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Posted by /u/StrawberryPatient307

How empty (of population) was the ancient world?

When I look at Bronze Age maps, I see states and civilizations around the major rivers, not far from those areas the map appears completely empty. How should this be interpreted? Does it mean there simply weren’t many humans overall, or were humans living everywhere but not in t…

Posted by /u/CaptainMikul

Why did it take so long to invent the T Shirt?

I was watching a video of a guy putting on a chiton, and it's basically just a square, turned into a tube, and then stitched to make a neck hole. A lot of ancient garments seemed quite involved to put on. Even early modern period, buttons are on everything. What is it about a t-…

Posted by /u/LurkingTamilian

Have there examples in history of a society forgetting how a particular technology is created but only know about maintaining it?

It is a common trope is Sci-fi for an ancient advanced civilization to collapse leaving behind artifacts that newer people can use and maintain but not develop themselves. Do we have documented cases of this in real-life? I am not counting cases like the pyramids which might hav…

Posted by /u/Umpuuu

Medieval peasants famously ate "bread and cheese". What kind of cheese was it? Would whatever cheeses they normally ate, be recognizable as any of the modern varieties?

Posted by /u/Odd_Old_Professional

Children's Sleepovers: where does this tradition come from?

My youngest is having a sleepover, and it is kind of a weird custom. Where does this come from? How old is it? Was there an older custom that this grew out of?

Posted by /u/Naive-Actuary4414

Why do Western countries like the UK, US etc consider Greece and the Roman Empire as the basis of their "civilisation"?

Okay so I would like to explain my context so that you guys can better understand my question: I am a tribal, Indian guy from the northeastern state of Arunachal Pradesh. And here in India, the basis of the Indian "civilisation" are considered to have been formed by Vedic cultur…

Posted by /u/Kutluna

Why have straight men historically been so hostile toward homosexuality?

I've had this thought since I was a kid, and every time I bring it up to my friends they just laugh. But I genuinely don't understand it, so I'm curious if there's an explanation from psychology, sociology, evolutionary biology, or history. I'm a straight man, and my logic has a…

Posted by /u/ProfessionalKnees

Did women in 1920s America really wear their stockings rolled down and apply rouge to their knees for a night out, as the musical Chicago implies?

In the song All That Jazz from the musical Chicago, Velma Kelly sings: Come on babe, why don't we paint the town And all that jazz I'm gonna rouge my knees, and roll my stockings down And all that jazz Was common for women to do this ahead of a night out? Why? As someone who has…

Posted by /u/Thundertushy

What was life as a diabetic like in Rome in 2nd Century AD?

Aretaeus of Cappadocia described life with diabetes as short, disgusting and painful. What would life as a 2nd Century AD person with diabetes have been like? Let's assume that the person is wealthy enough (i.e. prosperous merchant or landowner) to have a physician on staff to s…

Posted by /u/assbootycheeks42069

The Sixth Amendment to the Constitution of the United States guarantees a "speedy" trial. When this amendment was written, how long did it usually take for someone to be tried for a crime after being arrested?

Some context: I am not an attorney, but I do work for one. Many cases drag on for a year or more before resolution, which is disheartening when many of our clients are in jail. From some preliminary reading on this issue, the major limiting factor in when someone would be tried…

Posted by /u/SaysToMabelISays

In the Iliad, Ajax is shown as one of the only great warriors to not receive help from the Gods while still accomplishing amazing feats. Would this be seen as a bad thing?

One of my favourite characters in the Iliad is Ajax. In his frequent feats including holding off the Trojan army essentially by himself to protect the Greek fleet, almost killing Hector (who then receives help from a God to return), he's never described as receiving direct inter…