Wheat and barley on the Warka Vase (Sumeria, ca. 3200-3000 BC) Why celebrate spring? When people moved out of Africa further north to West Asia and then to Europe, about 60,000 BC, they began to [...]
A cider press with big wooden screws What is a screw? People always count screws as a separate kind of simple machine. But really screws are just one kind of inclined plane. [...]
Alexander the Great: Gedrosia Desert Alexander in India When Alexander reached the end of the old Persian Empire, he turned back. He did not go further east into India. Who [...]
Code of Hammurabi (1700s BC) Usury (YOU-sure-ee) is when you lend money to someone else and charge a percentage as interest for that money. For instance if you lend me [...]
