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Who is the first female central/standalone protagonist of a science fiction story that is not explicitly about gender (or makes gender a component of a portrayed utopia/dystopia)? How about a novel or serial-published-as-novel?
For purposes of this question, assume SF is roughly a 20th+ century genre.
Was earthenware ever referred to as "pygg clay" in the Middle Ages?
Edit: I'm asking with regards to the piggy bank question. I imagine many of the deleted comments are mentioning "pygg" jars/banks because that's all I'm able to dig up. I can't find a reference to pygg clay that isn't tied to piggy banks. This patent seems to be the culprit. It looks like the patent applicant actually got it from Charles Panati's Extraordinary Origins of Ordinary Things (1989).
For questions about the teaching of history (e.g. in the country one lives in), is it okay to give answers relating to the last twenty years?
There are many great history books. Currently reading Why the West Rules For Now: it's both entertaining and educating, doesn't think I'm an idiot and at the same time it's not a boring academic writing.
Why can't we have that with documentaries? Have seen very few good ones, even the highly regarded ones feel like they're sorry they have to tell us about boring nerd history things. Would love to see more of good ones.
Hope it's a simple question. Or two. Why do historical documentaries suck? Which ones do not?
What became of the doctor responsible for damaging Wilhelm II's arm as he was born?
Furthermore, is this an apropriate venue to ask for learned opinions regarding 'what if' scenarios? Namely references to contemporary or even first hand record.
A quick question about Herodotus’ The Histories.
So I’m reading The Histories by Herodotus, and in book one (chapter 202) he mentions that when groups of islanders got together, they would light a bonfire and toss in “distinctive” fruit. “... for even as the fruit burns, so the scent of it comes to fill their nostrils, until the perfume has made them no less intoxicated than a Greek would be made by wine.”
I tried to google about it but would only get references to the text. Anybody know what fruit they’re talking about?
How would I go about searching old court records (military/civilian) and old newspaper archives? (1796-1822)
EDIT: Country and Location probably would help. USA, New Hampshire. Portsmouth and Boston.
How did we know how many people listened to a particular radio program?
Im interested in learning about the history of Helotic slavery in Sparta. Is there a generally-respected work about this? I mean are there any clear authorities on this, on how it functioned, and perhaps also how it related to the opinions of philosophers, sophists, important figures, etc.?
Say I want to check if any Roman writers have mentioned Bovanum in their writings, how would I go about doing that?