Do we know anything about those peoples? Their history, beliefs, customs, language? Anything at all?

I know that the steppes weren't particularly hospitable either but it seems like at least in terms of grazing for caravans' horses and beasts of burden as well as water sources the steppes would be easier to pass through than the mountains and deserts of central Asia and the middle east.

How many people were dying daily on average in the duration that the Auschwitz extermination camp was active?

Also did they only perform one gassing a day when a shipment of Jews came or did they perform several gassings in a day?

Was it strictly once a day?

Imagine that "Dark Ages" were really dark and all ancient writings were completely lost and forgotten. Later new civilization that is interested in history and archaeology would rise up in Europe. What could they learn about ancient world from archaeology alone? This question is meant to explore historical method, not alternative history.

I just finished reading Philip Freeman's "Julius Caesar" where he wrote of Caesar's ban on "all clubs and guilds unless specifically sanctioned by his government." Freeman went on to write "...like most Romans he was deeply suspicious of foreign religious organizations. Under his decree, however, Caesar was careful to exclude Jews from any ban."

I had also just finished reading "Zealot" by Reza Aslan where it seems time and time again the Romans made special exceptions for the Jews and Judea specifically. Even with persistent antagonizing actions by the Jews the Romans seemed to be very tolerant of their actions.

Given the fact that Jews made up such a small portion of the Roman Empire and that Jerusalem itself was not a very important city to the Romans, why did they put up with so much disobedience from the Jews? And not only put up with it, but seemingly make special exceptions for them? Were there other groups that were given such treatment?

Do we we know how expensive it was at time to get a portraiture done by one of the renaissance master painters? Would it have been only for the very rich or something the upper middle class could have afforded?

Follow-up or would this kind of work be done by mainly apprentices and the master would paint popes and the like?

With the recent Confederate flag controversies coinciding with my listening to the Spanish Civil War AskHistorians Podcast, I began to wonder. Did the Spanish Civil War result in a long-term factional loyalty/identity like the American counterpart? Especially since it was relatively recent compared to the American Civil War.

I'm reading Lord Cochrane autobiography and reached the passage were he describes his duel with a French officer in Malta in 1801. Quoting directly: "...on the following morning we met behind the ramparts and exchanged shots, my ball passing through the poor fellow's thigh and dropping him. My escape, too, was a narrow one -- his ball perforating my coat, waistcoat and shirt, and bruising my side."

Were flintlock pistols that inaccurate at dueling range?

From a present day perspective a torso is not that hard to hit at that range (I don't actually know what dueling range was, if someone could enlighten me it would be appreciated). But then again I guess shooting in a duel would be different from shooting at a paper target at a gun range, what with the whole person right there shooting back at you. Though they both were military officers, they should have experience shooting guns at people no?

And if they did, how were they cooked?

thanks in advance

Does anyone know the linguistic/national origin of the surname Hosti?

I realized that I think of the 18th and 19th centuries the same way I think of the individual decades of the 20th century. Was culture changing as quickly and distinctly as it appears to be in modern times?

In other words, would a person living in 1830 view the 1800s the same way someone living in the year 2000 might view the 1970s in terms of it being a "different time?"

I was wondering if someone could simply explain the difference between the SS, and the Waffen SS? Any help is appreciated .

I know Franco did support the Axis powers with material support after German and Italian support during the Spanish Civil War, was there ever any talk by the Allies to stop this from happening, or even the possible overthrow of Franco's regime? Were there worries of another Republican/Left-wing revolution (Soviet Union had supported Republican Spain, anarchists and socialists had just fought a very bloody revolution)? Or was this more a pragmatism/worry about opening too many fronts?

(Sorry for the typo, I mean "ever plans")

Something like "Band of Brothers" by Stephen E. Ambrose?