Celebrate the birthplace of civilization and get our Sumerian Shirt | Hoodie | Coffee Mug today!

CLOTHES: https://teespring.com/Sumerian-Clothing?pid=212&cid=5818

COFFEE MUGS: https://teespring.com/sumerian-coffee-mug?pid=658&cid=102908

Subscribe to the channel of Dr. Miano at World of Antiquity here:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC64TYItcUS940vNWhQRnJWg

Follow him on Twitter: https://twitter.com/DrDavidMiano

Get his free online book "Why Ancient History Matters" here: https://mailchi.mp/a402112ea4db/why-ancient-history-matters

Academia Profile: https://ucsd.academia.edu/DavidMiano

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/antiquorum

Video Attribution: kristina gaboyan

in 60°C visiting the ziqqurat Chogha Zanbil & The Palace of Susa

The Ancient Middle East Every Year by the awesome Ollie Bye:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oys6EQtpCJk

Check out our new store! https://teespring.com/stores/the-history-shop

Get your Sea Peoples | Late Bronze Age Merch below!

Mugs: https://teespring.com/new-sea-peoples-mediterranean?pid=658&cid=102950

Hoodies | Shirts | Tank Tops: https://teespring.com/get-sea-peoples-mediterranean?pid=212&cid=5819

In this episode Dr. Miano from the YouTube channel "World of Antiquity" in a fun and masterful way guides us through the subject of "Ancient Handbags" that has produced a variety of books, tv episodes and conspiracy theories.

He explains that most of the misconceptions and conspiracy theories surrounding these ancient bags is based on a lack of understanding of ancient art, iconography and the development of human cultures and civilizations.

From discussing Assyrian reliefs, Native American imagery, Mesopotamian mythology, archaeology and so much more we touch on a variety of points in a very short time to clear up the misinformation being spread online by those pursuing pseudoscience and encouraging conspiracy theories.

Check out the Ancient Handbag episodes done by Dr. Miano here: 

Mystery of the Sumerian Handbags SOLVED

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ub3FBLUgxfY

Mystery of the Gobekli Tepe "Handbags"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mjQKvxbLojA

Celebrate the birthplace of civilization and get our Sumerian Shirt | Hoodie | Coffee Mug today!

CLOTHES: https://teespring.com/Sumerian-Clothing?pid=212&cid=5818

COFFEE MUGS: https://teespring.com/sumerian-coffee-mug?pid=658&cid=102908

Subscribe to the channel of Dr. Miano at World of Antiquity here:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC64TYItcUS940vNWhQRnJWg

Follow him on Twitter: https://twitter.com/DrDavidMiano

Get his free online book "Why Ancient History Matters" here: https://mailchi.mp/a402112ea4db/why-ancient-history-matters

Academia Profile: https://ucsd.academia.edu/DavidMiano

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/antiquorum

In this episode Dr. Miano takes us into the very heart of modern pseudoscience and its attempts to appeal to audiences around the world in the form of a show on the History Channel called Ancient Aliens.

This controversial and often fact lacking series constantly twists history and archaeology to fit their narrative and hidden agenda which is to ignore and leave out the achievements and greatness of ancient men \ women and the accomplishments of their cultures and civilizations.

Celebrate the birthplace of civilization and get our Sumerian Shirt | Hoodie | Coffee Mug today!

CLOTHES: https://teespring.com/Sumerian-Clothing?pid=212&cid=5818

COFFEE MUGS: https://teespring.com/sumerian-coffee-mug?pid=658&cid=102908

Subscribe to the channel of Dr. Miano at World of Antiquity here:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC64TYItcUS940vNWhQRnJWg

Follow him on Twitter: https://twitter.com/DrDavidMiano

Get his free online book "Why Ancient History Matters" here: https://mailchi.mp/a402112ea4db/why-ancient-history-matters

Academia Profile: https://ucsd.academia.edu/DavidMiano

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/antiquorum

Video Attribution: kristina gaboyan

in 60°C visiting the ziqqurat Chogha Zanbil & The Palace of Susa

The Ancient Middle East Every Year by the awesome Ollie Bye:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oys6EQtpCJk

Check out our new store! https://teespring.com/stores/the-history-shop

Get your Sea Peoples | Late Bronze Age Merch below!

