Clothing adorned with brand names, slogans, and other meaningful linguistic messages are ubiquitous today. Was there similarly adorned clothing in your era of study? If so, what were the messages meant to communicate?

A medieval household and village produced a lot of ash, what would they do with all of it?

Ash can be good for gardens but too much ash, there's a lot of lye and salts put into the soil and it will burn up the root systems.

I'm listening to Mike Duncan's History of Rome podcast, and am surprised at the amount and detail of information that has survived the millenia. I'd like to get a sense of how large a collection the complete surviving writings of Ancient Rome would be.

Assuming fluency in all languages needed, could one person realistically read all the surviving writings from Ancient Rome? Are historians specializing in Ancient Rome expected to read everything that survives from this period, or is that an unrealistic expectation?

Does any one know who first put sunglasses on the sun? Silly question, I know, but I figure it would've been after wearing sunglasses became associated with "being cool." I've always wondered about it.

I have read on this subreddit before that it was not unheard of for medieval nuns writing about Jesus and God in very erotic, or seemingly erotic, terms. I was wondering if there is any compiled lists of this medieval thirst poetry or what are some more famous examples of it?

I was wondering if there was any historical references of a Leader employing a humanitarian crisis as a trap for an invading force in the way that the fictional character Marco Inaros succeeded to do on the Expanse?

Spoiler for anyone who intends on watching season 6, episode 3 of the Expanse, but I want to find if this was uniquely fictitious or if there’s very real historical events I could also explore. Without needing to see the Expanse, I will give a quick run down of what happened:

As two navies fight for control in space, Earth vs the Outer Belt “Free Navy,” the Earth force intends to invade the Capitol city of Ceres station. It was important to establish a foothold in future attacks. Upon arrival, the invaders find that the city has been stripped of all food and supplies, and the residents left with only a few weeks of food before they would starve to death. What appeared to be an effortless victory ended as a humanitarian crisis draining resources and entrapping the Earth navy in a PR nightmare instead of decisive victory.

Has this ever been deployed in real life? Maybe in WWII with the prison camps or possibly (and if it’s against the rules to mention, please skip), but modern times fall of Baghdad in the recent war in Iraq be considered a similar ploy? I doubted anything before mass media or before the value of life became more culturally valued — I could see barbaric or even crusade or colonizing invaders cutting down local peasants without concern for life.

I'm watching Last Kingdom and Uhtred has just been shown wearing this leather jacket which I found jarring because it looks so modern to me, would a leather jacket like this actually be a thing in 9th century England? I know leather clothing existed of course, but there's something about the design of this that screams modernity to me, I think maybe with the way it's stitched at the shoulders?

Were there any battles during World War 2 involving significant amounts of tanks of French, British, or Japanese origin?

We hear plenty about conflicts between American or Russian and German armored divisions during the war, but I'm not too familiar with any battles involving Japanese, French or British tanks. I'm aware that the French army folded relatively quickly and a significant amount of equipment fell into German hands, and that the island hopping campaign and the terrain involved wasn't overly conducive to armored warfare, but I feel that makes these conflicts, if any exist, more interesting

Is it true that the Old Believers sect of orthoxox church in russia, supported lenin because he fought the monarchy which had expelled them to siberia?

A while ago I posted a question here that got removed for breaking the rules. Im still very interested in the topic, but Im not sure how to phrase it without seeming to have an agenda (I dont). Maybe someone here could at least suggest some sources to read on this. My question is as follow.

I read an article in a german political magazine where the author claimed that the yugoslav war in the 90's was falsely portrayed as either genocidal or at least one-sided massacres. The author claimed that in reality it was a civil war where both sides committed massacres and that the narrative was one sided for political reasons. I'd like to know if there is any truth in this

how many soldiers were armoured by ancient states like india, greece, and persia?

We've all seen that picture that Stalin had edited and re-edited as more and more people in it were purged, but what did that affect back then? Did someone from the NKVD come in with the new photograph and tell you to swap out the one you have framed? Wouldn't it have been easier to just not use the original photo anymore?

Also want to ask for any good sources on Soviet History, I have Zhukov and Budyonny's memoirs but I'm looking for more political/economic/social history than military atm.

With the recent death of Archbishop Tutu, I would like to learn more about South Africa and the end of apartheid. Can anyone recommend any good books or documentaries?

Very hyper specific question- in Book 1 of Mykhailo Hrushevsky History of Ukraine he brings up the development of Kievan-Russian laws under Yaroslav- and mentions that the creation of those laws made local princes significantly more important in their local areas due to them having direct control over courts and bailiffs as opposed to before where each city had it's own local administrations and courts. But wouldn't it make more sense that the centralization of laws would create less difference between different princes? So what about the "Ruska Pravda" made these princes more powerful or more endeared to local townspeople- who were now willing to defend their princes in conflicts with others during the post-Yaroslav battles for power?

Did the British and French army use any specific breeds of horse in their cavalry during the napoleonic wars? Or was the cavalries just a combination of random horse breeds?

How did the ancient Carthaginians pronounce the name of their capital city?

