Interesting facts of the ancient world. ancient facts. beer mouthwash

Of course, you must have heard of the lost civilization of Atlantis or the Maya. But there are even more ancient cultures that you probably did not know anything about until now. We present you the 10 most ancient, but little-known and even lost civilizations in the world.

1. Aroe, Sunny Kingdom in the middle of the Pacific Ocean

This is one of ancient cultures in the world. Moreover, this is one of the advanced island states that existed 13 thousand years ago, the history of which is practically unknown. Where the Kingdom of the Sun once was, Melanesia, Micronesia and Polynesia are now.

2. Ancient Ethiopia and Egypt

Next on our list of ten ancient civilizations go Ancient Ethiopia and Egypt. Only stone columns remained from them, on which human faces. The chronicles of the pharaohs, by the way, describe these civilizations, which may be several tens of thousands of years old.

3. Ancient China

Although the earliest traces of settlement in present-day China date back to at least 4000 BC, historical records mention the name of China's first ruler, one Great Yu, only from 2205 to 2198 BC. The first dynasty, confirmed by historians, began to rule from 1760 BC. However, at that time it was not a civilization, but rather an association of small tribes with cultural, ethnic and linguistic similarities.

4 Maya

The history of the Maya has been divided by researchers into two periods: the Old Empire and the New Empire. During the Old Empire, until about 800 AD, the Maya cities were located on the east coast of Guatemala and Honduras, and their influence was quite large and extended over large areas. During the New Empire, from the 9th century until the arrival of the Spanish on the continent, the Maya mainly occupied the Yucatan Peninsula.

5. Tiwanaku

Today, only ruins remain of the city where legends about the gods once were born. Tiwanaku ("children of the Sun") is located in the Andes near the border with Peru, near the southern part of Lake Titicaca, at an altitude of 4000 m above sea level. Now its ruins are located in an area almost completely devoid of vegetation, but archaeologists believe that there was once very fertile land here. However, the location of the city at such a high level seems strange. The air is thin here, making it difficult to breathe. Why do people choose to live in such an uncomfortable place? Unknown.

6. Uighur civilization in the Gobi Desert

The Uighurs (meaning "united") are an ethnic group of Turkish origin, one of the 55 official minorities in China. They mainly live in the XUAR (Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region), but their migration to this territory began only in the second half of the 9th century AD. In ancient times, the Uighurs had a noticeable influence on the development of these territories, in particular, on the Chinese empire, especially during the reign of the Tang Dynasty (618-907).

7. Osyrian civilization of the Mediterranean

It is believed that this civilization preceded the Egyptian one, and at that time the shores of the Mediterranean Sea were African continent were a flourishing fertile valley. The Nile River was then called the Styx, but then there was no Nile Delta in northern Egypt, because the river passed through the entire coastal valley, turned west, where it formed a large lake, and then flowed into the sea near modern Malta.

8. Empire of Rama

The empire originated in India and was named after its leader and founder, Prince Rama. There is an opinion that its task was to recreate the Aryan empire in Asia and Europe. Old Indian books say that the capital of Rama's empire was the city of Narmini, now it is most likely the ruins of Mohenjo-Daro. The empire was not able to achieve great conquests, since about 12,500 years ago there was a cataclysm - a flood that destroyed many highly developed civilizations of that time.

9. Ancient Atlantis

Information about the existence of Atlantis is contained in Plato's dialogues "Timaeus" and "Critias", which describes the island rich tribe of warlike Atlanteans. In the ninth millennium BC. (11,000 years ago) they allegedly fought with the ancestors of the Athenians. The latter won, and the wrath of the gods fell on the Atlanteans: "There were terrible earthquakes and floods, and the island of Atlantis went under water and disappeared."

10. Continent Mu or Lemuria

Mu is a mythical place, one of the so-called lost lands. According to chronicles and information from various authors, the continent (part of the mainland or island) should have been located in pacific ocean or perhaps between Australia and India. None of these places (for example, the possibility of the existence in the past of any lands that have gone under water) is not confirmed by geological or archaeological research.

