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Watch: An Incredible Viking Voyage—Made Entirely of Paper | National Geographic

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Nile River Map

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Read Vikings! Fierce and Fearless Conquerors on Epic

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Built on a collection of 40,000+ popular, high-quality books from 250+ of the world's best publishers, Epic safely fuels curiosity and reading confidence for kids 12 and under.

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online access fun thousands children great kids ebooks books

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Read Vikings! Fierce and Fearless Conquerors on Epic

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Read Treasury of Norse Mythology on Epic

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Ancient Mesopotamia 101 | National Geographic

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Ancient Greece 101 | National Geographic

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Indus Valley Civilization: Crash Course World History #2

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The rise and fall of the Inca Empire - Gordon McEwan

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Lost World of the Maya (Full Episode) | National Geographic

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How This Mayan Legend Inspired a Deadly Ballgame

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The Iron Age Celts were a tribe of people who lived all over Europe about two thousand years ago. At one time, you could find tribes of Celts in modern day Spain, France, northern Italy, and as far east as Russia.

Around 500 BCE, the ancient Celts migrated and settled in modern day Ireland, Wales, Scotland, and the Isle of Man.

They lived in small farming communities. They never built cities. They were fierce warriors. But they never founded an empire.

The Celts were a proud and honorable people. They were also very clean. The Celts are credited with the invention of soap! They loved music. They loved to boast. And they loved to make up stories, especially stories about the little people - fairies, elves, and leprechauns.

Their culture lives on today in music, dance, story, and song.

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The Iron Age Celts were a tribe of people who lived all over Europe about two thousand years ago. At one time, you could find tribes of Celts in modern day Spain, France, northern Italy, and as far east as Russia.

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Ancient Mesopotamia for Kids - Free Interactive Games and Activities - Mesopotamia for Kids

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Meet the ancient Mesopotamians - the early people who invented the first sailboat, the first super hero, the first four level homes, the first war helmets, the first written language, the first written laws, and the gloomiest gods. They were the first farmers and invented the…

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Kids and students learn about the history of early Islamic world including the Caliphate, daily life, art, architecture, religion, commerce, science, and more.

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Kids learn about the ancient civilizations of the Americas including the Aztecs, Maya, and Inca Empires.

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Kids learn about the ancient civilizations of the Americas including the Aztecs, Maya, and Inca Empires.

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Kids learn about the civilization and history of ancient Greece including the government, philosophy, science, Athens, Sparta, daily life, people, art, architecture, theater, and mythology. Educational articles for students, schools, and teachers.

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Back to History for Kids
Ancient Rome was a powerful and important civilization that ruled much of Europe for nearly 1000 years. The culture of Ancient Rome was spread throughout Europe during its rule. As a result, Rome's culture still has an impact in the Western world today. The basis for much of Western culture comes from Ancient Rome, especially in areas such as government, engineering, architecture, language, and literature.

The city of Rome is the capital of Italy today
Map of Italy from the CIA World Factbook

The Roman Republic

Rome first grew into power as a Republic. This meant that Rome's leaders, such as senators, were elected officials that served for a limited amount of time, not kings who were born into leadership and ruled for life. They had a complex government with written laws, a constitution, and a balance of powers. These concepts became very important in forming future democratic governments, like the United States.

The Republic would rule Rome for hundreds of years from around 509 BC to 45 BC.

The Roman Empire

In 45 BC Julius Caesar took over the Roman Republic and made himself the supreme dictator. This was the end of the republic. A few years later, in 27 BC, Caesar Augustus became the first Roman Emperor and this was the start of the Roman Empire. Much of the lower level government stayed the same, but now the Emperor had supreme power.

The Roman Forum was the center of government
Photo by Adrian Pingstone

The Empire Splits

As the Roman Empire grew it became more and more difficult to manage from the city of Rome. Eventually the Roman leaders decided to split Rome into two empires. One was the Western Roman Empire and was ruled out of the city of Rome. The other was the Eastern Roman Empire and was ruled out of Constantinople (today's Istanbul in Turkey). The Eastern Roman Empire would become known as Byzantium or theByzantine Empire.

