Skeleton of a salt miner from Sassanid Iran Mining was a dangerous job. So most people in the ancient world didn't want to do it. This is the skeleton of a young salt miner. Very likely the miner was enslaved, so he didn't have any choice about working in the salt mine. He [...]
An Islamic oil lamp from the University of Michigan This is one of the stories Scheherazade told the king: Even though he was only a boy, Aladdin got his food by begging on the streets. His father had died, and his mother was very poor. One day a man came to him and [...]
Flowers and Diwali lamps Diwali is a Sanskrit word originally meaning "a row of lights" - "dipa" is the Sanskrit word for "light". Diwali is an Indian harvest festival celebrating the end of the hard work of harvesting food. People celebrate that now there is plenty of food to last through the winter. Hindus, Buddhists, and Jains all celebrated Diwali [...]
A homemade oil lamp You can make your own oil lamp at home very easily. Buy any ordinary mushroom for eating. Break off the mushroom's stem and let it dry for a couple of days in any dry, warm place like a windowsill or a shelf. Take a very small clay bowl (like [...]
