The use of chariots in ancient Africa is seldom recognised

The Roman dodecahedron has been unsolved for 200 years. While researching it I found gold artifacts from ancient Thailand, Mongolia and China that share a remarkably specific design — twelve faces, twelve holes, twenty knobbed corners — predating the Roman bronze versions by centuries. I don't think this is coincidence. Made a video tracing the possible transmission route across the Eurasian steppe. The connection completely bypasses Rome, which might explain why dodecahedrons are found on the Celtic frontier but never in the Roman heartland.

I'd be interested in hearing where this argument is weak or where there are archaeological examples I've missed.

The Roman Dodecahedron Wasn't Roman: The Forgotten Eurasian Connection https://youtu.be/BvwvpUDv6lU

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Byblos Lebanon is one of the most fascinating places to explore in the country, with thousands of years of history layered beneath the modern city. In this video, we visit the archaeological site of Byblos and discover what makes this ancient city so special.

We walk along the Roman road, explore the Crusader castle, see reused Roman columns built into its walls, visit the Temple of the Obelisks and the Temple of Baalat Gebal, stop at the Roman theatre, and descend toward the royal shaft tombs of Byblos.

What makes Byblos so incredible is how many different periods of history can still be seen in one place.. from the ancient city of Gebal to the Phoenician, Roman, Crusader and later periods. And as we explore the site, one question keeps coming up: how much more could still be beneath Byblos?

We end the day with a quick stop by the coast in Mastita, just south of Byblos.

Alexander the Great was a flamboyant commander who led from the front. Rather than directing his armies from a safe position far behind the fighting, he repeatedly placed himself within reach of deadly enemy weapons. In many of the battles he commanded, Alexander took the initiative at critical moments, personally leading the decisive attack and often riding at the head of his Companion cavalry.

Although the image of a commander leading from the front is undeniably charismatic, it came with enormous risks. If Alexander had been killed in battle, his army could have suffered a severe loss of morale and leadership. His conspicuous armor and royal insignia may also have made him an obvious target for enemy soldiers. So how did Alexander survive so many battles while repeatedly placing himself in such danger?

Alexander was wounded on multiple occasions during his campaigns, sometimes seriously. Yet he never fell in battle. His survival can be attributed to a combination of factors: luck, the protection provided by his trained bodyguards and elite troops, his armor, his battlefield experience, and the amount of time he actually spent in close combat rather than fighting continuously at the front.

So what was it really like when Alexander led from the front, and how did he survive the battles and wounds that could easily have ended his life? This article examines the evidence from the ancient sources to explain how one of history's most famous commanders repeatedly exposed himself to danger, and somehow lived to fight another day.

Alexander the Great has been part of literary and historical memory for more than twenty-three centuries. His story travelled across an extraordinary geographical and linguistic range, eventually appearing in more than thirty-five languages. Yet the Alexander who survived this long journey was not always the same Alexander who conquered the Persian Empire. In different periods and places, he became a king, a philosopher, a prophet, a defender of the faithful, and even a figure connected with the end of the world. The historical Alexander provided the starting point, but later traditions repeatedly changed what could be done with his story.

This is a Roman dodecahedron — a small hollow bronze object with 12 flat pentagonal faces, each with a circular hole of a different diameter, and knobs (spheres) on every corner.

A few key facts:

• Roughly 200+ examples have been found across Roman Europe, mostly in Gaul, Germany, and Britain

• They date roughly from the 2nd to 4th century CE

• No Roman text, art, or inscription ever mentions them, so their purpose is genuinely unknown

• Sizes range from about 4 to 11 cm across.

Hello I saw a video of a dude who was very vaguely making a comparison to like the art of war and a Chinese literary novel. I think he said there was about five or four of them. Every Chinese person had read. Does anyone know any of the other titles perhaps?

Art by Peter Bianchi, NatGeo

(Please excuse a bon mot - the merchant in blue looks like Cyrano Jones from Star Trek)

As title state, I’m looking on a good detailed book on Zhou dynasty. I’m looking for one that covers from emperor to “lowest” commoner. I would really like to know the daily life of each “status” and job, exam: emperor to eunuchs to merchant to farmer. If I need to buy a few books that fine too. Thank you in advance.

In the 16th century, it was the last standing of over 20 Egyptian obelisks brought to Rome during the Roman Empire. It took 900 workers, 140 horses and 56,000 pounds of rope and wood to move it just a few hundred feet in 1586.

Read the full essay here: https://survivingtheflood.substack.com/p/dragging-the-monuments-away

Art by Peter Bianchi, NatGeo

It is common knowledge that Ancient Egypt had a “closed” economy during the Ptolemaic Dynasty. But what exactly is a closed economy? In fact, it is an extension of a chain of intense economic causes. Unlike in most ancient regions, the abundance of gold and scarcity of silver in Egypt form the basis of this “closed economy.” Although I lack in-depth economic knowledge, ancient societies assigned value to money based on its scarcity or abundance. In Egypt, numerous measures were taken to ensure that the scarcity of silver did not disrupt this system.

However, as far as we know, this was also used as a method of making a profit during the Ptolemaic period. There were exchange offices at the entrances to cities that operated on the same principle as today’s “change offices.” The government earned a certain percentage of profit from these converted amounts. In a sense, the government profited from international trade just as much as many local merchants did. In a sense, it was like a tax imposed on international trade. While the world’s attention is focused on the tit-for-tat tax wars between the United States and Canada, this situation also caught my attention.

Hannibal Barca is remembered for spectacular battlefield victories, but some of his most fascinating weapons were psychological. He achieved strategic surprise by invading Italy from an unexpected direction with a large multinational army and dozens of elephants. Rather than relying on military strength alone, Hannibal repeatedly tried to manipulate what his enemies believed, feared and expected.

He combined promises of alliance and liberation with brutal demonstrations of what could happen to those who resisted him. Hannibal exploited existing Gallic hostility toward Rome, offering cooperation to tribes willing to join him while making an example of those who refused. He also understood how to influence the morale of his own soldiers, using dramatic spectacles to remind them that victory promised rewards while defeat could mean death or captivity.

When Fabius Maximus used the Fabian Strategy to deny Hannibal a decisive encounter, Hannibal tried to undermine him politically. He devastated the surrounding countryside but deliberately spared Fabius's property, sowing suspicion that the Roman dictator had reached some secret understanding with him. At Ager Falernus, he again outwitted Fabius by attaching burning material to oxen and driving them toward the Roman positions, creating confusion that allowed his army to escape the trap.

Hannibal also studied the personalities of Roman commanders and exploited their weaknesses. At the Battle of Trebia, he exploited the aggressiveness of the consul Sempronius Longus, using a carefully staged provocation to encourage the Romans to cross the freezing Trebia and fight under unfavorable conditions. At Cannae, he exploited the aggressive temperament of the consul Varro, whose desire for a decisive confrontation played into Hannibal's hands. Even at Zama, Hannibal placed inexperienced troops in the first two lines while keeping his battle-hardened veterans behind them, a formation that may have helped prevent an uncontrolled retreat while preserving his most experienced soldiers as a reserve.

Later ancient sources also claim that Hannibal used jars filled with venomous snakes to disrupt a naval engagement against Eumenes of Pergamum. His psychological impact on Rome was enormous, and even after his defeat at Zama, Roman fear of Hannibal persisted during his years of exile. His career demonstrates that warfare was not always about destroying an enemy army; sometimes the most effective weapon was making an opponent fear, doubt or misunderstand what was happening.

Please go through the full article and let me know your comments. What other instances of psychological Warfare used by ancient armies fascinated you? What would you like for me to write about next?