Record · Ancient world · West Asia
What Was the World's First City? The Story of Uruk
Uruk in ancient Mesopotamia (modern Iraq) is humanity's first true city — ~40,000 people by 3300 BC, and the birthplace of writing.
· 3300 BCDaily life
Articles about daily life across every continent and era, oldest first.
Record · Ancient world · South Asia
Where Did Every House Have a Flush Toilet 4,500 Years Ago?
The mature Indus (Harappan) cities of ~2500 BC had a bathroom and toilet in nearly every home, covered street sewers, and inspection manholes — sanitation Europe would not match until the 19th century.
· 2500 BC
Record · Classical world · Europe
How Did Rome's Common People Win Their Rights — by Walking Out of the City?
Around 494 BC the plebeians of the early Roman Republic walked out of the city onto the Sacred Mount — a general strike in all but name — forcing the patricians to compromise and create the tribune of the plebs to protect the common people.
· 494 BC
Record · Classical world · Europe
Why Was This Bread Trapped in the Oven for 2,000 Years? Pompeii
In AD 79 Vesuvius buried Pompeii — the ash did not destroy it but stored an ordinary Roman day whole, down to bread still in the oven.
· AD 79