/u/BastiatFan's posts in /r/askhistorians

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Did anyone sentenced to death by animal in Rome ever defeat the animal?

166 upvotes

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In Star Trek and other science-fiction of the sixties, computer panels consist of row after row of unlabeled blinking lights. Did this reflect the reality of contemporary computer displays? If not, where did this manner of depicting computers come from?

149 upvotes

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If a coal miner only mined sixteen tons in one day, would he really have to go into debt? How much did coal miners make, what was their cost of living, and how much coal did they mine on an average day?

62 upvotes

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Why did Miyamoto Musashi prefer using two swords?

36 upvotes

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How was armor produced and sold (or distributed) in the Byzantine Empire?

19 upvotes

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We often read about the huge population numbers of ancient iron age civilizations (the Romans, Gauls, Persians, etc.). These civilizations were able to form enormous armies. Why was this different from earlier civilizations? Was it population level?

18 upvotes

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How far did medieval peasants live from their lord? How many days' walk would it be for an average peasant in, say, 1250 France or England?

14 upvotes

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We've all heard of the Mandate of Heaven. What sort of heaven did the ancient Chinese believe in?

12 upvotes

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How were dishes cleaned before modern soaps?

11 upvotes

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How did bronze age populations compare to iron age ones?

10 upvotes

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Title	Upvotes	Mark as read	Favorited	Rating	Add to a list
Did anyone sentenced to death by animal in Rome ever defeat the animal?	166
In Star Trek and other science-fiction of the sixties, computer panels consist of row after row of unlabeled blinking lights. Did this reflect the reality of contemporary computer displays? If not, where did this manner of depicting computers come from?	149
If a coal miner only mined sixteen tons in one day, would he really have to go into debt? How much did coal miners make, what was their cost of living, and how much coal did they mine on an average day?	62
Why did Miyamoto Musashi prefer using two swords?	36
How was armor produced and sold (or distributed) in the Byzantine Empire?	19
We often read about the huge population numbers of ancient iron age civilizations (the Romans, Gauls, Persians, etc.). These civilizations were able to form enormous armies. Why was this different from earlier civilizations? Was it population level?	18
How far did medieval peasants live from their lord? How many days' walk would it be for an average peasant in, say, 1250 France or England?	14
We've all heard of the Mandate of Heaven. What sort of heaven did the ancient Chinese believe in?	12
How were dishes cleaned before modern soaps?	11
How did bronze age populations compare to iron age ones?	10