Ancient Athens in the 5th-century BC is often held to be the birthplace of democracy. The idea, however, was not unique to Athens. Other city-states (poleis, sing.polis) also adopted the principle of giving their citizens the right to decide on the issues facing them, but none are as well documented as Athens. So, for most western democracies it is to ancient Athens that they look for inspiring modern government. But how much would we recognise of Athenian democracy?

Most people in western culture recognise the "thumbs up" gesture as one that indicates all is well, while conversely "thumbs down" means the exact opposite. Reinforced by movies and the media, nearly everyone accepts that the gestures hail from the days of the Romans. But it's a myth. Find out why.

Dispelling the popular myth that Cleopatra's Needle, an ancient Egyptian obelisk in London has any connection with the Ptolemaic Queen Cleopatra VII of Egypt.

What have the Romans ever done for us? How about they created the earliest known recipe for burgers.

In April 1606 Britain adopted a new national flag, but is it a "Union Flag" or a "Union Jack"? Find out here.

Recipes for sausages filled with blood that are cooked or dried and mixed with a filler are found worldwide. Find out more about Blood Sausages.

A brief history of the long and lucrative worldwide spice trade.

Colin Freedbear's brief guide to some of the best preserved bits at the Kourion Archaeological Site in Cyprus.

A brief history of the chilli pepper.

Once again a recently broadcast popular UK television programme promoted yet another “factoid”. A throw away comment, on camera, repeated the fiction that people in the 17th-century believed the Earth was flat. Sadly this myth was debunked ages ago.

In an effort to continually improve our knowledge we came across “History…The Interesting Bits!”, a blog by Sharon Bennett Connolly. In October 2019, the blog posted a piece by guest writer James Wright, a buildings archaeologist with Triskele Heritage, who busted several myths surrounding the construction of castles.

Keep Calm and Carry On was a motivational poster produced by the British Ministry of Information in 1939 in preparation for World War II. The poster was intended to raise the morale of the British public, but was never issued. Find out why.

Look up whilst you are visiting castles and you will often see voids in the overhead masonry. Find out how these "murder holes" aided the defence of a castle.

Sometimes when watching a television programme or film, the simplest thing can ruin its enjoyment. For example, an officer walks into a room and a soldier salutes. All well and good but where does the idea of saluting come from?

In another first for Tastes Of History, we travelled to Osborne House on the Isle of Wight to support English Heritage's "Victorian Christmas" in 2019. Our aim was to provide a sampling menu of food and drink of the period for visitors to try. Here, then, are the recipes.

Mention the word "swastika", or worse draw or display the image, and today you risk causing offence for so many valid reasons. Discover how this symbol was once commonly used over much of the world without stigma, because quite simply it represented good luck.

The origin of how turkey became the Thanksgiving dish and fashionable at Christmas.

Each year English Heritage remember the pivotal battle that took place on October 14th, 1066 and changed the course of English history. Here are some Anglo-Saxon recipes fit for any warrior.

Stonehenge in England is known for its alignment with the summer solstice sunrise, and it remains a popular destination for thousands of revellers welcoming the longest day of the year. But should they actually be celebrating the winter solstice? Find out more.

Tastes Of History was delighted to be part of the Bosworth Medieval Festival in 2019 at the brilliant Bosworth Battlefield Heritage Centre. Here, then, are the recipes visitors could sample.