Who were the Phoenicians?
Although their empire was not huge, the Phoenicians had a great influence on life around the Mediterranean. They were skilled seafarers, and were also merchants and even raiders at times.
The Phoenicians lived in the eastern Mediterranean, in what are now parts of modern Israel, Lebanon and Syria. The name ‘Phoenician’ comes from a purple dye that they produced from a sea snail, which was in great demand. The Phoenicians traded all along the Mediterranean coast, down the Atlantic coast of Africa, and as far north as Britain where they traded for tin.
Who made the terracotta warriors?
In China the powerful Qin dynasty came to power in the 3rd century BC. They swiftly conquered their neighbours to make a large empire covering most of modern China. The Qin emperor Shi Huangdi standardized weights and measures and introduced a single form of currency. He is best remembered for his construction of the Great Wall of China, which stretches for 2,250 km across the north of China. It was built to prevent raids from nomadic people in the north. When the emperor died, a huge tomb was built to hold his body. It was filled with a guardian army of thousands of life-sized terracotta (pottery) warriors. After the emperor’s death the Qin Empire broke up into a series of smaller states.
What were the Olympic Games?
The Olympic Games started as one of the religious festivals held in ancient Greece in honour of Zeus, the leader of the gods. The festival was held at Olympia, home of the gods, every four years.
The first games probably began around 1200BC, but the organized Olympic Games, which featured sports such as running and wrestling, began in 776BC. The games continued until AD393 when the ruling Romans banned them. They were revived during the 1800s after archaeological finds renewed interest in Greece. The first of the modern Olympic Games were held in 1896 in Athens, Greece.
The modern Olympic games are split into winter and summer events. Since 1994, the Winter and Summer Games have been divided and scheduled on four year cycles, two years apart.
Pictures Credit: Google