Fall of Rome

The fall of Rome generally refers to the fall of the Western Roman Empire. It fell in 476 AD. The Eastern Roman Empire, or the Byzantine Empire, would rule parts of Eastern Europe for another 1000 years.

Interesting Facts about Ancient Rome

The city of Rome is the capital of Italy today. It sits on the same site as the city of ancient Rome. If you were to visit Rome you could see many of the original ancient buildings such as the Colosseum and the Roman Forum.

The Circus Maximus, a huge stadium built for chariot races, could seat around 150,000 people.

The fall of Western Rome is considered the start of the "Dark Ages" in Europe.

The highest position in the Roman Republic was the consul. There were two consuls at the same time to make sure that one didn't become too powerful.

The native language of the Romans was Latin, but they often spoke Greek as well.

When Julius Caesar took power he named himself dictator for life. However, this didn't last long as he was assassinated a year later.

Recommended books and references:

Nature Company Discoveries library: Ancient Rome by Judith Simpson. 1997.

Exploring the culture, people & ideas of this powerful empire by Avery Hart & Sandra Gallagher ; illustrations by Michael Kline. 2002.

Eyewitness Books: Ancient Rome written by Simon James. 2004.

Activities

Take a ten questionquiz about this page.
Ancient Rome crossword puzzle
Ancient Rome word search

Listen to a recorded reading of this page:

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For more about Ancient Rome:

Works Cited
Back to History for Kids

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Kids learn about the civilization and history of Ancient Rome including the Roman Republic, Empire, art, religion, army, daily life, people, Senate, and the fall of Rome. Educational articles for students, schools, and teachers.

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The Olmec were a people who lived about 3000 years ago in what is today south-central Mexico. The Olmec were the first civilization in the ancient area known as Mesoamerica. Because they were the first civilization, many later Mesoamerican civilizations used and repeated Olmec features and characteristics.

The Olmec people discovered and made use of many natural resources in the area, including rubber and corn. Dozens of mysterious stone heads were discovered in the Olmec territory as well; archaeologists are still not sure what their purposes were.

The Olmecs lived from 1200 BC to about 400 BC. They had two important cities, first San Lorenzo Tenochtitlan and then La Venta. The Olmecs were able to thrive due to the fertile land around the Coatzacoalcos river basin. The reason for the fall of the Olmec empire is unknown. They developed many different cultures.

The Olmecs created a range of artwork such as altars, jade masks and stone carvings.

Colossal heads

The Olmec colossal heads are the most recognized symbol of the Olmec civilization. The height and weights of the heads vary, but the largest head is about twice the height of an average human male. They include seventeen heads found in the southern Mexican cities of La Venta, San Lorenzo Tenochtitlan, Tres Zapotes, and Rancho la Cobata. Each head shows a unique facial expression and wears a helmet bearing distinctive decorations. No two are alike. The origins and meaning of the heads are mysterious, and they are the subject of much speculation among scholars and archaeologists.

Scholars have tried to explain how the Olmecs might have made and moved such big objects. The heads were sculpted out of a hard, dense rock called basalt. Archaeologists think the Olmecs found most of the basalt in the Tuxtlas Mountain range. According to this theory, the basalt heads were sculpted roughly in the mountains and then either floated or dragged by thousands of people from the construction site to the Olmec cities.

Perhaps the most notable features of the sculptures - and a clue as to their meaning - are the helmets worn by all the Olmec heads. These helmets, and the rubber balls found near the sculptures, may be evidence that the Mesoamerican ball game originated with the Olmec civilization. The Mesoamerican ball game was a team sport with profound religious and cultural significance for the indigenous people of Mexico and Central America. The Olmec heads were once thought to have represented Mesoamerican ball players who were sacrificed after losing a match. The current theory, however, is that the heads honor Olmec rulers.

