Ancient bags carried flint, tools and coins, and the modern handbag grew out of 1840s travel

arts, ideas & societyWikipediaancient times

Ancient bags carried flint, tools and coins, and the modern handbag grew out of 1840s travel

the gist

Handbags are far older than fashion. Bags were carried in ancient times for flint, tools, weapons and coins, and a handbag was found with Ötzi the Iceman, who lived around 3350 to 3105 BC. The word purse comes from the Greek byrsa, a leather or linen pouch for coins. Men carried purses too until the late 1700s, when European fashion moved to slim silhouettes and women's reticules replaced bulky bags. The modern handbag came out of the Industrial Revolution: in 1841 a Doncaster confectionery entrepreneur, Samuel Parkinson, asked for a proper travel bag for his wife, and the London firm H. J. Cave made the first set of luxury handbags, including a clutch and a tote.

how it works

Bags are a simple answer to carrying more than hands can hold. Once coins circulated, people needed a small secure container, which led to drawstring purses hung from belts. Rail travel in the 1800s meant people carried more personal items over longer journeys, so bags had to be sturdy as well as stylish.

so what

The handbag shows how everyday objects track changes in society, since money, clothing shape and travel each reshaped what people carried. Early bags were status symbols too: the Anglo-Saxon purse found at Sutton Hoo held forty gold coins and sat inside a lavish set of gold-fitted possessions.

fun fact

The Scottish sporran, a pouch worn at the front of Highland dress, is a survival of the old custom of men carrying purses.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia · text CC BY-SA 4.0

Image: Wikimedia Commons

source: Wikipedia ↗

historyWikipediaclassic1336–1565 · Karnataka, India

Hampi was once one of the world's largest cities, until its Vijayanagara capital was destroyed in 1565

the gist

Hampi is a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Karnataka, India, with more than 1,600 surviving remains spread over 4,100 hectares. It was the capital of the Vijayanagara Empire from 1336 to 1565. Travellers from Persia and Portugal described it as a prosperous, wealthy and grand city with temples, markets and farms along the Tungabhadra River. By 1500 it was estimated to be the world's second-largest city after Beijing, and probably India's richest at the time. In 1565 a coalition of Muslim sultanates defeated the Vijayanagara Empire, its capital was conquered and destroyed, and the city was left in ruins. Hampi remains a religious centre, with the active Virupaksha Temple at its heart.

how it works

The city was built around a fortified core with temples, markets and water structures along the river, supplied by an extensive network of roads and waterworks. When the empire fell, the city was not rebuilt, so its stone monuments were left standing.

so what

Hampi shows how quickly a great city can vanish after a military defeat, and how a ruined capital can remain sacred. Its ruins give historians a view of medieval South Asia that few other sites can match.

fun fact

The name Hampi comes from Pampa, an old name for the Tungabhadra River.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia · text CC BY-SA 4.0

Image: Wikimedia Commons

source: Wikipedia ↗

2 min

politicsshortCNA2:01

False allegations about Singapore’s hand in Indonesia’s markets and a made-up meeting

from CNA

CNA Verify has found close to 400 posts pushing falsehoods tying Singapore to Indonesia’s stock market rout and to a secret meeting that never took place. Together, they drew nearly 12 million views, and some were circulated by accounts that appeared to be working in concert, across multiple social media platforms.

Here’s how the disinformation campaign targeting Singapore was uncovered.

on YouTube: CNA ↗