Before the sharp steel razor became generally available, what did most people shave with? Fire seems the best choice. Right? [more inside]
posted by penciltopper on Nov 9, 2009 - 35 answers

When was the last time scholars discovered a previously unknown piece of literature from ancient Greece or Rome? Has it happened at all in modern times? If you were to speculate on the chances we'll ever rediscover another play from Euripides, Sophocles, et al, are there any relatively recent discoveries of new works from ancient Greek and Roman authors you could use as examples?
posted by mediareport on May 19, 2008 - 17 answers

How famous could you really get as an author before the printing press? [more inside]
posted by absalom on Dec 7, 2007 - 26 answers