By Tim Lambert Early Chocolate Chocolate is made from the fruit of the cocoa tree, which is native to Central America. It grows large, round fruits containing seeds or beans, which are used to make chocolate. However, for centuries, people drank chocolate rather than ate it. People in Central America drank chocolate as early as… Continue reading ,A History of Chocolate
Category: Daily Life in the Past
A Brief History of Bread
By Tim Lambert For thousands of years, until the end of the 19th century, bread was ‘the staff of life’ in Western Asia and most of Europe. Indeed, the word bread was sometimes a synonym for food. In Prehistoric Times, people ate flatbread. It’s believed that the Egyptians discovered leavened bread. The staple food of… Continue reading A Brief History of Bread
A Brief History of Cats
By Tim Lambert Early Cats Cats were first domesticated about 8,000 BC, when humans in the Middle East started farming. They stored grain, which naturally attracted rodents. Cats began hanging around the grain stores to hunt. Humans appreciated cats hunting rodents and gave them food and shelter. Cats were useful animals. Cats were highly esteemed… Continue reading A Brief History of Cats
A Brief History of Coffee
By Tim Lambert The Ethiopians invented coffee. The coffee plant is native to Ethiopia. According to legend, coffee was discovered by an Ethiopian goatherd called Kaldi around the year 800. He noticed that goats that ate certain beans became very lively. So coffee was found. Later, people added hot water to the ground-up beans. Later,… Continue reading A Brief History of Coffee
A Brief History of Dentistry
By Tim Lambert Early Dentistry In Sumer (now Iraq) in 2000 BC, people believed that tooth decay was caused by worms. This strange belief carried on in the West until the 18th century. The Etruscans, an ancient civilization that existed in Italy after 800 BC, were excellent dentists. They made false teeth from human or… Continue reading A Brief History of Dentistry
A Brief History of Dogs
By Tim Lambert Early Dogs Dogs are man’s best friends. Dogs were the first animals to be domesticated, and they have been companions and helpers ever since. About 40,000 years ago, wolves began to live with humans. At that time, people were hunter-gatherers. Some wolves may have gone to their camps looking for scraps. In… Continue reading A Brief History of Dogs
A Brief History of Donkeys
By Tim Lambert It’s believed that donkeys were domesticated in East Africa approximately 4,000 BC. They quickly spread to Egypt and Iraq. Donkeys were very useful beasts of burden. They were used to pull carts. They were also ridden. Donkeys are mentioned several times in the Bible. Jesus rode a donkey when he entered Jerusalem. … Continue reading A Brief History of Donkeys
A Brief History of Easter
By Tim Lambert Nobody is sure where the name Easter came from. The Anglo-Saxon name for April was Eostermunath. But we don’t know why April was called that. According to a Saxon scholar called Bede the month was named after a goddess called Eostre. But no other writer ever mentioned such a goddess and there… Continue reading A Brief History of Easter
A Brief History of Female Hygiene Products
By Tim Lambert Some archaeologists think the Ancient Egyptians made tampons from the papyrus plant, but that is debated. In the Old Testament, a menstruating woman was regarded as ‘unclean’ for 7 days. (Leviticus 15:19-30). The Bible also mentions a menstrual cloth (Isaiah 30:22). In the Ancient World, menstrual cloths were the usual way of… Continue reading A Brief History of Female Hygiene Products
A Brief History of Gold
By Tim Lambert Ancient Gold Human beings have always prized gold. The rich have always used it for jewelry and eating and drinking vessels. Since Ancient Times, gold has also been used in dentistry. The earliest evidence of gold comes from 3,600 BC. By about 600 BC, people were making gold coins. Our chemical symbol… Continue reading A Brief History of Gold