Ancient History
Lost civilizations, forgotten empires, and the archaeological discoveries that rewrite what we thought we knew about the past.
125 articlesLatest Ancient History

Temporary Solutions That Never Went Away
From income tax to the Korean War armistice, discover how history's "temporary" emergency measures became permanent fixtures of law, politics, and society.

Archaeologists Just Found 1,000 Roman Artefacts in a Swiss Lake
Over 1,000 Roman artifacts were discovered in Lake Neuchâtel, Switzerland, including pottery, swords, and a chariot—revealing a military cargo ship that sank nearly 2,000 years ago.

Archaeological "Discoveries"...That Were All Lies.
From the Newport Tower's Viking myths to Oak Island's endless treasure hunt, explore five archaeological "discoveries" that captured global attention only to disappoint when the truth emerged.

Discoveries That Proved Historians Wrong About the Persian Empire
Archaeological evidence and modern scholarship reveal how Greek propaganda distorted our understanding of the Achaemenid Persian Empire's governance, military, women's rights, and eventual fall.

The Discoveries That Proved Everything Wrong About the Vikings
Archaeological discoveries have shattered our stereotypes about Vikings. From female warriors and advanced legal systems to global trade networks and surprising cleanliness, the real Norse people were far more complex than legend suggests.

The Insane City Located Beneath Beijing...
Discover Dixia Cheng, the massive underground city built beneath Beijing during the Cold War to shelter millions from Soviet nuclear attack, and its strange afterlife as housing for China's poor.
SideProjects Insider
The weekly dispatch for curious builders — what gets made, what goes wrong, and what to try next.
Builders, tinkerers, and curious minds subscribed
- Weekly dispatch
- Lesser-known tales and side narratives
- The stories behind the bigger stories
- Behind-the-scenes notes from Simon
More in Ancient History

The Most Mysterious Ancient Technologies Lost to Time
Explore ancient technologies like Greek fire, flexible glass, Damascus steel, and the panjagān that were lost to time despite modern scientific advancement.

The Most Bizarre Coincidences in History - Fate or Chance?
Explore history's most astonishing coincidences, from Tsutomu Yamaguchi surviving both atomic bombs to the sandwich that sparked World War I. Fate or chance?

The Antikythera Mechanism: The Incredible Ancient Greek Computer #shorts
Discover the shocking 1901 discovery of the Antikythera mechanism, an ancient Greek analog computer with 40+ gears that calculated celestial positions 1,500 years before its time.

History's Most Incredible One-Man Armies
Discover four of history's most incredible one-man armies, from Alvin York's World War I heroics to Dipprasad Pun's modern-day stand against the Taliban.

Worlds Most Famous Secret Bases
Explore the world's most famous secret military bases, from Area 51 and Kapustin Yar to Pine Gap and Mount Weather. Discover what governments tried to hide.

The Worlds Oldest Buildings That Are Still in Use
Discover five ancient structures still in use after thousands of years, from the 2,000-year-old Tower of Hercules to 9,000-year-old cave dwellings in Matera, Italy.

