By Tim Lambert The first clothing materials were simply animal skins. About 35,000 years ago modern humans entered Europe. (They are sometimes called Cro-Magnons). The Cro-Magnons made warm clothes such as trousers, coats, and boots from animal skins using bone needles. Linen fabric dating to about 8,000 BC has been found in Switzerland. From about… Continue reading A History of Fabrics
Author: Tim Lambert
A History of Shoes
By Tim Lambert Ancient Shoes Long before history began wore shoes. During the Ice Age, people called Cro-Magnons wore simple leather boots. They lived during an ice age so protecting your feet from the cold was essential. In Egypt, shoes were not necessary because of the hot climate. Most people went barefoot much of the… Continue reading A History of Shoes
A History of Women’s Clothes
By Tim Lambert Women’s Clothes in the Ancient World Not surprisingly, given the hot climate, Egyptians wore only light clothing. Women wore dresses with shoulder straps. Clothes were made of linen or cotton. Later in Egyptian history, clothes became more elaborate and colorful. Egyptians wore jewelry. Those who could afford it wore jewelry of gold,… Continue reading A History of Women’s Clothes
A History of Women’s Underwear
By Tim Lambert Early Women’s Underwear Ancient Greek women wore a form of bra called an apodesme. Both Roman men and women wore a loincloth or shorts called a subligaculum. Women also wore a band of cloth or leather around their chest called a strophium or mamilare. After the fall of Rome, women did not… Continue reading A History of Women’s Underwear
A History of Banking
By Tim Lambert The Beginning of Banks The idea of banks began as long ago as 1,800 BC in Babylon. In those days moneylenders made loans to people. In Greece and Rome, banks made loans and accepted deposits. They also changed money. (In the Bible Jesus famously drove the money changers out of the temple… Continue reading A History of Banking
A History of Children
By Tim Lambert Life for children in the past was hard and dangerous. In the past, many of the children born died before they could grow up. As many as 25% of children died before their fifth birthday. As many as 40% of the people born died before they were 16. Even if they survived,… Continue reading A History of Children
A History of Christianity in England
By Tim Lambert Christianity in Roman Britain The first evidence of Christianity in what is now England is from the late 2nd century AD. (There may have been Christians in Britain before then, we cannot be sure). Roman Britain was a cosmopolitan place. Merchants from all over the empire settled there and soldiers from many… Continue reading A History of Christianity in England
A History of Corporal Punishment
By Tim Lambert Early Corporal Punishment Corporal punishment is derived from a Latin word meaning body. It meant physical punishment and in the past, it was common. In the past corporal punishment was by no means limited to children. It was used on adults as well. Whipping has been a common punishment since ancient times.… Continue reading A History of Corporal Punishment
A History of Education
By Tim Lambert Education in Ancient Egypt Most children in Egypt did not go to school. Instead, boys learned farming or other trades from their fathers. Girls learned sewing, cooking, and other skills from their mothers. Boys from wealthy families sometimes learned to be scribes. They learned by copying and memorizing, and discipline was strict.… Continue reading A History of Education
A Brief History of the Family
By Tim Lambert The Family in The Ancient World Most children in Ancient Egypt did not go to school. Instead, boys learned farming or other trades from their fathers. Girls learned sewing, cooking, and other skills from their mothers. Girls from well-off families were sometimes taught at home. When a father died his sons inherited… Continue reading A Brief History of the Family