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Six entries so far.

  1. No. 1Living before glasses One pair of glasses cost a good horse The second pair a Ming writer saw. The first was an emperor’s gift. Read the entry →
  2. No. 2Living before toothbrushes Toothbrush shops by the 1270s A Hangzhou guide of about 1274 names two. Read the entry →
  3. No. 3Living before alarm clocks The dawn call came with the weather Called along Hangzhou’s streets, 1270s. If it rained, the call was: Rain. Read the entry →
  4. No. 4Living before nail clippers A marquis faked a lost nail clipping Marquis Zhao of Han, in the Han Feizi. It was a test of those around him. Read the entry →
  5. No. 5Living before safety razors This razor is 3,500 years old The throwaway blade was patented in 1904. Read the entry →
  6. No. 6Living before fridges On paper, there were 94 “ice men” In the Zhou li, an old Chinese book. It sets out the offices of an ideal court. Read the entry →

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Toilet paper, sunscreen, soap, air conditioning, underwear, period pads.