Category: Daily Life in the Past

By Tim Lambert Early Shaving At times in history, beards have been fashionable for men, while at other times they were clean-shaven.  In Ancient Egypt, men were usually clean-shaven. They used razors made of copper or bronze. Stubble was removed with pumice stones. Both men and women shaved off body hair. Egyptians shaved their hair… Continue reading A History of Shaving

By Tim Lambert Ancient Ships The earliest boats were dugout canoes. People lit a fire on a big log, then put it out and dug out the burned wood. About 3,100 BC, the Egyptians invented the sailing boat. They were made of bundles of papyrus reeds tied together. They had simple square sails made of… Continue reading A History of Ships

By Tim Lambert Ancient Shoes Long before history began wore shoes. During the Ice Age, people called Cro-Magnons wore simple leather boots. They lived during an ice age so protecting your feet from the cold was essential. In Egypt, shoes were not necessary because of the hot climate. Most people went barefoot much of the… Continue reading A History of Shoes

By Tim Lambert Sport In The Ancient World Egyptian Sport People have always played sports. In Ancient Egypt, people went swimming. They also enjoyed boxing, wrestling, and archery. They also played a game that involved standing on a boat and trying to knock the opposing team into the water with a stick. The Olympic Games… Continue reading A History of Sport

By Tim Lambert People have worn stockings since Ancient Times. Roman soldiers wore stockings called udones, especially in cold climates. The oldest existing stockings were made in Egypt in the 4th or 5th centuries AD. Early socks had split toes and were designed to be worn with sandals. In the Middle Ages, both men and… Continue reading A History of Stockings

By Tim Lambert Early Submarines For hundreds of years, people dreamed of traveling underwater. However, the first submarine was launched in 1620. It was built by a Dutchman, Cornelius Drebbel. His submarine was made of wood and leather. It was rowed by oars. Drebbel demonstrated his submarine in the River Thames in front of a… Continue reading A History of Submarines

By Tim Lambert Sugar cane first grew in South Asia. Later, it was grown in India and in China. The Ancient Greeks and Romans knew sugar but used it as a medicine rather than a sweetener. By about 600 AD, sugar was grown in Persia. Later, it was grown in North Africa and in Spain… Continue reading A History of Sugar

By Tim Lambert Ancient Surgery Surgery was invented in the Stone Age. Some adults had holes cut in their skulls. At least sometimes, people survived the ‘operation’ because the bone grew back. We do not know the purpose of the ‘operation’. Perhaps it was performed on people with head injuries to release pressure on the… Continue reading A History of Surgery

By Tim Lambert Early Sweets People have always liked eating sweet food. The earliest sweet was, of course, honey, which people have eaten since prehistoric times. In the Middle Ages, rich people ate desserts like preserved fruits, jelly and dried fruit, and wafers made from batter. The Tudors were also fond of sweet foods (if… Continue reading A History of Sweets