Author: Jan Huisman
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Charlemagne was indeed large for its age: 1.84 meters.
The bones of the former emperor of the Franks and the Holy Roman Empire, Charlemagne or Charles the Great, proof that the ‘founder of Europe’ was a large man. Contemporary sources already mentioned that Charles the Great, who died 1200 years ago on the 28th of january 814 was extraordanary large for his day. His…
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Why ‘War Generation’ is strongly criticized in America
In Germany, the historical drama ‘Unsere Mütter, Unsere Väter’ was a great success. Now, the mini-series is running in America under the title ‘Generation War’ and receives little understanding. The series recently started in American cinema’s but is branded already as ‘five hours of self-pity’ by many critics. It may seem hardly surprising that when a film aims to understand the young soldiers of the German Wehrmacht, it meets little openness…
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Noah’s Ark was in fact a round vessel: a giant coracle
Our concept of a ship usually is that of an oval shape with a pointed bow. Noah’s Ark, the vessel that saved all living species from a massive flood (according to the Old Testament) may well have had a different shape. A recently deciphered 4000 year old clay tablet from Mesopotamia bears an inscription that’s…
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Shipwreck might rewrite New Zealand’s history
A shipwreck found in 1982 in Kaipara Harbour, near Auckland, might rewrite the history of European settlement of New Zealand. Carbon dating of the wooden ship which was only completed recently shows that the ship was built around 1705. Since the kind of wood used for the vessel would last no longer than 50 years,…
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Archaeologists unveil gaming culture of 7th century Anglo-Saxons
An extremely rare gaming piece is dug up at an early medieval royal complex at Lyminge, Kent. The piece was used for a game that’s similar to backgammon. Archaeologists discovered the piece in what was probably it’s original ‘gaming setting’, namely an Anglo-Saxon royal hall. Anglo-Saxons loved games. Their strong gaming tradition is reflected in…
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Designer of legendary Kalashnikov-rifle deceased today at 94
The AK-47 rifle is famous for its use in the Russian army and later as a weapon of choice for terrorist and freedom fighters alike. In many third world countries, the gun has become a symbol for rebel fighters. It is the only weapon that’s depicted on a country flag (Mozambique). The weapon is the…
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The historical precedent for America’s fast food strikes
Thousands of American fast-food and retail-workers striked last week, in protest of their extremely low wages. These strikes have a historical precedent. In modern history, Americans thought that waiters and waitresses just couldn’t be organized in a worker-union. These unskilled workers weren’t allowed to join larger labor movements, in spite of their poor working conditions.…