Urash (Uraš) is an ancient Mesopotamian earth goddess and wife of Anu , sky god and oldest deity. Anu has two other consorts, different...

Aruru is a goddess of vegetation with a nasty yen for violence. Her major cult centers are Sumerian sites Adab (Bismaya), Kesh and...

Dumuzi and Geshtinanna are brother and sister deities in Mesopotamia. Dumuzi, a god of shepherds and fertility, is consort of Inanna ....

Nigella sativa or kalonji is a blackseed plant with healing properties. Use in cooking and folk medicine is documented by the 2nd...

In ancient Egypt, every year starts anew with the Arrival of Hapi, or the Flooding of the Nile. It's a joyful occasion marked by...

The flooding of the Nile comes at the rise of the Dog Star Sirius . Festivals abound and people create agriculture calendars around it....

Nabu is the inventor of writing in Mesopotamian mythology. Patron of scribes, wisdom and literacy, the God Nabu goes back to Sumer in 3rd...

Goddess Queen Ereshkigal rules the Underworld of ancient Mesopotamia. She holds court among grim ghosts, gods and demons. Active from c....

The Yamnaya or Yamna people occupy the Ponti-Caspian Steppe about 3300 BCE, with a tribal origin going back to Neolithic times. In the...

Phosphorus is the first element not known since ancient times. This glowing substance is discovered by German alchemist Hennig Brand in...

Liber is an ancient Roman wine god whose feast Liberalia is celebrated March 17. He predates Bacchus; early historians see Liber as a...

Tannenbaum is often equated with Christmas tree. Fir is best for the holidays. Its branches have flat soft foliage, it's easy to hang...

A symbol of strength and virility, the Bull appears i n ancient art and architecture. Blood sacrifice of bulls and oxen usually involves...

Amanita muscaria , fly agaric or fly amanita is the most widely recognized of the psychoactive plants and fungi. The use, folklore and...

Cultivation of apples goes back to the Middle Stone Age in central Asia. The wild ancestor of today's apples still grows in the region....