Questions tagged [ancient-history]
Ancient history was from the beginning of recorded history (c. 4000 B.C.) until the fall of the Roman Empire (c. A.D. 500).
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When were the first heating apparatus used for bathing?
If in the Odyssey they already washed themselves with warm water prepared on fire, why didn’t the athletes in the loutrons of the palaestrae do the same? They used cold water, which is ineffective for ...
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1answer
127 views
Are there any documented cases from ancient or medieval times of someone escaping captivity by cross-dressing?
In 1642, at the beginning of the English Civil War, the Irish Royalist Daniel O'Neill escaped from the Tower of London where he had been imprisoned by the Parliamentarians by
tying bed sheets and a ...
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1answer
101 views
Why is Anubis given a scarf in some representations?
Two links containing images of Anubis with scarf;
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anubis_Shrine
https://de.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anubis
In some representations Anubis wears what seems to be a scarf. ...
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Did hostage system exist in ancient world? [closed]
In Korean history, during the Koryeo dynasty there was a hostage system called 'ki-in-system'. (to control growing local power big). In Mongol Empire, hostages were picked up from soldier officer's ...
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Why was there a significant development in theoretical science and not in experimental sciences, in ancient India? [closed]
In ancient India, there was significant developments in theoretical science, such as in mathematics and astronomy, and in technology such as in metallurgy, but there was very little development of ...
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4answers
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Cultural understanding of Penelope's suitors
In the Odyssey, Penelope is courted by 108 suitors, who camp out in her house/royal court indefinitely, behaving badly, while she delays them. I'm having trouble understanding the historical and ...
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Where can I find high-resolution images of these Sumerian tablets
I've looked around quite a bit and couldn't find them. Looking for sketches, and a bonus images of the tablets, of the following Sumerian documents:
Kesh temple hymn (maybe that is in here, not sure)
...
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Where I can find the oldest artifacts in the world online
Doing a quick google search shows basic stuff like this, and it seems that each artifact is located at a different museum. From that top-10 list:
Lion man here.
Bone flute, doesn't say.
Shell beads ...
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Did foreign language phrase books exist in the ancient world?
I am finding out about the ancient equivalent to modern foreign language phrase books, used in conversations. Such as a medieval Italian-Latin conversational book, or an ancient English-French ...
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What was the early understanding of static electricity shocks?
What was the common understanding of electric shocks caused by static electricity in the ancient world and middle ages? I'm talking about the shock when you touch something on a dry day for example.
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A magic system at least partially based on the real-world cultural history of magic?
EDIT: Just to clarify, when I refer to magic, I am referring to the supernatural variety, not the stage variety.
PREFACE: It was recommended to me that I might try and have this answered by the ...
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2answers
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Are the Sabean people of Cushitic or Ethiopian origin?
The Sabeans are widely acknowledged to be of Semitic or south Arabian origin. Historical sources like Josephus Flavius and sections of the Bible seem to create conflicts about their origin.
There is ...
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1answer
238 views
Did the ancients build elaborate, automated traps?
Quite a few movies with archaeology have as part of the plot ancient traps with elaborate automation that are triggered by pressing or lifting something (e.g. Indiana Jones and "Les rivières pourpres ...
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1answer
225 views
What is the oldest inscription of Yahweh found?
Is it true that Assyriologist Friedrich Delitzsch found an inscription of Yahweh around 2500 BC?
I've heard of the Stela of Mesha dated around 900 BC but I also came across Friedrich Delitzsch and ...
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2answers
368 views
With no heavy infantry, how could melee units be effective, facing competition from ranged units?
Arrows can sometimes even penetrate heavy armor. Yet, as far as I'm aware, Egyptians or Persians did not have heavy infantry, but only had light units.
In light of this, I am uncertain how could the ...
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2answers
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Are there any records of javelin throwing techniques from antiquity? For example, ancient Greece, such as peltasts?
I can find plenty of information of contemporary javelin throwing techniques, but I am interested to know if there are surviving records of javelin throwing, particularly from ancient Greece, and ...
