Whilst the terms Labyrinths and Mazes are often used interchangeably, they are in fact 2 different forms. A labyrinth is said to have a single through route with twists and turns but without branches, a maze is a confusing pathway that has many branches, choices of path and dead ends.
Read the full storyWith less than a month left til Christmas we have put together our top 10 ideas to put some puzzle magic into your Christmas this year. Bring your love of puzzles together with the magic of Christmas.
Read the full storyDo you want to get the perfect gift for your friends and family? We explore why all types of puzzles make the perfect Christmas gift. The benefits of puzzles include education, entertainment and are great fun to complete. Let’s look at a few examples.
Read the full storyHave you ever wondered why so many jigsaw puzzles feature works by artists? In today’s puzzle world you can get puzzles by historic legends, through to the modern, pop culture and fine artists of our time. Let’s take a look at the synergies between art and jigsaws throughout history.
Read the full storyHow did a turtle become one of the most influential animals in puzzles, maths and Feng Shei? We delve into the legend of the Lo Shu square or more commonly known as the Emperor and the turtle.
Read the full storyThis story takes us back to circa 2250BC to the Indus Valley, one of the first know human civilisations, located in what we now know as north-western regions of south Asia, the Harappan Civilisation. The cities in this region were known for its great urban planning, backed brick houses, extensive water supply and drainage systems. The people worked and crafted with bronze, lead, clay and carnelian materials and developed unique and new techniques.
Read the full storyThere are two types of puzzle rings, the first dating back to the Romans, where the social elite had rings with secret compartments to conceal their money. Similar in design to a puzzle box but on a smaller scale, you need to find the trick catch to open the secret compartment. The second is a series of rings that are entwined and require a series of steps to separate. We see these throughout Turkish and Celtic histories used for the promise of love, or to symbolise a union of souls and for other more sinister reasons. Let’s take a quick look at their evolution and history.
Read the full storyDid you know that puzzles are not only fun, but they can improve areas and functions of the brain? We love puzzles here at Arte et Marte Puzzles and we thought we investigate, how puzzles can help our health and development and why regularly puzzle solving should be a regular part of your routine.
Read the full storyToday, we will travel back in time to circa 49BC to the days of Julius […]
Read the full storyWhen I think of puzzle boxes, my first thoughts drift to Greek Myth of Pandora’s Box, the story of Pandora who was given a box by Zeus and told never to open it. Human nature being what it is, of course she opened it and let out all the horrors onto the world such as plaques, pestilence and wars. I assumed this was the first story about puzzle boxes, but there is no mention of it being any harder to open than with a key. So, it seems that puzzle box origins, like many other puzzle origins, is a mystery in itself.
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