Primary History

Was Sarah Forbes Bonetta a significant individual in Victorian history?

Every so often you come across the story of an individual that makes you think ‘Whoa! What a life!’ They can make you re-evaluate what you thought you already knew. Sarah Forbes Bonetta is one of those people. Sarah Forbes… Read More

Rewind to the beginning of TV broadcasting

magine the scene. You are sitting in a darkened room. The curtains are pulled tightly closed – you don’t want any light to come in and spoil the picture. In the corner of the room, a big wooden box with a small screen glows. Chairs are pulled up close to be able to see what’s on the screen. All the neighbours are in the room because very few people have a television yet. It’s in black and white, and only on for a few hours a day. There is only one channel: the BBC. Read More

How did the Maya share (and boast about!) their lives?

The Maya liked to boast too. Leaders built stelae (singular: stela) in their cities to celebrate their great victories in a similar way to Trajan's Column. Read More

When was the golden age of medicine?

Someone in my village recently went into hospital for a life-changing operation. She had a knee replacement and she can now drive and walk quite a way, which she couldn’t do before. Such operations are now routine and usually very safe – this is her second knee replacement! But has… Read More

Striking is as old as the pyramids!

The people of Deir el-Medina were quite well off. Each family had a slave, paid for by the pharaoh, who came twice a week to grind their wheat into flour. They also had a laundry slave once a week, so keeping clothes clean was not a problem. They might keep a few animals for food, and in their spare time they often made items to sell in nearby villages. Perhaps one of the most surprising things about Deir el-Medina is that most of the men – and many of the women – could read and write. This was very unusual in Ancient Egypt where the literacy rate was around 1%! Read More

The Victorians: tough on crime

Oliver Twist’s crime was to ask for a second bowl of gruel in the workhouse. He was severely punished for his sins. Although Oliver Twist is a fictional character, any local newspaper from the time will reveal many similar cases that really happened. Read More

King Alfred’s cakes – legend or fact?

Everyone knows the story of King Alfred burning the cakes. Well, perhaps not. Let me tell you…. Read More

Neolithic Know-How: Great Langdale Axes

About a quarter of all stone axes studied by experts come from the Langdale Valley. Why is this? And how did they get from Langdale to their destination? Some of the axes are worn, showing they have had a lot of use. Some are brand new, well-polished, obviously highly-valued, yet seem to have been deposited in water, perhaps as an offering to the Gods. Read More

Who Discovered America?

'In fourteen hundred and ninety-two Columbus sailed the ocean blue' ... and discovered America. Or did he? Read More

Lesson ideas to celebrate the Queen’s 90th birthday

In April, Queen Elizabeth II celebrated her 90th birthday and whilst many who reach that age like to reminisce about their lives, the whole country did just that on the queen’s special day with plenty of documentaries showing the life of our monarch in detail. The celebrations are sure to… Read More