🔥 Today is the International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples!
☀️ A wide photo of the ancient Uluru sandstone rock formation located in Central Australia (the Northern Territory).
Uluru is home to many ancient tribes of Indigenous Australians that have inhabited the area for nearly 30,000 years and still do to this day. Uluru is also a very sacred site, housing a plethora of ancient petroglyphs and rock art. Photo by Angelo Giordano.
🪨 Pictographs known as Wandjina in the Wunnumurra Gorge, Barnett River, Kimberley, Western Australia. Photo by Graeme Churchard.
@world_history
☀️ A wide photo of the ancient Uluru sandstone rock formation located in Central Australia (the Northern Territory).
Uluru is home to many ancient tribes of Indigenous Australians that have inhabited the area for nearly 30,000 years and still do to this day. Uluru is also a very sacred site, housing a plethora of ancient petroglyphs and rock art. Photo by Angelo Giordano.
🪨 Pictographs known as Wandjina in the Wunnumurra Gorge, Barnett River, Kimberley, Western Australia. Photo by Graeme Churchard.
@world_history
❤8
👑 On this day in 30 BCE: Cleopatra VII poisons herself with the bite of a snake (traditionally an asp, though most scholars today believe it was an Egyptian cobra).
Cleopatra VII (l. c. 69-30 BCE, r. 51-30 BCE) was the last ruler of Egypt before it was annexed as a province of Rome. Although arguably the most famous Egyptian queen, Cleopatra was actually Greek and a member of the Ptolemaic Dynasty (323-30 BCE), which ruled Egypt after the death of Alexander the Great (l. 356-323 BCE).
Cleopatra was fluent in a number of languages, is reported to have been extremely charming, and was an effective diplomat and administrator. Her involvement with both Caesar and Mark Antony came about after she had already successfully ruled and steered Egypt through a difficult period.
@world_history
Cleopatra VII (l. c. 69-30 BCE, r. 51-30 BCE) was the last ruler of Egypt before it was annexed as a province of Rome. Although arguably the most famous Egyptian queen, Cleopatra was actually Greek and a member of the Ptolemaic Dynasty (323-30 BCE), which ruled Egypt after the death of Alexander the Great (l. 356-323 BCE).
Cleopatra was fluent in a number of languages, is reported to have been extremely charming, and was an effective diplomat and administrator. Her involvement with both Caesar and Mark Antony came about after she had already successfully ruled and steered Egypt through a difficult period.
@world_history
❤13
Mary, Queen of Scots was the #queen of both #Scotland (r. 1542-1567) and briefly, #France (r. 1559-1560). Obliged to flee Scotland, the queen was imprisoned for 19 years by Elizabeth I of #England (r. 1558-1603) and finally executed for treason on 8 February 1587.
Brought up in France and then marrying the heir to the French #throne, Mary's world was turned upside down when her husband Francis II died in 1560 one year into his reign. The #queen returned to Scotland but her Catholic views clashed with Protestants there and two more #husbands and murder plots further discredited her reign. Following her forced abdication by Scottish nobles, Mary fled to England where she plotted unsuccessfully to oust her cousin Elizabeth I of England.
@world_history
Brought up in France and then marrying the heir to the French #throne, Mary's world was turned upside down when her husband Francis II died in 1560 one year into his reign. The #queen returned to Scotland but her Catholic views clashed with Protestants there and two more #husbands and murder plots further discredited her reign. Following her forced abdication by Scottish nobles, Mary fled to England where she plotted unsuccessfully to oust her cousin Elizabeth I of England.
@world_history
❤13
A c. 1767 oil-on-canvas #portrait by David Martin of #BenjaminFranklin (1706-90). This portrait depicts Franklin as a scholarly figure of the #Enlightenment with a bust of Isaac Newton gazing at him. The portrait was commissioned by Robert Alexander of William Alexander & Sons, a prominent #Scottish family business based in #Edinburgh during the 18th century. The portrait shows Franklin holding one of Alexander’s deeds. The #painting has been called the 'thumb portrait' due to Franklin's pose.
Green Room of the White House, Washington, D.C.
@world_history
Green Room of the White House, Washington, D.C.
@world_history
❤5🔥4👍2
The term "Fertile Crescent," (a term first used in 1916 by #Egyptologist J.H. Breasted), describes a crescent-shaped region spanning the Eastern #Mediterranean, #Anatolia, and #Mesopotamia—often called the "Cradle of #Civilization."
This area, including modern #Iraq, #Syria, #Lebanon, #Israel, #Palestine, #Jordan, #Turkey, and western #Iran, is known for its rich soils and early agricultural development. By the 9th millennium BCE, settled farming communities had emerged, cultivating wheat, barley, lentils, and peas while domesticating sheep, goats, and pigs. Advances in irrigation and farming led to surplus food production, spurring the rise of some of the world’s earliest cities.