Mugs: https://teespring.com/new-sea-peoples-mediterranean?pid=658&cid=102950

Hoodies | Shirts | Tank Tops: https://teespring.com/get-sea-peoples-mediterranean?pid=212&cid=5819

Get your Hittite Merch below!

Mugs: https://teespring.com/HittiteEmpireMug?pid=658&cid=102950&sid=front

Shirts | Tank Tops | Hoodies: https://teespring.com/hittite-empire-shirt?pid=2&cid=2397

Trojan War Merch Below!

Mugs: https://teespring.com/trojan-war-coffee-mug?pid=658&cid=102950

Tank Tops | Shirts | Hoodies: https://teespring.com/TrojanWarShirt?pid=2&cid=2397

To support the channel, become a Patron and make history matter!

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/The_Study_of_Antiquity_and_the_Middle_Ages

Donate directly to PayPal: https://paypal.me/NickBarksdale

Enjoy history merchandise? Check out affiliate link to SPQR Emporium!

http://spqr-emporium.com?aff=3

*Disclaimer, the link above is an affiliate link which means we will earn a generous commission from your magnificent purchase, just another way to help out the channel!

Join our community! 

Facebook Page:

https://www.facebook.com/THESTUDYOFANTIQUITYANDTHEMIDDLEAGES/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/NickBarksdale

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/study_of_antiquity_middle_ages/

Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/164050034145170/

In this series Dr. David Miano starts off by briefly discussing the origins of the Ancient Mesopotamians and discusses how a variety of peoples came in over time such as the arrivals of Semitic Speaking peoples, the Hurrians, Sumerians and so many more.

Get you ancient Sea Peoples, Hittite and Trojan shirts, hoodies and coffee mugs today!

https://the-history-shop.myteespring.co/apparel

https://the-history-shop.myteespring.co/mugs

Subscribe to the channel of Dr. Miano at World of Antiquity here:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC64TYItcUS940vNWhQRnJWg

Follow him on Twitter: https://twitter.com/DrDavidMiano

Get his free online book "Why Ancient History Matters" here: https://mailchi.mp/a402112ea4db/why-ancient-history-matters

Academia Profile: https://ucsd.academia.edu/DavidMiano

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/antiquorum

In this episode that kicks off our series on the Roman Emperor Tiberius Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus, we start off by examining the most important aspect of his history and that is historiography.

From what the ancient sources | Roman historians told us to his often unfair treatment by later and modern historians, Dr. Andrew Traver does an excellent job in showing us the man behind the image, the real Claudius in all of his tragedies, ailments and triumphs.  

Support Dr. Traver and his works at these links below!

Academia Page: https://selu.academia.edu/ATraver

Faculty Page: http://www.southeastern.edu/acad_research/depts/hist_ps/faculty/bio/traver.html

Attribution: I, Claudius : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0dvbX8imXnI&t=18s