Images for kids

The back of Stela C from Tres Zapotes This is the second oldest Long Count date yet discovered. The numerals 7.16.6.16.18 translate to 3 September 32 BCE (Julian). The glyphs surrounding the date are one of the few surviving examples of Epi-Olmec script.

Mask; circa 900-500 BCE; jadeite; Dallas Museum of Art ( Dallas, Texas, US)

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The Olmec were a people who lived about 3000 years ago in what is today south-central Mexico. The Olmec were the first civilization in the ancient area known as Mesoamerica. Because they were the first civilization, many later Mesoamerican civilizations used and repeated Olmec features and characteristics.

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Kids learn about the history of Ancient China. Educational articles for teachers, students, and schools including the culture, art, religions, clothing, geography, empire, government, daily life, people, and dynasties of Ancient China.

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Kids learn about the civilization of ancient Egypt including the pharaohs, pyramids, art, government, geography, Nile River, mummies, religion, hieroglyphics, and clothing. Educational articles for students, schools, and teachers.

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Kids learn about the history of Ancient Mesopotamia, the cradle of civilization between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers. Educational articles for teachers, students, and schools including religion, art, daily life, people and kings, Sumer, Babylon, Assyria, Persia, city-states, science, and more.

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Kids learn about the history and timeline of the country of India including early civilizations, religions, Gupta empire, Mughal Empire, British rule, independence, Gandhi, and current events.

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Kids learn about the Vikings during the Middle Ages and Medieval times. Scandanavian raiders on long boat and ships from Denmark and Sweden.

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The Maya of Mesoamerica are renowned for their precise calendars and their knowledge of astronomy. Through systematic observations conducted over thousands of years, Maya skywatchers developed complex and accurate calendars that continue to mark agricultural and ceremonial cycles today. Join us in an exploration of the Maya Calendar system and its intricate cycles.

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Discover the world of Queen Nefertari, the Great Royal Wife of Pharaoh Ramesses II. Drawn from the world-renowned Museo Egizio in Turin, Italy, the exhibition immerses visitors in the magnificent palaces and tombs of ancient Egypt, including Queen Nefertari's burial chamber. Queen Nefertari's Egypt celebrates the role of women-goddesses, queens, and commoners-and offers glimpses into both royal life and the everyday life of artisans through more than 220 works of art.

One of the most celebrated queens of ancient Egypt, Queen Nefertari was the favored wife of Ramesses II, who called her "The One for Whom the Sun Shines." A colossal temple was built in her honor at Abu Simbel, and her tomb in the Valley of the Queens, re-discovered by Italian archaeologist Ernesto Schiaparelli in 1904, is known for its vivid artistry. Sometimes called "the Sistine Chapel of Egypt," Nefertari's tomb is the most richly decorated in the Valley of the Queens, with brilliantly painted scenes featuring gods and winged goddesses, animals, insects, and hieroglyphs illustrating the intricate process of passing through the underworld to eternal life.

Visitors to the exhibition will view personal objects from Nefertari's tomb plus an array of objects from royal and day-to-day life in Egypt during the 19 th Dynasty of the New Kingdom (1292 - 1189 BCE) - majestic sculptures, intricately painted sarcophagi, jewelry, and perfume and cosmetics jars. The exhibition includes fragments of Nefertari's massive pink granite sarcophagus lid, wooden (small figures who could perform manual labor in the afterlife), a beautiful gold and faience amulet in the shape of a -pillar (a symbol of stability) and a pair of woven palm-leaf sandals-U.S. women's size 9.

Archaeological records show that Nefertari was highly regarded and educated. Unlike other women of her status, she could read and write hieroglyphs, and using these skills, she aided the pharaoh in his diplomatic work. While ancient Egyptian society was rigidly stratified by class, women were active participants in all spheres, from the fields and the courtroom to temples and palaces. Queen Nefertari's Egypt explores women's roles in religion, life in the women's royal household, and their beauty and adornment rituals. Musical instruments, bronze mirrors, boxes and jars for cosmetic powders and ointments and precious jewelry offer a glimpse of women's life and notions of beautification.

