By Tim Lambert Dedicated to Lee and Sarah Spragg People have been playing board games since civilization began. A board, dice, and counters were found in Ur in Iraq dating from 3,000 BC. Egyptians also played a board game called Senet. The board was divided into squares with counters. You threw sticks rather than dice.… Continue reading A Brief History of Board Games
Category: Daily Life in the Past
A Brief History of Clocks
By Tim Lambert Early Clocks Today we take knowing the time and the day of the year for granted but for our ancestors, it was far more difficult. Until mechanical clocks were invented in the 13th century there were various ways of telling the time. The earliest method of telling the time of day was… Continue reading A Brief History of Clocks
A Brief History of Coffee
By Tim Lambert The coffee plant is native to Ethiopia. According to legend coffee was discovered by an Ethiopian goatherd called Kaldi. He noticed that goats who ate certain beans became very lively. Coffee was drunk in Yemen by the 15th century. By the 16th century, coffee had spread to Persia (Iran) and Turkey. There… Continue reading A Brief History of Coffee
A Brief History of Cosmetics
By Tim Lambert Makeup in the Ancient World Women have always tried to enhance their beauty. Even in Prehistoric Times, people wore necklaces or bracelets made of things like shells. They also wore pendants of bone or ivory. Prehistoric people may have painted or tattooed themselves. Certainly, the ‘iceman’ who lived in Copper Age Italy… Continue reading A Brief History of Cosmetics
A Brief History of Desserts
By Tim Lambert Dedicated to Jane Hummerstone Early Desserts In the Middle Ages, rich people ate desserts like preserved fruits, jelly, and wafers made from batter. Furthermore, the Italians have been eating panettone since at least the 15th century but its origins are lost in legend. The Romans knew that eggs could be used for… Continue reading A Brief History of Desserts
A Brief History of Dolls
By Tim Lambert Early Dolls Girls have played with dolls for thousands of years. Pottery dolls have been found in Ancient Egyptian tombs. Girls in Ancient Greece played with dolls made of baked clay or wood. Some of them had movable limbs. However, when Greek girls grew up they dedicated their dolls to a goddess.… Continue reading A Brief History of Dolls
A Brief History of Drinks
By Tim Lambert Early Drinks The original drink was, of course, water or Adam’s ale as it is sometimes called. However, when people invented farming they invented other drinks. It is believed that beer was invented before writing. Certainly in Egypt, beer was a common drink. People drank it from large containers through straws (to… Continue reading A Brief History of Drinks
A Brief History of English Government
By Tim Lambert Saxon Government The Saxons laid The foundations of the English government. They divided England into shires. (The Normans called them counties). Each shire was divided into areas called hundreds. (Originally a hundred was one hundred families or one hundred hides, the amount of land needed to support a family). Hundreds were abolished… Continue reading A Brief History of English Government
A Brief History of English Society
By Tim Lambert Celtic Society At the top of Celtic society was a class of nobles headed by a king or chieftain. Below them were the craftsmen (of whom metalworkers were the most important). Then came the farmers who provided the food supply and also fought for the chief. The Celts were divided into tribes.… Continue reading A Brief History of English Society
A Brief History of Farming
By Tim Lambert The Farming Revolution After 9,000 BC a great change came over the world. Previously humans lived by hunting animals and gathering plants. Then about 8,500 BC people began to grow wheat, barley, peas, and lentils instead of gathering them wild. By 7,000 BC they domesticated sheep, pigs, and goats. By 6,000 BC… Continue reading A Brief History of Farming