Ur is a prominent city-state in ancient Mesopotamia. Founded c. 3800 BCE, Ur is a coastal city on the Persian Gulf. It slowly moves...

Ninshubur is the sukkal of Inanna (Ishtar) in ancient Mesopotamia. Divine vizier and problem-fixer, goddess Ninshubur is worshipped in...

The Indus River Valley Civilization emerges around 3300 BCE in what is now Pakistan and northwest India. From advanced urban planning to...

The Yellow River is known as the cradle of Chinese civilization. The ancient cultures, tradition and innovation gives a captivating look...

Acetic acid (CH3COOH), or ethanoic acid, is an organic compound with a long history in food, health, science and other applications. This...

Cobalt is a silvery grey metal used across various fields, including science, medicine, and industry. It receives its name from the...

Pyrometallurgy is the high-temperature processing of ores to extract and refine metals. It uses alchemical processes in a modern...

Copper (Cu) and its warm golden red hue is part of humanity. It's one of the most important metals of alchemy , aids plant health and is...

The Indus Valley Civilization of the Bronze Age is one of the earliest urban societies, famous for trade, inventiveness and extraordinary...

Antimony (Sb) from the ore stibnite, is one of the elements known by the ancients, a primary source of black powder kajal or kohl. With...

Testing metals is a precise and varied process in the ancient world. It's a crucial skill in ensuring fair trade and preventing fraud....

Smelting, the art of extracting metal from its ore through heating and extraction, has been a part of human civilization since c. 6000...

Rust is a complex chemical reaction from the interaction of iron, oxygen, and moisture. This common phenomenon produces striking colors...

Alchemy has a lifelong relationship with the magic of metals and their multiple manifestations. Metal workers and later blacksmiths...

Zosimos of Panopolis or Zosimus Alchemista (Zosimus the Alchemist) is a Greek alchemist and Gnostic mystic. Born near today's Akhmim in...

The mining industry of Cyprus dates back to c. 4000 BCE, primarily focused on copper extraction. Cyprus derives its name from Kúpros, the...

Thrace, in the area of today's Bulgaria, has a cosmology going back thousands of years. Tribal mythology shares a Great Goddess and Storm...

Thrace is an ancient region of Bulgaria bordering the Black Sea. In Neolithic and Chalcolithic times the seaport Varna and salt center...

The Vistula River is among the most important rivers of Europe. From its source in the Carpathian Mountains, the river travels north to...

Electrum is a natural alloy of silver and gold . In the ancient world, electrum is a metal of superior value due to its hardness and...