For one cross it would require two wooden beams (nailed or tied together with a rope). And there is a bigger possibility it collapse, because of the junction.

Why wouldn't a single wooden beam be enough?

Obviously I don't know the numbers, but the idea that Norse society managed to thrive when most of them died in battle seems unrealistic to me. I understand that the myth of Valhalla incentivised courage on the battlefield and a raider lifestyle, but most afterlife stories tend to also have an element of consolation for the living. How did Vikings cope with the idea that many, if not most, of their loved ones were living an eternity of frozen wandering, not the feasting fighting murder-orgy they'd been raised to expect for most of their lives?

When West Slavs migrated west to the area nowadays occupied by Poland, Czech Republic and Prussia, Mecklenburg - Vorpommern, what was the ratio of settling slavs and local folk that had lived there for ages. Was it similar to that of South Slavic and Germanic migrations, where the migrating / invading population was a minority or did West Slavs settle in a primarly uninhabitated land?

Not an antisemitic statement, I just wish to know as I was never taught this in school and it cropped up in a discussion at work. Thanks in advance.

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This story was very briefly mentioned in The Thirty Years War: Europe's Tragedy by Peter H. Wilson.

Looks kind of low.

Define boundaries?

Couldn't they have picked something more sensible like gold, silver or obsidian?

When the Nazis persecuted disabled people, did this include those who had obtained such impairments (e.g. WWI veterans, people in accidents, etc.)? If so, were they viewed any differently to the rest? Thanks.

Hello, The use of cutlery, especially forks, is relatively new in Western Europe and America. In America forks became popular in the early 1800s and in the mid 16th century they became popular in France. But in most Muslim countries, hands are the preferred tool, except for in Turkey, where western cutlery is used. When and how was the western cutlery introduced in Turkey or the ottoman empire? Thank you!

So I was watching Diarmaid Macolluch's History of Christianity BBC program, and he mentioned some older churches (such as the ethiopian). What sort of Doctrine did these churches stick to that led to them to split from the Christian Jews? Was there any communication between the members of these organizations with the European Churches?

Was the persian Satrap system more similar to the islamic iqta system or the feudal system?

Or was it really not like either system?

First off I think very highly of your posts on here wildly educational and amazing (except for those [deleted] comments without source.

However I think there is an expansion to be made. The addition of open ended topics that would typically end “in your area of experience” would be fun we could keep them to a weekly post so people have time to prepare their answers. The most frustrating part of this sub as most of you know is people posting questions and that aren’t answered and then once they are it’s too late for most to see it.

Examples: Why did you decide to study that timeframe? Who (or what figure) was the most influential in your time period and why? When did your area of experience end, what caused the change?

In the end I believe it would provide a more active environment. I can’t imagine how frustrating it must feel to see a question on this sub and not have it related to your area of experience.

A friend of mine recently claimed that prior to the opening of China by westeners, they didn't have any money lending businesses/institutes. So I've two questions to ask;

1. Is my friend's claim true?
2. What cultural reasons are that explain why banking bussiness is Western specific concept?

I don't imagine that the were able to get their hands on anything and everything, but what were the best-sellers in those times?

I've not been able to find much info on this. When reading about history it seems like they just skip over this bit of information. One period everyone is wearing dresses and robes and suddenly everyone is wearing trousers and slacks and suit coats and petticoats. When did this change actually begin?

Considering James Madison is considered the primary author of the US Constitution, of all people he would have been able to express his "original intent", yet the Supreme Court ruled against him. At what point did originalism become considered an acceptable judicial point of view for a Supreme Court Justice?

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In a more broad sense, why did the Soviet Union invade Afghanistan? What purpose did it serve on the Cold War and the historical significance of it? Thanks in advance!

Shlomo Sand quotes Abraham Harkavy's claim that Jews in what's now Poland and Russia spoke Slavic languages until relatively recently, adopting Yiddish only later. But Harkavy was writing in the 19th century, and Sand doesn't provide more recent sources. Is there any up-to-date scholarship on this question?