Do we have evidence of ancient cultures performing systematic archaeology and excavating ruins from even older civilizations? Is archaeological science a modern invention?

How far past the Rhine did Roman knowledge extend?

Did they know about the Weser? The Elbe? The Vistula? Did they have contact with the tribes there or know about them?

Just like Germany, Austria was divided into four occupation zones after WWII. Just like in Germany, the Soviets occupied a large portion of eastern Austria. Why wasn‘t the country then divided into two nations the same way as Germany?

Before Ronald Reagan was a politician, he was an actor. Who could his level of fame be compared to for today? (Not super important, just wanted to know how well known he was before he became president)

Is Edwin Aldrin called Buzz Aldrin because he always kills the buzz? I didn't know that Buzz Aldrin had that kind of a character but it struck me during the movie First Man.

Why did North Americans choose to use "stop" signs while the rest of the world mostly has roundabouts?

Are there any good books out there that cover ALL of the so called 'barbarians' like goths, vandals, huns, lombards etc in general terms in one book? I'm a real history novice but am really interested in these groups rather than traditional empires, as i often see them mentioned when im sometimes doing some casual reading and wish i knew more.

How do names like Alexander the Great, William the Conqueror, etc come up? When do they get created? Are there cases where people with those types of names are referred to those names in the time of their life?

Were trebuchets actually frequently used to knock down castle walls or is that just projecting back from cannon?

British aircraft carriers were notable for their more-rounded flight decks and islands. I've read many accounts that say this was done to improve airflow for operating aircraft, and even one account that said the top parts of the carriers were designed in a wind tunnel. However D.K. Brown in Nelson to Vanguard states that the carrier tops were designed by creating wax models of the tops and towing them upside-down in the testing tanks at Haslar, under the assumption that the forms' hydrodynamics would be a good analogue for their aerodynamics.

Brown states that this was done to improve the aerodynamics of the carriers, but he doesn't specify whether this was meant to reduce drag on the carrier itself while steaming into the wind (which would be significant even if it were just a knot or two) or was meant to reduce turbulence over the flight deck for the sake of aircraft operation.

Anybody have any more information on this?

Did Switzerland continue trading with the Allied countries after Vichy France was invaded? If so, were the goods still exported via railway through Southern France and then onto freighters in the Mediterranean?

I didn't see a rule against asking for book recommendations, but sorry if it's not allowed. My request r/books came up empty.

I recently read The Grid by Gretchen Bakke about the social/historical roots of America's electrical grid. Really enjoyed the tone and approach. Can anyone point me towards a good social/historical book about internet search engines?

The US office of Postmaster General is not usually one that is heard from much.

One notable exception though is Montgomery Blair, who served Lincoln from 1861-64. He was a notable founder of the Republican Party, former Jurist, and even was one of Dred Scott's attorneys before the Supreme Court and had been appointed a US attorney and was later removed by Buchanan. He took a remarkably active role in military affairs during the war, even by the standards of that administration, in part because he was one of the few with any experience, being an 1835 graduate of West Point and seeing service in Florida vs the Seminoles.

Has any other Postmaster General even approached this level of importance to national decision making on any sort of formal or informal level?

Are there any good open access journals for modern European History in English, German, or French (roughly in that order of preference)? I can think of one on legal history and I just found out about one for medieval history (albeit, clearly that isn't modern), but are there others that anyone would recommend?

Any recommended books for reading about the Roman military just pre fall or Rome?

Edit: Moreover the overall change of the military throughout the republic and the end of the monarchy.

In the Hundred Years War, did the guys holding indentures to raise retinues -say 10 men at arms and 20 archers- actually command the men on campaign? Did the men go into like a common pool, that then got divied up into like, tactical companies and Battles for combat?

Most Chinese dynasties were called something like song or jin, but the [Empire of China](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Empire_of_China_(1915–1916) did not have a name like that, why?

How many castles did the Teutonic Order have in Prussia and Livonia? Particularly in the 14th century?

Did ancient customhouses keep registries with the names of the merchants and the goods they transported ? Did they give the merchants documents that certified thay had paid their duties ?

I'm wondering if there was a way to know if certain goods were smuggled after they had passed the customhouse.

Who was the first french soldier KIA in ww2? And who was the last?

What’s the difference between a Slave and a Thrall?

Would an English textile mill in the mid-1800s have employed girls as draw-"boys" as well as boys? Or was it really a male-only thing?