First published in 2008 by Orpheus Books Ltd., 6 Church Green, Witney, Oxfordshire, OX28 4AW, England

Copyright ©2008 Orpheus Books Ltd.

CCrreeaatteedd aanndd pprroodduucceedd bbyyRachel Coombs, Nicholas Harris, Sarah Hartley,

Elizabeth Havercroft and Erica Simms, Orpheus Books Ltd.

TTeexxtt Olivia Brookes

IIlllluussttrraatteedd bbyy Mark Stacey

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means,

electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the copyright owner.

ISBN XXXXXXXXXX

A CIP record for this book is available from the British Library.

Printed and bound in China

Orpheus

BIFAB History 1/8/08 11:42 AM Page 2

Contents4 5Introduction

5 Introduction

6 Dinosaurs

8 About dinosaurs

10 Stone Age

12 About the Stone Age

14 Ancient Egypt

16 Ancient Greece

18 Ancient Rome

20 The Great Wall of China

22 Castle

24 About castles

26 American Indians

28 Pirates

30 Index

IN THIS ENCYCLOPEDIA, you will find out about what life was likein different parts of the world many years ago. You can still see

some very ancient things: for example, the pyramids, Roman roads orcastle ruins. Even the bones of dinosaurs have lasted to this day!

There are lots ofthings to see in themain illustrationthat accompanieseach subject

Each subject ispresented withan introductorytext to explainwhat it is about.

If you look very carefully, you willfind a tiny dragonfly in each ofthe main illustrations in thisbook. Turn to page 31 to find outwhere they are hidden.

Most (but not all) ofthe items picturedcan be foundsomewhere in themain illustration.

The text thataccompanies eachitem explains what it is and provides moreinformation about it.

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Dinosaurs6 7D I N O S A U R S

DINOSAURS were kinds of reptiles thatlived hundreds of millions of years ago.

Some grazed peacefully on plants whileothers, armed with sharp teeth and claws,were savage hunters. Some dinosaurs weremassive, slow-moving beasts the size ofbuses. Others were tiny, swift and agile, nolarger than cats.

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VelociraptorThis flesh-eatingdinosaur wasmuch smaller thanT. rex. But it was noless vicious when itattacked its prey.

Huntings in packs, Velociraptor used itscurved, razor-sharp foot-claw to stab itsvictim. Tough hide was no protection.

About dinosaurs8 9A B O U T D I N O S A U R S

Tyrannosaurus Tyrannosaurusrex was was one ofthe largest and fiercestof all the flesh-eatingdinosaurs. It was sobig that, if it were alivetoday, you could standup inside its mouth! Ithad sharp, saw-edgedteeth and could runfast in short bursts.

ArchaeopteryxThe very first birds livedat the same time of thedinosaurs. Apart fromtheir wings and feathers,they looked quite similar totiny, flesh-eating dinosaurs. Archaeopteryx wasa prehistoric bird. Unlike birds today, it hadteeth in its beak and claws on its wings.

AnkylosaurusThis dinosaur was covered in slabs of bonyarmour. Studs and spikes stood out as extraprotection. If attacked, it would swing itsclub-like tail against its enemy’s body.

DiplodocusDiplodocus was one of the longest animalsthat ever walked on land. It was nearly as longas a football pitch is wide! A gentle plant-eater,

PteranodonWhile dinosaurs stalked theland, flying reptiles, known aspterosaurs, flew in the skies.Pteranodon was a largepterosaur. Its wingspan was aswide as a truck is long. It fedon fish, swooping down tosnatch them from the sea.

StegosaurusStegosaurus was a plant-eating dinosaur. It had rows of giantbony plates running along its back. At the tip of its tail, therewere sharp spikes. Stegosaurus probably used the spikes todefend itself. Nobody knows what the plates were for.

PlesiosaurusPlesiosaurus was not a dinosaur, but a marine reptilethat lived in the sea at the same time as the dinosaurs.Its long, snaky neck helped it to catch fish in its jaws.

