History

August 21, 2018

This 4,000-Year-Old Tablet Could Be the World’s Oldest Customer Service Complaint

This Babylonian tablet from 1750 BC goes to show that customer service and client/vendor disputes were happening well before shopping malls and Amazon. The clay tablet comes from the ancient city of Ur, now part of southern Iraq, and is part of the British Museum‘s collection. Though it's just 4.5 inches (11.6 cm) tall and about 2 inches (5 cm) wide, the complaint is rather detailed.

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August 6, 2018

Japanese Archaeologists Dig Up Jar Filled With Over 200,000 Bronze Coins

Archaeology is like a treasure hunt where the prizes are pieces of information from the past, and Japanese archaeologists recently hit the jackpot. They discovered a jar filled with coins belonging to a medieval samurai. The ceramic jar was found in the Saitama Prefecture north of Tokyo and is one of the largest hauls of medieval coins discovered in the country.

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May 1, 2018

Incredible Archival Footage Gives Rare Glimpse of Early 20th Century Tokyo

Thanks to archival footage from the EYE Filmmuseum, we're able to get a glimpse of life in early 20th century Tokyo. Filmed in 1913 and 1915, the clip is an incredible look at Japan in flux, emerging from the Meiji period of modernization and moving toward the height of industrialism. Over the course of 4 minutes, we're transported back to historic Tokyo, the streets filled with life.

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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.