The Story of What Happened to the Real Pocahontas

This article appeared in Notfries and has been published here with permission.

The True Story Will Change What You Think of Her

Pocahontas is a name most people are familiar with. However, her story is different from the one we think is true. It wasn’t all roses and romance as portrayed in the movie, and explorer John Smith’s writing. Instead, the Native American woman faced many hardships in the 21 years of her life. Let’s read exactly who Pocahontas was and what happened to her.

The Famous Girl

Pocahontas is a name we’ve all heard, largely thanks to the 1995 eponymous Disney movie. The lively animated movie turned the Native American woman into one of the most popular Disney princesses of all time.

The Famous Girl

Even though the movie brought joy to everybody’s heart, the real story of the beautiful Pocahontas is much darker and more tragic than shown in the film. Let’s see who Pocahontas really was.

The Nickname

Pocahontas was born in 1596 in a Powhatan tribe, but she wasn’t born with the name Pocahontas. Her parents initially gave her the name Amonute and Pocahontas was her nickname, which she shared with her mother. The name is a Powhatan nickname meaning ‘the playful one.’

The Nickname

The happy child was a delight to be around, spinning cartwheels and always in a playful mood. She received another name when she became older…

The New Name

According to the Native American culture, as the kids get older, they’re supposed to get a new name. This name was supposed to reflect the personality traits that the child exhibits.

The New Name

Pocahontas’s new name was Matoka. The name, in her native language, meant ‘the flower between two streams.’ This was a reference to Pocahontas’s beauty, which was growing.

The Parents

The young girl’s parents were a woman named Pocahontas and a man called Wahunsenaca, who was a Chief Powhatan.

The Parents

The chief oversaw multiple other tribes and was the chief of approximately 25,000 people. He even had 30 low-level chiefs working under him. Although a lot is known about her father’s history books, only a few things are known about her mother.

The Powhatan Culture

In the Powhatan culture, the chief’s customary duty was to have multiple wives. Whenever a wife fell pregnant, she had to return to her original Powhatan tribe to wait out her pregnancy duration until giving birth. The child would only return to the chief when strong enough.

The Powhatan Culture

Post that, the child would live with her father and half-sibling while the mother got free reign to marry any other man. Pocahontas’s mother was never truly described post the birth of her daughter. The only thing known is that she was playful, just like her daughter.

Pocahontas Never Saved John Smith

According to John Smith’s adventure retellings, Pocahontas was responsible for saving his life, but that wasn’t the case. According to the English explorer, he was captured by a man called Opechancanough, who paraded him through every Powhatan village.

Pocahontas Never Saved John Smith

This showing ended at the village where Pocahontas’ father was the chief, where it was decided that Smith’s life was to be forfeited. But it was Pocahontas who stepped in and saved him. In reality, this is not what happened though.

Well Exaggerated Stories

When historians dove deep into the stories of John Smith, it turned out he had exaggerated quite a lot. His descriptions of New York were over the top, and people have outright dismissed his claim of having seen mermaids.

Well Exaggerated Stories

Similarly, historians have stated that the Native American Pocahontas had no real motivation to save John Smith, as she was only a child when this all happened. These stories have been deemed as a way for John Smith to sell more books.

The Mythical Relationship

Despite the famous love story between Pocahontas and John Smith, as told in the Disney movie, it’s not the true story. In reality, Pocahontas was only around 9 to 11 years old, while John Smith was 27.

The Mythical Relationship

Not only was the relationship not genuine, but John Smith was also no goody-goody either. His fictionalized goodness was a way for John to sell his books, but the truth was something else entirely.

The Truth About John

John Smith was not in any way romantically involved with Pocahontas. In fact, he was a terrorizing presence in the village. He’d often break into people’s houses and try to take all their supplies until he was eventually caught.

The Truth About John

But soon, the Powhatan tribe faced problems with attacks from the Spanish, and Pocahontas’ father and chief Wahunsenaca had to partner with Smith, making him the chief of whites.

