Articles

c. 1931–1941 CE

When Did the Second World War Begin? Europe, China and a Global Conflict

Manchuria in 1931, China in 1937, Poland in 1939 and Pearl Harbor in 1941 mark different stages in the growth of a global war. What does each starting…

5 min readLibradia Editorial

c. 1942–1947 CE

Ration Books and Shopping Baskets: Food in Wartime America

Ration books brought wartime supply pressures to the grocery counter. Photographs, point systems and victory gardens reveal the work behind feeding American households.

5 min readLibradia Editorial

c. 1250–1050 BCE

Oracle Bones: What the Shang Asked Their Ancestors

Questions about illness, harvests, warfare and childbirth survive on Shang oracle bones. These inscriptions reveal a royal court seeking guidance from ancestors and divine powers.

5 min readLibradia Editorial

c. 1603–1868 CE

Edo Before Tokyo: Life in the Shogun’s City

A bridge, an actor’s portrait and a firefighter’s clothing open a view into Edo. Explore the trade, printmaking, entertainment and skilled work of the city that became Tokyo.

6 min readLibradia Editorial

c. 250–900 CE

Water for a Maya City: The Reservoirs of Tikal

Discover how Tikal collected and stored water, what mineral evidence suggests about filtration, and why water quality varied across the Maya city.

6 min readLibradia Editorial

c. 2350–1700 BCE

Neighbours and Disputes: Living Together in Mesopotamian Cities

Houses, property records and lawsuits reveal how urban neighbours lived together, maintained rights and challenged claims in ancient Mesopotamia.

6 min readLibradia Editorial

c. 100–600 CE

Life in Roman Stobi: Streets, Spectacles and Belief

Explore Stobi through its theatre, streets, residences and religious buildings, following the changing uses of a Roman provincial city.

6 min readLibradia Editorial

c. 150 BCE–1700 CE

Roads, Rivers and Sea Routes: How the Balkans Connected Worlds

Follow three connections through Balkan history: the Roman Via Egnatia, Trajan’s Danube works and the maritime economy of Ragusa.

5 min readLibradia Editorial

What Are the Balkans—and Where Do They Begin?

Explore the Balkans through their geography, changing definitions and connected communities, from the Danube’s Iron Gates to Thessaloniki.

6 min readLibradia Editorial

c. 2100–1500 BCE

Growing Up in Ancient Mesopotamia: Childhood, Learning and Work

Explore childhood in ancient Mesopotamia through family work, school tablets and small clay models, and discover what the evidence reveals about growing up.

6 min readLibradia Editorial

AI-generated illustration

c. 2900–2000 BCE

Work in the First Cities: Crafts, Skills and Labour

Explore pottery, wool spinning and mudbrick making in ancient Mesopotamia, and the records that reveal how early cities organised skilled work.

6 min readLibradia Editorial

AI-generated illustration

c. 1498–1700 CE

The Portuguese Arrival: What Changed—and What Continued?

Distinguish arrival, conquest and lasting occupation as Portuguese intervention reshaped East African ports—and local communities continued to adapt.

5 min readLibradia Editorial