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Boston Molasses Disaster - Wikipedia #history #boston

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The Boston Molasses Disaster, also known as the Great Molasses Flood and the Great Boston Molasses Tragedy, occurred on January 15, 1919, in the North End neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts in the United States. A large molasses storage tank burst, and a wave of molasses rushed through the streets at an estimated 35 mph (56 km/h), killing 21 and injuring 150. The event has entered local folklore, and residents claim that on hot summer days, the area still smells of molasses.[1]

via en.wikipedia.org

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Guinness secret revealed for Saint Patrick's Day | Saint Patrick's Day | IrishCentral

Just in time for St Patrick's Day! Guinness disobeys the laws of physics.

Science has finally figured out just why Guinness is so different.

Unlike other brews, the bubbles in Guinness go down rather than up.

Lucky members of the Royal Society of Chemistry investigated a selection of pints last week inLondon.

Read more via www.irishcentral.com

BBC - A History of the World in 100 Objects - No.10 Jomon Pot #history #podcast #BBC

via www.bbc.co.uk

Jomon pots are the oldest pots in the world. Pottery was invented by people living in Japan, China and Korea during the last Ice Age about 14,000 years ago. Pots allowed people to boil foods such as nuts and shellfish to make them edible. This complete pot was found thousands of years after it was made and put to a new use. During the 1800s the inside was lined with gold foil and lacquered for use in Japanese tea ceremonies.

How did hunter gatherers make pots?

It was once thought that the first pots were invented by farmers. The nomadic lifestyle of hunter-gatherers meant that they were unable to carry pots. The Jomon were hunter-gatherers however, and were able to develop pottery because of Japan's unique environment. They lived in a particularly food rich area - their diet contained over 65 different mammal species. This allowed the Jomon to settle in one place for several years and encouraged the development of pottery for cooking food.

Listen to podcast 010 Jomon Pot

BBC - A History of the World in 100 Objects - No.9 Maya Maize God Statue #history #podcast #BBC

via www.bbc.co.uk

The statue is of the Mayan maize god Hun Hunahpu. He was found in a pyramid-style temple in Copan in modern-day Honduras surrounded by many other maize gods. In Mayan mythology, the maize god was decapitated at harvest time but reborn again at the beginning of a new growing season. Myths about the death and rebirth of gods helped explain the cycle of the seasons and the return of maize, on which Mayan civilisation depended.

Why did the Mayans worship maize?

The myth of the maize god is just one example of how the development of agriculture led to major changes in how people across the world conceived their gods. For thousands of years the Mayans worshiped the maize god and believed that their ancestors were made from maize dough. Maize was the Mayan's most important food source. Today maize still forms a large part of the Central American diet in the form of tortillas.

Listen to podcast: 009 Maya Maize God Statue

BBC - A History of the World in 100 Objects - No.8 Egyptian Clay Model of Cattle #history #podcast #BBC

via www.bbc.co.uk

This clay model of four cows was made in Egypt over 5000 years ago. It was placed in a grave, perhaps to provide its owner with food in the afterlife. Cows were revered in Egypt as a source of life in the harsh desert environment and whole cows were sometimes also buried with people. Later they were worshipped as the cow goddess Bat - the protector and mother of the pharaoh.

When were cows first domesticated?

Cows were first domesticated in North Africa in 8000 BC. After the Ice Age the earth had grown warmer and the lush savannah was transformed into the Sahara desert. As the climate became drier people became restricted to the Nile valley, where they relied on cows for food and as beasts of burden to carry water. Cows were also domesticated independently in the Middle East and today all cattle across the World are descendents of these Middle Eastern cows.

Listen to podcast 008 Egyptian Clay Model of Cattle

BBC - A History of the World in 100 Objects - No.6 Bird-shaped Pestle #history #podcast #BBC

via www.bbc.co.uk

This bird-shaped pestle was used by early farmers in Papua New Guinea, probably to grind the vegetable taro in a mortar. People in Papua New Guinea learnt how to grow crops 9000 years ago. Papua New Guinea was one of seven locations where farming independently developed after the last Ice Age. The pestle’s long neck meant it was too delicate to be used regularly and its bird-shape suggests it may have been used for pounding food on special occasions.

 When did humans start to farm?

 Growing plants and raising animals is one of the most important developments in human history. It was a gradual change that took place over several thousand years about 10,000 years ago. Farming created an abundant food supply that for the first time could support larger populations. People began to settle in one place to grow crops rather than being constantly on the move searching for new food sources. This led to the creation of the first villages.

Listen to Podcast 006 - Bird-shaped Pestle