Oseberg Viking Ship

834 Norway - two women were buried in a Viking ship. In 2008 the “Oseberg ship” was excavated. One skeleton indicated the woman led a hard life. The second revealed a woman between 70 and 80 who had cancerous tumors in her bones which may have spread from breast or uterine cancer.

Olympic Games reinstated on April 6, 1896

On April 6, 1896, the Olympic Games, a long-lost tradition of ancient Greece, were reborn in Athens 1,500 years after being banned by Roman Emperor Theodosius I.

The first recorded Olympic Games were held at Olympia in the Greek city-state of Elis in 776 B.C., but it is generally accepted that the Olympics were at least 500 years old at that time. The ancient Olympics, held every four years, occurred during a religious festival honoring the Greek god Zeus. In the eighth century B.C., contestants came from a dozen or more Greek cities, and by the fifth century B.C. from as many as 100 cities throughout the Greek empire. Initially, Olympic competition was limited to foot races, but later a number of other events were added, including wrestling, boxing, horse and chariot racing, and military competitions. The pentathlon, introduced in 708 B.C., consisted of a foot race, the long jump, discus and javelin throws, and wrestling. With the rise of Rome, the Olympics declined, and in 393 A.D. the Roman Emperor Theodosius I, a Christian, abolished the Games as part of his efforts to suppress paganism in the Roman Empire.

Steven Novak's "Forts: Fathers and Sons"

"The Briton and Dane's" talented illustrator's book, "Forts: Fathers and Sons" is now available on Amazon.com

Ancient Quotes

Julius Caesar 100 - 44 BC

I came, I saw, I conquered
The die is cast
You too Brutus
I would rather be first in a little Iberian village than second in Rome
Men freely believe that which they desire.

Food choices of the Anglo-Saxon era

History Trivia: Food choices of the Anglo-Saxon era: Barley, Oats, Rye, Wheat; Cabbage, Carrots, Leeks, Legumes, Onions; Coriander, Dill, Opium, Poppy, Thyme, Summer savory; Apples, Berries, Cherries, Honey, Nuts, Plums, Sloes; Ale, Mead, Wine; Cattle, Ducks, Fish, Geese, Hens, Herons, Pigs, Wild Boar

Ancient Quotes

“If tones cannot be remembered by man in his memory they will vanish because they cannot be written down."
Bishop Isidorus, a 7th century theologian of Seville, writing about music

Abbey of Bury St. Edmunds

History Trivia: The Abbey of Bury St. Edmunds was founded in the 6th century by the King of the East Angles. Its place in history was secured in 1214 when the barons met to propose the Charter of Liberties, known as Magna Carta and signed by King John in 1215.