BrachiosaurusBrachiosaurus was one of thetallest and heaviest of thedinosaurs. A plant-eater, it used itstowering long neck to feed onleaves that grow on the highestbranches. (This is what giraffes dotoday.) It was so tall that, if it werealive now, it could peer into thefourth-floor window of a building.

TriceratopsThe name of thisdinosaur means “three-horned face”. Can yousee why? It used itshorns and large, bonyneck “frill” to protect itfrom attack by its greatenemy, Tyrannosaurus rex.

most of its length was made up of its longneck and tail. It could reach high up intothe trees or deep into thickets to eat leaves.

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10 11S T O N E A G E

THOUSANDS of years ago, people didnot live in comfortable houses. There

were no shops or cars. Instead, people livedin caves and hunted animals for food. Theytravelled from place to place by walking.This was a time called the Stone Age.

Stone Age

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12 13A B O U T T H E S T O N E A G E

FireTo make fire during theStone Age, people hadto rub sharp stones,called flint, against oneanother They used tinder(a fine, dry material, likegrass or fungus) tocatch the sparks created.

Bone necklaceAs well as tools and weapons, Stone Agepeople made ornaments. They carved smallpieces of bone to make this necklace. Pebbles,shells, deer antlers or mammoth tusks couldall be made into jewellery.

Cave paintingPeople in the Stone Age sometimes paintedpictures on the walls of caves. Many paintingsshowed scenes of hunting because this was sucha large part of their lives. The paintings may havebeen made before each hunt to give the huntersgood luck. The paint was made from water oranimal fat, mixed with sand to produce differentcolours. The artists made brushes from wood orbone and animal hair. Sometimes people wouldmake a stencil of their hands by blowing paint onthem against the cave walls.

TentSome Stone Age people lived in tents like this one. Theywere built using large mammoth tusks held up by largebones. People stretched animal skins over the top to keepout the cold weather.They built severaltents in a circlearound a fire.Sticks orantlers werealso usedfor tent frames.

Flint axeA flint axe was a very useful tool,used for sharpening sticks, slicingmeat and other tasks. It would fitinto the palm of the hand, with asharp edge along one side.

MammothA mammoth looked like a modernelephant, but it was covered withthick fur to keep it warm in the wintryclimate. Its tusks were very long andcurved. It took a lot of patience andskill for Stone Age hunters to bringdown a mammoth, but it was worththe effort. One animal could feed agroup for many weeks, as well asprovide clothing and shelter.

HunterStone Age men had to huntfor food to survive. Theyhunted in groups. Whenstalking deer, some hunterswould separate the weakeranimals from the rest. Thenthey drove them towardsthe other men in the groupwho were waiting, ready tospear their prey.

TorchStone Age people

used torches offire to scare preyduring hunts.They also

helped protectthe camp fromdangerous animals.

About the Stone Age

SkinsAnimal skins were used to make clothes,boots and tents. The skins were cleaned thenpegged out and left to dry in the sun.

SpearStone Age people usedspears to hunt all kinds ofanimals, from enormousmammoths to tinyrabbits—and even fish.Men made spears fromwooden sticks to whichthey fastened sharpenedflint points at one end.

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YEARS ago, a greatkingdom grew up on

the banks of the River Nilein Africa. This land wascalled ancient Egypt. Thepeople who lived therebuilt great monuments fortheir rulers and for thegods they worshipped.

Ancient Egypt14

PharaohThe king of ancient Egyptwas called a pharaoh. Tothe Egyptians, he was like agod. With many servants tolook after him, he lived avery comfortable life. Whenhe died, his body wasburied in a tomb. TheEgyptians believed hewould come to life again.

HieroglyphsThe ancientEgyptians wrotewords using manydifferent picturesinstead of letters.These pictures werecalled hieroglyphs.

PyramidThe pyramids were huge stone tombs built forthe pharaohs who had died. It took thousandsof men many years to build each one. Apyramid had four sloping sides, shaped liketriangles, that met at a point. The tip of somepyramids were painted gold.