Visitors also will discover the village Deir el-Medina, where artisans lived and worked, creating elaborate tombs and necessary materials for the afterlife. Queen Nefertari's Egypt includes household items, tools such as brushes and draftsmen's sticks, pickaxes and chisels, ostraca (limestone or pottery sketchpads of ancient Egyptian scribes and artists) and funerary votive statues that provide a sense of the way people lived, worked and practiced religion more than 3,000 years ago.

"Art has a power to connect us to and deepen our understanding of the lives of others, across time and place," said Brian Ferriso, Director and Chief Curator of the Portland Art Museum. "We are thrilled to bring to Portland this incredible glimpse into the lives of ancient Egyptians through the exquisite artistry in this exhibition."

is accompanied by an Queen Nefertari's Egypt exhibition catalogue available in the Museum Store. Related programs will provide additional context for the exhibition, including a lecture on October 28, titled " When Women Ruled the World ," in which Dr. Kara Cooney, professor of Egyptian Art and Architecture at UCLA, will offer perspective on the root causes of social inequalities that compromised women's power in the ancient world.
Exhibition under the curatorship of Mr. Christian Greco and organized by StArt, in collaboration w ith the Museo Egizio, Turin, and the Portland Art Museum.

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Queen Nefertari's Egypt - Portland Art Museum

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About Resources Events Sponsors Discover the world of Queen Nefertari, the Great Royal Wife of Pharaoh Ramesses II. Drawn from the world-renowned Museo Egizio in Turin, Italy, the exhibition immerses visitors in the magnificent palaces and tombs of ancient Egypt, ... Continued

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Image

Photograph by DEA / M. SEEMULLER

The Olmec civilization is what is known as an archaeological culture. This means there is a collection of artifacts thought by archaeologists to represent a particular society. What is known about archaeological cultures is based on artifacts, rather than texts. In the case of the Olmec, archaeologists think artifacts found primarily on the northern half of the Isthmus of Tehuantepec in Mesoamerica from 1200-500 C.E. timeframe represent the Olmec society. The name Olmec was actually invented by scholars. Derived from the Nahuatl (Aztec) word "Olmecatl", which means "inhabitant of the rubber country", Olmec is a reference to the rubber production in the area where many of the artifacts have been found.

There are several Olmec sites thought to be important centers of activity, of which San Lorenzo and La Venta are the most significant. San Lorenzo, about 56 kilometers (35 miles) south of the Gulf of Mexico in the modern Mexican state of Veracruz, was at its height around 1150 to 900 C.E. La Venta, east of San Lorenzo and closer to the Gulf Coast (15 kilometers/9 miles) in the modern Mexican state of Tabasco, reached its height in about 900-500 C.E.

Research at these and other sites has led to the following insights. The Olmec diet initially included foods from fishing and hunting. Maize and other crops were a later addition to their foodstuffs. The Olmec created massive monuments, including colossal stone heads, thrones, stela (upright slabs), and statues. They may have been the originators of the Mesoamerican ball game, a ceremonial team sport played throughout the region for centuries. They also built earthen mounds and pyramids, and ceramics of several types that became common throughout a broad region influenced by the Olmec civilization.

The Olmec Civilization was one of the most influential ancient civilizations of the early Americas, and though its dominance of the region faded in the last centuries before the Common Era, the Olmec civilization is commonly thought to be the "mother culture" of many other cultures that appeared in the region in later years. These cultures, such as the Maya, Zapotec, Totonac, and Teotihuacán civilizations have unique art, architecture, and cultures that separate them from each other, but many historians trace all of these cultures back to their shared Olmec heritage.

National Geographic Society

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The role of the Olmec in Mesoamerican society is a matter of hot debate between archaeologists and anthropologists.

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Rick Riordan | Welcome to the Online World of Rick Riordan

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Please select a name from the list below to view the Greek god's description.