Hello,

I've found that I want to read more about Japanese history, and I'd like to read something that is an overview of Japan's history, from the Jōmon Period all the way up to Modern Japan, if such a book or series of books exist.

I'd be lying if I didn't have any interest in neolithic Japan as well, but that's more of an extension of my interest in the Ainu, but even there I'm unsure if the Ainu even existed as a people existed in neolithic Japan.

Many European nobles had a long string of titles or accomplishments that would be appended to their name in some official capacities. How did they decide what order to put them in?

Are there any famous examples of “Benedict Arnold” type characters in the US Civil War? Either a Northerner betraying the Union mid-war or a Southerner betraying the confederacy? I suppose if it was somebody higher-up, it would be a well known thing, much like Arnold’s betrayal in the War of Independence, but the things I’m searching are only yielding results about confederate soldiers being tried for treason after the war. Thank you!!

I realize The King’s Man was very much not a historically accurate movie. But there was a trench warfare scene that caught my eye.

Essentially Germans and English send scouting parties to no man’s land. The two meet and, using sign language, agree that gunfire will mean the end of all of them. They all put down their firearms and proceed to quietly engage in vicious knife/club fighting. Of course when someone finally breaks down and uses a pistol the trenches on either side erupt with gun fire killing almost all involved parties.

Any accuracy to this? Quiet hand-to-hand combat in no man’s land.

What does the term "metal road/metaled road" mean and where did it come from? I have frequently seen it in archeology reports, or when Brits are speaking. I presume it to mean an improved road of some sort like gravel or paved road as opposed to a plain dirt road.

Where could I get information about the early Byzantine army - presumably around the reign of Justinian I. Thank you in advance.

Why was there such a swing towards the conservatives in the January 1910 election?

Also,what was the scale of the electorate at this time in the UK? Who was enfranchised?

Is artificial cranial deformation (skull elongation) performed by any modern cultures? The Wikipedia article and all I find on Google only refers to it as if it is a thing of the past.

Why did war chariots generally fall out of fashion?

In an aside in Eichmann Arendt casually asserts Heydrich was a mischling. This is...wrong, right? Is this at all an open question? Why would she have thought this?

What is the oldest book we still have an original copy of?

I was thinking about how do we know what Plato and other philosophers from ancient Greek wrote and, after some googling, I found out there is actually no original manuscripts from that era, only copies made hundreds or even thousands of years later.

So this got me wondering, what is the oldest book that we have the original copy of?

I know we have tablets with small texts dating thousands of years prior to ancient Greece, but what I mean by book is something closer to what the Greek philosophers did.

How commons have Personal Unions outside of medieval Europe? I would be thankful for some examples.

Which are the best sources of information regarding the Origins, History, Lifestyle, Culture, Warfare, Architecture and Religion of Huns?

I've been able to get access to Denis Sinor's and J. Otto Maenchen-Helfen works. Are there any other authors that cover this topic?

Thanks in advance!

What would be the best resources in the life of King Penda of Mercia? I'm happy to read multiple, but I'd like to know which are the best respected in academia. Thank you very much in advance.

To any friends here who might be Medieval Historians, Art Historians, or even students of Religious Studies, I'm looking for some help with research.

I'm looking for any English-language sources or translations from French and German that discuss the creation around the so-called Mettlacher Staurothek, created around the early 13th century in the style of the Byzantine "Limburger" Staurothek.

I've read through Klein, Holger, 'Eastern objects and Western desires: relics and reliquaries between Byzantium and the West' which points to Frolow's La Relique as well as several sources all in German.

Unfortunately I have no command of neither French nor German to be able to use these articles in any meaningful way.

Is anyone aware of any English-language academic sources that discuss the "Mettlacher Staurothek" in more detail?

How accurate is The Prestige in its depiction of late 19th century London?

Has Marxist/communist theory always had a strong base of support among university students? (At least since Marx’s lifetime)

Support among the college educated seems to have been a common thread in communist and socialist movements through the present day.

Were the Greek names for the gods and goddesses of the hellenistic pantheon still commonly used in the Greek part of the Roman Empire? Or would pretty much everyone in Roman-occupied Athens eventually think of her as Minerva instead of Athena?

Was the USS Constitution's nickname "Old Ironsides" intended by the Americans or perceived by the British as a reference to Oliver Cromwell?

(A mod had suggested I post this here)

According to history, Martin Luther posted his 95 theses on the door of the church on October 31, 1517.

Out of curiosity, Searching "What day of the week was October 31, 1517" on google, gave the result: Tuesday, October 20, 1517. I assume because we currently go by a different calendar now since the Gregorian monks did their thing in October 1582 (65 years later).

So My question is: technically, DID Martin Luther post the 95 theses on October 20, 1517? Which would be October 31st by our current calendar? Or did he Post it on the door on October 31, 1517, Which would be November 11th by our current calendar?

So, could you please give me the titles of any short stories (or novels) from / about the 18th century that would be nice for putting on the screen?

Would be so glad to hear the stories that you like, thank you!

There are lots of interesting religious relics listed on Wikipedia like [Mary Magdalene's skull] (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Relics_of_Mary_Magdalene?wprov=sfla1).

