There’s something about ancient history that pulls you in like nothing else. Though thousands of years separate us, people of the past lived, loved, built families, worked, created art, and tried to make sense of their world—just as we do today. The relics and artifacts they left behind serve as a bridge through time, preserving their craftsmanship and the stories they carried.

In our search for glimpses of ancient history to share with you, we turned to two online communities—the Ancient Civilizations subreddit and the This Is Ancient Instagram page. Both have gathered hundreds of thousands of followers and are fantastic places for history enthusiasts. If you enjoy these posts, definitely show them some love!

Curious to learn more about these communities, we reached out to their admins. Beeninya, one of the moderators of r/AncientCivilizations, kindly responded. He explained that the current mod team took over about a year ago, rescuing the subreddit from being overrun with misleading claims and sensationalized theories.

“The sub was infested with ancient aliens nonsense and all sorts of pseudo-history. Real history needs to be seen over fake history, which is being pushed on us constantly,” he told Bored Panda.

In fact, the subreddit’s very first rule is “No pseudo-history.” In an era where misinformation spreads easily, it’s refreshing to see a community so dedicated to accuracy. Perhaps that’s why the subreddit has built such a strong reputation, ranking among the top 50 history communities on Reddit.

The moderation team is also strict about keeping posts relevant to ancient history, defining it as the period between 3000 BCE—750 CE across all human-inhabited continents. However, they remain flexible with dates and also allow content from the Pre-Columbian era of the Americas.

But what is it about ancient civilizations that excites us so much? It almost feels like a rite of passage—at some point in childhood, you become fixated on Ancient Egypt, Greece, or Rome until it becomes your entire personality. For some, that enthusiasm fades into a passing curiosity; for others, it turns into a lifelong passion for learning and appreciation.

“Every era of history is interesting in its own way,” Beeninya said. “I think people are especially fascinated by ancient history because it’s still largely a mystery and it’s our past. We always want to know of our past.”

“Some of the greatest historical figures we still remember today come from ancient times—Alexander the Great, Julius Caesar, Cleopatra, and many others,” he added.

In the sense of wanting to know our past, Beeninya is surely right. Beyond the famous names and monumental structures, our interest in history comes from something deeper: a need to understand ourselves. We’re always questioning where we come from, why we are the way we are, and what led us here. That search for answers is a natural and essential part of being human.

“History is the greatest story ever told,” said Beeninya. “There are endless chapters and detours, all seeming never-ending, with plots and characters that would make any author envious.”

So, if there’s one thing to take away from this, it’s that even though the past is behind us, there’s always more to revisit, interpret, and learn. And that’s what makes history so incredible.