Evergreen is the Mistletoe
Mistletoe symbolizes peace, love, and protection across cultures. The Greeks, Norse, and Celts regarded it as sacred, associated with fertility and healing, and gathered it for its magical properties during the winter solstice. Today, it’s a cherished Christmas tradition, representing reconciliation and love, especially when couples kiss beneath it. Its significance in holiday celebrations underscores its importance through generations.
The Eyes on the Waves
Ghosts in Ancient Buddhist Asia
Ancient Ghosts of the Fertile Crescent
What is the oldest ghost story you've ever heard of, not the first one you've ever heard, but the most ancient?
Ghost stories always seem to follow the same needs: peaceful death and a proper burial.
The Bust of the Beautiful Woman
All the Chimaera
“The Rosetta Stone”: Can Material Culture be Read?
The Roots of the Laurel Crown
Are we trying too hard to celebrate victory in wholesome terms? Do we overlook the shadows cast by our cherished symbols? The story of the laurel crown challenges us to reflect on the deeper meanings behind the art we embrace.
Scandinavian *itchy Women
The medieval prejudice against women in Scandinavia. Not just ridicule from cruel and dangerous rumors, but torture and murders from the real witch hunts.
Welcome to Jurassic Art
How are bestiaries connected to paleoart? Magic to prehistory? The real question is, how are they not? Find out how explanations about life… finds a way.
Senet: The Game of Passing
The Ballgame
Fish Lab
A lab assignment on a few of the Big 5 bones of the fish skull, examining multiple species.
Death of Coyolxāuhqui
The mixed-up and conflicting stories about a Nahua (Aztec) goddess of the moon, Coyolxauhqui. Explore the symbols used in the monolith and the resonance with the enduring cultural reasoning of a nickname for her.
Pileus, Phrygian, Witch’s Hat - Moving to Freedom
Explore the evolving history of the shape and meaning of the Pileus and Phrygian cap. If there was an evolutionary tree of hats, can we trace the witch's hat back to the ancient world? Follow me while I take a detour down a widing road of freedom and cultural acceptance.
The Resurrection of Pakal
How would you want to be remembered? One of Palenque’s great kings chose to be immortalized as a young god being reborn into the afterlife. What does it all mean? Let’s examine the history behind Pakal’s coffin lid.
