Hilary Mitchell

Hilary Mitchell is a journalist with a Masters degree in Classics from Edinburgh University, where she specialised in the Late Bronze Age and Early Iron Age of Greece.

Two traditional thatched-roof huts made of mud and wood standing in a grassy field, decorated with striking red, white, and yellow painted geometric patterns under a blue sky.

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Are these the world’s oldest cities? Inside the megasites that Soviet authorities didn’t want you to see. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

Cepheus, Odysseus and Eurylochus stand on a sandy ridge in Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey, wearing crested helmets, armour and cloaks, with swords at their sides. Odysseus stands prominently in the centre, with a military encampment visible behind the three warriors.

Ancient Greece

What is 'Zeus's Law'? The ancient moral code of The Odyssey explained

A large group of Mycenaean warriors marches through a misty pine forest in Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey. Armoured soldiers wearing bronze helmets and cloaks advance with swords, spears and shields, led by commanders at the front.

Ancient Greece

Who are those giant soldiers in The Odyssey? The Laestrygonians explained

A digitally composed collage shows three men against a dense background of green roses, with a heart‑shaped cluster of pink roses in the centre. In the middle stands a blue‑tinted figure dressed in early 19th‑century clothing: a brown coat, white trousers, and boots, holding a hat at his side. On the left is a mid‑20th‑century man with light hair, wearing a beige shirt and holding a cigarette in his mouth. On the right is a stylised portrait of a man with curly hair, wearing a white shirt and brown jacket, resting his chin on his hand. The three figures come from different eras and artistic styles, arranged closely together against the floral backdrop.

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Love affairs, screaming fans and tragic deaths: inside the lives of history’s biggest heartthrobs. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

A colourful surreal collage set against a purple background. It features a large green alligator head on the left, a honey dipper dripping honey, a sliced lemon, a classical-style illustration of a person drinking from a jug, a small brown‑and‑white weasel, a long piale pink condom, and reddish‑brown pods with bright red and black seeds

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14 weird contraception methods from history: from weasel testicles to fish bladder condoms. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

A detailed Persian miniature painting showing a central figure seated on a raised platform beneath a decorated canopy, surrounded by a halo of flames. Attendants and courtiers in colourful robes and turbans sit or stand around them, with trays of food, vessels, and fans arranged in the scene. Stylized hills, flowers, and animals fill the background, all rendered in intricate patterns and bright colours.

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12 modern trends with surprisingly ancient roots. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

An outline of a woman sitting at a typewriter is placed over three newspaper clippings

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From maniacal horses to bat-men on the moon: 14 strange newspaper headlines from history. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

A pink flower with various contraptions in the background

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From goat eyelids to bread: history's 12 strangest sex toys. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

Treasures floating in the waves

Edwardian

Which treasures were lost when Titanic sank, and what did some survivors smuggle onto lifeboats?

The Forty Elephants gang with an inset of Diamond Annie

Victorian

Who were the real Forty Elephants? The true story of Mary Carr and the all-woman crime gang

Jane Austen's grave.

Georgian

Lupus or murder?What was Jane Austen's cause of death?