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Elf Sternberg
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Date: 2011-07-25 12:07 am (UTC)Turns out that a lot of our ideas of the past are, at best, wishful-thinking-history, at worst, outright revisionist-history. And, in both cases, designed to make the plebs feel better about the current state that the patricians have put them in.
The medieval peasant wasn't quite so muck-covered as we like to think. And we're ignoring (or not told) about the social contract between the lord-of-the-manor and his peasants.
As for the Egyptians: laborer's grave after laborer's grave shows expertly-healed broken bones and descent nutrition. And then there's graves themselves: near the Pharoah's pyramid, probably a position of honor. Terry Jones, in his program, describes an ancient document talking about — get this — laborers going on strike to demand more makeup. And they got it!
(FYI: Mr. Jones later reveals that "makeup" in Ancient Egypt acted as sunscreen, eye makeup as anti-glare eye protection. Smart, those ancients.)
So, Summary: No, it wasn't Oh-So-Much-Worse Back Then.