Tim Brinkhof
Tim Brinkhof is a Dutch-born, New York-based journalist reporting on art, history, and literature. He studied early Netherlandish painting and Slavic literature at New York University, worked as an editorial assistant for Film Comment magazine, and has written for Esquire, Film & History, History Today, and History News Network.
How Elmyr de Hory, the most successful art forger in history, made $50 million
Successful forgers are remembered as great conmen, not artists. This is strange, considering their forgeries fooled even the most seasoned critics.
Life inside a reeducation camp in Mao Zedong’s China
For decades, the Communist Party of China has relied on reeducation camps to reform "parasites" and persuade people to support the communist cause.
Avocado farmer accidentally stumbles upon “Spanish Stonehenge”
"Spanish Stonehenge" contains 526 giant stones, three circular burial sites, a quarry, and four necropolises.
How the Dutch East India Company inadvertently created the world’s first stock market
The East India Company issued stocks to minimize the risk on their unpredictable but highly lucrative voyages. The rest is history.
The secret philosophy of cultivating a bonsai tree
To be successful at bonsai cultivation, you must acquire the perseverance and unconditional kindness normally reserved for devout monks.
Tunguska event: the rarest and most destructive kind of natural disaster
On the morning of June 30, 1908, an explosion of more than 10 megatons occurred above the sparsely populated Siberian Taiga. What caused the so-called Tunguska event?
British archaeologists find, then rebury, a Roman villa in Scarborough
The “first-of-its-kind” archeological find is being reburied despite the fact that researchers haven’t finished studying it.
Genghis Khan’s grandson introduced paper money—and inadvertently tanked the Mongol Empire
Kublai Khan wasn’t the first ruler in history to issue paper money, but his Yuan dynasty did take unprecedented action to ensure this revolutionary form of currency retained its value.
The most shocking documentaries ever made and why you should see them
Though difficult to watch, films like "Shoah" and "Life of Crime" cover topics that should not be ignored.
Money isn’t a thing, it’s a philosophy. The ancient Greeks were the first to realize it.
The Greeks were among the first to move beyond “primitive money” and establish an official currency, transforming their trade, government, and even philosophy.
How Cameroon’s biggest lakes exploded — and killed 1,800 people
When Cameroon's Lakes Monoun and Nyos exploded, they released clouds of carbon dioxide that suffocated everything in its wake.
In ancient Rome, only one person was more powerful than the emperor
Long before the birth of Julius Caesar, the Roman Republic appointed all-powerful dictators to protect their state in times of crisis. They were remarkably self-restrained and obedient to the constitution.
Gladiators were the superstars of the Roman Empire
More than mindless bloodshed, the gladiatorial games were organized sports. Gladiators were treated as world-class athletes, receiving superior diets and medical care.
The world heritage sites that were (or will be) swallowed by the sea
Some artifacts drown in shipwrecks, others are taken by the tide. Many others will vanish as a result of climate change and rising sea levels.
Cave paintings reveal what extinct animals may have looked like
Rock art in northern Australia depicts marsupial lions, giant kangaroos, and other megafauna that populated the Land Down Under long ago.
DNA analysis reveals when and where horses entered America from Europe
Horses pranced around the western hemisphere until they went extinct in the late Holocene. They were reintroduced by European colonists — though where, when, and how has remained unclear.
Some of the world’s most famous paintings were made with paint from ground mummies
Rare and costly paints have shaped art history in unforeseen ways. Mummy brown caused one artist to bury his paint.
The forgotten voyagers of ancient Greece, China, and Scandinavia
Long before Christopher and Magellan, ancient explorers voyaged into the unknown and brought home extraordinary tales.
Why California has wild zebras
The zebras were originally part of a newspaper tycoon's private zoo. Now they roam the San Simeon grasslands, growing in numbers.
Did war help societies become bigger and more complex?
Using data collected from ancient civilizations across the world, researchers identified the most significant factors in human development. War came out on top.
What does hell look like? Dutch painter Hieronymus Bosch shows us
Is "The Garden of Earthly Delights" by Hieronymus Bosch a condemnation of sin or a celebration of hedonism? Art historians still aren’t sure.
Devil’s advocate used to be an actual job within the Catholic Church
The role of the Devil’s advocate was to argue against the beatification of mystics. Contrary to popular belief, they did not wear Prada.
The high life: Doing drugs with ancient Greeks and Romans
Long before tobacco arrived from the Americas, ancient civilizations in the Old World were getting high off hemp smoke and opium.
“Peaky Blinders” was really about learning how to live with PTSD
The Netflix show about a Birmingham crime family and their personal demons concluded earlier this month.
Laser scans reveal ancient cities hidden in the Amazon river basin
The architecture and infrastructure found may well have required the greatest amount of skilled labor of any construction from the same time period in the entire continent.
Is the lost tomb of Genghis Khan hiding in plain sight?
Unlike other world rulers, Genghis Khan was laid to rest not inside an elaborate mausoleum but an unmarked grave somewhere in Mongolia. Maybe.
Let there be God: How Yahweh became “God Almighty”
In the Canaan religion, Yahweh was a lesser god, who was assigned the land of Israel. Here's how he became "God Almighty."
Digital nomad: why work from home if you can work from anywhere in the world?
Digital nomads can fully immerse themselves in their surroundings while advancing their career and stimulating the local economy. But there is one potential downside.
Utopias: Does living in a perfect society mean you must give up your freedom?
The answer to this question depends on how you define "freedom."