How would a church have come by something like this and how likely is this to be real (by which I mean the skull belonging to the real historical figure)?

On that subject, are there any other religious relics with interesting stories or provenance that you could post about?

What are some good follow ups to Braudel’s Mediterranean?

What are some good books or texts to read alongside/follow up Braudel’s Civilization & Capitalism Volumes I and II?

Very enjoyable reads, are there any other Annales members of note I should check out?

Why did ancient Chinese love mushrooms? They listed magical mushrooms since Qin dynasty. Why mushrooms though?

Was Stonehenge likely built by Indo Europeans, or people of Old European heritage? When did the Indo Europeans begin to settle in the British isles?

I’m appalled after reading about how the USSR and China lost over 50M due to failed agricultural reforms involving collectivization. So has agricultural collectivization ever worked out?

Is this photograph actually of the real Nakano Takeko? I see it referenced as such on pinterest and the like, but i also know that there are photos of supposed actresses that get mistaken for her every now and then.
https://imgur.com/a/JvcY5Fk

I'm reading through Ketcham's biography of Madison and I came on this quote just after Madison become Secretary of State describing a job seeker who

began hopefully with a request for a territorial governorship, gradually descended to pleas to be appointed a port collector or postmaster, and ended finally... with a request for castoff clothing

This sounds very similar to something from Team of Rivals where Lincoln told a very similar story of someone settling for pants. Would one or both of these have been fictional stories told as jokes? Might Lincoln have taken the story from Madison? Or was this a common way that these job seekers asked for stuff?

What's the oldest event that we definitely know the exact date of?

What was the first movie shown on broadcast television?

According to Machiavelli's The Prince, who would fit, or at least close enough to a perfect leader? (not traits, but the person)

Who was the soldier who retook an entire town at night, after the enemy took it over and was sleeping? I remember reading a Wikipedia page about it, and it was under the Battle’s page like “The Battle of….”

Did the Wang Jingwei regime claim Taiwan? If not, then what was the reasoning it produced for why it was in Japanese hands?

Panzerkampfwagens were 'Panzers' and Sturzkampfflugzeugs were 'stukas.' Did the Germans or Allies have a similar shortened form for the Skdfz (Sonderkraftfahrzeug) series of vehicles? "Sonders" perhaps?

How tall was Leonidas of Rhodes? The ancient Olympic runner. Can’t find anywhere

Hello all!

I have a couple of questions regarding calendars in 'Classical' history, specifically how actual people would have used these calendars to refer to the day/year they were in. First, do we know of any calendars from the bronze age? I was thinking more of bronze age Italy and Greece, although I'd be curious about the bronze age near east as well!

Second, do we know what calendars would have been used during late antiquity, say 400-500 CE? Were they still in the habit of using the consuls as year markers, or the 'AUC' calendar?

Finally, do we know of calendars (or anything like a calendar) among the Germans or Celts in antiquity?

Thank you very much in advance for any info!

Have historians applied Yuri Slezkine's concept of "Mercurian" people -- nomadic, mercantile ethnicities that find themselves between the upper and lower classes of settled societies -- to explore the Chinese diaspora, particularly Chinese-Americans?

Was it more common for royalty throughout history to marry people not related to them or for them to marry relatives like cousins, aunts, uncles, siblings etc?

What were the differences (if any) in the standard protective finishes on firearms from WWI to WWII?

I'm struggling to find conclusive details on the protective finishes used on historical firearms.

While browning has been around for centuries, blueing seems to be almost universally preferred for firearms. However, I can't find any reliable sources on exactly how these firearms were protected. Some say they were blued, others that they just slapped on a load of radiator paint. Still others talk about anodising but that seems unlikely to me based on examples I've seen. I've also heard that they simply weren't protected at all, notably with the Sten gun.

What would be some good academic sources to turn to in order to get a better sense of urban decay in the ancient world? Books that could answer questions such as: what forms did it take, and what was the experience of it like? To narrow it down further, say, during the late roman empire or the late roman republic? Though really anything ancient will do.

How did the 1870 war become known as the ‘Franco-Prussian War’ if Prussia was by this time allied with several other German states and also part of a larger confederation

How did the private industry that was acquired during the sale during Matsukata deflation run better than it did when it was under the government. Reading "Factory Girls Women in the thread mills of meiji japan" I saw that the working condition rapidly decreased after the textile industry was sold off to the private hands, but was that the only reason?

For a D&D campaign I'm designing a large continent which consists of a number of countries / coalitions / states who are rivals and basically always suspecting each other but have to band together to face a common enemy. Similar to later on in Game of Thrones.

For inspiration I've looked a bit and found the Warring States periods of China (I believe around 400-200BC) and Japan (1400-1600) which seem like great places to start, but I wonder if there are other good examples of this which might fit better. The setting will be meso-American, but I can of course rewrite some things I've planned. Please share anything you think is appropriate!

If you have some great real-world examples I could emulate in my game, or some good articles / series / books I should check out, that would be awesome. Thanks!

When did Hitler begin wearing his military visor cap and is the visor cap meant to signify any specific rank or position or is it just aesthetically militaristic?