By Tim Lambert Early Belize The Mayans created a great civilization in what is now Belize. The ancestors of the Mayans were hunters but about 2,000 BC they adopted farming as a way of life. In the years from 300 BC to 250 AD organized Mayan kingdoms emerged. Then from 250 AD to 600 AD,… Continue reading A Short History of Belize
Category: Articles
A Dictionary of Ancient Greek Mythology
By Tim Lambert The Ancient Greeks were polytheists (they worshipped many gods). The Greeks imagined that gods and goddesses were like human beings. A Acamas Acamas was the son of the hero Theseus. He fought in the Trojan War. Achilles Achilles was a Greek warrior who fought in the Trojan War. His mother was a… Continue reading A Dictionary of Ancient Greek Mythology
A Short History of Costa Rica
By Tim Lambert Early Costa Rica At the beginning of the 16th century, the indigenous people of Costa Rica were divided into tribes of farmers. They had created a sophisticated society. However, on 18 September 1502, Christopher Columbus sighted Costa Rica. In the mid 16th century the Spanish gradually conquered Costa Rica. However, it lacked… Continue reading A Short History of Costa Rica
The Babylonians
By Tim Lambert The area that is now Iraq was once divided into city-states. One of them was called Babillu. (It was known to the Greeks as Babylon). For centuries Babylon was an unimportant city. However, under the famous leader, Hammurabi (C. 1792 BC-1750 BC) Babylon rose to greatness. However, after his death, it declined… Continue reading The Babylonians
A Short History of the Dominican Republic
By Tim Lambert The Early Dominican Republic The Dominican Republic forms part of the island of Hispaniola. Before the Europeans arrived a people called the Arawaks lived there. However, on 6 December 1492, Christopher Columbus landed in the northwest and called the island Espanola, which was later anglicized as Hispaniola. Spanish settlers founded San Domingo… Continue reading A Short History of the Dominican Republic
A Short History of Haiti
By Tim Lambert Colonial Haiti Haiti forms part of the island of Hispaniola. Before the Europeans arrived a people called the Arawaks lived there. However, on 6 December 1492, Christopher Columbus landed at Mole Saint-Nicolas on the northwest and called the island Espanola, which was later anglicized as Hispaniola. Columbus built a fort on the… Continue reading A Short History of Haiti
A Short History of Honduras
By Tim Lambert Early Honduras For thousands of years, indigenous peoples lived in Honduras. The greatest of them was the Mayans. However, the first European to reach Honduras was Christopher Columbus on 30 July 1502. Columbus later sailed as far south as Panama. The area became known as Honduras from the Spanish word for depths.… Continue reading A Short History of Honduras
A Short History of Cuba
By Tim Lambert Early Cuba The first European to reach Cuba was Christopher Columbus in 1492. At that time the indigenous people lived by farming. They grew cassava, maize, and yams. They also smoked tobacco. In 1511 Diego Velasquez conquered the island of Cuba and he founded several settlements including Havana. The natives were devastated… Continue reading A Short History of Cuba
Tooth Worms
By Tim Lambert For centuries people thought that tooth decay was caused by worms. About 50 AD a Roman called Scribonius Largus wrote about them. He recommended putting henbane seeds on a hot metal plate over burning charcoal and inhaling the seeds to fumigate your mouth then rinsing your mouth with cold water. Henbane was… Continue reading Tooth Worms
The Indus Valley Civilization
By Tim Lambert The Rise of the Indus Valley Civilization The first Indian civilization arose in the Indus Valley about 2,600 BC. It straddled northwest India and Pakistan. By 6,500 BC the people of the area had begun farming. By 5,500 BC they had invented pottery. By about 2,600 BC a prosperous farming society had… Continue reading The Indus Valley Civilization