Ancient, magical spells of love, subjugation and sex: It may sound like a "Game of Thrones" episode, but these evildoings are also found on two recently deciphered papyri from Egypt dating to around 1 ...

The ancient Greeks deeply believed in the power of curses and their ability to influence the lives of individuals and even ...

Katie has a PhD in maths, specializing in the intersection of dynamical systems and number theory. She reports on topics from maths and history to society and animals. Katie has a PhD in maths, ...

Curse tablets were popular and widely used in the ancient world. The corresponding incantations were often inscribed or carved on thin sheets of lead – with the intention that these would then cause ...

Archeologists have discovered 30 tablets at the bottom of an ancient well, each engraved with curses intended to harm the recipient. According to Haaretz, the curse tablets had been chucked into a ...

A new analysis of a ceramic jar discovered in Athens suggest its owners placed the curse ahead of a lawsuit. Athenian Agora Excavations Today, chickens are perhaps most often associated with comfort ...

Israeli authorities have seized hundreds of ancient artefacts, including "magic" bowls decorated with "spells," from a property in Jerusalem. The raid was conducted by the Israel Antiquities Authority ...

There are more than half a million words in the Oxford English Dictionary. Some trace their origin as far back as the 11th century. For centuries, linguists and academics have kept careful track of ...