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Question about Tauri tribe in Crimea
The old name for Crimea is Tuarica and the tribe that for some time lived there is Tauri. The info I have is that they are schyto sarmatian tribe and etc, but the point of my question is; Does anyone ...
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Were the earliest Egyptian hieroglyphs ever discovered really found in Qustul in Ancient Nubia?
In a comment posted on an answer to the question, 'Does modern scholarship accept an Ethiopian origin for Egyptian hieroglyphs?', the user that posted the question wrote:
"The oldest kingdom in ...
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3answers
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Does modern scholarship accept an Ethiopian or Nubian origin for Egyptian hieroglyphs?
Diodorus Siculus made the claim that the Hieroglyphs were actually an Ethiopian script, which was held sacred by the Egyptians and was learned and transmitted only within the priestly families of ...
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1answer
171 views
Why did Hawaii become a dependent state of USA after USA was born 300 years ago? [closed]
I’m asking this because, I know that Hawaii is a very ancient civilization because it has an unique language, and you can’t find anywhere on Earth except in Hawaii, and when USA was born 300 yers ago, ...
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1answer
266 views
History of Moti Masjid
Who built the Moti Masjid?
Google says it's Sahjahan who built it, but Wikipedia says it was built by Jahangir.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moti_Masjid_(Red_Fort) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/...
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3answers
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How did the ancient Greeks synchronize time?
How the time synchronization was achieved in ancient Greece? The context of this question is about Eratosthenes and his calculation of the size of the Earth based on Sun casting shadows with different ...
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2answers
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Is there any historicity to the concept of Ghost Fences / Walls?
A Ghost Wall or Fence is a concept I keep coming across in historical fiction set around the Iron Age or Sub-Roman Britain. Generally, it appears as a boundary made of deceased peoples bones to either ...
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2answers
151 views
What was the relation between the biblical king Herod and the Parthian king Orodes II?
What was the relation between the biblical king Herod and the Parthian king Orodes II who was named Hyrodes Anaridus on coins?
The son of Orodes II, Pacorus invaded Judea, however I could not find ...
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0answers
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Roman desks and lacquer
I've been watching the Netflix piece on Ancient Rome and noticed a beautifully lacquered desk which I felt might not be accurate for the time. Does anyone have information about their use of lacquer ...
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380 views
Example of a battering ram used to successfully breach a gate
I am looking for a specific example of a battering ram used to breach the gate of a castle or fortification in Europe. I can find lots of indirect references to the use of battering rams on gates (...
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Have large human bones been used as measuring instruments?
Have any of the six types of large bones from the arms1 or legs2 of human beings ever been used (to a significant or considerable extent), in ancient or prehistoric times, as measuring instruments for ...
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2answers
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Who was the first female ruler to be given the suffix, “the great”?
Down through the ages exceptional elite leaders have been referred to with the suffix, the great. Cyrus the Great of Persia, Alexander the Great of Macedonia, and perhaps Alaric the Great of the ...
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Has the drought also revealed ancient structures in France as it did in Ireland?
I was wondering whether the drought has also revealed ancient structures in France as it did in Ireland (e.g. like https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-44801939).
I searched the net but couldn't ...
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2answers
459 views
When did Northern India and N. China begin to dominate in global demographics?
Video: Human Population Through Time
This simple video says that there were 170 million people in the world at the beginning of the current era. Each dot represents a million people -there are about ...
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3answers
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Are there any documented cases where a society was capable of large scale selflessness for the benefit of future generations? [closed]
Are there any documented cases in history where a society has altruistically created or conserved something exclusively for the benefit of next generations at a large scale?
An good example of such ...
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2answers
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What was the medium for Marcus Aurelius's Meditations?
I imagine Romans using papyrus and quills on a still table, allowing time for the ink to dry, which may not be possible in a battlefield. I once saw a documentary which depicts him walking off in ...