Early nomads in the Eurasian steppes since the beginning of the 1st millennium BC played a key role in the formation of the cultural and genetic landscape of populations of a significant part of Eurasia, from Eastern Europe to Eastern Central Asia. Numerous archaeological cultures associated with early nomads have been discovered throughout the Eurasian steppe belt. The Tagar archaeological culture existed in the Minusinsk basin (Sayan Mountains, Southern Siberia, Russia) in the northeastern periphery of the Eurasian steppe belt from the 8th to 1st century BC during the pre-Scythian, Scythian, and Early Xiongnu-Sarmatian periods. In this study, we evaluated mtDNA diversity in the Tagar population based on representative series (N = 79) belonging to all chronological stages of the culture. The Tagar population had a mixed mtDNA pool dominated by Western Eurasian haplogroups and subgroups (H, HV6, HV*, I, K, T, U2e, U4, U5a, and U*) and, to a lesser degree, Eastern Eurasian haplogroups (A*, A8, C*, C5, D, G2a, and F1b). The Tagar population showed a similar mtDNA pool structure to those of other Iron Age populations representing the “Scythian World.” We observed particularly high similarity between the Tagar and Classic Scythians from the North Pontic region. Our results support the assumption that genetic components introduced by Bronze Age migrants from Western Eurasia contributed to the formation of the genetic composition of Scythian period populations in Southern Siberia. Another important component of the Tagar mtDNA pool was autochthonous East Eurasian lineages, some of which (A8 and C4a2a) are potential markers of the westward genetic influence of the eastern populations of the Scythian period. Our results suggest a genetic continuity (at least partial) between the Early, Middle, and Late Tagar populations.

Maternal genetic features of the Iron Age Tagar population from Southern Siberia (1st millennium BC)

https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0204062

In this episode Dr. Mary Lefkowitz takes us into the ancient world while discussing modern conflicts to tell us not only who Thucydides was, but why he still matters today?

From stagnated conflicts to strategic withdraws we explore a few of the failed conflicts of modern history and how ancient wisdom still holds many solutions to our problems today.

Support Dr. Lefkowitz and her work below!

Not Out of Africa Book: https://www.amazon.com/Not-Out-Africa-Afrocentrism-Republic/dp/046509838X

Black Athena Revisited: https://www.amazon.com/Black-Athena-Revisited-jossey-Bass-Education/dp/0807845558

Faculty Page: https://www.wellesley.edu/classical/faculty/lefkowitz

In this mini episode recap Egyptologist Dr. Juan Carlos Moreno García guides us into ancient Egypt and its legacy in modern Egypt.

Are there modern struggles that revolve around the legacy of ancient Egypt?

Are there modern political motivations in the study of the ancient Egyptian past?

What are experts like Zahi Hawass doing to encourage Egyptians to be proud of their past? 

And lastly, is the history of ancient Egypt important in being used to establish stronger relationships between Egypt and other modern nations today?

In this mini recap episode I host Egyptologist Dr. Juan Carlos Moreno García on a very fascinating and sometimes controversial topic and that is ancient Egyptian identity, ethnicity and ancient DNA.

We talk about when foreigners become Egyptians, what ancient DNA tells us and more importantly how we should view and treat studies related to ancient DNA with caution in order to not misrepresent or misconstrue findings to encompass entire periods of history and populations.

We also explore a controversial topic and that is are the modern Egyptians direct representations of ancient Egyptians, or has that continuity been interrupted and changed by waves of migrations, inversions and conquests?

In this episode I once again host a channel favorite Mr. Razib Khan on a widely studied subject and that is the Origins of the Indo Europeans and how ancient DNA answers and possibly concludes the question of who were the Indo Europeans and where did they come from?

We start off by discussing what comes to mind when we hear the term "Indo European?" 

Such images like vast language family trees, trilateral religious worship and the chariot may instantly spring to mind and then we look at their legacy?

What lingers on today that is an echo of the peoples we have come to describe as Indo Europeans?

We explore traditional viewpoints based on archaeology and historiography as we examine what historians over the past century thought about these groups and where they thought they had derived from originally?

And finally we come to ancient DNA itself and what studies have shown us about the ancient Indo Europeans, their geography and their neighbors in the wake of expansion, migration, violence and assimilation.

The phrase "history is written by the victor" springs to mind when examining this history and this victory was achieved in many ways as the Indo Europeans spread out and eventually settled as ancient peoples and their world, cultures and languages seem to slowly wash away through time leaving us with in some cases more questions than answers. 

Support Mr. Khan and his awesome work below!

Website: https://razib.substack.com/

Razib Khan: https://www.razib.com/bio/wordpress/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/razibkhan

To my dear subscribers, thank you all. You have my love and appreciation. 

