/u/garmonboziamilkshake's posts in /r/askhistorians
In the Ancient Olympics, who was responsible for determining who won a foot race, e.g.? Were the judges nationally diverse? Was there a system of challenging judge's decisions? Were there any notable controversies?
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My wife's grandfather has a couple of 'tear bottles' (tear jars?) - small glass bottles that he alleges were used to carry the tears of one's beloved in battle, or maybe to catch a dying soldier's tears. The latter sounds ridiculous. Any truth to the former?
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[Serious] When Asterix goes to the Middle East (Asterix and the Black Gold) there's a joke about caviar being poor man's food (i.e. in contrast to today). Is there any basis for this? (I looked online but couldn't find anything).
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I've read that some (many?) Arab Christians use the word 'Allah' to mean God the Father - did that use predate the arrival of Islam?
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This r/science article talked about colon cancer being found among a collection of Dominican mummies in Hungary. How did the Catholic Church come to be involved in mummification? Were monks often mummified, or was it an honor or something?
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Was the Middle Eastern head-covering for women inspired/influenced by ancient Greek women's similar custom?
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U.S. Presidential candidate Dr. Ben Carson wrote in his history book that redefining marriage based on social pressures initiated a slippery slope that contributed to the fall of Rome. What might he mean?
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