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 Brief History of Banks
Category: Daily Life in the Past
A Brief History of Board Games
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
A Brief History of Bras
By Tim Lambert Ancient Greek women wore a form of bra called an apodesme. Roman women also wore a band of cloth or leather around their chest called a strophium or mamilare. However for hundreds of years after the fall of Rome, women usually did not wear anything for support. From the 16th century to… Continue reading A Brief History of Bras
A Brief 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 Brief History of Children
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 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 Tudor Times. The Etruscans an ancient civilization that existed in Italy after 800 BC were excellent dentists. They made false teeth from human or animal… Continue reading A Brief History of Dentistry
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