Bowls are some of the oldest items made by mankind. Today, they can be found in a vast array of materials and shapes designed for specific functions. Here’s just a few of those options. See Also: 11 Different Kinds of Forks Types of Bowls 1. Bamboo Bowl Bamboo has been used for centuries throughout the … Read more
From the earliest days of Mankind, spears have been an essential tool for hunting, defense, and warfare. While the simplest spear is just a pointy stick, early Man soon discovered they could add tips made of bone or stone to make the spears more lethal. Since then, spears have enjoyed a huge degree of innovation … Read more
Americans have a well-known habit of absorbing bits of culture from immigrants and adapting it to become something unique while still bearing some resemblance to its origins. Nowhere is this more apparent than with food. Take, for example, the tlaxcalli, or (as it’s known today) the tortilla. When the Spanish discovered Meso-Americans cooking their tlaxcalli, … Read more
Trucks have captured the imaginations of boys and girls alike since they first began populating our roadways. Today, with fuel costs skyrocketing and a decaying infrastructure, trucks are not as common a sight as they were a few scant decades ago, although they will never be fully replaced. Alternatives, such as boats, planes, and trains … Read more
When it comes to insects, Mother Nature has shown here’s almost no limit to how a simple concept can vary. Perhaps one of the best ways to see this is in insect wings. These wings have an incredible amount of variation, extending right down to the microscopic level. But before we can get into the … Read more
In the world of music, one of the instruments often associated with calm, soothing melodies is the violin. However, the violin family also includes fiddles, a variation of the violin which is played fast and loose, compared to the careful, structured pace of violins. But despite the difference in play style, violins and fiddles are … Read more
When you think of barns, you probably picture a red building with a peaked roof, outside silo, and big doors. But the term barn actually originated from two Old English terms: bereærn (barley house) and beretun (barley enclosure). Indeed, barns were originally used for storing barley and other grains before expanding into use as livestock … Read more
In 1889, a strange new type of horseless carriage was introduced in Paris. The driver sat in an exposed seat, while the passengers were in an enclosed cabin. People commented that the cabin roof resembled the black cloaks worn by folks in the Limousin countryside. The association stuck. Limos are vehicles with the driver separated … Read more
Sidewalks haven’t always been commonplace, even though they’ve existed since the Classical Era. And until recently, curbs were even more rare. We know that curbing along roads has existed since at least Pompeii, but it wasn’t until the late 1700s that sidewalks were deemed important enough to safety to warrant legislation that they became more … Read more
The crossbow has a very long and misunderstood history. Originally invented by the Chinese, it wasn’t as popular in medieval warfare as role-playing games suggest. In fact, crossbows were actually banned for a time in Europe due to the fact that they could pierce armor. They were known to be used frequently in hunting, which … Read more
