"Kitchenalia" introduces objects from different historical periods, discovers a bit about their history and how each was made. We look at how, through our practical experiments, we have learnt to best use them, and offer some recipes for you to try at home. Today's objects are "fish eaters". which became popular in the Victorian period.

A brief history of the orange inspired by a delicious Georgian era recipe for Orange Cake.

Explaining the difference between the historical punishments known as pillories and stocks, which are often confused.

This article questions the oft quoted parallels between Mithraism and Christianity that have led to so much deliberation on whether Christianity is a re-branded version of Mithraic beliefs.

Dispelling the popular misconceptions that people were shorter and didn't live as long in the past.

In an earlier article, we challenged the idea that Roman soldiers cooked farinata, a type of unleavened bread made from chickpea flour, on their shields (link here). Given that Roman shields (Latin scutae; sing. scuta) were typically made of wood this is highly unlikely and at best a myth. So, if not using their shields, then what utensils might the average Roman soldier carry to cook with?

While teaching primary school children about the Romans, and specifically hygiene, we have encountered the belief that they cleaned their teeth with urine. We dispel this myth while explaining what uses urine did have in the past.

Science overwhelmingly agrees that urine is not safe or healthy to consume. Despite what some might claim, drinking urine offers no health benefits and actually could cause you harm.

The first Europeans to settle in the Americas were the Vikings. Perhaps we should call it 'Norse America'.

In the big scheme of things today’s post is a very minor gripe. It does, however, reflect on the historical accuracy of television dramas, documentaries and films. You may not have noticed it, but it happens pretty much every time characters interact over a radio. Once pointed out, then, like an ear worm, you will hear it often. Today’s bug bear is "Over and Out".

History is not only the study of past events, particularly in human affairs, but it is most uniquely, also a continuous, typically chronological, record of such events. This teaching resource is a simple guide to how history has been recorded.

It may seem strange to us today but why did the ancient Greeks exercise, train and compete naked? This simple teaching resource explains why and aims to dispel the myths.

Continuing the series "Ludi", and following on from ancient Egypt, here are selection of board games played by the ancient Greeks and Romans.

In the Palazzo Massimo alle Terme in Roma there is a mosaic, dating from the early 1st-century AD, depicting various food items including a basket of fruit brimming with figs, grapes, pomegranates, and one curious object. Some viewers see a pineapple and this has led others to postulate this as clear evidence that the ancient Romans had contact with South America. Find out why it's a myth.

A brief history of the pineapple, a tropical plant with an edible fruit indigenous to South America, where it has been cultivated for many centuries.

What's in a name? Where barbarians really just uncouth savages or is there more to the original meaning behind this term?

"Ludi" is a series on ancient games. The ancient Egyptian board game of Senet is one of the oldest games in the world and may be the ancestor of modern backgammon. Senet represents the two players' journey through the afterlife.

According to a BBC News tweet , the "Welsh leek" could be set for protected status. "A Brief History of Foods", reveals how surprisingly few of our commonly used ingredients are not native to these shores. Such is the case with leeks, whose Welsh heritage is not so clear cut.

A recent search of the internet for information on Roman artillery machines returned, amongst other results, a website with a page entitled ‘The Roman Trebuchet Catapults’ [sic]. The title is misleading and we challenge the 'facts' cited.

"Ludi" is a series on ancient games. Aseb is the ancient Egyptian version of the ancient Middle Eastern game called "The Game of 20 Squares". Aseb is a two player race game similar to Senet and the Royal Game of Ur, but with a shorter playing duration.