My latest history merch! Sea Peoples meet Late Bronze Age humor! I thought this was pretty amusing.

https://teespring.com/new-sea-peoples-coffee-mug?pid=658&cid=102908

Celebrate the birthplace of civilization and get our Sumerian Shirt | Hoodie | Coffee Mug today!

CLOTHES: https://teespring.com/Sumerian-Clothing?pid=212&cid=5818

COFFEE MUGS: https://teespring.com/sumerian-coffee-mug?pid=658&cid=102908

Check out our new store! https://teespring.com/stores/the-history-shop

Get your Sea Peoples | Late Bronze Age Merch below!

Mugs: https://teespring.com/new-sea-peoples-mediterranean?pid=658&cid=102950

Hoodies | Shirts | Tank Tops: https://teespring.com/get-sea-peoples-mediterranean?pid=212&cid=5819

In this episode we explore the latest and amazing archaeological findings at Stonehenge, the very heart of the British Isles.    

Bronze age graves, Neolithic pottery and the vestiges of a mysterious C-shaped enclosure that might have been a prehistoric industrial area are among the finds unearthed by archaeologists who have carried out preliminary work on the site of the proposed new road tunnel at Stonehenge.  One of the most intriguing discoveries is a unique shale object that could have been part of a staff or club found in a 4,000-year-old grave. Nearby is the resting spot of a baby buried with a small, plain beaker.  

Ditches that flank the C-shaped enclosure contain burnt flint, suggesting a process such as metal or leatherworking was carried out there thousands of years ago.  Just south of the site of the Stonehenge visitor center, archaeologists came upon Neolithic grooved ware pottery possibly left there by the people who built the stone circle or visited it.  

We end this episode by discussing the controversial tunnel being built close to Stonehenge and the impact and destruction that it can have on archaeology, artifacts and our history.   

To my dear subscribers, thank you all. You have my love and appreciation.   

My latest history merch! Sea Peoples meet Late Bronze Age humor! I thought this was pretty amusing.  https://teespring.com/new-sea-peoples-coffee-mug?pid=658&cid=102908 

Support the channel below! Celebrate the birthplace of civilization and get our Sumerian Shirt | Hoodie | Coffee Mug today! CLOTHES: https://teespring.com/Sumerian-Clothing?pid=212&cid=5818  

COFFEE MUGS: https://teespring.com/sumerian-coffee-mug?pid=658&cid=102908 

Check out our new store! https://teespring.com/stores/the-history-shop Get your Sea Peoples | Late Bronze Age Merch below!  Mugs: https://teespring.com/new-sea-peoples-mediterranean?pid=658&cid=102950 

Hoodies | Shirts | Tank Tops: https://teespring.com/get-sea-peoples-mediterranean?pid=212&cid=5819   

Get your Hittite Merch below!  

Mugs: https://teespring.com/HittiteEmpireMug?pid=658&cid=102950&sid=front 

Shirts | Tank Tops | Hoodies: https://teespring.com/hittite-empire-shirt?pid=2&cid=2397   

Trojan War Merch Below!  Mugs: https://teespring.com/trojan-war-coffee-mug?pid=658&cid=102950 

Tank Tops | Shirts | Hoodies: https://teespring.com/TrojanWarShirt?pid=2&cid=2397 

To support the channel, become a Patron and make history matter!  Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/The_Study_of_Antiquity_and_the_Middle_Ages 

Donate directly to PayPal: https://paypal.me/NickBarksdale 

Enjoy history merchandise? 

Check out affiliate link to SPQR Emporium! http://spqr-emporium.com?aff=3 

*Disclaimer, the link above is an affiliate link which means we will earn a generous commission from your magnificent purchase, just another way to help out the channel!  

Article Attribution: https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2021/feb/04/archaeologist-unearth-bronze-age-graves-stonehenge-a303-tunnel-site?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other 

Music Attribution:  Kevin MacLeod | Kevin MacLeod [Official] - Hidden Past - incompetech.com https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wnmWG3NUgbQ&t=0s

In this lecture by Dr. Jacob Lackner we are taken into the very heart of violence, martyrdom and intolerance within Medieval Europe.  