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The Roman Empire was a primarily polytheistic civilization, which meant that people recognized and worshiped multiple gods and goddesses. Despite the presence of monotheistic religions within the empire, such as Judaism and early Christianity, Romans honored multiple deities. They believed that these deities served a role in founding the Roman civilization and that they helped shape the events of people's lives on a daily basis. Romans paid allegiance to the gods both in public spaces and in private homes. While the Roman state recognized main gods and goddesses by decorating public buildings and fountains with their images, families worshipping at home also put special emphasis on the deities of their choosing.

The gods and goddesses of Greek culture significantly influenced the development of Roman deities and mythology. Due to Rome's geographic position, its citizens experienced frequent contact with the Greek peoples, who had expanded their territories into the Italian peninsula and Sicily. As the Roman Republic was rising to prominence, it acquired these Greek territories, bringing them under the administration of the Roman state. Romans adopted many aspects of Greek culture, adapting them slightly to suit their own needs. For example, many of the gods and goddesses of Greek and Roman culture share similar characteristics. However, these deities were renamed and effectively rebranded for a Roman context, possessing names that are different from their Greek counterparts.

The main god and goddesses in Roman culture were Jupiter, Juno, and Minerva. Jupiter was a sky-god who Romans believed oversaw all aspects of life; he is thought to have originated from the Greek god Zeus. Jupiter also concentrated on protecting the Roman state. Military commanders would pay homage to Jupiter at his temple after winning in battle.

Juno was Jupiter's wife and sister. She resembled the Greek goddess Hera in that she kept a particularly watchful eye over women and all aspects of their lives. Minerva was the goddess of wisdom and craft. She watched over schoolchildren and craftspeople such as carpenters and stonemasons. Minerva is thought to be the equivalent of the goddess Athena, who was the Greek goddess of wisdom.

Other Roman gods and goddesses who were adapted from Greek culture include Venus, who drew on Aphrodite, goddess of love; Neptune, a sea god who was inspired by the Greek god Poseidon; Pluto, who ruled the Roman underworld as the god Hades did in Greek culture; Diana, Roman goddess of the hunt who had her Greek equivalent in Artemis; and Mars, god of war, who was fashioned after the Greek god Ares. Just as the Greeks influenced Roman culture, the Romans inspired the cultural development of later societies. You may by now have noticed that many of the planets in our solar system were named after Roman deities.

Rome did have some of its own gods and goddesses who did not trace their origins back to Greek culture. For example, Janus was a god with two faces that represented the spirit of passages such as doorways and gates. Believed to preside over beginnings, it is fitting that the month of January is named after Janus. Janus' son was Tiberinus, the god of the river Tiber, which runs through the city of Rome.

According to Roman mythology, the gods had a hand in the founding of the city of Rome itself. Mars, god of war, and a Vestal Virgin named Rhea Silvia were the parents of twin boys, Romulus and Remus. Vestal Virgins were not permitted to marry or bear children but were instead to devote their lives to serving Vesta, goddess of the hearth.

It is said that King Amulius ordered that the twins be thrown into the Tiber River as a punishment to Rhea Silvia for betraying her vow of celibacy. Luckily, the boys were rescued from the river by a mother wolf. She helped to raise them until a local couple adopted them.

As the boys grew up, they became important members of the community. They dethroned King Amulius and worked together to establish a new city. In a later argument about the city, however, Romulus killed his brother Remus. Romulus went on to name the city after himself, calling it Rome (or Roma).

The presence and influence of gods and goddesses were integral parts of life in the Roman state. The people of Rome built temples to their gods and observed rituals and festivals to honor and celebrate them. Any favorable or unfavorable circumstances in Roman life could be attributed to the mood of certain gods, so people would likewise make offerings to the gods in thanks, or in an attempt to appease their tempers. Unlike many monotheistic religious or spiritual traditions, the Romans gods were seen as caring little about the morality of the Roman people. Rather, their chief concern was being paid tribute through very specific rituals.

We can still recognize traces of the Roman gods and goddesses in the artifacts that remain from the ancient civilization and the art that pays homage to them. Carvings of Janus still survive and statues of Neptune spout water from city fountains. Today we appreciate the stories and mythology built around these deities as insights into what life was like over 2,700 years ago for the ancient Romans.