SphinxA huge stone statue, called the Great Sphinx,was built on the banks of the River Nile inancient Egyptian times. It had the body of alion and the head of a pharaoh.

MummyA pharaoh would only come to life againafter his death if his body did not decay. Tostop this from happening, his servantsturned his body into a mummy. All thepharaoh’s insides were carefully removedand replaced by sand. After it had beendried, the body was wrapped in bandagesand placed in a gold coffin. Some pharaohmummies have survived up to this day.

15A N C I E N T E G Y P T

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Ancient Greece16 17A N C I E N T G R E E C E

THOUSANDS of years ago, in ancientGreece, there were many great cities.

Ancient Greece was full of beautiful buildingsand sculptures. Ordinary people who lived inGreece held public meetings and could votefor their leaders, just as we do today.

VaseAncient Greece wasfamous for its pottery.Vases like this wereused to contain oils.They were decoratedwith scenes fromfamous battles andstories of great heroes.

Olympic GamesThe Olympic Gameswere first held inancient Greece. Thegames took place everyfour years at Olympia.Each competitor tookpart in as many astwenty events, includingboxing, chariot racingand discus throwing.

TriremeA trireme was a type of warship used by theancient Greeks. There was room for over onehundred men to row, making it very fast andagile—particularly good in battle.

GodsThe ancient Greeksworshipped hundredsof different gods andgoddesses. Zeus, whocontrolled the sky andthunder, was the mostpowerful and ruledover the other gods.

AmphitheatreThe Greeks built outdoor theatres in everylarge city. Ordinary people came to watchactors perform plays. Only a few actorsappeared on the stage at once. They woremasks so that the audience could see theirfaces from a distance. A group of actors calledthe chorus also stood on stage and spoketogether to describe the action.

TempleThe Greeks builttemples as grandmonuments totheir gods. Eachcity had its own templededicated to its own god or goddess.

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19A N C I E N T R O M EAncient Rome18

ROME was founded by a smallgroup of settlers in Italy.

It grew up to become a very powerful city. Yearslater, Rome ruled a vast empire that stretchedacross Europe from Britain to the Middle East.

LegionariesLegionaries wereRoman foot soldiers. A legion was a divisionof several thousandmen. Each legion wasdivided into units ofbetween 80 and 100men. In charge of eachunit was a centurion,pictured here leadinghis men.

ArenaAn arena was a large, round stadium. Peoplecame here to watch gladiator fights.Gladiators were slaves or criminals who wereforced to fight one another or animals.

SlaveSlaves were bought at marketsto work for their masters.Sometimes slaves were freedif they served their masterswell. The unlucky ones werecruelly beaten.

AqueductTo the Romans, a supply of fresh water wasvery important. They built channels, calledaqueducts, that carried clean water from riversto towns. When an aqueduct was built acrossa valley, the aqueduct was supported by aseries of arches.

ArchThe Romans builtarches like this tocelebrate triumphin war. They werepositioned nearthe entrance tothe city sovisitors could seethem easily.

TogaMany Roman men wore apiece of cloth, known as atoga, wrapped around theirbodies. A toga could be upto six metres long. Differenttypes and colours of togawere worn by men ofdifferent rank.

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Great Wall of China20 21G R E A T W A L L O F C H I N A

QIN SHI HUANGwas the first Emperor of

China. He decided to build aGreat Wall to protect his countryfrom invaders to the north. Ittook several hundred years tobuild the Great Wall. It stretchesfor thousands of kilometres.

CharactersChinese people write inpictures calledcharacters. Eachcharacter represents aword or part of a word.Chinese characters oftenhave more than onemeaning.

JunkJunks were sturdy ships capable of sailingacross oceans. Junks had square sails. They were the firstkind of shipsto have arudder fixedat the rear,makingsteeringmucheasier.