Today, many people form their understanding of the ancient world based on information from popular books, TV shows and films. Long togas, sumptuous feasts, gladiator fights - this is usually how everyone represents ancient society. But scientists are sure that the image ancient world, which has developed among the townsfolk, has nothing to do with historical reality. In our review, 10 facts that destroy the prevailing stereotypes.

1. Africans lived in ancient Britain

While London is one of the most multicultural cities on Earth today, it was only in the last century that black residents became a common sight in the UK. Well, a thousand years ago only white Europeans lived in Foggy Albion? Not certainly in that way. It turns out that the UK was inhabited by black people, at least 1800 years ago.

In 2010, researchers from the University of Reading found evidence that people from North Africa lived in York. One of them, called "the lady in the iron bracelet", was buried with a lot of jewelry. She probably belonged to the upper class, and was not just a traveler or a slave.

But the most famous African citizen of ancient York was the Libyan-born Roman emperor Septimius Severus, who made the city in 208 AD. his residence.

2 Neanderthals Were Intelligent

"Neanderthals" today are called not very smart people. In fact, scientists point out that Homo sapiens' cousins, the Neanderthals, were just as intelligent as humans. In 2014, researchers found evidence that Neanderthals in northern Europe hunted mammoths and bison, driving them into deep ravines. For such coordinated operations, developed communication and planning abilities were needed. There is also plenty of evidence that Neanderthals used tools just as much as Homo sapiens.

3. There were no Jewish slaves in ancient Egypt

One of the most famous biblical stories is the story of the Exodus, when supposedly after centuries of being a slave in Egypt, the Jews finally managed to escape. However, despite the fact that many Jewish families allegedly wandered in the desert for 40 years, not a single confirmation of this was found. And this despite the fact that there is evidence of the presence in this region of much smaller groups of nomads.

4. The Romans had laws against gluttony and feasting

Along with a penchant for cruelty, the Romans are known for their fondness for feasts. Probably everyone imagines a Roman party as a bunch of food and wine. In fact, throughout the history of the republic, dozens of laws were passed to limit spending and limit the amount that individuals could spend on pleasure.

5 Stonehenge Was Much Bigger Than It Is Now

A circle of ancient stones in the English countryside - Stonehenge - has been attracting huge numbers of visitors for centuries. It seems that Stonehenge has always been in isolation since the day it was built, and there was not a soul around. However, if you go back to prehistoric times, it turns out that Stonehenge was surrounded by a giant, bustling metropolis. In 2014, a group of scientists completed a survey of the area around Stonehenge. In addition to the giant stones themselves, evidence of the existence of chapels, burial mounds and ritual sanctuaries was found within a radius of 3 km. Even traces of large nearby settlements were found.

6 Brontosaurus Really Existed

One of the most famous dinosaurs for almost a century and a half is the brontosaurus. However, since 1903, it turned out that Gothoniil Mrsh (the discoverer of this lizard) simply confused the bones with the bones of the Apatosaurus. Thanks to his clumsy mistake (and also to Steven Spielberg), schoolchildren today are fascinated by a dinosaur that never existed. At least that's how it was thought until April 2015, when scientists decided that the brontosaurus really existed. Researchers at the New University of Lisbon analyzed more than 81 different pangolin bones and concluded that there were enough differences to single out Brontosaurus as a separate species of Apatosaurus.

7. The menu in the Paleolithic was completely different than everyone thinks.

It has always been believed that ancient people did not eat bread. But in 2010, researchers found traces of 30,000-year-old flour on grinding stones in Italy and the Czech Republic. There are also other nuances. While most people believe that our ancestors ate only mammoth meat, National Geographic researchers recently concluded that meat was eaten only after a good hunt, and usually ate plant foods and meat from other animals.

8. The Silk Road meant much more than just a trade route

The Silk Road, a network of trade routes stretching from present-day Italy to Indonesia, is literally an icon of ancient commerce. However, the Silk Road was much more than just trade. Considering that at that time there were no newspapers, no television, no Internet, the Silk Road became a means of communication, mutual learning, technological and cultural exchange, and, of course, news.

9 Ancient China Practiced Human Sacrifice

Usually, when it comes to human sacrifice, everyone immediately imagines the bloodthirsty Aztecs or Mayans who killed people to make the sun rise. It turns out that another culture practiced this - Ancient China. In 2007, archaeologists unearthed a mass grave. It contained 47 people who were sacrificed so that they could continue to serve their master in the afterlife. Even as early as the beginning of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), the emperor's wife was sacrificed when the emperor died.

