How Ancient People Saw Themselves

The art of the ancient mirror

One of the things that’s hard for modern people to process is the sheer investment of time that everyday objects represented in the ancient world.

We live in a world where we can just pop down to the local superstore for anything from a shirt to a bicycle to a microwaveable meal. These sorts of things seem infinitely and instantly available. I can go from wanting a pair of socks to having them on my feet in the amount of time it takes me to get to the store and plunk down an insignificant amount of money. I have no idea how difficult it is to manufacture these items, or how it’s done; the work associated with their creation is purposefully obscured from view.

But that wasn’t the case in the ancient world. People produced and maintained more of their possessions themselves, and everything took much more time. Even preparing a meal that you might microwave today in a few minutes would require hours to build a fire, grind and chop ingredients, and cook the meal.

In a culture where nothing…