EmperorQin made himself thefirst Emperor ofChina. This title waspassed down throughthe family (known asa dynasty). But if anEmperor treated hispeople badly, anotherEmperor would thenbe chosen.

ChopsticksChopsticks are simplytwo tapered sticks,made from materialssuch as wood, bambooor silver. If chopsticksare held in the correctway, it is easy to pickup rice, the basic foodof China.

SilkSilk fibres come from the cocoonof a silkworm (a kind of caterpillar).They are woven into a soft fabric.

ChariotA chariot is a two-wheeled, horse-drawn vehicle. Chariotswere used in battle or to travel long distances.

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23C A S T L ECastle22

ACASTLE was a large, stone buildingwith thick walls and battlements. It

was a home for a king or a lord. Hewould live there with his family, hisservants and his guards. Many castleswere built hundreds of years ago, at atime called the Middle Ages.

Castles were often built on hilltops.This made them easier to defend. Theouter wall was often surrounded by aditch filled with water, called a moat. The drawbridge across the moat could be pulled up if the castle was attacked.

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25A B O U T C A S T L E SAbout castles24

DungeonA dungeon was a room in the castle, oftenbelow ground, where prisoners were lockedup. Some prisoners were left to starve, whileothers were tortured in order to force themto reveal information about the enemy.

BanquetThe lord of the castle would often holdbanquets in the Great Hall. The hall was thelargest room in the Castle and was coveredwith beautiful tapestries to impress visitors.The lord and his most important guestswould sit along the high table and have manydifferent courses of food and drink.

Spinning wheelBefore machines did allthe work, all cloth had tobe made by hand.Women worked spinningwheels like this to turnraw wool or cotton intolong strands. This couldthen be woven into cloth.

JesterJesters were employedby lords to entertainthem and theirimportant visitors.They would tell jokes,juggle and generallyact the fool! They worebrightly colouredclothes and funny hatswith bells on.

KnightKnights were trained to fightfor their lords. To protectthemselves in battle, theywore chainmail, tiny rings ofmetal linked together, withthick armour plates on top.

SwordA knight’s sword was a veryvaluable weapon. Swordswere made of steel and theirblades were very sharp. Theywere kept in holders calledsheaths to avoid accidents.

JoustingGreat tournaments were often held atcastles. Knights would fight againsteach other to see who was the bravest.The most important event was thejoust. Knights would charge towardseach other on horseback, trying toknock the other from his horse. Thiswas a very dangerous sport.Tournaments also included eventssuch as archery and hunting.

BlacksmithBlacksmiths were skilled metal-workers. They made andrepaired tools and shoedhorses. They would heat themetal until it glowed red hotand then hammer it into shape.

PortcullisCastles had heavy iron orwooden gates at theirentrances called portcullises.These were lowered in theevent of an attack.

DrawbridgeA drawbridge was a simple wooden bridgethat allowed castle visitors tocross the moat into thecastle. If the castle wasthreatened, thedrawbridge wasraised. The guardsquickly winched upthe chains fromabove the archway.

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American IndiansChiefThe chief of the tribe was agreat warrior who led hismen into battle againstother tribes. He wore alarge headdress made outof eagle feathers Theheaddress was a sign ofgreat bravery.

THE AMERICAN INDIANS lived in North Americabefore white people came to settle there. Some Indian

tribes lived on the Plains, a vast area of grassland in theWest. They hunted buffalo and lived in camps.

BuffaloBuffalo are large, hornedanimals. Years ago, theygrazed on the Plains of NorthAmerica in vast herds. TheIndians hunted them for foodand for their skins.

TeepeeA teepee was a large tentshaped like a cone. It wasmade of buffalo hideshung on long, woodenpoles. Inside, there werewarm hides on the floorand a fire burning.Sometimes, one of theelders of the tribe wouldtell stories to the childrenabout what life was likelong ago.

CowboysCowboys were men whoherded cattle. They drove thecattle from their pastures tothe towns.

