Ancient History

Discover how Giovanni di Bicci de' Medici built a banking empire that dominated European finance from the 15th century onwards.

Discover how the Medici family's banking and commercial activities led to their rise as patrons of the arts and architects of Florence during the Renaissance.

Explore the history of the Jewish presence in Renaissance Venice, from expulsion to segregation and economic significance.

Learn about the 1665 Great Plague's impact on London and its significance as a historical pandemic event that shaped public health policies.

Explore how cultural obstacles hindered the emergence of European banking in the late Middle Ages, despite significant economic and social changes.

Discover how Leonardo Fibonacci's introduction of Hindu-Arabic numerals revolutionized European mathematics, impacting economy, science, and trade.

The emergence of credit in ancient Mesopotamia, from royal storehouses to scribal accounting, laid the groundwork for modern economies.

Explore the evolution of credit and debt in ancient Mesopotamia, where a complex lending system emerged around 1800 BC.

Explore the history of money's origin from clay tokens in ancient Mesopotamia to metal-based currencies.

Understand the 16th century Price Revolution's impact on European economies, marked by inflationary pressures, economic decline, and imperial overstretch.

Explore how Roman coinage persisted after the empire fell, shaping European trade and commerce in the Middle Ages.

Exploring the evolution of coins from ancient civilizations to modern times, highlighting key milestones, mechanisms, and processes that shaped their use.

Potosí was a major mining center that fueled Spain's wealth but came at a great cost in terms of labor exploitation, demographic decline, and environmental degradation.

Explore the Conquest and Legacy of Pizarro, including the discovery of Cerro Rico mountain and its impact on the global economy.

The Conquest of Peru examines the 16th-century Spanish colonization of the Inca Empire in South America, highlighting key terms, mechanisms, and processes that led to the conquest.

Explore how societies valued goods and services throughout history, from labour-based economies to the introduction of money as a medium of exchange.

Explore the lives of hunter-gatherer societies, their unique economic systems, and social structures that emerged before agriculture and settled economies.