@world_history
This area, including modern #Iraq, #Syria, #Lebanon, #Israel, #Palestine, #Jordan, #Turkey, and western #Iran, is known for its rich soils and early agricultural development. By the 9th millennium BCE, settled farming communities had emerged, cultivating wheat, barley, lentils, and peas while domesticating sheep, goats, and pigs. Advances in irrigation and farming led to surplus food production, spurring the rise of some of the world’s earliest cities.
@world_history
❤7
The #GuptaDynasty (4th-6th century) in North Central #India saw the first purpose-built #Hindu (and also #Buddhist) temples which evolved from the earlier tradition of rock-cut shrines. Adorned with towers and elaborate carvings, these temples were often dedicated to all the Hindu gods. #GuptaArchitecture is very diverse in style, design and features.
The diversity of Gupta buildings illustrates that Hindu temple architecture was in its formative stage and was yet to arrive at the standardised situation of later centuries. Nevertheless, the influence of Gupta-era buildings on later Indian temple architecture is indisputable and continued right through to the #Medieval period. Unfortunately, relatively few of the large number of Gupta temples built have survived.
@world_history
The diversity of Gupta buildings illustrates that Hindu temple architecture was in its formative stage and was yet to arrive at the standardised situation of later centuries. Nevertheless, the influence of Gupta-era buildings on later Indian temple architecture is indisputable and continued right through to the #Medieval period. Unfortunately, relatively few of the large number of Gupta temples built have survived.
@world_history
🌭5❤4🥰1
👑 On this day in 14 CE: Augustus (Octavian) dies of natural causes.
The era of Augustus' reign (27 BCE-14 CE) was a golden age in every respect. The peace which Augustus restored and kept (the Pax Romana) caused the economy, the arts and agriculture to flourish. An ambitious building program was initiated in which Augustus completed the plans made by Julius Caesar and then continued on with his own grand designs.
In his famous inscription, Res Gestae Divi Augusti (The Deeds of the Divine Augustus), he claims to have restored or built 82 temples in one year. The famous public Roman baths were constructed under Augustus by his second-in-command, Agrippa, and the poet Virgil composed his epic, the Aeneid. Augustus took great personal concern in the arts and was a personal patron of many artists.
@world_history
The era of Augustus' reign (27 BCE-14 CE) was a golden age in every respect. The peace which Augustus restored and kept (the Pax Romana) caused the economy, the arts and agriculture to flourish. An ambitious building program was initiated in which Augustus completed the plans made by Julius Caesar and then continued on with his own grand designs.
In his famous inscription, Res Gestae Divi Augusti (The Deeds of the Divine Augustus), he claims to have restored or built 82 temples in one year. The famous public Roman baths were constructed under Augustus by his second-in-command, Agrippa, and the poet Virgil composed his epic, the Aeneid. Augustus took great personal concern in the arts and was a personal patron of many artists.
@world_history
🥰5🔥2❤1
🎨 The art of the Renaissance period in Europe (1400-1600 CE) includes some of the most recognisable and best-loved paintings and sculptures in the world. Masters were often skilled in both painting and sculpture, and by studying the art of antiquity and adding their theoretical knowledge of mathematical perspective and new painting techniques, they produced truly unique works of art.
Realism, detail, drama, and subtle layers of meaning became features of religious and secular art. Now, artists finally broke free from their old craftworker status and achieved a new position as vital contributors to the culture and prestige of the societies in which they lived.
@world_history
Realism, detail, drama, and subtle layers of meaning became features of religious and secular art. Now, artists finally broke free from their old craftworker status and achieved a new position as vital contributors to the culture and prestige of the societies in which they lived.
@world_history
❤10
Patrick R. Cleburne (1828-1864) was an Irish-born Confederate general during the #American #CivilWar (1861-1865). Having immigrated to Arkansas in 1850, Cleburne fell in #love with his adopted state and volunteered to fight for the Confederate States in 1861. He fought in several significant campaigns in the western #theater of the #war and steadily rose through the ranks to become a major general. Regarded as one of the most competent division commanders on either side of the conflict, he was respected by his men and earned the nickname 'Stonewall of the West'. Cleburne was killed at the #Battle of Franklin (30 November 1864) while leading his troops in a futile charge that he had opposed.
@world_history
@world_history
🥰4
☀️ History Fact of the Day: The cult of Cybele, the "Great Mother" goddess, came to Rome during the Second Punic War (218-201 BCE) when a sacred black meteorite symbolizing her was brought from Asia Minor (modern-day Turkey).
Shortly after, Hannibal unexpectedly retreated from Italy, which was seen as a sign of divine intervention.
@world_history
Shortly after, Hannibal unexpectedly retreated from Italy, which was seen as a sign of divine intervention.
@world_history
👏4❤1
Abolitionist #author, orator and statesman Frederick Douglass (1818-1895) is well-known for his #speeches, #autobiography, and other works addressing the issue of slavery in the #UnitedStates in the 19th century, but, in 1853, he wrote his only work of fiction – the novella 'The Heroic Slave' – based on the Creole Mutiny/Creole Rebellion of 1841 and its leader, Madison Washington.
@world_history
@world_history
🥰5