10 Rome Persecuted Many Religions, Not Just Christians

Stories of martyrs persecuted by the Romans are one of the main myths of Christianity. However, Christians were actually no more persecuted than other religions in Rome. While Nero hated Christians, other emperors hated other cults just as much. In 186 BC, the Senate passed a law that banned the cult of Bacchus, a new religion centered on the worship of Dionysus. Like Christians afterward, members of the Bacchus cult were slandered and branded as heretics and enemies of the state. Also in the Roman state, the Druids were exterminated, and later the Jews.

No less interesting and. Scientists are sure that man is not alone in the Universe.

We are so used to relying on modern technologies, the Internet and everyday progress, which is sometimes very difficult to imagine what difficulties our ancestors faced. What they thought was normal may make you laugh or even scare. Ways to treat diseases, inventions, traditions and even everyday life, - any facts about the ancient world may seem strange to you. We will tell you the most unusual facts from the life of ancient people. Believe me, you will be happy that you live in the modern world.

1. Hair color

Women began dyeing their hair over 3,000 years ago. However, in the past there were no salons and special paints available to us, so ancient women used almost any improvised means that could give them the color they needed - from onions and cinnamon to sulfur and ash. In addition, in order to lighten their hair, women had to sit for hours under the blazing sun. Not surprisingly, such experiments with lightening often ended in health problems.

2. Bandaging the feet, or lotus feet

This tradition originated in China and became very popular among the nobility. Girls at the age of 4-5 years began to bandage the feet so that they would stop growing, and they could wear shoes of a small size. Despite the fact that this procedure was very painful and dangerous, normal healthy legs were considered a sign of a commoner and could even prevent a girl from successfully marrying.

3. Book of complaints

Books of complaints have been around for thousands of years. For example, the photo shows a book of complaints, which refers to the delivery of the wrong type of copper. It took considerable effort to leave such a complaint. It doesn't compare to a store hotline or website reviews.

4. Lachrymators

Archaeologists often find in ancient tombs small vessels with narrow necks - lacrimators. Scientists believe that they collected the tears of grieving relatives. These vessels could also show how much a wife missed her husband while he was away.

5. Healing with magic and manure

Modern medicine may seem terrible and ineffective to you, but the medicines it offers are undoubtedly better than those made from manure in ancient times. In 1500 B.C. e. the droppings of many animals, birds and even humans have been used as medicines for all diseases. It was also used to protect against evil spirits, which were believed to be the causes of disease. By the way, ancient people also used spells and magic rituals as a treatment. Remember this the next time you need to take some bitter medicine.

6. Large scale construction

In ancient times, people took construction very seriously, especially when it came to temples. For example, the "Stone of the South" in Baalbek weighs over 1000 tons! It is hard to imagine how ancient people, without any technology available to us, could create such blocks and build buildings from them.

7. Unlimited Patriarchy

In ancient Rome, men had unlimited power over their children, which lasted for life. The so-called "power of the father" gave the right to organize marriages and divorces of their children, to refuse newborns, to kill or sell them if the head of the family did not want this child. In light of this, the modern conditions that parents set for their children (such as "be home by 9" or "help mom around the house") seem trivial. Children today are much happier and freer.

8. Pregnancy tests

Modern women can buy a pregnancy test at any pharmacy and get the result in just a few minutes. But in ancient times, pregnancy tests were something absurd. Women had to urinate on grains of wheat or barley. If they germinated, it was believed that the woman was pregnant. To determine who would be born, a woman could drink some water with honey before going to bed. If the belly got bigger, then a girl was supposed to be born.

9. Wastewater treatment system

In ancient Iran, water supply systems for arid lands were built as early as the 1st century BC, and in some regions they are still in use. The scale of these systems and the peculiarities of their construction are still shocking.

10 Cannibal Medicines

If modern doctors were still using the old methods of treatment, we would have to take medicines for migraines and seizures, which include human blood. The ancient Romans believed that the blood of fallen gladiators could cure epilepsy. Moreover, even in the 17th century, pharmacies sold powder from human mummies. So-called cannibal medicines have been widely used around the world for many centuries.