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The Gods and Goddesses of Ancient Rome | National Geographic Society

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The Roman Empire was a primarily polytheistic civilization, which meant that people recognized and worshiped multiple gods and goddesses. Despite the presence of monotheistic religions within the empire, such as Judaism and early Christianity, Romans honored multiple deities.

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Archaeological excavations in the 1920s unearthed the ruins of two vast cities, Harappa and Mohenjo-daro, that attested to the ancient roots of Indian civilization. Both sites, now part of Pakistan, are among the chief urban settlements of the Indus Valley Civilization that developed along the floodplains of the Indus River and its tributaries and flourished between 3000 and 1900 BCE

The river valley's fertility, augmented by the monsoon rains, made farming and herding a mainstay of the civilization's economy, which was also supplemented by internal and external trade. Among the key characteristics of the Indus civilization sites, which have now been found over a vast swath of Pakistan and northwestern India, is their uniformity. The cities were constructed with standardized size bricks and feature a rectilinear street plan, granaries, drainage and sewage systems, and multi-story homes. The civilization also developed a uniform system of weights and measures as well as a form of writing, which has yet to be decoded. In number and extent, the Indus civilization was the largest of the civilizations in the ancient world.

Although the reasons for the Indus civilization's decline are not absolutely known, mounting geological evidence suggests that climate change may have been a factor.

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Archaeological excavations in the 1920s unearthed the ruins of two vast cities, Harappa and Mohenjo-daro, that attested to the ancient roots of Indian civilization.

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The Celts were a collection of tribes with origins in central Europe that shared a similar language, religious beliefs, traditions and culture. It's believed that the Celtic culture started to evolve as early as 1200 B.C. The Celts spread throughout western Europe-including Britain, Ireland, France and Spain-via migration. Their legacy remains most prominent in Ireland and Great Britain, where traces of their language and culture are still prominent today.

The existence of the Celts was first documented in the seventh or eighth century B.C. The Roman Empire, which ruled much of southern Europe at that time, referred to the Celts as "Galli," meaning barbarians.

However, the Celts (pronounced with a hard "c" or "k" sound) were anything but barbarians, and many aspects of their culture and language have survived through the centuries.

Where Did The Celts Come From?

By the third century B.C., the Celts controlled much of the European continent north of the Alps mountain range, including present-day Ireland and Great Britain.

It is these islands off Europe's western coast in which Celtic culture was allowed to survive and thrive, as the Roman Empire expanded on the European continent. Beginning with the reign of Julius Caesar in the first century B.C., the Romans launched a military campaign against the Celts, killing them by the thousands and destroying their culture in much of mainland Europe.

Caesar's Roman armies attempted an invasion of Britain at this time, but were unsuccessful, and thus the Celtic people established a homeland there. As a result, many of their cultural traditions remain evident in present-day Ireland, Scotland and Wales, even now.

Celtics in Spain: The Galatians

Several tribes made up the larger population of the Celtic people. Indeed, the Gaels, Gauls, Britons, Irish and Galatians were all Celtic tribes.

The Galatians occupied much of the Asturias region of what is now northern Spain, and they successfully fought off attempted invasions by both the Romans and the Moors, the latter ruling much of present-day southern Spain.

Evidence of Galatian tradition remains in the region today. Descendants of the Galatians still participate in ancient outdoor dances, accompanied by bagpipes, an instrument that is often associated with more well-known Celtic nations such as Scotland and Ireland.

In addition, a Celtic symbol called the "Cruz de la Victoria" (similar to a Celtic cross) adorns the regional flag.

The Galatians also settled in nearby Galicia, a region on the northwest coast of Spain.

Celtics in Brittany: The Britons

Britons and Gauls settled in the northwestern corner of present-day France, the region known today as Brittany. Celtic tradition survived in the region as it was geographically isolated from the rest of France, and many festivals and events can trace their origins to Celtic times.

Many of the French "Bretons" also wear traditional Celtic hats called coiffes (which means "hats of lace"), and roughly one-quarter of the region's residents speak Breton, a Celtic language similar to Welsh.