We explore Christian and Jewish reactions to forced conversion and baptism with the sword as we enter into a controversial subject that split the church and society of the Medieval world.  

From seeing different stances within the church and the head of the papacy to watching as Christians attempt to defend their Jewish neighbors from radical crusaders an intense and bitter image develops as we watch an older society attempt to discover what it believes about a minority within that society.  

What I found most interesting is that in this world of child abduction, forced conversion, mass murder and martyrdom we watch as the Jewish faith evolves into three forms of martyrdom which will include those who go humbly to the slaughter, suicides often including entire families who rather than being forced to convert to what they viewed as idolatry chose to die righteously and finally we come to my personal favorite and that is the Jewish Martyrs who decided to make a stand and meet violence with violence, armor with armor and sword with sword.  

From powerful stories to tragedy and triumph, once again the superb Dr. Lackner makes the already complicated medieval world even more complicated.  

In this episode I pose a controversial question that I constantly see online to Dr. Louise Hitchcock and that is "did ancient Egypt provide the foundation of Minoan Civilization?"

She points out this theory derives primarily from Black Athena and that Bernal believed that the ancient Egyptians conquered Crete and how and why he was wrong.

 She goes on to say that there was contact and influence between ancient Egypt and the Minoans but that they were in fact different peoples and cultures who interacted with each other.

Celebrate the birthplace of civilization and get our Sumerian Shirt | Hoodie | Coffee Mug today!

CLOTHES: https://teespring.com/Sumerian-Clothing?pid=212&cid=5818

COFFEE MUGS: https://teespring.com/sumerian-coffee-mug?pid=658&cid=102908

Check out our new store! https://teespring.com/stores/the-history-shop

Get your Sea Peoples | Late Bronze Age Merch below!

Mugs: https://teespring.com/new-sea-peoples-mediterranean?pid=658&cid=102950

Hoodies | Shirts | Tank Tops: https://teespring.com/get-sea-peoples-mediterranean?pid=212&cid=5819

Get your Hittite Merch below!

Mugs: https://teespring.com/HittiteEmpireMug?pid=658&cid=102950&sid=front

Shirts | Tank Tops | Hoodies: https://teespring.com/hittite-empire-shirt?pid=2&cid=2397

Trojan War Merch Below!

Mugs: https://teespring.com/trojan-war-coffee-mug?pid=658&cid=102950

Tank Tops | Shirts | Hoodies: https://teespring.com/TrojanWarShirt?pid=2&cid=2397

Donate directly to PayPal: https://paypal.me/NickBarksdale

Check out the awesome work of Dr. Hitchcock at these links below!

Academia profile where you can access her work that is free to the public. https://unimelb.academia.edu/LouiseHitchcock

Get her books here!

Aegean Art and Architecture:

https://global.oup.com/ukhe/product/aegean-art-and-architecture-9780192842084?cc=au&lang=en&

Minoan Architecture: A Contextual Analysis:

http://www.astromeditions.com/books/book/?artno=PB155

Theory for Classics:

https://www.routledge.com/Theory-for-Classics-A-Students-Guide-1st-Edition/Hitchcock/p/book/9780203932919

DAIS: The Aegean Feast

https://www.peeters-leuven.be/detail.php?search_key=9789042924277&series_number_str=29

Follow her on Twitter : https://twitter.com/ashlarblocks

To support the channel, become a patron and make history matter! 

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/the_study_of_antiquity_and_the_middle_ages 

Facebook :

https://www.facebook.com/thestudyofantiquityandthemiddleages/ 

twitter: https://twitter.com/nickbarksdale 

instagram: https://www.instagram.com/study_of_antiquity_middle_ages/ 

facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/164050034145170/ 

Attribution:

Music is by Pawl.D Beats

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQTzTYM6-58Ef0Igkg3DJFw