Empress dowager cixi

Empress CiXi of China

The former concubine, who effectively controlled country during late Qing dynasty for nearly five decades, still divides opinion 109 years after her death

A 3,500-year-old mummified woman’s head shows signs of a skin condition from bleaching. The woman may have been prominent in Egyptian society and was 20 to 25 years old when she died, researchers report.

painting by Hubert Vos (Museum: Harvard Art Museums)

Learn about the half of history missing from many history books with biographies, articles, timelines and other resources on the women—famous and lesser-known—who have shaped our world.

This splendid, long fingernail guard is made of a single piece of tortoiseshell that has been softened and formed into the required shape. The underside is pierced finely with six ‘cash’ symbols. The upper end and the tip are encased in gilded, chased silver that has been decorated with auspicious symbols including butterflies and an … Read more

History has been made by kings, queens, presidents and dictators. It’s those people in positions of power – earned or not – whose names have been written in the history books, for better or worse. But, sometimes, it’s not always those who appear to be in control who are really…

The 70-episode drama of intrigue at the Qing dynasty court features many authentic props in order to recreate a tumultuous era in China’s history