Although Caesar's invasion of Britain was unsuccessful, the Romans eventually mounted a successful attack against the Britons following Caesar's murder in the first century A.D. This incursion effectively pushed the Britons on the island west to Wales and Cornwall and north to Scotland.

In fact, the Romans built Hadrian's Wall (remnants of which still stand today) near what is now the border between England and Scotland, in 120 A.D. The wall was designed to protect the conquering Roman settlers from the Celts who had fled north.

Celtic Languages

In Wales, called Cymru by the Celts, the native tongue-Welsh-is a Celtic language, and it is still widely spoken in the region. In Cornwall (the westernmost county in England, and near Wales), some (although very few) speak Cornish, which is similar to Welsh and Breton.

And, in Scotland, the Celtic language Scots Gaelic is still spoken, although by a minority, and the local affiliate of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is known as BBC Alba, the Celtic name for the region.

Of course, the bagpipes, the musical instrument for which Scotland is arguably best known, can also trace their origin to Celtic times.

Celtic Religion

Neither the Romans nor the Anglo-Saxons, who took what is now England from the Romans in the fifth century A.D., were able to successfully invade Ireland. This enabled the Celtic tribes that had settled there-namely, the Gaels and the Irish-to survive, and allowed their culture to flourish.

When Christianity arrived in Ireland with St. Patrick in 432 A.D., many Celtic traditions were incorporated into the "new" religion. In fact, it's said by some historians that Catholicism was able to take over as the dominant religion on the island following the mass killing of Druids, the religious leaders of the Gaels.

However, even with Christianity's new-found prominence, traces of Celtic culture remain. Ireland's national symbol, the shamrock (a green, three-pronged leaf) represents the "Holy Trinity" of Catholic tradition-the Father (God), son (Jesus Christ) and the Holy Spirit.

The Celtic cross represents the region's unique take on the Catholic cross. In addition, many Celtic folklore stories, such as the legend of Cu Chulainn, are still told in Ireland.

Like Welsh, the Irish language of Gaelic is a Celtic language. Gaelic largely disappeared in the 19th century, but the language is still spoken in the western part of the country.

Celtic Designs

Across Europe, the Celts have been credited with many artistic innovations, including intricate stone carving and fine metalworking.

As a result, elaborate Celtic designs in artifacts crafted from gold, silver and precious gemstones are a major part of museum collections throughout Europe and North America.

Sources

Who were the ancient Celts? Shoreline Community College.
Roberts, Alice. "The Celts: not quite the barbarians history would have us believe." The Guardian.
"Where the Celts come from and have lived for 3,000 years." IrishCentral.com.
"The Celts: Blood Iron and Sacrifice." BBC Two.
"Local Legends: the Hound of Ulster." BBC.

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The Celts were a collection of tribes with origins in central Europe that shared a similar language, religious beliefs, traditions and culture. It's believed that the Celtic culture started to evolve as early as 1200 B.C. The Celts spread throughout western Europe-including Britain, Ireland, France and Spain-via migration.

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The rise and fall of the Celtic warriors - Philip Freeman

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A day in the life of a Celtic Druid - Philip Freeman

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Islam, the Quran, and the Five Pillars All Without a Flamewar: Crash Course World History #13

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The Met's Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History

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October 2004

Citation

Department of Islamic Art. "List of Rulers of the Islamic World." In Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2000-. http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/isru/hd_isru.htm (October 2004)

© 2000-2020 The Metropolitan Museum of Art

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List of Rulers of the Islamic World | Lists of Rulers | Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History | The Metropolitan Museum of Art

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"A list of caliphs and wazirs in the Islamic world covering dynastic reigns (Rashidun, Umayyad, 'Abbasid, Barmakid, Tulunid, Ikhshidid, Fatimid, Ayyubid, Mamluk, Seljuqs, etc.) across Iran, Iraq, Syria, Egypt, the Arabian Peninsula, the Caucasus, Asia Minor, Turkey, and the rest of Western Asia."