The Library Ghost

    The Neolithic, or New Stone Age, began in Europe around 7,000 BCE with early farmers in the Balkans.  It spread across the continent, and lasted until about 2,000 BCE, when the European Bronze Age began.  Agriculture arrived in southeastern Europe from the Levant, along with new technologies, including pottery and domestication of animals.  One common change was the move from flaked stone tools to ground or pecked stone tools, which take longer to make.  Typical Neolithic artifacts of this type include spindle whorls, net weights, mace heads, and hoes or adzes. General information      The Benaki Museum. " Greek history - Neolithic period (6800-3200 BC) ." YouTube . April 4, 2017.     NOVA PBS Official. " Ötzi the Iceman: A 5,000-Year-Old True Crime Murder Mystery | Full Documentary | NOVA | PBS ." YouTube . January 24, 2024. Architecture and engineering     Archaeology Now. " Tiny Lectures: Mysterious G...

    Conservation of wildlife, especially native pollinators, is critical for the future of our planet—including the future of humanity.  After all, no bees means no fruit, which makes up a huge proportion of the human diet.  Pollution, invasive species, deforestation, and climate change are all threats to our native species that must be combated, starting today.  We  can't rely only on individual action; we need to combine it with strong legal protection to save the environment before we lose it forever. General information      BBC Newsround. " Is Light Pollution Getting Worse? 🌃 | Newsround ." YouTube . March 6, 2023.      DwrCymruWelshWater. " Top 10 water saving tips ." YouTube . June 28, 2018.      Eco Sapien. " What is Citizen Science? " YouTube . March 30, 2015.     Natural Resources Wales / Cyfoeth Naturiol Cymru . " What are invasive non-native species? " YouTube . July 26, 2023. ...

    The Victorian era in Britain and Ireland covers the reign of Queen Victoria from 1837 to 1901.  During that time, fashions changed dramatically as Britain became a global empire, with control of Egypt, India, Canada, Hong Kong, and parts of the Caribbean.  As immigration soared and London became the largest city in the world, anxiety about non-English "colonials" polluting English culture or bloodlines was at an all-time high.  Industry moved from small family businesses run out of the home to mass manufacturing in urban factories.  Handcrafts waned during the middle of Victoria's reign, only to return in romanticized "vintage" or "authentic" forms at the end of the century. General information      BBC Archive. " 1970: VICTORIAN TEENAGERS reminisce | Yesterday's Witness | Voice of the People | BBC Archive ." YouTube . Posted April 30, 2022.     HistoryExtra. " Child labour and BREADWINNERS | Ruth Goodman on family lif...

    The Regency and Romantic periods in Britain, as well as the early Victorian era, saw a great deal of rapid change in fashion and technology.  The period is dominated by the Napoleonic Wars, the abolition of slavery across the British Empire, and the Great Famine, along with major upheavals in religion and the electoral system. General information     Dashwood, Ellie. " How to Meet Mr Darcy // Regency Era & Victorian Guide to Introduction Etiquette ." YouTube . November 17, 2023.      Draper, Jenny. " Answering White People's Questions About Slavery: The London History Show ." YouTube . March 3, 2021.     Fummey, Bruce. " Sir Walter Scott Made us Wear Kilts in Scotland ." YouTube . May 11, 2021. Arts and architecture      Draper, Jenny. " Railings: Suprisingly Interesting ." YouTube . April 29, 2024.     Knowles, Rachel. " The history of the British Museum ." Regency History . January 7...

    This post mainly covers the period from 800–1100, during the so-called Viking Age in Europe.  This period is also called the Early Middle Ages or the Dark Ages in western Europe.  I can find surprisingly few museum-quality videos about Viking-era medicine and toys, but I will persevere! General information      Banijay History. " Norman Conquest: The Real Impact - Britain's Most Historic Towns ." YouTube . Posted October 2, 2024.     Cambrian Chronicles . " The Prince of Wales: What Everybody Gets Wrong ." YouTube . Posted October 17, 2022.     National Museum of Ireland. " Viking Ireland 4 What was Daily Life like in Viking Ireland? " YouTube . Posted November 16, 2020.     SCC Archaeology. " Anglo-Saxon Daily Life ." YouTube . Posted August 16, 2021.     Smarthistory. " Charlemagne and the Carolingian revival ." YouTube . Posted June 14, 2013. Arts and architecture    ...

