Category: Daily Life in the Past

By Tim Lambert Toilets in the Ancient World In the ancient world, people were capable of designing quite sophisticated toilets. Stone Age farmers lived in a village at Skara Brae in the Orkney Islands. Some of their stone huts had drains built under them and some houses had cubicles over the drains. They may have… Continue reading A History of Toilets

By Tim Lambert Early Trousers The Cro-Magnon people who lived in Europe during the last Ice Age wore trousers made from animal skins. In a cold climate trousers were practical clothing.  Much later, about 3,00 BC people in Central Asia wore trousers because they spent much time riding horses. Again, trousers were a practical form… Continue reading A History of Trousers

By Tim Lambert Artichokes Artichokes are native to the Mediterranean. They were eaten by the Greeks and Romans and later by the Arabs. However, after the fall of Rome, artichokes were rare in Europe until the 15th century when they were grown in Italy. From there, artichokes spread to the rest of Europe. Asparagus Asparagus… Continue reading A History of Vegetables

By Tim Lambert WOMEN IN THE ANCIENT WORLD Women in Sumer Sumer was the world’s first civilization. It arose in what is now Iraq at about 3,500 BC. Sumerian women could own property such as land and slaves. They could also own businesses. Women could be witnesses in court the same as men. Some Sumerian… Continue reading A History of Women

By Tim Lambert Early Women Doctors There were women doctors in Ancient Egypt and Ancient Greece. There were also women doctors in the Roman Empire. One famous woman doctor was Antiochis of Tlos. She lived in what is now Turkey in the First Century. Another famous woman doctor was Metrodora. She wrote a textbook called… Continue reading A History of Women Doctors

By Tim Lambert Early Women’s Sports Greek women were not allowed to participate in the Olympic Games. However, women had their own games dedicated to the goddess Hera (wife of Zeus). The Heraean games were held once every 4 years. In Rome from about 55 AD, some women fought as gladiators but the practice was… Continue reading A History of Women’s Sports

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 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 usually… Continue reading A History of Women’s Underwear

By Tim Lambert 2737 BC According to legend tea is discovered by the Chinese emperor Shen Nung 1000 AD According to legend coffee is discovered around this time c 1450 Coffee is drunk in Yemen c 1550 Coffee is drunk in Turkey and Persia 1610 The Dutch introduce tea into Europe 1651 A coffee house opens in Oxford 1652 A coffee house… Continue reading A Timeline of Tea and Coffee

By Tim Lambert Britain has changed greatly since 1948. Today people are much richer. They live in far more comfortable homes and ordinary people can afford things that were luxuries in 1948 (like foreign holidays). People are also healthier and they live longer. They also have things like the internet that were not even dreamed… Continue reading Britain Since 1948