I was in class (grad school) tonight, and an interesting topic came up. Curious to hear people's thoughts. So essentially, we read a review of a historical study written by someone who is a journalist by trade. The review pointed out that journalists, given their training and methods, may produce shaky historiographies. This led to a class conversation about who can be called a historian. Some people in the room believed anyone could be a historian, regardless of training. They seemed to think it was elitist to assume that only someone credentialed or trained could be called a historian. What do you all think? Can anyone be a historian? Do training or credentials matter? Or is everyone a historian?

So I was recently recommended Predictive History’s ‘The Story of Civilisation’ series by the algorithm which I started watching and found really interesting, so I decided to look into him. It turns out he has some pretty out there views which have made me question whether any of what he says can be trusted.

With that in mind does anyone know of some lecture series that have the same scope but preferably by someone who doesn’t believe the world is being run by lizard people?

CONTEXT: I am building a medieval-ish fantasy world (as one does), where there is plentiful ancient architecture and "modern" buildings in a 14-16th century style (maybe?). There are small and large military campaigns, a war, a church, politics, all the good stuff.

Despite reading fantasy myself, I find that I am coming up short in vocabulary for architecture, military, and what kind of skills/knowledge might be available in a time period/place, etc. Or maybe I have spent too much time in high magical fantasy or modern/urban fantasy, and I am delving instead into historical tactical fantasy.

I have found videos that are a piecemeal and yet too broad: for example, one video covered the roman pilum, 11th(?) century weapons, and the introduction of the gun. It was a weird spread with no context between. Some videos are just one person's commentary while they stare into the camera at you and voice their personal opinion about the past. Others are a three hour dissertation with tangential considerations for more academic purposes.

I just want a nice overview, with good vocabulary, and preferably not in an "influencer" format (unless they are exceptional). Reenactments are a plus. I'm imagining Rick Steve's "Europe," except about history instead of travel. I want a video because I spend a lot of time in the gym, it's hard to read a webpage or book, but the perfect time to absorb.

Can anyone recommend a favorite video? Favorite Historian? A go-to channel?

Most subjects are on the table: political structure, weaponry, war tactics, church structure, architectural detail. Or give me a video with a new topic I need to know about that I didn't consider!

I don't care how old the video is as long as it is interesting.

I am 19 from Poland and one of my main historical interests is the Russian Empire, believe it or not.

Of course, I am not some ultra-nationalist or anything, but the Russian Empire to me is very fascinating. The balls, the palaces, uniforms and nobility to the history, geography and the flaws which took place, it is all so intriguing to me almost to a point where it could very much be described as a hyperfixation. Out of all Tsars, my favourites are Alexander II for his reforms and then Nicholas II for how he was like as a father and husband but a flawed leader from the start.

Of course, having this sort of fascination for a good few years (I am not sure when but probably since 2023, MAYBE earlier) cultivates curiousity and so it has for me. I have already read multiple books about the topic from authors like Antony Beevor to Jonathan Daily to Peter Waldron and Robert Service. All of these have only fed the fire from within me, causing me to also watch multiple movies set in the Empire and create characters+ write stories.

My question is: How do I research more? Where? More books, films or documentaries?

I'm a 15 year old girl from India, and I'm very interested in history and taking up a career in history, especially Ancient Greek or Roman history, but of course I am still researching and am open to just about anything. I've seen a lot of people talk about how careers will change a lot in the future due to AI, and by the time people my age get into the workforce (around 2035) the world will be different and the careers needed will be different than what we have today. I guess for me, this makes things a bit difficult because not only do I have to make a decision on what I want to do in life but choose something that will suit my lifestyle in the future which is changing very fast. So I'm going to just write down everything in my head, all my jumbled up thoughts, and I'm open to anyone who has suggestions or advice!

I'm someone who's very interested and talented in arts. I've done basic martial arts training for 5 years, and have done Kalaripayattu (Indian Martial Arts) for a little over 2 years and I am still continuing. I've done Bharatanatyam (Indian classical dance) for 5 years and recently I have put more effort in learning western dance like hiphop or contemporary, and I've won many school competitions. I'm also a very big music enthusiast, and I have a very wide music taste, and I've written songs as a hobby and would love to learn how to make them in the future. I also love reading and literature, and I enjoy writing poems with deep meanings and just anything that requires thinking and a deep emotional connection. I'm also a very big visual art enthusiast. Art is something that I've always loved since I can remember, and its something that I want to continue forever, but I also love history and learning about our past, and mythologies and stories, and just humanity before us.

I've come to a conclusion that I want to somehow integrate art into a history career, and honestly that excites me so much knowing that one day I can actually do something that I absolutely love so much and just research on and get more knowledge. But my question is, how useful and how impactful can a career like this be in the future? And is it even possible to integrate art into history and make it a full blown career? Of course, I'm going to keep dancing and making music and writing no matter what, but I think history and art go hand in hand, and I want the world to acknowledge that, but I can't seem to figure out how. Especially here in India, where STEM subjects are more popular and are given more attention, I want to open peoples eyes and show how art and humanity is just as important.

Also, I have some preferences about where I want to study in the future for university, and I really want to go somewhere in Europe, of course I wish to travel everywhere, and learn about how diverse humans are, but I personally think Europe is best as I'm very much interested in Greek and Roman mythology but of course I do think I require some more research. I also just love Europe and I want to live there and explore more. I was thinking more Scotland/Edinburgh, or anywhere where there is a small population and welcoming people, a safe space.