    I thought I'd throw together a generic overview of western fashion, as a kind of introduction post to the period-specific introduction posts.  It covers the post-Roman era through the mid-20th century. General information     Le, Mina. " Chicago (2002): the history of showgirl costumes ." YouTube . February 13, 2021.     Rudolph, Nicole. " How much clothing did they *actually* have back then? " YouTube . June 15, 2024.     Rowe, Kaz. " Why the Medieval Aesthetic Never Dies: The History of Medieval Revival Fashion ." YouTube . April 27, 2023.     Rudolph, Nicole. " The History of Standardized Sizes in Womens Fashion and Why They FAILED ." YouTube . May 16, 2021. Accessories      Cox, Abby. " A Fashion Historian Explains the History of the Handbag ." YouTube . January 26, 2023.     Cox, Abby. " Flappers, Y2K, & Capitalism are Why Women "Don't" Have Pockets ." YouTube . Jan...

    Once again, my sources are fairly limited for this period, but I think the videos here are pretty comprehensive!  I'd love more sources for Dublin, the Kingdom of the Isles, Kievan Rus', and the Danelaw, particularly when it comes to music, poetry, and games.  Let me know if you have any! General information     Draper, Jenny. " The Collapse of the Roman Empire, or, Why were medieval people more primitive than the Romans? " YouTube . May 30, 2024.      Johnson, James. " What was Medieval Wales really like? " YouTube . August 30, 2020.      Johnson, James. " When Was The Viking Age? " YouTube . November 9, 2021. Arts and architecture      Draper, Jenny. " Why You Can't Find Vikings In London: The London History Show ." YouTube . January 18, 2021.      Johnson, James. " Viking Age Tools and the Mighty Mästermyr Tool Chest ." YouTube . August 30, 2023.      Johnson, James....

    The end of the nineteenth century covers the late Victorian era, the Gilded Age, the American "Wild West," and early Jim Crow laws.  Fashions of the time included the First and Second Bustle eras, the Natural Form era, and the Aesthetic Movement. General information      Banner, Bernadette. " Exposing Victorian Influencers Who 'Facetuned' Their Photos. (Photo Manipulation was EVERYWHERE) ." YouTube . July 17, 2021.      Cox, Abby. " Victorians were ✨Obsessed✨ with Ugly Children... " YouTube . August 13, 2023.      Rowe, Kaz. " Did the Victorians Think Ankles Were Too Scandalous? " YouTube . September 8, 2021.      Rudolph, Nicole. " How much clothing did they *actually* have back then? " YouTube . June 15, 2024.      Zebrowska, Karolina. " Victorian Fashion Is Not What You Think It Is ." YouTube . March 19, 2019. Accessories      Banner, Bernadette. " 'Afro-Victorian': Bri...

     Another in my "Young Person's Introduction to Fashion" series, this time about the Viking Age!  That's, oh, 8th to 11th centuries CE?  Not very long, all things considered, but the events have had a massive impact on Western culture.  Unfortunately, there are very few people producing entry-level articles and videos about the topic of Viking fashion, so I must apologize for using the same sources over and over. General information      Courtney. " Viking Capsule Wardrobe: Strategically Building Your Historical Closet ." YouTube . August 20, 2021.     Johnson, James. " How to Buy Viking Clothes (and What to Avoid!) ." YouTube . December 7, 2020.      Johnson, James. " Viking Women's Fashion: A (Very!) Basic Guide ." YouTube . January 5, 2021. Accessories      Johnson, James. " I Make Viking Gloves (And Play in the Snow!) ." YouTube . February 15, 2021.      Johnson, James. " REAL...