A Skillful Lady

Like many other Powhatan girls, Pocahontas knew a lot of life skills. The girls were expected to take over the care of the house by the time they were 13. They knew how to plant vegetables, skin animals, and recognize different plants in the forest.

A Skillful Lady

Pocahontas probably knew how to build a house, cook fantastic meals, clean, raise children, and gather water. The women were responsible for almost everything except hunting and defending the village.

Permanently Inked

One thing that the 1995 Pocahontas movie got right was that she probably had ink on her body. In the film, the Disney princess had a single tattoo on her arm, but Pocahontas most probably had multiple tattoos all over her body in reality.

Permanently Inked

This is because the women of high ranks had face tattoos, and Pocahontas’ status as the chief’s daughter made her a high-ranking woman. Though none of the illustrations show her having any tattoos, so it’s also possible that she left her village without getting any ink.

The Coming-Of-Age Ceremony

Powhatan tradition stated that when they turned 14, females had a coming-of-age ceremony signifying their change from a girl to a woman. This included them also getting to choose a new name.

The Coming-Of-Age Ceremony

The young teen chose the name Pocahontas for herself, as she believed that the name truly suited her true self. Shortly afterward, she was wed to a man named Kocom.

The Husband

Kocom was a fellow tribe member and the brother of a chief of a nearby village named Japasaw. After the duo married, they moved to the village headed by Japasaw and were blessed with a baby girl. The village was situated near Jamestown, which housed many English settlers.

The Husband

Kucom also appeared in the Disney movie, albeit his character was portrayed as a severe and stoic man whom Pocahontas wasn’t interested in.

A Cultural Conflict

Amidst all this, the tension between the Powhatan tribe and the English settlers started to brew quite strongly. This all happened because of the liberties the English men took with the tribal women.

A Cultural Conflict

Tensions reached an all-time high during summer when the Powhatan women walked around bare to cool off. The English, unaccustomed to such sights, started taking advantage of the situation. Soon, the Powhatan women began pointing fingers at the culprits, and the men in the tribe were ready for revenge.

The Pawn

Pocahontas, who was busy living her life happily as a young mother, became an unwitting pawn in the feud. The English settlers knew the tribal men were ready to wage war on them for their crimes.

The Pawn

For safety, Captain Samuel Argall came up with the plan to kidnap Pocahontas. The young girl, who was weak after just giving birth, couldn’t defend herself well and was kidnapped as leverage.

A Bargain or Blackmail

The colonists of Jamestown made their retaliation technique clear to Chief Japasaw in case he attacked. Pocahontas’s life was to be forfeited if anybody tried to make the colonists pay for their crimes.

A Bargain or Blackmail

She might’ve been young, but she was no fool. Pocahontas knew what she had to do, and with grit and determination, she gave up her newborn daughter to the village ladies for safety. Soon, she was locked in the bottom of the Captain’s ship as a captive.

A Tragic End

Pocahontas’s brother-in-law believed that the kidnapping was only temporary and that she’d be released as soon as the issue settled. Chief Japasaw thought that honor would stop the settlers from harming a young mother. To keep Pocahontas from being harmed, he decided not to send any men to rescue her.

A Tragic End

But her husband Kocom was determined to rescue his wife but he was captured in his attempt. The young wife had to watch her husband’s tragic end right in front of her.

The Hostage Experience

Not only did Pocahontas have to watch her husband’s tragic end, but she also had to give up her child and was locked on a boat. The longer her imprisonment stretched, the more the poor girl became morose.

The Hostage Experience

Eventually, she stopped eating or responding to her kidnappers. Worried, the English brought in her sister to revive her and get her to eat again. They needed Pocahontas to eat as she was their bargaining chip.

An Experience to Forget

Pocahontas’s visit with her sister brought the truth about her horrible treatment to the forefront. She informed her sister of the assault she suffered at the hands of the men.

An Experience to Forget

The settlers had even led her to believe that her father and her tribe no longer loved her, which is why no rescue was underway. Her sister reassured Pocahontas that she was dearly loved and missed by everybody. She became pregnant again while still in captivity.

