Who built one of the first Theatres? King Minos built a theatre in his palace at Knossos in Crete. It was a very simple stone paved arena with tiers of steps on both sides which were used as benches. Here Minos would sit, with his court around him and watch dancing or receive foreign envoys or the tribute of his subjects. After the palace of Knossos was destroyed for the third...

What became of the Celts? The Celts in Gaul settled down happily under Roman rule and in Britain, after some resistance, the native Celtic inhabitants were ready to accept the benefits of Roman civilisation. After nearly 400 years of peace, the Romans withdrew from Britain in the early part of the fifth century. Very soon, in the face of invasions by Angles, Saxons and Jutes, from Germany and Denmark, the Celtic...

What do we know about Celtic society and culture? The Celts were a high-spirited people, proud of their fighting qualities, and fond of feasting and drinking. Each tribe was ruled by a king supported by a warrior aristocracy and they would have made far more formidable foes if they had not quarrelled among themselves so much. Their priests, known as Druids, had great influence and practised human sacrifice. The Celts lived...

Who were the Celts? The Celts were a barbarian people speaking an Indo-European language who had established their homeland in a large area of central Europe during the first millennium, or thou-sand years, before Christ. We know little about their early history, although their skill in the use of iron made their influence wide-spread. About 500 BC they began to expand south-wards into Italy and Greece, westwards into Spain and France,...

Why do Giraffes have long necks? Giraffes have long necks so that they can reach the tops of trees and feed on the leaves which grow there. As other animals (which do not have such long necks) feed on the lower parts of the tree, this means that giraffes do not have to compete for the same source of food, and thus there is plenty of food for all. This is...

How do Sloths move about? Sloths are strange, hairy mammals which live in central and South America. Almost the whole of their lives is spent hanging upside down on branches. The hair on their bodies grows from the belly over the sides of the body, and is often tinged with green because of the algae which grows in it. Sloths are very slow-moving creatures but they are very well adapted to...

Which is the Strongest Ape? The strongest, and biggest ape is the gorilla. Adult male gorillas may weigh more than a quarter of a tonne. Gorillas live in the forests of Africa, feeding on the fruit and shoots of trees. If a gorilla wishes to eat the shoot on the branch of a tree, it simply reaches up to the branch it wants, and with its powerful arms pulls the shoot...

Where do Marsupials live? Marsupial mammals are not nearly as wide-spread today as the other mammals — the placental mammals. Marsupials are mostly confined to the continent of Australasia, although a few are also to be found in South America. No one really knows exactly why marsupials are only found in these places, but it seems likely that the parts of the world they are found in became isolated from the...