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Composed of six women from aristocratic ancient Roman families, the Vestal Virgins were priestesses dedicated to praising Vesta, the goddess of family and domestic life. Picked for their lineage and good health, their lives revolved around ritual acts of worship. The most important of these duties was keeping the fire at the Temple of Vesta, believed to symbolise both the chastity of these women and the flourishing of the Roman Empire, burning in perpetuity. And, as this short from TED-Ed explores, if the flame went out at any time, a Vestal Virgin could be accused of impurity and put to death in a harrowing ceremony of sacrifice. With vivid animations bringing the world of the Vestal Virgins into focus, the short provides a small window into gender and spirituality in ancient Rome, highlighting the ways in which religion and state were intrinsically linked.
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Family life
The precious family keepsakes that hold meaning for generations
10 minutes
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Archaeology
What did the first people who entered Tutankhamun’s tomb see?
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Information and communication
Coverage of the ‘balloon boy’ hoax forms a withering indictment of for-profit news
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Childhood and adolescence
Marmar is living through a devastating war – but she’d rather tell you about her new dress
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Computing and artificial intelligence
The ‘cloud’ requires heaps of energy to stay aloft. Could synthetic DNA be the answer?
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History
There are fragments of Romani Gypsy history all over the UK – if one knows where to look
3 minutes
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Biology
Brilliant dots of colour form exquisite patterns in this close-up of butterfly wings
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Anthropology
Does Mogi’s future lie with her horses on the Mongolian steppe, or in the city?
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Genetics
Why it took a century to work out that humans interbred with Neanderthals
22 minutes