A Change in Religion

Pocahontas was made to give up her Native American identity and forced to change her name to Rebecca. The minister performing Pocahontas’s religious ceremony told her that she’d be much happier in England and encouraged her to go there.

A Change in Religion

Her conversion also relieved the English settlers as they believed she was not a civilized woman. Now, Pocahontas would be living by the same rules as every other white person at that time.

A Rescue, Finally!

Pocahontas’s father, tired of waiting, finally decided to take off on a rescue mission for his daughter in 1614. The rescue was challenging, with many soldiers passing away in the battle.

A Rescue, Finally!

After a lot of fighting, Pocahontas was allowed to speak to her father but what she said shook him to his core. According to the stories, the young girl refused to return with him and instead wanted to journey to England.

A Twist in the Tale

The fact that Pocahontas refused to go back home brought much shock to everybody, but historians have many explanations for this. First, she just wanted to get the settlers away from her friends and family and decided this was the best course.

A Twist in the Tale

It was also theorized that she suffered from Stockholm syndrome. Lastly, a theory suggests that she actually said nothing of the sort, but it’s just something that the story states.

The Trip to England

Pocahontas’s captivity provided the settlers of Jamestown with a measure of safety, but they still wanted to fix the issues with the Powhatan tribe. They had built excellent relations with the English as they were farming and sending the product to England.

The Trip to England

The people of England wanted peace and respect to be given to the natives, so a decision was made. Pocahontas, her new son Thomas, and her sister set sail to England with the settlers as proof of a great relationship with the tribe.

A Transformation

Since Pocahontas was brought to England as proof, she wasn’t kept as a captive anymore. The settlers wanted to present her to society, so they came up with specific changes to be made.

A Transformation

This included her learning English to be able to communicate. The intelligent girl picked up the new language in no time and could fluently converse with people in her new home.

The New Pocahontas

The English were quite surprised by Pocahontas. Having never met a Native American, they expected to meet an unkempt, non-sophisticated person, but what they saw was something else entirely.

The New Pocahontas

Pocahontas managed to surprise and impress the English with her actions. She was poised, well-dressed, and spoke the language correctly. The English accepted her, and she became the diplomat between the two highly different cultures.

A Second Marriage

Pocahontas married again, this time to an Englishman named John Rolfe, while her son became Thomas Rolfe. John publicly declared Thomas as his child, but the truth was that the young boy’s father was unknown.

A Second Marriage

Powhatan tradition asks for the bride’s father to give her away, but sadly Pocahontas couldn’t have that for her second marriage. However, soon after, her father sent her a pearl necklace as a wedding present.

Popular Society

Pocahontas’s introduction to English society was surprising and highly successful. On her first visit to the royal court, she was treated as a princess, given that she was the chief’s daughter.

Popular Society

With caramel-colored skin, dark hair, and a presence to behold, the beautiful young woman left everybody impressed. The people wanted to know more and more about the Native Americans, and Jamestown Colony became popular.

The Recounting of John Smith

Explorer John Smith’s recounting, and stories of Pocahontas made the public fall in love with her all the more. His reports led them to believe that Pocahontas was a natural-born diplomat and instrumental in the peace achieved with the Native Americans.

The Recounting of John Smith

Such was the height of her popularity that the English even made a collective stamp with her likeness.

The Return Journey

Pocahontas had done what the English wanted her to do. Thanks to her, there was peace between the two cultures, and she had become the symbol of that peace. Five years passed since the settlers first took Pocahontas, and the now 21-year-old was itching to revisit her family.

The Return Journey

Pocahontas begged her husband to allow her to see her family and loved ones, and soon she was ready to set sail back home to Virginia.

A Passing of Sorts

The ship set to take Pocahontas back home belonged to Captain Samuel Argall, the same man who kept her under lock and key. But sadly, the journey did not end the way Pocahontas probably imagined, and she had a tragic end onboard.

A Passing of Sorts

One night, while having dinner with the Captain and her husband, Pocahontas had some trouble during the meal. Soon after, the young 21-year-old breathed her last breath. The circumstances of her passing remained a mystery.