11. Love for cats

It is known that in ancient Egypt, cats were very respected and considered holy animals. The cats that lived at the palaces led the same luxurious life as their owners. When a cat died, its owner had to shave off his eyebrows as a sign of mourning, which lasted 70 days.

12. Professional mourners

In ancient times, it was believed that the more people came to someone's funeral, the more significant the deceased was. Some relatives even hired professional mourners - people who were supposed to take part in the funeral and mourn the deceased. After some time, this tradition was banned, as it contradicted the very idea of ​​​​peace and tranquility in the afterlife.

13. Beer mouthwash

The Egyptians made a really big contribution to medicine, but their methods of treating certain diseases can seem really strange. For example, to get rid of a toothache, they came up with a special mouthwash. It included sweet beer, bran and celery. Perhaps even today, some patients would choose such a "medicine" instead of conventional pills.

14. Women were embalmed later than men.

The ancient Egyptians used to embalm the bodies of the dead immediately after their death. But when it came to attractive women, the embalming process was delayed for several days. It turns out that the relatives of the deceased woman did not want anyone to touch her body, so it was left to decompose for 2-3 days.

At present, a significant part of humanity cannot imagine its existence without arranging a comfortable bathroom in the house. At the same time, few people think about the fact that the bath is not an innovative invention of the best engineering minds of the 20th century. Such a vital hygiene item has firmly entered the everyday life of people in ancient times. The history of the appearance of the bath begins from ancient times. Despite its advanced age (over five thousand years), outwardly it has not changed much.

Many, after reading the name, will think: “Well, what is there unusual in renting a car? It's all so common." But, let's be honest, many of the readers do not have their own experience car rental.

In this article, we will consider not only the rental rules, pitfalls, and Interesting Facts from the history of car rental.

Retro makeup from the reference fashion eras of the 20-60s can be done at the present time. It has not lost its relevance. Well, how can you stop considering Marlene Dietrich, Audrey Hepburn, Sophia Loren and Marilyn Monroe as stylish. They are so beautiful that they attract the eyes of men and women even in the 21st century.

Modern stars also use retro makeup, creating their own unique style. One of the brightest such representatives is Dita Von Teese, a world-famous actress and dancer. Her image is seductive, mysterious. How to do retro makeup by yourself?

Minions. Modern youth will immediately say that minions are the heroes of a popular cartoon, and, of course, they will be right. But this word has many other meanings that deserve to be told in more detail ...

Communication means - telephone, telegraph, radio, Internet and others. Even 150 years ago, only steamship mail remained the only way to exchange information between Europe and England, America and the colonies. People learned about what was happening in other countries with a delay of whole weeks and even months.

If not stockings, then nylon tights are in the closet of every girl and woman. Well, how without this practical comfortable piece of clothing? Tights of different companies, from 15 to 200 denier, plain and with patterns, classic "to work" and lace with fine embroidery, with imitation over the knee boots, with high and low waist...

This is both a detail of everyday wardrobe that has taken root in wardrobes, and a luxurious thing that immediately adds attractiveness and confidence to a woman. About one weapon of female seduction: interesting facts from the history of stockings In this article.

Unexplainable... Unknown... Mysterious... All this, of course, attracts the attention of people, prompting them to try to uncover their secrets. There are a lot of phenomena, events, buildings and structures on our planet that are surrounded by a veil of mystery and the very existence of which cannot be explained by scientists all over the world...

A ritual is such a set of rituals, ceremonies and customs that accompany a certain religious act. Some of these rituals are surprising for a modern person, unusual, or simply terrible. Here we are going to tell you about them...

This European discovery played a huge role in the history of mankind. Many people knew how to make an explosive mixture, the Europeans were the last of the civilized peoples who learned how to do it. But it was they who managed to derive practical benefit from this discovery.

Antibiotics. This place is given to wonderful medicines, in particular, penicillin. Antibiotics have become one of the main discoveries of the last century, turning medicine around. Today, not everyone realizes how much they owe to such medicinal preparations.

