History

December 12, 2020

What Did the Romans Eat and Drink? Learn About Dining and Diets in the Ancient Empire

Have you ever wondered what the ancient Romans ate? After all, their lavish banquets are legendary, but the focus on the ultra-elite obscures a wider Roman culinary tradition. The diets and dining habits of everyday people throughout the Roman Empire varied greatly. Many provinces adapted their pre-Roman cuisines to take advantage of new trade networks within the empire. Italian wine was drunk in Gaul while grain from Northern Africa supplied populations across the Mediterranean.

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November 26, 2020

Archeologists Discover an Advanced Water Filtration System in an Ancient Mayan City

As the first cities emerged in Mesopotamia thousands of years ago, water systems became critical in order to continually supply growing urban populations. Ancient Romans built giant aqueducts; the Greeks developed pressurized plumbing. Perhaps most famous for their stepped-pyramids, the Mayans were also among the ancient civilizations to develop a sophisticated use of water.

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November 13, 2020

Marine Chronometers: The Clocks That Changed the Course of Globalization

Traveling across time zones can be disorienting—watches, clocks, and even your sleep schedule need adjusting to a new longitude. This problem faced by modern travelers had more serious implications in the 18th century—a time of fierce imperial competition on the high seas. As ships traveled east and west through different longitudes, their clocks were not able to maintain accurate time.

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October 26, 2020

Dublin Grocery Store Installs Glass Floor for Shoppers to View Viking History Just Below

Most grocery stores look similar—colorful displays of fruits, a butcher's counter, and checkout lines are normal features. However, shoppers in one new Lidl grocery store in Dublin will have a unique experience as they pick up their weekly supplies. Opened in mid-October, the store was built directly over an 11th-century archeological site.

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My Modern Met

Celebrating creativity and promoting a positive culture by spotlighting the best sides of humanity—from the lighthearted and fun to the thought-provoking and enlightening.