The Story Vs. the Truth

According to Rolfe and the Captain, Pocahontas passed away from consumption. However, it was pretty fishy how the 21-year-old suddenly passed away because it takes time for consumption to take over somebody’s body.

The Story Vs. the Truth

According to her sister and other people back home, she was completely fine when she set off for the journey hours ago. It was speculated that it was Rolfe and the Captain who poisoned her. Her fame had given her a shield that other Native Americans in England didn’t have.

No Returning to Her Land

After her passing, the people on the ship brought Pocahontas’s body to England instead of taking her back home and laying her to rest there. This was said to be because they wanted to keep up the illusion of her being a good English citizen and a model person.

No Returning to Her Land

Her family, however, was heartbroken at being unable to say goodbye to the young girl. Tragically, Pocahontas’s father passed away of heartbreak. The tribe asked for her body multiple times but was always denied and ignored.

A Tourist Attraction

Pocahontas’s gravesite is located in Gravesend, Kent, in England, and is a significant tourist attraction. It brings in a lot of money as tourists flocked to see the place. There’s even a statue that makes her easy for tourists to spot.

A Tourist Attraction

The hubbub to see her only increased when the Disney movie came out and the visitors to the gravesite increased tenfold.

The Truth Passed Down

For many centuries, the truth of Pocahontas was believed to be what the English had told. It was only reinforced by the available literature that romanticized everything about her story.

The Truth Passed Down

However, the Powhatan tribe ensured that the true story didn’t die out. For 400 years, her story was passed down from generation to generation in the tribe. Eventually, it was put in written text for people to know.

The Story of the Son

Once Pocahontas passed away, her son’s only remaining parent became John Rolfe. But the truth was that the true parentage had always been a big question, so John Rolfe decided to abandon the son.

The Story of the Son

When Thomas was only five years old, John Rolfe passed him on to his brother Henry Rolfe. John only cared about making money and hence continued his sail to Virginia.

A Battle for Support

Such was John’s disdain for his allegedly adopted son that he not only ignored him and handed him off, but he also refused to pay any child support. But John was in a bind…

A Battle for Support

To cover up all his crimes aboard the ship, he had to sign all the documents that stated he was Thomas’s biological father. Even his brother Henry, who was now taking care of Thomas, took him to court and demanded that his nephew receive the support John owed him.

A Legacy That Lived On

Thomas Rolfe’s entire life was shrouded with fame, but sadly it was never his own. His presence was eclipsed by the story of his mother which made him a known name.

A Legacy That Lived On

But fame didn’t afford him any freedom. The English, terrified of John moving to America and ruining the carefully constructed narrative, ensured that never set foot there. He was never allowed to visit what was his true home.

The Bequeath

Even though John was reluctant to share his wealth with his son, he had no option because Thomas was his sole heir for all intents and purposes. So after his passing, Thomas inherited everything that John owned, including some land in Virginia, the place of the Powhatan people.

The Bequeath

Pocahontas’s other child, Thomas’s half-sister, was being raised in the tribe and also got some land in the will. However, sadly for the siblings, the two never met.

A Life Eclipsed

Thomas’s entire existence was shadowed by his parents’ names and fame, which remains the case even today. Thomas’s grave marker reads ‘Son of Pocahontas’ and nothing more. There’s no description of him as a person.

A Life Eclipsed

Some of Pocahontas’s descendants did go on to become famous people. For example, one of them, named Wayne Newton, was a Las Vegas entertainer.

A Legacy that Lives On

Pocahontas’s legacy and name live on, not just among her tribe but worldwide. Her beauty and courage are legendary, inspiring many in her tribe.

A Legacy that Lives On

Even today, she’s remembered fondly, and her story has inspired multiple movies, books, and songs. Slowly, people are moving away from the fictionalized version and getting to know the real and true story behind the hero Pocahontas.

30 Household Items From the Roman Empire & How They Look Today

The Romans Were Surely Ahead of Their Time

It’s always a wonder to see how ancient civilizations made do with their daily lives as opposed to how it’s done in today’s world. They didn’t have the same type of creature comforts that are present today, but they did have the best of what was possible then. The Romans have always been good at doing their best with what they have, and it bettered their lives too during ancient times. Here are some everyday items used by the ancient Romans and how they differ from our version today.

