Category: Daily Life in the Past

A History of Cloth

By Tim Lambert The first clothing materials were simply animal skins. About 35,000 years ago modern humans entered Europe. (They are sometimes called Cro-Magnons). The Cro-Magnons made warm clothes such as trousers, coats, and boots from animal skins using bone needles. Linen fabric dating to about 8,000 BC has been found in Switzerland. From about… Continue reading A History of Cloth

A History of Clothes

By Tim Lambert Egyptian Clothes Not surprisingly given the hot climate Egyptians wore only light clothing. Men wore a loincloth and a kind of kilt. Women wore dresses with shoulder straps. Clothes were made of linen or cotton. Later in Egyptian history clothes became more elaborate and colorful. Egyptians shaved their hair and wore wigs.… Continue reading A History of Clothes

A History of Condiments

By Tim Lambert Early Condiments Since ancient times people have used condiments to enhance their food. The first condiment was salt. Salt has always been used both as a preservative and to enhance the flavor of food. Vinegar has also been used since ancient times. Its name is probably derived from the French words vin… Continue reading A History of Condiments

A 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 History of Dentistry

A 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 History of Desserts

A 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 History of Dolls

A 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 History of Drinks

A History of Education

By Tim Lambert Education in Ancient Egypt Most children in Egypt did not go to school. Instead, boys learned farming or other trades from their fathers. Girls learned sewing, cooking, and other skills from their mothers. Boys from wealthy families sometimes learned to be scribes. They learned by copying and memorizing and discipline was strict.… Continue reading A History of Education

A History of Electricity

By Tim Lambert Who Invented Electricity? No single person invented electricity. Many people made discoveries and inventions. However, in 1819, a Dane, Hans Christian Oersted discovered that an electric current in a wire caused a nearby compass needle to move. The Englishman Michael Faraday (1791-1867) showed that a magnet can produce electricity. In 1831 Faraday… Continue reading A History of Electricity