Electric lamp. And this invention appeared in our life recently, in late XIX century. First, lighting appeared on the streets of cities, and then it entered residential buildings. Today, the life of a civilized person is hard to imagine without electric light. This discovery has huge implications. Electricity revolutionized the energy industry, forcing the industry to change significantly.

The ancients documented their lives by making records in a variety of ways - from stone slabs to leather scrolls. Thanks to such documents, which have survived to this day, scientists often discover new chapters of history and learn about unexpected aspects of the life of the ancients. Sometimes one such document can radically change ideas about a particular historical period.

1. "One Hundred Rules of War"

Tsukahara Bokuden was a great samurai and is possibly the author of the curious book One Hundred Rules of War, which has recently been translated into English language. The manual gives advice on combat skills and how a "real" samurai should behave. Among the descriptions of cowardly behavior unworthy of a samurai were habits such as not drinking alcohol and disliking horseback riding. Although authorship can no longer be proven today, many believe that the book was compiled in Last year life of Bokuden (1489-1571).

Interestingly, this manual is not an ordinary set of rules, but rather a collection of songs. These songs focus on many areas of samurai life, from the best name for a child born into the warrior class, to the memory that neither life nor death is the most important thing, and that one must always move forward. This work also presents fascinating topics about preparation for training and war. For example, rice with heated water, dried plums, and fried beans were recommended as the best "camping" food.

2. Marriage contract

Around 4,000 years ago, a couple etched their marriage contract in clay. When this clay tablet was found in 2017 at the Kültepe-Kanis archaeological site in Turkey, it soon became clear that most of the contract involved children. An Assyrian couple, Lakipum and Hatala, agreed to try to produce their own offspring within two years.

In the event that there would be no children, then the wife had to find a surrogate mother. More specifically, Hatala had to buy a female slave for her husband. After the birth of the child, Lakipumu was allowed to sell the mother if he wanted to.

The contract is the oldest to mention surrogacy and infertility, albeit in a slightly different light than today. While this reflects the ancient belief that infertility was the wife's fault, the contract provided for a divorce. The person who initiated the divorce had to pay the other person five measures of silver.

3. Tax documents and shopping lists

The Egyptian mummy of Chadingstone Castle in Kent has long been a mystery to experts. In order to read the name of the deceased, it was necessary to unfold the burial veil of strips of papyrus pages, which was impossible without damaging the mummy. In 2017, researchers developed a scanning method that allowed the hidden text to be read without harming the mummy.

The 3,000-year-old mummy of a man named Iretirore. Used papyrus was used to form the mummy's windings, but the text on it was hidden by putty and plaster, so the contents remained unknown for centuries. During the scan, scientists saw, in addition to the name, records of the life of the Egyptians, including tax documents and shopping lists.

4. "The sun and the moon stopped glowing..."

Egyptology is a fairly well-studied field of science, but even in it, the rule of each pharaoh is a matter of controversy. For example, one of the most famous pharaohs was Ramesses the Great. In 2017, scholars compared a passage from the Bible to a description of a battle on a stele. Pharaoh Merneptah, son of Ramesses, described how he defeated the Israelites. What these two texts have in common is the mention of the oldest solar eclipse.

A passage from the Book of Joshua describes how Joshua led the Israelites into Canaan. To defeat his enemies, he successfully ordered the Sun and Moon to stop moving. The text discouraged scholars until they realized that the original Hebrew to English translation could be interpreted in two ways. Alternatively, this meant that the Sun and Moon stopped glowing. The inscriptions on the stele testified to the appearance of the Israelites in Canaan between 1500-1050. BC.

If the event described by Jesus was an eclipse, then the only eclipse that was visible in Canaan at that time occurred on October 30, 1207 BC. The stele stated that it was carved during the fifth year of the reign of Merneptah. If this study is correct, then Ramesses reigned from 1276 to 1210 BC.

5. "Voyage to the South Sea"

Scraps of paper were found on the ship Queen Anne's Revenge, commanded by the famous pirate Blackbeard. The ship sank off North Carolina in 1718 and has been the subject of painstaking analysis since its discovery in 1996. Many have been found ordinary material— weapons, tools and personal artifacts. But the most unexpected discovery was 16 scraps of paper stuffed into a cannon.