Cutlery

Cutlery today comes in all shapes and sizes. From fancy china to simple plastic ones. Cutlery consists, of course, of spoons, forks, knives, etc. They’re used in almost every household and eatery you step in.

Cutlery

However, during the height of the Roman civilization, cutlery had a different look. Cutlery then was mostly made of brass. The Romans usually ate their meals with knives and spoons, with forks being introduced much later.

Combs

The Roman combs were two-sided objects with bristles on both sides. The delicate item was made out of ivory and had two different sets of teeth on each side, one with wider spaces than the other.

Combs

Today, we have combs that usually have teeth only on one side. There are a variety of combs available on the market, all dependent on your needs. Wide, fine-tooth, curling, whatever you need — there’s something for everybody.

Keys

The ancient Roman civilization was the first one to ever use keys similar to the one used in the modern era. The keys were mostly made of iron or bronze, sometimes even wood or ivory. The keys were all made manually, therefore, a locksmith had to be someone with great engineering knowledge.

Keys

Today, keys are usually made by machines and in bulk. Not only are they made a dime a dozen, but getting key copies is also extremely easy. Nowadays, they’re made of many common metals like brass, nickel, and steel.

Leather Shoes

The modern era’s leather shoes are a very popular choice of footwear amongst people. They’re available in real leather as well as faux leather. Depending on their make and model, they can be used for hiking, walking, and, of course, as formal wear.

Leather Shoes

In the Roman era, shoes were a lot less common, with most people wearing sandals. The sandals had leather soles attached to the bottom of the feet. They had laces that could be tied above the ankle. The Romans removed their shoes before reclining or feasting.

Kitchen Stoves

The Roman kitchen, which was called culina, was a study in olden inventions. They had a clay oven built in, with a type of burner on top. These stoves could only be heated using charcoal.

Kitchen Stoves

The modern kitchen, on the other hand, is a technological marvel. Stoves are either gas or electrical. Those easy-to-use, hassle-free stoves have made cooking anything much easier than it was in the olden days.

Soaps

Nobody can argue that soaps make our lives much easier. Today we have a variety of soaps in all sorts of scents and textures, and most importantly, we have body washes that make it all the better.

Soap

In Ancient Rome, soaps weren’t yet invented, but people did have a cleaning agent for their bodies. It was olive oil! People during those times put the oil on their bodies, and used a metal scraper to get any excess off. Not the easiest way to clean up, for sure.

Drinking Glassware

Roman glasses have found a place in history as some of the best-made glassware in the world. Today, they’re collector’s items worth a pretty penny. One of the most common techniques used to make glasses during that era was the “sagging glass” technique.

Drinking Glassware

This technique relies on gravity to create those unique round shapes. Today, most glasses used for drinking purposes are made in bulk by machines. They also come in a variety of materials like glass, copper, and ceramic.

Board Games

Board games in today’s day and age have no limit on what they can be. They use a variety of materials and props to be played. Board games today are designed with special attention to detail, even for something as small as dice.

Board Games

In the Roman era, board games were a much simpler concept. A slab of wood was usually used to make the board, while the pieces were made of precious stones or ivory.

Pots and Pans

Another everyday kitchen item used during Roman times was pots and pans. It was mostly made of terracotta or brass. The Romans were one of the first people to use pots and pans for cooking, even spearheading the process of frying fish in oil in a pan.

Pots and Pans

Today, pots and pans are used extensively in the kitchen. Pans come in a variety of styles — even non-stick ones so none of the food remains stuck on them, which the Romans would have probably loved to have.

Storage Containers

When we think of containers, we think of something that is fit for all sizes. Whether you have to carry some salt and sugar, or you want to carry an entire meal, you have a container for everything. They’re usually made from materials that are easy to heat in the microwave or store in the fridge.

