Awfully ancient

Describes the dangererous and unhealthy living conditions in ancient Egypt and discusses the pharoahs, slaves, gods and godesses and more.

Describes the dangerous and unhealthy working and living conditions in Great Britain during the Victorian era.

Explores the violent history of the Tudors.

Chronicles the history of the toilet and waste disposal from ancient Athens, the Victorian era and more.

From feast days of gods and goddesses to victory celebrations, the ancient Egyptians looked for any excuse to throw a party. However, the largest social group included slaves, laborers, and peasants who worked really hard and likely didn't get to enjoy these occasions as much as the pharaoh or his family. Fun facts about how mummies were created, the ins and outs of the Egyptians gods and goddesses, and more.

Because the Roman Army was so large, they had to be very serious about punishing those who broke the rules. For disobeying an order, a soldier would get as many as 200 lashes with a whip. And deserters? They were stoned or beaten to death. These penalties sound harsh in today's world, but they can tell readers a lot about life during the Roman Empire! Dreadful deaths and creative killings offer a unique lens through which to examine a major historical period.

The history of punishing criminals is a long and gruesome one. In 620 BC, a Greek named Draco wrote a legal code that punished almost every crime with death, except murder! For that, criminals were exiled. Odd facts about crime and punishment like this abound in history.