Italy
-
The Etruscans
Before the Romans, there was another advanced civilization living in central Italy- the Etruscans. Not much is known about them, and what we do know comes from the Romans, who threw off their rule to become independent. Therefore, most of our view of them are colored by Roman attitudes, which were less than favorable. Who were the Etruscans really? The Etruscans lived in central Italy in an area including Tuscany, western Umbria and northern Lazio. Some theories say the Etruscans were descendents of the “Sea Peoples”. This would have made them a mix of peoples including the biblical Canaanites or Phoenicians. Hellanicaus of Lesbos wrote in the 5th century BCE…
-
Hair care for the Medieval Woman
The Bible says a woman’s hair is her crowning glory. Because of this, it was considered a very private thing. It was fine for young girls to have unbound hair, and a maiden wore her hair completely unbound on her wedding day as a symbol of her virginity. Once a lady was married however, it was a different story. A married woman was to only show her unbound hair to her husband. Any other time, ladies of quality made sure to cover it with veils, nets, hoods or hats. Some women in warmer climates abandoned veils for comfort sake, but still adorned their hair with elaborate braids, beads and ribbon.…
-
Renaissance Zombies
Most people are aware of the resurgence of zombies in popular culture. What most people don’t realize that there was a time in history when the streets of Italy resembled The Walking Dead. The syphilis outbreak in the High Renaissance was very close to a zombie outbreak in the most cosmopolitan parts of Europe. The Italian Renaissance was a time of great learning, art and culture. There was flamboyant dress, parties and promiscuity. However, it was also a time of great disease. Syphilis was sweeping the population, and every country was pointing the finger at each other for the source. The English and Italians called it “the French disease”, the…
-
THE FIRST USE OF BIOLOGICAL WARFARE AND THE SIEGE OF KAFFA
It is recorded that by 1331 The Black Death was ravaging its way through central Asia. It was for a long time a mystery as to how exactly this plague managed to make its way to the shores of Europe but by reading ancient texts historians and biologists think they have traced its advancement to the city of Kaffa in Crimea and the first ever recorded use of biological warfare. As the plague killed half the population of China and made its way through India and Persia somehow trade managed to continue. It’s of no surprise then that plague infested rats climbed aboard trading vessels and found their way into…
-
Learning, Learning Difficulties and Mental Illness
Today’s effort is a bit of a mish mash. I don’t have the skill to tell a story as ER does, and I don’t have that element of controversy that AG has in his work, and I certainly cannot weave a factually detailed narrative in the way Phoebe does it. All of our brains work in different ways; some of us are academically gifted, others good at solving problems or creating amazing works of art. Some people are just good at making or fixing stuff. But each one of us is good at something. And that is the point of my offering today. That mental health is no bar to…