Storage Containers

In the Roman era, storage containers were much bigger in size than your average Tupperware container. They were made with ceramic and were mostly used by farmers and merchants to store large quantities of goods such as grains and rice.

Cosmetic Mirrors

When we talk about antique mirrors, we usually imagine delicate oval-shaped mirrors with silver handles. But in reality, mirrors in the Roman Empire were actually made from silver, tin, or bronze which was polished to reflect light.

Cosmetic Mirrors

These days, mirrors are used on a variety of surfaces. There are travel mirrors, mirrors in makeup kits, and mirrors on your walls. One of the most trending styles currently is statement mirrors which are used extensively as decor items.

Clocks

Before the modern clocks were invented, humans used the sun as a way to track time. The way the shadow of the sun was pointing indicated what time it was. A stone slab cut in the shape of a clock was put up in places for people to track time.

Clocks

Nowadays, watches and clocks have become extremely advanced. You can have digital clocks or analog clocks. You can also opt for smart watches which sync up to your phone and perform all types of technological miracles.

Jewelry Sets

Just like it is in today’s time, the jewelry used during the Roman Era was used for two purposes — to add to the beauty of the wearer and to communicate the message of social status and wealth. It was usually made of precious stones.

Jewelry Sets

Jewelry today doesn’t only use precious stones. Even though big diamonds are still a symbol of wealth, everyday economical jewelry made out of plastic or cheap metals ans is more for styling purposes, is used extensively.

Shovels

The shovels used in Ancient Rome were called Batillium. These iron shovels had short handles and were used for multiple purposes like a chafing dish or for burning incense. They were popular during the Roman era.

Shovels

These days, shovels are usually designed to be easy and comfortable to hold and use. There are a variety of unique designs for different uses, such as edging, trenching, or tree-planting. Gardening has become such a widespread hobby that shovels now come in all shapes and sizes.

Musical Instruments

During the Roman era, commonly used instruments include the lure, the lute, and the Cithara. Music for the Romans wasn’t as popular as with the Greeks, but children and women were expected to know how to play at least some instruments.

Musical Instruments

Today, music is a major part of the world and is a booming industry within itself. The popular instruments of today include guitar, piano, violin, and drums amongst others. They come from the most basic version to as advanced as possible.

Newspapers

The first traces of newspapers in Roman history were daily official notices called Acta Diurna. These daily gazettes were carved on stones or metals and put up on message boards in public places. Since they relayed daily official notices, they’re the closest form of newspaper present in the Roman era.

Newspapers

Newspapers today can refer to the digital version or the paper version. Every region has not one newspaper specific to them but multiple.

Pens

Pens in the Roman era were used to write on items like papyrus, leaves, or wax tablets. The writing tools were made of metal or reeds. These little sticks were dipped in black ink. The ink was made of ingredients such as soot.

Pens

Pens in today’s age are much more modernized and mess-free to use. The dip-and-write has been replaced by a mechanism that lets you fill the ink to get that perfect calligraphic flow. There are also ready-to-use pens that are the preferred method for most people.

Paper

Paper today isn’t just a source of writing, it also has become a very important mode of communication. From posts to newspapers, everything was possible thanks to paper. Paper today is made from a large number of ingredients and is available very easily.

Paper

The Ancient Romans, on the other hand, used two types of items that qualify as paper. The first was based on papyrus, a plant that grew on the river Nile. The second type of paper was used with sheepskin. The Romans had books that helped preserve their history, but those were not readily available to most people.

Balls

Balls are a very important part of fun and games for children and adults alike, so it’s no surprise that they were also present in the Roman era. The balls in Ancient Rome were made of leather stuffed with horsehair and were in widespread use.

Balls

Today, these toys are made of different materials like leather and rubber. One of the most important and common denominators in both eras, modern and Roman, is that playing catch is one of the most popular and easy games to enjoy with a ball.

Perfumes

Vanity is a driving force behind many inventions, and perfume is one of them. In Roman times, these scented liquids were made using oil and fatty parts. For the more precious oils, olive oil and grape juice were the preferred choices.

