Category: Daily Life in the Past

By Tim Lambert Some archaeologists think the Ancient Egyptians made tampons from the papyrus plant, but that is debated. In the Old Testament, a menstruating woman was regarded as ‘unclean’ for 7 days. (Leviticus 15:19-30). The Bible also mentions a menstrual cloth (Isaiah 30:22). In the Ancient World, menstrual cloths were the usual way of… Continue reading A History of Menstruation

By Tim Lambert Musical Instruments in the Ancient World The Egyptians played many instruments. They played castanets, drums, and bells. They also played stringed instruments like the harp, the lyre (a kind of vertical harp), and the lute. They also played wind instruments like flutes and trumpets. The Egyptians also played a rattle called a… Continue reading A History of Musical Instruments

By Tim Lambert Until the year 1752, in England, New Year’s Day was, legally on 25 March, which was the Feast of the Annunciation when an angel told Mary the mother of Jesus that she was pregnant and would have a son. (It was also called Lady Day). However long before the legal change, most… Continue reading A History of New Year’s Day

By Tim Lambert Early Newspapers Newspapers began circulating in the 17th century. The first real newspaper in England was printed in 1665. The first successful daily newspaper in Britain was printed in 1702. The first American newspaper was printed in 1690. It was called Publick Occurrences Both Forreign and Domestick. The first newspaper in Canada… Continue reading A History of Newspapers

By Tim Lambert Early Panties Roman women sometimes wore panties called subligaculum. However, after the fall of Rome, women did not usually wear panties until the end of the 18th century. Their only underwear was a long linen garment called a shift, which they wore under their dress. In modern times, women’s panties were invented… Continue reading A History of Panties

By Tim Lambert Photography in the 19th Century Photography is the art of capturing images. The word photography means drawing with light. It comes from the Greek words photos graphe. The word was coined by John Herschel in 1839. Photography began when people discovered that certain light-sensitive chemicals would ‘fix’ an image when exposed to… Continue reading A History of Photography

By Tim Lambert Ancient Public Health In the ancient world, public health was often surprisingly advanced. Stone Age farmers lived in a village at Skara Brae in the Orkney Islands about 3,000 BC. Some of their stone huts had drains built under them and some houses had cubicles over the drains. It’s believed they were… Continue reading A History of Public Health

By Tim Lambert In the early 17th century king and parliament clashed over the issue of religion. In the 17th century, religion was far more important than it is today. It was a vital part of everyday life. Furthermore, there was no tolerance in matters of religion. By law, everybody was supposed to belong to… Continue reading A History of Religion in the 17th Century

By Tim Lambert Rich People in Ancient Egypt Rich Egyptians lived in large, comfortable houses with many rooms. Walls were painted and floors had colored tiles. Most wealthy houses had enclosed gardens with pools. Inside their homes, rich Egyptians had wooden furniture such as beds, chairs, tables, and chests for storage. However, instead of pillows,… Continue reading A History of Rich People

By Tim Lambert Ancient Greek Science The Ancient Greeks were the first scientists. Greek philosophers tried to explain what the world is made of and how it works. Empedocles (c. 494-434 BC) said that the world is made of four elements, earth, fire, water, and air. Aristotle (384-322 BC) accepted the theory of the four… Continue reading A History of Science