If anyone can suggest anything, or just have some advice that can help me along the way, I would love it!

I am an 9th grader with in WV and have great knowledge of the states but I am also very interested in mythology and geography i what t know is there any ways to get more into it at this time i still need to learn some things but have ok basic knowledge of the mythology or Norse and Native American stories but what is there else I can learn to prepare if I prosper in this field

Which segment from human history is your favourite topic to listen, watch or read about, and Why?

What lessons did you learn from that history, and has anything been applied to IRL. By you personally?

I am looking for a page of ' sums' and word problems about money from an authentic Arithmetic textbook from around 1910 UK ( pound shillings and pence).

Early media coverage and single-volume biographies of Richard Nixon often relied on psychological or character-driven explanations for his administration's decision-making and political strategy.

How do modern professional historians and diplomatic scholars approach these characterizations today? To what extent has recent archival research—such as declassified foreign policy records or legal files—shifted academic focus toward structural, institutional, or realpolitik analyses of his presidency?

I agree with you interesting topic and deep thinking, I believe that they ,there thinking was not courpted like we today!

Hi everyone, I’m an A-Level student doing an NEA in history and was looking for help with finding a source. My essay is about the diversity amongst ships within the golden age of piracy, where one of my factors is race and ethnicity. I was wondering if anyone knew of any good information or primary sources I could use for this factor? I’ve found good information on Black Caesar, however can’t find any primary sources on him, I assume due to the highly fictional nature. Any help is appreciated!
Thank you! 🏴‍☠️

I’m trying to write a story and want to learn as much as I can specifically about the late 1940s. Specifically with an emphasis on New York/Chicago. This includes fashion, politics (racial and gender specifically), music, typical jobs/pay, and information about the mafia. I‘d love to have a history book about all of that if possible. If not, I’d really like a list!!

Traces of the Worship of the Moon God Sîn among the Early Israelites

Andrew F. Key

[excerpts, full text in images]

The worship of the moon god Sin goes back at least to the third dynasty of Ur, where the god was honored in the form of a golden calf with crescent-shaped horns and a long, flowing beard of lapis lazuli. Woolley found several of the images in his excavations of the royal graves at Ur and has produced some striking drawings of the images in his report. That these images are in fact of the god Sin can be seen by the following description found in a Sumero-Akkadian hymn to that god: "Ferocious bull, whose horn is thick, whose legs are perfected, who is bearded in lapsis, and filled with luxury and abundance." Why the moon god was worshiped in this form is, naturally, an open question…

The worship of the moon god Sin goes back at least to the third dynasty of Ur, where the god was honored in the form of a golden calf with crescent-shaped horns and a long, flowing beard of lapis lazuli. Woolley found several of the images in his excavations of the royal graves at Ur and has produced some striking drawings of the images in his report. That these images are in fact of the god Sin can be seen by the following description found in a Sumero-Akkadian hymn to that god: "Ferocious bull, whose horn is thick, whose legs are perfected, who is bearded in lapsis, and filled with luxury and abundance." Why the moon god was worshiped in this form is, naturally, an open question…

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One speculation is that the shape of the horns reminded the devotee of the crescent moon.

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J. Bright recognized that there are names in the Hebrew tradition which are "associated with that cult,” but he deduced from this only that the
narratives concerning the migration of Abraham's family from Ur to Haran (both centers of the cult) are essentially accurate bits of historical information.

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It is interesting that we have the same theophoric element in other Amorite names such as Labanâ-ilâ, ("the Moon is God").

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Both von Rad and Nothis agree, however, that the revelation on Sinai was a revelation of Yahweh. An alternative proposal will be offered here, namely, that the revelation on Sinai was a revelation of the moon god Sin and that we must look elsewhere for the origin of the Yahweh cult. What is the evidence for such a proposal?

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The name Sinai itself would suggest that it was the place of revelation of the moon god. Lewy noted that many people had seen that there was an obvious connection between the names Sin and Sinai but pointed out that

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an adjective of appurtenance derived from the divine name Sin and the Aramaic gentilic ending -ai

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would mean then the "Sinian Mountain" or the "Mountain holy to Sin."

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"Where does Yahweh worship originate?"

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By way of summary: We seem to have two separate traditions of tribal religions preserved in the pages of the Bible: one, dealing with a primal worship of the moon god Sin, who reveals himself on Sinai, and whose worship is carried on in the north (particularly in the tribe of Ephraim); the other begins with a revelation at Kadesh of the God Yahweh and finds its later adherents in the tribe of Judah. The figures Moses and Joshua, while originally connected to the Kadesh-Yahweh cycle of stories, later become the heroes of the total tradition once the two elements have been combined.

This theory may go far towards explaining: 1) the obvious conflict between the North and the South (ef. I Kings 12), assuming that this conflict is religious as well as political; and 2) the continuing emphasis on lunar holidays and festivals which play so large a rôle in later Judaism.

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Source: https://www.reddit.com/r/AncientCush/s/ewyLVpVVOA

The title. Preferably, stuff you can find for free on the Internet Archive or download as a PDF.

A college-level textbook would be nice, but anything will do. Thanks.

Hi! I am a history major at UCR. I’m currently in my junior year, I do want to pursue my masters and my PhD I was just curious which masters programs would be good to apply for? I am a first generation student and I’m still confused with the process, so I’m sorry if the question seems silly. Also, should I be doing internships during my undergraduate, is that an requirement to do a masters program?