Domestic Pigs

 The mystery of how pig domestication began in each area of the world still goes unsolved (did they begin in one area? How did the idea spread?). However, it is known that Southeast Asia was a very important center for these animals. Studies show that eating pork in this area of the world was ritualized. In Egypt, the pig was often associated with an evil god. Some think that Egyptians would use the pigs as bait to divert his evil spirit away from their homes. Religious ideas and practices similar to these have been found in many areas around these parts of the world. Clearly, the pig was an important part of several civilizations.

For more info, check out this site.

Swidden Agriculture

 By 2000 B.C.E, the Malay peoples in Southeast Asia had begun practicing swidden agriculture. This type of farming begins by slashing and burning a plot of land to prepare it for agricultural use. Once the farmer is done using this land, he switches to a new area and begins the process again. Eventually, his original land will regrow again, and he can return. Once again, he goes about the process of burning and weeding his field. As you can see, this was a constant cycle for the Malay peoples. Even today, swidden agriculture is the dominant form of farming in Southeast Asia.

Click here for details on the processes of Swidden Agriculture.

Newly burnt land

Games :D

These games tend to be pretty cheesy, sorry.
A lot of these games have ads, so make sure the volume is off..!

Romanius Game: Greek Hoplite game. Click "play now" to start.

Cradle of Persia game: Puzzle Game. If it asks you to download, just click "continue"

Buddhism Game: Try to reach Nirvana

Babylypmus Game: Greek Gods game. *Look at the top of the screen to see which God it is*

Ancient Rome-Fling The Teacher

Roman Gladiator Game

4 Ancient Greece Games

Greek Hoplites

Around the seventh century B.C.E, Ancient Greeks revolutionized warfare. They created a new warrior who was very successful in defeating enemy lines. Not only were these new warriors, called Hoplites, heavily armored, but they were also strongly disciplined and trained. The key to the hoplite's success was having a line of "defenders" who held circular shields to the side while projecting a spear out in front of them. This formation, called the "phalanx", made direct confrontation with the Greek warriors extremely difficult. Thus, the hoplites from ancient Greece set a new standard for warfare in the seventh century B.C.E.

Want to experience being a hoplite yourself? Click here to play the "Romanius" game and see what it is like to be a Greek warrior! :D

Carthage Tophets

Times of crisis in the Phoenician city of Carthage brought great loss to elite parents. Carthaginians would sacrifice their own children to please their gods, Baal and Tanit. Usually the children would be young males. Once burned, their bones and ashes were placed in urns, which were buried in walled enclosures called tophets. Sadly, the popularity of this sacrifice only grew with time.

For more information on tophets and Carthaginian burial, click here.

Nubian Gold Mines

 Painting of Nubians offering gold to Egypt

The discovery of gold highly impacted the Nubians. Not only did it help start their civilization, but it also led to their downfall. Nubia shared the Nile with another civilization called Egypt. Egypt's hunger for gold caused them to take over all of Nubia, including their mines of the abundant metal. They didn't just keep it all for themselves, though. Egypt spread their new resource to many places in the Mediterranean. With their secret now exposed, the Nubians fell under Egyptian influence for many years, forced to take on Egyptian culture and religion.

I would highly recommend reading this article by National Geographic for additional information, as well as current news on this topic.

Map of an ancient Nubian gold mine

Weighing of the Heart

The Weighing of The Heart Ceremony

Ancient Egyptians are one of the most commonly known civilizations for their belief in the afterlife. They believed that once somebody died, they encountered multiple dangerous hazards until they safely reached another world. Before they reached their final destination, however, they had to go through a final test commonly called the "Weighing of the Heart" ceremony. The deceased's heart, containing all of their actions from their previous life, was set on a scale and weighed against a feather. If the heart was heavier than the feather, it was fed to Ammut, a creature the mix of a crocodile, lion, and hippopotamus, and they were cast into an eternal darkness. If the feather was heavier, their journey was complete. This is where they met Osiris, who welcomed them to their destination.

For additional information on Egyptian afterlife, go to http://www.egyptpast.com/gods/afterlife.html

For further information on this ceremony, go to http://www.egyptian-scarabs.co.uk/weighing_of_the_heart.htm

The picture above shows the god Anubis weighing a heart, while Ammut sits hungrily by his side. :)