Category: Articles

By Tim Lambert Cities in Ancient Greece Ancient Greek cities were protected by stone walls. Inside them, most of the land was occupied by private homes. However, there were also many temples and workshops. In a typical workshop, a craftsman worked with one or two assistants and perhaps a slave. Methods of government varied among… Continue reading Life In Ancient Greece

By Tim Lambert Celtic Warfare About 650 BC the Celts introduced iron into Britain and they made the first swords. Warfare was common during the Iron Age and many hill forts (fortified settlements) were built at that time. (Although there were also many open villages and farms). The Celts fought from horses or light wooden… Continue reading Celtic Daily Life

By Tim Lambert Towns in Roman Britain After the first century AD the Celts who lived in what is now England were, to a certain extent, Romanized. Many towns appeared. Some were created deliberately. Others grew up by Roman forts as the garrisons provided markets for the townspeople’s goods. Roman towns were usually laid out… Continue reading Life in Roman Britain

By Tim Lambert Society in Anglo-Saxon England Everyday life in Anglo-Saxon England was hard and rough even for the rich. Society was divided into three classes. At the top were the thanes, the Saxon upper class. They enjoyed hunting and feasting and they were expected to give their followers gifts like weapons. Below them were… Continue reading Life in Anglo-Saxon England

By Tim Lambert Viking Society Upper-class Vikings were called Jarls (from which we derive our word, Earl). Below them was a class of farmers and craftsmen called Karls. At the bottom of the heap was a class of slaves called thralls. Slavery was common in the world at that time. It was accepted as an… Continue reading Life in Viking Times

By Tim Lambert ENGLISH SOCIETY IN THE 17th CENTURY During the 17th century, the population of England and Wales grew steadily. It was about 4 million in 1600, and it grew to about 5 1/2 million by 1700. During the 17th century, England became steadily richer. Trade and commerce grew and grew. By the late… Continue reading Life in the 17th Century

By Tim Lambert Tudor Society In 16th century England, most of the population lived in small villages and made their living from farming. However, towns grew larger and more important. During the 16th century trade and industry grew rapidly and England became a more and more commercial country. Mining of coal, tin, and lead flourished.… Continue reading Life in the 16th Century

By Tim Lambert Society In The Middle Ages Under the feudal system, introduced by the Normans society was like a pyramid. At the top of the pyramid was the king. Below him were the barons or tenants-in-chief. The king granted them land and in return, they had to provide so many soldiers to fight for… Continue reading Life in the Middle Ages

By Tim Lambert There were two sides to the 20th century. On the one hand, there were severe recessions in the early 1930s and in the 1980s and 1990s. There were also two terrible world wars. On the other hand, there was a vast improvement in the standard of living of ordinary people. Life expectancy… Continue reading Life in the 20th Century

By Tim Lambert Society in the 19th Century During the 19th century, life was transformed by the Industrial Revolution. At first, it caused many problems but in the late 19th century life became more comfortable for ordinary people. Meanwhile, Britain became the world’s first urban society. By 1851 more than half the population lived in… Continue reading Life in the 19th Century