Ancient Civilizations
The Life & Times of Early Man - Why did Cro-Magnon man crawl on his belly through dangerous mazes in deep dark caves? How did the Upright Man travel from Africa to America without a boat? Who were the Neanderthals? Did man live at the same time as dinosaurs? Find out here!
Ancient Mesopotamia, Sumer, Babylon, Assyria - The ancient Sumerians were great inventors. They invented the wheel, the sailboat, and the first written language. Find out what happened to kids in school who disobeyed their teacher! Read The Legend of Gilgamesh - the first superhero! Learn How Marduk Became the King of ALL the Gods. Enter Hammurabi's Court. Discover how people lived 5000 years ago in the land between two rivers.
Ancient Egypt Daily Life - Do you know what the ancient Egyptians believed would cure a toothache? Find out here! Read some Egyptian Tall Tales (shared with us by Egyptologist Jacques Kinnaer.) Find out why Rameses II was such a famous pharaoh! Enjoy an original story about Ancient Egyptian Daily Life. Explore Deep in the Tombs of Egypt.
Ancient Greece Daily Life - How would you have behaved if you had lived in ancient Sparta? (Lie, cheat, steal, because that is the Sparta way!) Or in ancient Athens? Or in Corinth, Argos or Megara? Meet the Greeks! They were a riot! They created some of the best myths in the world like Theseus and the Minotaur, the story of Little Io and the tale of Hermes & Apollo.
Ancient Rome Daily Life - If you had lived in ancient times, would you have chosen to become a Roman citizen? You might have! The ancient Romans invented more games than any other culture. Find out what the ancient Romans did all day! Learn how Rome started with The Legend of Romulus and Remus. Find out how one young Roman saved the city of Rome in the legend of Horatius at the Bridge. Was Rome's legendary enemy, Hannibal of Carthage, as clever as the history books say? Meet a famous Roman Emperor with Nero at the Circus Maximus.
Ancient China Daily Life - Learn about Taoism with Winnie-the-Pooh! Explore daily life in 4 different Chinese dynasties. Meet weird emperors like Hu the Tiger! Read things written in BCE times! Read a very old story from Xia times, Loawnu the Wise Woman, and another from Han times, Wang the Peddler. Learn about Ancient Chinese Dragons and discover The Story of Mulan. For those in a hurry, just click on the Cheat Sheet, for a very quick look at 11,000 years of ancient Chinese history!
Ancient Celts Daily Life - The Iron Age Celts were very clean. They are credited with the invention of soap! They loved music, feasting, and fighting. They lived in clans, respected their druids, and created stories about fairies, elves, and leprechauns. Come meet the Ancient Celts who once lived all over Europe, and who settled down in ancient Ireland, Scotland, and Wales.
Ancient Mongols Daily Life - The ancient Mongols invented the ger - but what is a ger? Learn about whistle arrows, fabulous hats, horse head fiddles, well-wishing, salty tea, and the magical Shamas. Read the story of The Warrior Well. Meet "The Felt Tent People". Welcome to ancient Mongolia!
Ancient India Daily Life - What did the ancient Indians wear? What did they eat? Did kids play with toys? Did they go to school? This site shares daily life in three major time periods of ancient India history; the mysterious and so cool Indus Valley Civilization, the Vedic & Epics Periods, and the Age of Empires.
Ancient Africa Daily Life - Explore daily life in four gold coast kingdoms - Ghana, Mali, Songhay, and Benin. Meet famous people like Mansa Musa, Sonni Ali The Great, and the most famous ancient African of all - Anansi the Spider!
The Vikings - The Vikings were a smart, creative, artistic, democratic people. Women had rights and family was important. They were farmers, craftsmen, traders, explorers, looters, and fierce warriors. (Their helmets did not have horns. That's just a myth.) The Vikings dominated Scandinavia and other parts of Europe for over 600 years - from around 400AD to about 1070 AD. Come meet the talented people of the north!
Middle Ages for Kids - From the dark ages to the Renaissance - explore the middle ages in Europe. Feudalism, the church, castles, knights, ladies and lords, peasants and commoners, rise of towns, Crusades, the plague, the Magna Carta and more.
American Indians
The Incredible Incas - The Incas never invented the wheel. Yet, high in the rugged Andes Mountains of South America, the Incas built thousands of miles of well-paved roads. Everyone in the empire was well fed and no one was homeless. Meet "The Children of the Sun".
The Mysterious Mayas - One day, the Mayas appeared. 1500 years later, they disappeared. No one knows where they came from and no one knows where they went! During their stay, they build fabulous pyramids, temples, and ball courts. Learn about Daily Life in the Maya Empire. Read the exciting adventure of The Hero Twins. Meet "The Children of the Corn".
The Awesome Aztecs - Why did the Aztecs search for 200 years to find the Place of the Prickly Pear Cactus? What did conquered people have to pay in tribute? Discover how the Aztecs treated some very honored guests in the story Journey of a Princess. Welcome to ancient Mexico.
Iroquois Nation
What was the job of the False Face Society? Who were the Three Sisters? What were the Snow Snake Games? Who was Hiawatha? What was the League of Nations? What was wampum? Read the story of Wise Owl
Ojibwa / Chippewa
Why did the Ojibwa hide pebbles in moccasins? What is a Charcoal Sad Face? How do you play Butterfly Hide and Seek? What is a Dream Catcher? See if you recognize this famous fairy tale: The Invisible Warrior
Cherokee Nation
Why did the Cherokee Indians have a red chief and a white chief? What is a Booger Ceremony? Where is the Darkening Land? What is the Trail of Tears?
Seminole
What is the job of an animal spirit helper?
Why did the Seminole people hang baby cradles from the rafters of their homes? What are comfortables? Why were beads so important? Welcome to the Florida Everglade Seminole Indians in Olden Times.
Plains People
Why did the Plains people prefer tepees to houses? Name 72 things the Plains people made from buffalo. Why do the elders still speak of Clever Coyote with gratitude? Why were horses called dogs? What were pictographs?
Sioux Nation
What could boys do when they reached their 10th birthday? What engagement present did the family of the bride receive? Why weren't kids given names when they were born? What did star quilts represent? What was the Seven Council Fires?
Anasazi, Pueblo, Hopi
Why did the Pueblo dig a hole in the middle of a secret underground room? Who are the giant Natackas? What are kachinas? How did the Pueblo get their name? Who are the Old Ones? What happened at a naming ceremony?
Apache
Why do Apache kids hunt for blue stones? Who are the Devil Dancers? Read an Apache myth about Child of Water and Little Blue Rock. Learn how to play Apache toe and toss games.
Navajo
When a young couple ate from the same basket, why did all their relatives lecture them? What is a Ketoh? Why did the Navajo make Sand Paintings and then destroy them before dark? What is a Blessingways? Welcome to the Southwest Navajo Indians in Olden Times.
Northwest Pacific Coastal
What made the Puget Sound Indian tribes "rich" in ancient times? Why were woven mats so important? How did totem poles get started? What could you buy with 5,000 blankets? What's a potlatch all about? Discover How Raven Stole Crow's Potlatch
California Indians
Why was the bear doctor feared? What was the purpose of the Big Head Dance? Why did certain medicine men hunt rattlesnakes? Why did the Chumash need a ladder to get into bed?
Far North
What trick did the Kutchin people use on their enemies? How did these early people stop ghosts from entering their homes? Welcome to Alaska Natives, the Arctic and the Far North in olden times.