It was an extremely rare find, given that paper is almost never preserved underwater, let alone at the bottom for three centuries. It turned out that the pages had been torn out of Voyage to the South Sea, an adventure story about a captain that, among other things, describes a coastal settlement in Peru. This is a suitable addition to any pirate library. But which sailor owned the book and why it was pounded into a cannon is a mystery.

6. Horror vacui

Horror vacui - "fear of the void."

Apparently, many ancient maps were made by artists more interested in embellishing maps than in accurately conveying information. They are adorned with sea monsters, imaginary cities and incorrectly written "facts". Although wealthy buyers expected the cards to be embellished, the explorers wanted the right geography, not dragons where mountains were.

The reason was the fear of looking ignorant. In this context, cartographers could experience what historians call Horror vacui (literally from Latin translated as "fear of emptiness") - unwillingness to leave empty spaces on the cards. Interestingly, the cartographers themselves made no mention of the horror vacui except in one instance.

The Dutchman Peter Plancius added an accurate map of the southern hemisphere to his 1592 map of the world. Although he never mentioned "fear of the void", Plancius included a note explaining that the constellations replaced the southern hemisphere so that it would not remain empty. By the middle of the 18th century, Horror vacui had almost disappeared, and maps became more accurate. Unexplored places began to draw empty.

7. "War of the Roses"

The hugely successful TV series Game of Thrones (and the book it was based on) is inspired by a real power struggle. In England, the Houses of Lancaster and York fought for supremacy for about 30 years (later known as the "War of the Roses"). Both sides of the conflict contributed to a unique and remarkable work of art.

The Canterbury Scroll was created by one side of the conflict and completed by the other. The 5 meter high Canterbury Scroll is a fine account of England's mythical beginnings before the Wars of the Roses. It was compiled by the House of Lancaster in the 1420s. During the conflict, it was acquired by the Yorkists, who partially rewrote the document.

It has been in the possession of the University of Canterbury in New Zealand for over a century. The researchers believe that there are still secrets in the carefully studied manuscript. They plan to use new techniques such as advanced visualization to find hidden phrases in 2018.

8. Mini Bibles

During the 13th century, thousands of mini-Bibles were produced to carry in your pocket. The tiny books were made using technology that was hitherto unknown. Even though the pages were made of leather, they were stunningly thin and were claimed to have been made from fetal calf skin. But the number of books made this impossible.

The researchers suggested that rabbits, rats, and squirrels were the sources of leather for the books. But it turned out that the pages were made not from the skin of rodents, but from the skin of cows, goats and sheep. This solved one of the biggest mysteries of the prepress era (the Bible was written by hand). While some of the skin may indeed have been taken from unborn animals, this has not been confirmed for most of the books.

This raised the question of how pages that were tough enough to last 800 years could be so thin (some of them were 0.03 millimeters thick). But by the time medieval sources began to record methods for creating pages, the process had already been lost.

9. Grave of “tolis-shad”

In 2017, a stone monument dedicated to a powerful man and the struggle for power was found in the Mongolian steppe. It consists of 14 pillars arranged around a 1300-year-old sarcophagus, which is now empty. Like columns, it is covered with Turkic inscriptions documenting data about some person.

In the centuries before Genghis Khan, the influence of this man was second only to the ruler, the Khagan Bilge Khan Bogyu (ruled the Eastern Turkic Khaganate in 716-734). It was written on the pillars that the deceased owned the title of "yagbu" ("viceroy of the ruler"). After the poisoning of Bilge, the man received the position of "tolis-shad" ("ruler of the East"). This assassination is mentioned in the historical records, and it is not clear if the governor was involved in it.

10. The Black Book of Carmarthen

The oldest manuscript that mentions King Arthur and Merlin is The Black Book from Carmarthen. The book is considered a collection of poems from the 9th-12th centuries. In 2015, the pages were examined using UV light and photo editing.

To the delight of the researchers, they found something invisible to the naked eye. Among the lines were hidden human faces and poems. Also in the margins, medieval readers (mostly at the end of the 16th century) made notes. The manuscript is the earliest manuscript written in Welsh around 1250 AD.

It was probably created by a single author who collected poems about Welsh folk stories and legends from the Dark Ages. But the most great importance The Black Book is the way it demonstrates that even well-researched manuscripts can provide a large number of new information.