Local Histories

By Tim Lambert Inventions in the Ancient World The Egyptians invented the sailing ship about 3,100 BC. The wheel was invented in Sumer (Iraq) in about 3,400 BC. It may have been invented first as the potter’s wheel and later used for transport. The first carts and chariots had solid wheels and oxen or asses… Continue reading A Brief History of Inventions

By Tim Lambert TRANSPORT IN THE ANCIENT WORLD The first form of transport was, of course, the human foot! However, people eventually learned to use animals for transport. Donkeys and horses were probably domesticated between 4,000 and 3,000 BC (obviously, the exact date is not known). Camels were domesticated slightly later, between 3,000 and 2,000… Continue reading A Brief History of Transport

By Tim Lambert Prehistoric Weapons Human beings have probably always killed each other. Early people used clubs, axes, and spears. They also used bows and arrows. (Cave paintings from Spain dating from 10,000 to 5,000 BC show men fighting with bows). A wooden club is a surprisingly effective weapon. As early as 6,000 BC African… Continue reading A Brief History of Weapons

By Tim Lambert The Cro-Magnon people Modern humans appeared in Africa about 100,000 years ago. About 35,000 years ago they entered Europe. (They are sometimes called Cro-Magnons). At that time Europe was in the grip of an ice age. Forests only grew in the extreme south of Europe and most of it was covered in… Continue reading Life in Prehistoric Times

By Tim Lambert Cities in Ancient Greece Ancient Greek cities were protected by stone walls. Inside them, most of the land was occupied by private homes. However, there were also many temples and workshops. In a typical workshop, a craftsman worked with one or two assistants and perhaps a slave. Methods of government varied among… Continue reading Life In Ancient Greece

By Tim Lambert Philosophy and Religion in Ancient China The Chinese worldview was very different from the Western worldview. The Ancient Chinese Heaven was a kind of universal force. Heaven chose the dynasty to rule but it was a moral force. If the king or emperor were evil Heaven would send natural disasters as a… Continue reading Daily Life in Ancient China

By Tim Lambert New Testament Society In 63 BC the Roman general Pompey captured Jerusalem. From that time the Romans ruled Israel. It was divided into three parts, Galilee in the north, Samaria in the middle, and Judea in the south. The Jews had to pay taxes to Rome, which they resented. Jewish tax collectors… Continue reading Daily Life in the New Testament

By Tim Lambert Celtic Warfare About 650 BC the Celts introduced iron into Britain and they made the first swords. Warfare was common during the Iron Age and many hill forts (fortified settlements) were built at that time. (Although there were also many open villages and farms). The Celts fought from horses or light wooden… Continue reading Celtic Daily Life

By Tim Lambert Towns in Roman Britain After the first century AD the Celts who lived in what is now England were, to a certain extent, Romanized. Many towns appeared. Some were created deliberately. Others grew up by Roman forts as the garrisons provided markets for the townspeople’s goods. Roman towns were usually laid out… Continue reading Life in Roman Britain

By Tim Lambert Society in Anglo-Saxon England Everyday life in Anglo-Saxon England was hard and rough even for the rich. Society was divided into three classes. At the top were the thanes, the Saxon upper class. They enjoyed hunting and feasting and they were expected to give their followers gifts like weapons. Below them were… Continue reading Life in Anglo-Saxon England