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Dispelling Some Myths: ‘Over and Out’
In the big scheme of things today’s post is a very minor ‘gripe’. It does, however, reflect on the historical accuracy of television...

Tastes Of History
May 18, 2022


Dispelling Some Myths: Romans in the Americas
The mosaic floor pictured ( right ) is housed in a gallery dedicated to ancient Roman frescoes and mosaics on the second floor of the...

Tastes Of History
Apr 19, 2022


Dispelling Some Myths: 'ancient Roman trebuchets'?
A recent search of the internet for information on Roman artillery machines returned, amongst other results, a website with a page...

Tastes Of History
Mar 29, 2022


Dispelling Some Myths: Cooking in a Shield?
Farinata (‘made of flour’), a classic Italian street food, apparently enjoys two provenance myths according to BBC History Magazine [1]...

Tastes Of History
Mar 2, 2022


Cleopatra Ptolemy VII
Cleopatra VII was the last ruler of the Ptolemaic dynasty, ruling Egypt from 51 BC - 30 BC. She is celebrated for her beauty and her love...

Tastes Of History
Jan 3, 2022


Dispelling Some Myths: Woad
It is widely held, and oft repeated, that ancient Britons , and most especially the Picts, painted or tattooed their bodies with Woad. We...

Tastes Of History
Dec 28, 2021


Paranormal thinking?
Somehow we got talking about ghosts a couple of days ago. We were both reminded of working at Tutbury Castle in Staffordshire and how it...

Tastes Of History
Dec 15, 2021


Dispelling Some Myths: Sweeney Todd
Fact or Fiction? Despite some believing he was a real person, the murderous ‘Barber of Fleet Street’, Sweeney Todd, is in fact an...

Tastes Of History
Dec 14, 2021


Dispelling Some Myths: Would Mediaeval archers really shoot 12 arrows a minute?
‘Welsh & English longbowman used a single-piece longbow to deliver arrows that could penetrate contemporary plate armour and mail. The...

Tastes Of History
Dec 7, 2021


Black Friday
On November 18th, 1910, three hundred female protesters marched to the Houses of Parliament as part of their campaign to secure voting...

Tastes Of History
Nov 29, 2021


Dispelling Some Myths: Chinese Ironworking
Hosted by the actor Danny Trejo , the US television series ' Man at Arms: Art of War ', brought together martial arts experts and master...

Tastes Of History
Sep 27, 2021


Dispelling Some Myths: "Blood Grooves"
There is a persistent myth about the function of a sword's fuller that it 'releases the vacuum' when the blade is thrust into a person....

Tastes Of History
May 17, 2021


Dispelling Some Myths: Dirty water? Drink beer!
For some reason it is often stated on popular television programmes that Mediæval Europeans drank lots of wine, ale or beer all day,...

Tastes Of History
Apr 29, 2021


Dispelling Some Myths: The Amazons
For those studying the ancient Greeks, you will undoubtedly come across tales of the Amazons, the fearsome, man-hating warrior women of...

Tastes Of History
Apr 27, 2021


Dispelling Some Myths: Mediæval Peasants ate Bland Food
The first thing to note is that what people ate was heavily dependent on where they lived and at what time. For example, Europe covers a...

Tastes Of History
Apr 16, 2021


Pompeii, Bodies and Assumptions
Last year, on Saturday November 21st, 2020, the Italian culture ministry announced to the world’s media that archaeologists had...

Tastes Of History
Apr 12, 2021


Pay in the Legions
From the time of the Consul Gaius Marius onwards, legionaries received 10 assēs a day or 225 denarii a year (equal to 900 sestertii)....

Tastes Of History
Mar 9, 2021


Dispelling Some Myths: Ancient Olympic Medals?
'I don’t believe it!' Bargain Hunt strikes again broadcasting 'facts' that are at best described as misleading and at worst simply...

Tastes Of History
Oct 3, 2020


Dispelling Some Myths: An Attack of the "Vapours"
Here at Tastes Of History we are avid watchers of the BBC's " Bargain Hunt ". If you are unfamiliar with the show, two teams of amateur...

Tastes Of History
Sep 23, 2020


Dispelling Some Myths: The Wicker Man
The Wicker Man is a giant effigy supposedly used by the Druids to perform human sacrifice, according to the writings of Gaius Julius...

Tastes Of History
Sep 7, 2020
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