Category: Articles

By Tim Lambert Early Belgium The Romans conquered Belgium in 57 BC and it became integrated into the Roman Empire as Gallia Belgica. However, in the 5th century AD Roman rule collapsed and the Franks conquered Belgium. Their first capital was at Tournai. In the 9th century, the Franks ruled most of Western Europe. Yet… Continue reading A Brief History of Belgium

By Tim Lambert Viking Iceland The first people to settle in Iceland were probably Irish monks who came in the 8th century. However, in the 9th century, they were driven out by the Vikings. According to tradition, the first Viking to discover Iceland was a man named Naddoddur who got lost while on his way… Continue reading A Brief History of Iceland

By Tim Lambert Ancient Germany About 55 BC, Julius Caesar conquered the Roman province of Gaul. He made the Rhine the frontier of the new province. It was a natural defensive barrier. Later, the Romans also chose the Danube as a frontier. They also created a ditch and an earth bank with a wooden palisade… Continue reading A Brief History of Germany

By Tim Lambert Prehistoric and Ancient France During the last ice age, humans called Cro-Magnons lived in France. They dwelt in caves and they hunted animals such as mammoths and reindeer. They must have been resourceful people to survive in such a harsh climate and they also created art. The Cro-Magnons are known for the… Continue reading A Brief History of France

By Tim Lambert Dedicated to Chloe Annabel Ancient Malta During the last Ice Age Malta was a high mountain joined to Italy by land. However, when the Ice Age ended about 10,000 years ago the sea level rose and Malta became a group of islands. However, about 5,200 BC Stone Age farmers arrived in Malta… Continue reading A Brief History of Malta

By Tim Lambert Ancient Ireland The first humans arrived in Ireland between 7,000 and 6,000 BC after the end of the last ice age. The first Irish people lived by farming, fishing, and gathering food such as plants and shellfish. The Stone Age hunters tended to live on the seashore or on the banks of… Continue reading A Short History of Ireland

By Tim Lambert Ancient Spain From about 900 BC a seafaring people called the Phoenicians who came from what is now Lebanon traded with what is now Spain. They founded a chain of trading settlements along the coast on islands and peninsulas. The Iberians gave the Phoenicians silver in return for wine and olive oil… Continue reading A Brief History of Spain

By Tim Lambert Ancient Portugal Human beings have lived in Portugal since about 30,000 BC when the world was in the grip of an ice age. The first Portuguese were hunters and fishermen. They also gathered plants for food. They wore leather clothes and they made stone tools. In about 5,000 BC farming was introduced… Continue reading A Brief History of Portugal

By Tim Lambert Ancient Norway The first people arrived in Norway after 7,000 BC when rising temperatures after the end of the last ice age made the country habitable. The first Norwegians lived by hunting (elk, deer, seals, and whales) and by fishing. After 3,000 BC farming was introduced into Norway. The earliest farmers made… Continue reading A Brief History of Norway

By Tim Lambert Ancient Sweden The first humans arrived in Sweden by 8,000 BC after the end of the ice age, when warming temperatures first made the country habitable. The first Swedes were stone-age hunters and fishermen who lived near the coast. However, after 4,000 BC, farming was introduced into Sweden. The farmers used stone… Continue reading A Brief History of Sweden