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Cultural Practices
More than 1,000 years ago, Mesoamerican societies conducted one of history's most interesting experiments in commodity money.
Million Stories
Modernism has lasted longer than any art movement since the Renaissance.
If you don't mourn in North Korea, you risk being executed.
An interview with filmmaker Jason Sussberg about his new film about Stewart Brand and the importance of culture in achieving progress.
"Spanish Stonehenge" contains 526 giant stones, three circular burial sites, a quarry, and four necropolises.
The “first-of-its-kind” archeological find is being reburied despite the fact that researchers haven’t finished studying it.
Queen Elizabeth II has died. How is this loss different from that of a loved one?
Mesopotamian beer was not flavored with hops, and it was probably on the thick, porridgey side.
More than mindless bloodshed, the gladiatorial games were organized sports. Gladiators were treated as world-class athletes, receiving superior diets and medical care.
While becoming a monk is an evolutionary dead end for the individual, celibacy reaps benefits for the group as a whole.
This is a great improvement over the typical brew time of 12 to 18 hours.
In a nod to its addictive qualities, it was first dubbed “Some More.”
Ideas often taken for granted in the United States and Europe about what it means to be a person are, quite simply, not shared with other cultures.
4mins
Rituals come as much from religion as they do from the way Earth spins around the Sun.
Symbolic gestures often speak to our psyche in ways no rational action could ever speak to our intellect.
The weird and wild ways mummy fever swept through Europe.
Unlike other world rulers, Genghis Khan was laid to rest not inside an elaborate mausoleum but an unmarked grave somewhere in Mongolia. Maybe.
The ancient Maya enjoyed filling their teeth with gemstones. A new study reveals how the procedure was done and how it didn't kill them.
In New Zealand, ambitious Kiwis want to launch a lawn mowing business; in South Africa, it's cooking gas refills. Start-up dreams vary widely.
Human sacrifice appears to be as old as humanity itself. Still, experts disagree on how and where the practice first originated.
Paintings played an important role in these ancient civilizations. Unfortunately, pigment is not nearly as durable as marble.
The Mayan calendar is revered for its impeccable accuracy. Now, a recent excavation in Guatemala reveals how the system developed over time.
Contrary to popular belief, it’s not to mark Mexican independence.
Research shows that octopuses are sentient, emotional creatures.
The underground burial tombs were used at least as far back as 2500 B.C.
The Assam stone jars were described as early as 1929. Almost a century later, archaeologists still puzzle over their placement and purpose.
Most cities reeked of death, defecation, and industrial waste. Still, focusing only on stench means turning a blind eye (or nose) to the many other smells that helped shape human history.
From Brahms to Tchaikovsky, here's a curated list of composers whose music has shaped the classical canon.
Far from being inappropriate, many of the most controversial acceptance speeches highlighted important issues in the film industry.
In the shadow of the Shard, the mosaics help paint a picture of Roman London.