Perfumes

Today, perfumes are made of ethanol or a mix of water and ethanol, and can be found in a variety of scents. Perfumes today are an everyday item, and can vary in cost from cheap knock-offs to expensive designs, depending on the brand.

Skin Creams

It turns out that when it came to skincare, ancient humans were nothing if not creative and resourceful. To make their skin softer, the Roman civilization used creams made of wheat flour and donkey’s milk. Even crushed snails were a type of cream.

Skin Creams

Thankfully, we moved ahead of using such raw ingredients (though snail mucin is still a popular ingredient in certain creams). You get everything from aloe vera to rose, water-based to milk-based, all in an effort to keep our skin moisturized and glowing.

Blushes/Lipsticks

Another important component of a woman’s cosmetic kit are blushes and lipsticks. These items are used to highlight one’s cheeks and lip color, to make them appear brighter and fuller.

Blushes/Lipsticks

Today, you can get lipsticks and blushes in a range of shades and kinds, like liquid and powder. However, for the early Romans, it wasn’t so easy. These olden people used red ochre to add color to their faces to make their cheeks rosy and their lips red.

Pillows

Pillows are a necessary need in life for most people, as it gives one a place to rest their head and get a good night’s sleep. Today, you can get a pillow based on your choice of softness, hardness, and thickness. Pillows are usually filled with feathers, down, synthetic materials, or a combination of those.

Pillows

Ancient Romans also had pillows during their time, but they were slightly different than today’s version. These pillows were stuffed with cotton, reed, or straw. Not the most comfortable option, but any pillow is better than no pillow.

Fishing Equipment

There are many ways one can fish — with a pole, with a net, some even like to get creative and use their hands. But, have you heard of people fishing with a three-pronged spear? Because it seems like that was the preferred method of the Ancient Romans.

Fishing Equipment

Also known as tridents, these tools were used by fishermen and sailors to catch fish, which they later sold in markets to make some money or ate themselves.

Chairs

Chairs are a commonplace item now, found in a variety of sizes, and in every country in the world, they are an essential part of most households. Today, they’re made of wood or metal, and have a flat top that is cushioned for more support.

Chairs

However, back in the Roman Civilisation, such chairs hadn’t yet been invented. What was used instead were curule seats, which were basically stools with a curved top.

Bags

The Romans were the first people to use cross-body bags (we do have a lot to thank them for). The bags, which were basically satchels known as Loculus, were carried by people as part of their luggage while traveling. Most likely, this bag was made of leather.

Bags

Today, cross-body bags are a very popular choice among women and men alike. They are no longer limited to being a satchel, instead, they are flourishing in all shapes, sizes, and colors.

Oil Lamps

Oil lamps aren’t something that is in widespread use today as electricity has made lighting every nook and cranny very easy. But, in remote places where there is no electricity, the oil lamps used are usually made of glass.

Oil Lamps

Back in the ancient days, before electricity was invented, oil lamps were an everyday item. The lamp itself was made with pottery, and only had one wick for lighting. It was the most popular airitical light source used during the time.

Bells

In ancient times, bells were used for many purposes, like calling out to people or signaling the time. And they looked exactly like you would expect an ancient bell to look like. The bells were made of bronze and were cylindrical in shape.

Bells

The most common bells used today are the doorbell, which is used to signal somebody at the door, and the school bell, signaling the end of class. They are, more often than not, electrical.

Hair Pins

The Roman women had elaborate hairstyles that they created, in part, thanks to hairpins. The Roman hairpin was also called a bone pin. They were made from everything from bone and ivory, to silver and bronze. One of the bone pins found during excavation had been 12 cm long.

Hair Pin

Today, hair pins are much more versatile in their nature, but the most commonly used ones are made of metal and are black in nature.

Umbrellas

Though umbrellas technically weren’t invented until modern times, the ancient Romans had a close enough item called umbraculum. These things were made of leather and were used by women to protect themselves from the sun. These were most often used by people from higher social standing.

Umbrellas

Umbrellas today are used to keep people safe from the sun, but their main purpose is to provide shelter from the rain. Umbrellas are also a style statement that complete many outfits.