X-treme facts: ancient history

"Whether going for a sail or hitting the road on anything with wheels, you may need to thank the people from Mesopotamia. Did you know this ancient civilization inspired and invented a lot of things that we can still find in our modern lives? The Cradle of Civilization brought us board games and astrology, maps and soap, and so much more. But there are some things we may be glad to leave behind in Mesopotamia, such harsh penalties for breaking the law (death!) and an alphabet that included 700 letters (think of that alphabet song!). Discover extreme facts about Mesopotamia in this fun and kooky book"--.

Did you know that the Ancient Romans ate while lying down? Or that they spread a sauce made of fish guts over their food? What about that gladiator sweat was sold as a beauty product in Ancient Rome? Travel along roads that are still around today (ones that were made by Romans over 2,000 years ago) or take a peek at the Declaration of Independence and you'll see the civilization's lasting influence today. Discover extreme facts about ancient Rome in this fun and kooky book.

"You may like chocolate, but how would you feel about using cocoa beans as money or in glue? Maybe you'd like to play a ball game for warriors (just be careful you don't become a scarified to the gods after playing). What about living life with a calendar system even more advanced than our own? You could try it all if you lived like the Maya! Discover extreme facts about the Maya civilization in this fun and kooky book"--.

How would you like to use a public toilet every time you had to go? Or compete in an Olympic wrestling event where the only rules were no biting or gauging? Well, that was life in ancient Greece And if you think we're far removed from that life, you may be surprised to learn that a lot in our modern world was inspired by our ancient friends (from alarm clocks and odometers to democracy and art ). Discover extreme facts about ancient Greece in this fun and kooky book.

Did you know ancient Egyptians would shave their eyebrows in mourning if their cats died? Or that the first pharaoh may have been killed by a trampling hippo? You may know that a mummy's brain was removed through its nose before the body was wrapped up. But did you know that the ancient Egyptians threw the brain away and kept the heart as the center of intelligence instead? Discover extreme facts about ancient Egypt in this fun and kooky book.