By Tim Lambert Her early Life Joan of Arc was a woman who inspired the French army to win victories in the 15th century. Joan was born about 1412 in the village of Domremy. Her parents were fairly well-off peasants and as a girl, Joan helped her mother around the house. She would have learned… Continue reading A Brief Biography of Joan of Arc
Category: Articles
A Brief Biography of Julian of Norwich
By Tim Lambert Her Early Life Julian of Norwich 1342-1416 was a great Christian mystic and writer of the Middle Ages but little is known about her. It is a myth that women were unimportant in the Middle Ages. Some women like Julian certainly did have influence. However, we know very little about her life.… Continue reading A Brief Biography of Julian of Norwich
A History of Public Health
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
A Brief Biography of Florence Nightingale
By Tim Lambert Her Early Life Florence Nightingale was born in the city of Florence, Italy on 12 May 1820. She was the second daughter of wealthy parents (her elder sister was called Parthenope). When she was young Florence was very interested in mathematics. She was also a devout Christian and when she was 17… Continue reading A Brief Biography of Florence Nightingale
A History of Toilets
By Tim Lambert Toilets in the Ancient World In the ancient world, people were capable of designing quite sophisticated toilets. Stone Age farmers lived in a village at Skara Brae in the Orkney Islands. Some of their stone huts had drains built under them and some houses had cubicles over the drains. They may have… Continue reading A History of Toilets
A History of Surgery
By Tim Lambert Ancient Surgery Surgery was invented in the Stone Age. Some adults had holes cut in their skulls. At least sometimes people survived the ‘operation’ because the bone grew back. We do not know the purpose of the ‘operation’. Perhaps it was performed on people with head injuries to release pressure on the… Continue reading A History of Surgery
A History of Washing
By Tim Lambert Washing in the Ancient World The Egyptians are known for their cleanliness (they bathed frequently) and they used many cosmetics. Meanwhile in Babylon before 2,000 BC a form of soap was made. The Greeks knew that diet, exercise and keeping clean were important for health. The Greeks even invented a form of… Continue reading A History of Washing
A History of Communication
By Tim Lambert Communication in Ancient Times The first means of communication was, of course, the human voice but about 3,200 BC writing was invented in Iraq and Egypt. It was invented about 1,500 BC in China. Other civilizations in Central America like the Mayans also invented systems of writing. The next big step was… Continue reading A History of Communication
A History of Farming
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
A History of Clocks
By Tim Lambert Early Clocks Today we take knowing the time and the day of the year for granted but for our ancestors, it was far more difficult. Until mechanical clocks were invented in the 13th century there were various ways of telling the time. The earliest method of telling the time of day was… Continue reading A History of Clocks