Throughout time, there have been many curious tales and habits associated with ancient civilizations. Some of their way of thinking and living may also seem a bit far-fetched to some, but without this ups and downs in history , we would never live the life we are accustomed to in the present-day. Below you will learn a few facts regarding various ancient civilizations, including the likes of the Sumerians, Etruscans, Vikings, Sybarites, and more.
Ancient Sybarites were known for teaching their horses to dance to music in an effort to display more elaborate parades. In case you are unfamiliar with this ancient group of people, Sybaris is seen as one of the earliest of all colonies associated with the Greek that resided in Italy. When taking a look at a statement left behind by Scymnus Chius, it is revealed that this location was founded as early as 720 BC.
Ancient Sumerians believed that the liver was responsible for blood and the heart was the center of thought. As for Sumer, this destination earned the title of the earliest known civilization to emerge about the ancient Near East. It was situated in the lower part of Mesopotamia, which is now modern Iraq , from the days of the mid 4th millennium BC and until the emergence of Babylonia in the late 3rd millennium BC. When the term, “Sumerian” arose, it was used to refer to all those who spoke the Sumerian language. Together, Sumer, ancient Egypt, and the Indus Valley Civilization were thought of as the first “settled societies” in the world, which displayed all of the characteristics of the title.
When decorating the walls of their tombs, the ancient Etruscans used white paint to depict women and red paint to signify the men in their paintings. When trying to track down the exact origins of the Etruscans, the precise knowledge has been lost somewhere in prehistory.
The native Mexicans who thrived during the 7th century were named the Toltecs and when they entered battle against the enemy, they actually carried wooden swords so they would not kill their opponents. Today, there is quite the debate regarding the Toltecs, as some believe they were an ethnic group that developed at any point in time throughout the Mesoamerican history, while others feel they failed to become a group and were actually a creation of Aztec myth.
Cats played an important role in the culture, religion, and beliefs of the ancient Egyptians. When a cat died, ancient Egyptians would shave off their eyebrows as a sign of mourning their passing.
The Great Wall of China (which measures more than 2,500 miles long) took more than 1,700 years to construct. The amount of stone used to create the Great Wall is enough to build an 8-foot wall that encircles the globe at the equator.
In Part 2 of “A Look at Ancient Civilizations,” you will encounter facts regarding ancient Greek history, as well as interesting references to the way ancient Romans approached animals.