15 Ancient History Facts You Definitely Didn’t Learn In School
Egyptians invented toothpaste
Mummification process
Ancient South Americans, not Egyptians, invented the mummification process. The Chinchorro people of Chile’s Atacama Desert had been mummifying their dead for 2,000 years prior to the Egyptians. They peeled back the corpse’s skin, removed the muscles and organs, and filled the body with plants before sewing the skin back on and placing a mask over the face.
Spiked dog collars
Spiked dog collars were used to protect dogs’ throats from wolf attacks in ancient Greece.
Gaia, or Mother Earth
Gaia, or Mother Earth, was the first goddess in Greek mythology. She created herself out of primordial chaos. She also created Earth and the universe.
History
There are several instances throughout history where children turned on their mothers. For example, Cleopatra III of Egypt was assassinated by order of her son Ptolemy X. Nero is said to have his mother murdered as well.
The earliest written music
The earliest surviving written music is a Hurrian hymn which dates to approximately 1400 BC.
Drinking to one’s health
“Drinking to one’s health” came from ancient Greece. The host of dinner would take the first sip to assure his guests the wine was not poisoned.
Drink wise
The ancient Greeks had a wine glass to ensure the drinker’s moderation. If wine was poured above a certain level, the cup spilled its entire contents out of the bottom.
Ability to run
The ancestors of humans developed the ability to run long distances about 2.6 million years ago, most likely to hunt prey for food.
Cannabis in ancient China
Ancient tombs
China discovered multiple ancient tombs dating back 1,800 years in the city of Nanjing, only to destroy them by building an IKEA over the site.
History of vegetarianism
Vegetarianism has roots in ancient India. In fact, currently 70% of the world’s vegetarians are Indians and there are more vegetarians in India than in any other country in the world.
Practice of medicine
In early Asian civilizations, the practice of medicine by physicians was particularly advanced for the time, with surgical techniques in India including the removal of tumors, bladder stones, and even cataracts. Chinese physicians even had knowledge of using many different herbal, mineral, and animal products for the treatment of disease.
Old records
The earliest written record that mentions the practice of medicine is Hammurabi’s Code from the 18th century BC in Mesopotamia. This extensive code of laws includes information for physicians about payments for successful treatments and punishments for medical failures. For example, payment was better for curing the wealthy, but failing to do so could result in the loss of a hand.
Sacred pyramids
Many people believe the pyramids were being built by slaves, but that’s is not the case. They were paid laborers, and most of them built with great honor towards the Pharao and those who died were buried in the tombs near the sacred pyramids.