Category: Daily Life in the Past

By Tim Lambert The Farming Revolution After 9,000 BC a great change came over the world. Previously humans lived by hunting animals and gathering plants. Then about 8,500 BC people began to grow wheat, barley, peas, and lentils instead of gathering them wild. By 7,000 BC they domesticated sheep, pigs, and goats. By 6,000 BC… Continue reading A History of Farming

By Tim Lambert Ancient Food Food in Ancient Egypt For most people in ancient Egypt, food was plain and dull. The staple food of the Egyptians was bread and beer. The bread was baked outside and because of the desert sand was often blown into the dough. In time eating bread with grains of sand… Continue reading A History of Food

By Tim Lambert Almonds Almonds are native to western Asia. They are mentioned in the Bible and the Egyptians grew them. The Romans grew almonds and they have been popular ever since. Apple The apple has been grown for thousands of years. It was well-known in Ancient China and Egypt. Apples were also known to… Continue reading A History of Fruits

By Tim Lambert Prehistoric Furniture When people learned to farm and lived in permanent settlements they began to make furniture. In Europe, some of the earliest known furniture comes from a stone-age village at Sara Brae in the Orkney Islands in Scotland about 2,000 BCE. The Stone Age farmers lived in stone huts with roofs… Continue reading A History of Furniture

By Tim Lambert Games and Pastimes in the Ancient World Egyptian Pastimes In Ancient Egypt people enjoyed swimming. They also liked boxing, wrestling, and archery. They played a game that involved standing on a boat and trying to knock their opponents into the water with a stick. The Ancient Egyptians also played a board game… Continue reading A History of Games

By Tim Lambert Gardening In The Ancient World The earliest gardens were grown for practical reasons. People grew herbs or vegetables. However, when man became civilized an upper class emerged with the leisure to enjoy purely decorative gardens. They also had servants (or slaves) to do the gardening for them. Gardening in Ancient Egypt In… Continue reading A History of Gardening

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 History of Gold

By Tim Lambert Early Halloween Our word Halloween is derived from the old words All Hallows Eve because it was the eve of All Hallows Day (1 November). Hallow is an old word for saint and today we call 1 November All Saints Day. In the 4th century, the Church began to celebrate a feast… Continue reading A History of Halloween

By Tim Lambert Early Hats People have worn hats since Ancient Times. They protected the head from the elements. But hats also sometimes showed a person’s wealth and status. In Ancient Greece people sometimes wore wide-brimmed hats to shade themselves from the Sun. In Europe in the Middle Ages, men wore hoods or berets. In… Continue reading A History of Hats

By Tim Lambert Basil Basil is native to India but it was known to the Greeks and the Romans. From the 16th century, basil was used to make pesto sauce in Italy. Bay Bay leaves are native to the Mediterranean area. Bay was well known to the Greeks and the Romans, who held it in… Continue reading A History of Herbs