WarriorWarriors were men who

fought for their tribe orpeople. Indian warriorswere skilful riders.They used guns as wellas bows and arrows forweapons. They wore

warpaint to makethemselves look fiercer.

26 27A M E R I C A N I N D I A N S

Bow and arrow The Indians huntedanimals using a bowand arrow. The arrowhad a sharp point atone end and feathers atthe other. The feathershelped to make thearrow fly straight.

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Jolly RogerWhen pirates saw aship they would put

up a friendly flag toensure it would

welcome an approach.At the last minute they raised the Jolly Roger,the pirate flag, intending to terrify their victimsinto surrender. The Jolly Roger was usually askull and crossbones (or cross swords).

Pirates28 29P I R A T E S

SINCE people first began tosail ships, there have been

pirates. Pirates weremen who tried tocapture other ships at seaand steal their cargoes. Theycould be hanged for their crimes.

TreasurePirates hoped to find chests of gold anddiamonds on the ships they captured. Whenthey did, they shared it equally between them.If the ships did not carry anything of value, thepirates robbed the passengers instead.

CannonPirates used large gunscalled cannons to attackenemy ships fromdistance.Cannons wereloaded withgunpowder andsolid ironcannonballs. When the fuse was lit, a cannonball was blasted out.

CutlassPirates usually fought withcutlasses. These curvedswords were quite short,so did not get caughtin the rigging.Pirates also foughtwith axes andpistols.

GalleonGalleons were very large sailing ships withseveral decks. They were used both aswarships and cargo ships to carry treasureback to Spain from the Americas. Because oftheir huge size, galleons were slow anddifficult to steer. This made them a goodtarget for pirates. The galleon’s only means ofdefence were its cannons. It took a crew ofmore than 200 to man all its guns.

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Index30 31Did you find them?

The red circlesshow exactly wherethe dragonfly can be

found on each of the mainillustrations in this book.

pages 6-7

pages 14-15

pages 18-19

pages 22-23

pages 28-29

pages 10-11

pages 16-17

pages 20-21

pages 26-27

Aactors 17American Indians

26-27amphitheatre 17Ankylosaurus 8aqueduct 19arch 19Archaeopteryx 8arena 19armour 24

Bbanquet 25battle 17, 19, 24, 26battlements 22birds 8blacksmith 24bone necklace 12bow and arrow 27Brachiosaurus 9buffalo 26, 27

Ccannon 29castle 22-25cave painting 12centurion 21chainmail 24chariot 21chief 27China 20-21Chinese characters

21

chopsticks 21cloth 25cowboys 27cutlass 29

DEFdinosaurs 6-9Diplodocus 8drawbridge 22, 25dungeon 25Egypt, ancient 14-15Emperor 20, 21fire 12flint 12, 13flint axe 13

GHgalleon 29gladiators 19gods 14, 15, 17gold 15, 29Great Hall 25Great Wall of China

20-21Greece, ancient

16-17guns 29headdress 27hieroglyphs 15hunter 13

IJKLIndians 26, 27jester 25

Jolly Roger 29jousting 24junk 21king 15, 22knight 24legionaries 19

MNOmammoth 12, 13metalworkers 24Middle Ages 22moat 22, 25mummy 15Nile, River 14, 15North America 26, 27Olympic Games 17

Ppaintings 12pharaoh 15pirates 28-29Plains 26Plesiosaurus 9portcullis 24prisoners 25Pteranodon 9pterosaurs 8pyramid 15

QRQin dynasty 21reptiles 6, 9Romans 19Rome, ancient 18-19

Sships 17, 21, 28, 29silk 21skins 12skull and

crossbones 29slave 19soldiers 19spear 13sphinx 15spinning wheel 25Stone Age 10-13sword 24, 29

Tteepee 27temple 17tent 13, 27toga 19tomb 15torch 12tournament 24 treasure 29Triceratops 9trireme 17Tyrannosaurus rex

8, 9

VWZvase 16Velociraptor 8warrior 27writing 15, 21Zeus 17

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