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0answers
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What kind of musical instruments were used in ancient barbarian tribes?
I am a member of a reenactment group in Romania, and we mostly do Roman, Dacian tribes and other barbarian tribes (allies of Dacians).
Some other members including myself want to form a band, and be ...
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3answers
622 views
How extensive and developed was the ancient Kushite (Nubian) horse trade?
In 1997 there was a fascinating paper published called The Horses of Kush by Lisa A. Heidorn in the Journal of Near Eastern Studies which summarized some finds about the popularity of horses from Kush ...
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1answer
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Need help identifying 2 old coins? Struck coins, one with two standing human figures facing each other
Can anyone tell me what these 2 coins are ?
How can I safely clean them?
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58 views
What terms and language do I need to search for collections of ancient symbols and images?
I'm sorry I just don't know the terminology to successfully google what I'm looking for. What field studies artifacts that contain some form of image made by people (even if the image is just a ...
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2answers
323 views
What was the legal process of raising a legion in late Republican Rome?
I've read some about both the Roman army and the Late Republican period, but realized that, while I understand well enough how legions worked in the field, I have only a very incomplete idea of who ...
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2answers
449 views
Did Greek traders visit the Philippines in the 1st century AD?
According to the article Cebu, a Port City in Prehistoric and in Present Times,
The Visayan Islands had earlier encounter [sic] with the Greek traders in 21
A.D.
This is repeated in the ...
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3answers
419 views
How accurately could ancient soldiers/commanders maneuver during battles
I am currently working on a small strategy game/interactive simulation of historical battles, whose main goal is to give the player – playing as the general of a ancient army – a more realistic amount ...
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1answer
313 views
Is David Graeber correct to assert that patriarchy did not exist in Sumeria?
In Debt: The First 5000 Years, David Graeber incisively claims that
As we’ll see, there is reason to believe that it is in such moral
crises that we can find the origin not only of our current ...
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What was the significance of the seven wonders of the ancient world in ancient life? [closed]
What is the background of the 7 wonders of the ancient world?
How significant were the wonders to those in ancient societies?
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4answers
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How did Christianity replace Roman Paganism and other ancient religions?
Christianity seems to have been the first world religion that was interested in and successful with establishing itself as not only the state religion of but practically the only in an empire - namely,...
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1answer
380 views
Why so many early temples on Malta?
Why is there such a concentration of early neolithic temples on Malta?
Seven world heritage sites, plus several other significant locations (see Megalithic Temples of Malta) adds up to a lot of ...
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1answer
181 views
What was clothing in ancient Palmyra like?
What is known about what people used to wear in the city of Palmyra during the third century AD? Was it more similar to Roman or Persian fashion of the period?
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1answer
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How do I find the sources which determined the year of the fall of Babylon?
I'm really asking a general question about the study of history. Allegedly, the Babylonian Empire fell to the Persians under Cyrus the Great in 539 BCE. All articles regarding this event simply take ...
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1answer
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Did Ancient Romans use metal thimbles? What were they like?
The Romans didn't have forks, so they picked the food with their hands. It is known about the rich that after every course they wiped them and received from their slaves pots with perfumed water to ...
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Did Greeks piss in their theatres?
Are there any historical references to this being done? Either for fun, as revenge of some kind or for any other reason?
Did they have toilet facilities available near or inside the theaters, or even ...
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What were the incentives for war during the Warring States Period?
I've been reading about the Warring States Period in Li Feng's 'Early China', and I don't know if I missed a passage but I can't seem to figure out why the period was so violent.
I've been searching ...
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1answer
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How could manu be Latin as it originated in Ancient India? [closed]
The word 'manuscript': Somewhere I read 'Manu' is a Latin word which means 'hand'.
How could this word be Latin as it originated in India or say Ancient India?
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2answers
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What is the first horse name recorded in history?
What is the first horse whose name has been recorded in history?
I wrote down a long list of famous people and their mounts, and I realized that Bucephalus, the horse of Alexander the Great, was the ...
