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

History's Worst Archaeologists.
Discover how early archaeologists like Heinrich Schliemann, Arthur Evans, and Lord Elgin used dynamite, concrete, and brute force to destroy the very history they claimed to preserve.

Most Disastrous Speeches of All time.
Explore history's most catastrophic speeches, from Gerald Ratner destroying his jewelry empire to Neville Chamberlain's "peace for our time" and beyond.

The 5 Most Devastating Days in Human History
From the 1976 Tangshan earthquake to the 2004 Boxing Day tsunami, explore five of the most catastrophic 24-hour periods in human history and the lessons learned from each tragedy.

History's Deadliest Manmade Disasters...
Explore the deadliest manmade disasters in history, from the Bhopal gas tragedy and Banqiao Dam failure to the Porto bridge collapse and MV Doña Paz ferry sinking.

Historical Artefacts We Still Haven't Found
Discover seven historical artifacts whose locations remain a mystery, from the world's first feature film to the legendary Honjo Masamune sword.

7 Lost Cities That Were Never Lost
Explore seven ancient cities like Machu Picchu, Petra, and Great Zimbabwe that were never truly lost—locals knew about them all along while outsiders claimed the credit.

