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
Category: Articles
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
A History of Angels
By Tim Lambert Angels are intermediaries between God and human beings. (The word angel is derived from the Greek word angelos, which means messenger). The study of angels is called Angelology. Angels in the Bible The Bible often mentions angels. Angels are mentioned 273 times. The Bible says that human beings were made a little… Continue reading A History of Angels
A History of the Waldensians
By Tim Lambert The Waldensians are a Christian sect that began in the 12th century and continues to the present day. By the Middle Ages, the Church was rich and powerful and some people criticized its worldliness. About 1175 a merchant of Lyons called Peter Waldo gave away his wealth and began preaching. He soon… Continue reading A History of the Waldensians
A Brief History of Ancient Korea
By Tim Lambert By 4000 BC stone age farmers were living in Korea. By 1000 BC they had learned to use bronze. By about 300 BC they had learned to use iron to make tools and weapons. At first, Korea was divided into tribes but eventually organized kingdoms emerged. There were 3 of them, Goguryeo… Continue reading A Brief History of Ancient Korea
A Brief History of Ancient Japan
By Tim Lambert The First Japanese Human beings have lived in Japan for at least 30,000 years. During the last ice age, Japan was connected to mainland Asia by a land bridge and stone age hunters were able to walk across. When the ice age ended about 10,000 BC Japan became a group of islands.… Continue reading A Brief History of Ancient Japan
A Brief History of Antarctica
By Tim Lambert The Early Explorers of Antarctica Although it is now a frozen wilderness Antarctica was once much further north and it had a tropical or semi-tropical climate. Forests grew there and life flourished. The Ancient Greeks realized there might be a great continent in the southern hemisphere. Aristotle argued that since the world… Continue reading A Brief History of Antarctica
A Dictionary of Historical Terms
By Tim Lambert This is a dictionary of terms used in history A ABRAHAM MAN In Tudor times an Abraham man begged alms by pretending to be mad. The name comes from Abraham Ward in Bedlam. ABSOLUTE MONARCHY This is a political system where the monarch has unlimited power. It was summed up by the… Continue reading A Dictionary of Historical Terms
Life in the Old Testament
By Tim Lambert The Israelites were monotheists. They worshiped only one God. One of the 12 tribes of Israel, the Levites, were priests. Since they did not own land the other tribes gave the Levites one-tenth of their crops and domestic animals. Furthermore, 48 towns in Israel were set aside for the Levites. In return,… Continue reading Life in the Old Testament