# If you could spend a day in ANY past civilization... **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [September 5, 2017, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-spend-a-day-in-any-past-civilization/795582 "2017-09-05T19:18:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Reddy\_Mercury](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/43a26b/32.png) [@Reddy\_Mercury](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reddy_Mercury)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2017, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-spend-a-day-in-any-past-civilization/795582/1 "2017-09-05T19:18:10Z")
Let’s say you had a time machine, but you could only take ONE single day long trip to any past civilization in the history of man…When and where would you choose to visit? Myself, if I could only choose one place…It would be a close tie between Rome at the height of the Empire, London circa 1910, Tenochtitlan before the Colonists arrived, or London circa 1182. ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2017, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-spend-a-day-in-any-past-civilization/795582/2 "2017-09-05T19:28:01Z")
Göbekli Tepe on a busy day. ---
**Author:** ![TimeWinder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bcef8e/32.png) [@TimeWinder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TimeWinder)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2017, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-spend-a-day-in-any-past-civilization/795582/3 "2017-09-05T19:31:36Z")
> [@Reddy\_Mercury](#): > > Tenochtitlan before the Colonists arrived. I assume that we’re sterilized (in the microbial sense) before delivery and have a sufficient team of redshirts? Otherwise there’s going to be an awful lot of deaths on both sides. ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2017, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-spend-a-day-in-any-past-civilization/795582/4 "2017-09-05T19:36:16Z")
Which civilization had the best orgies? ---
**Author:** ![GusNSpot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gusnspot/32/436_2.png) [@GusNSpot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GusNSpot)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2017, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-spend-a-day-in-any-past-civilization/795582/5 "2017-09-05T19:44:38Z")
Pearl Harbor, Dec. 7th, 1941. ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2017, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-spend-a-day-in-any-past-civilization/795582/6 "2017-09-05T19:46:54Z")
San Francisco, Summer 1967 ---
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2017, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-spend-a-day-in-any-past-civilization/795582/7 "2017-09-05T20:02:01Z")
Indus River Civilization; Mehrgarh, approx 4500 BC Harappa, approx 2500 BC Mesopotamia, 8000 BC when agriculture was already developing and farmers began spreading into the rest of Europe and elsewhere. Damascus, approx 2500 BC Athens, approx 5000 BC Jericho, approx 6800 BC (First walled city) Luxor/Thebes, approx 3000 BC ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2017, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-spend-a-day-in-any-past-civilization/795582/8 "2017-09-05T20:07:46Z")
> [@hajario](#): > > San Francisco, Summer 1967 Is that a reply to post 1 or post 4? ---
**Author:** ![chacoguy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/50afbb/32.png) [@chacoguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chacoguy)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2017, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-spend-a-day-in-any-past-civilization/795582/9 "2017-09-05T20:10:51Z")
Summer Solstice at Chaco Canyon. ---
**Author:** ![Trinopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/2bfe46/32.png) [@Trinopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trinopus)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2017, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-spend-a-day-in-any-past-civilization/795582/10 "2017-09-06T00:02:38Z")
Lots of other people would choose the crucifixion of Christ, so I can just look at the video they capture… I’d be interested in the assassination of Julius Caesar…but would I be able to get into the Senate? A lot of great events are behind closed doors. It would be fun to watch a typical day in the construction of the Great Pyramid. My vote, after some thought, is to be on a hilltop overlooking the Battle of Cannae, where Hannibal handed the Romans their nuts. ETA: Am I violating the principle of the question by specifying a given day/date? If so, can I get away with the Great Pyramid answer, as it is a question of a year, not a day? If it is a question of a civilization, per se, but not an event…I’d like to know more about Assyria. A nice Assyrian festival dinner would be fun! ---
**Author:** ![Enola\_Gay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/3ab097/32.png) [@Enola\_Gay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enola_Gay)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2017, 1:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-spend-a-day-in-any-past-civilization/795582/11 "2017-09-06T01:04:32Z")
Woodstock ---
**Author:** ![Baker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bb73d2/32.png) [@Baker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baker)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2017, 1:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-spend-a-day-in-any-past-civilization/795582/12 "2017-09-06T01:34:28Z")
Kansas City, Missouri, May 20, 1926. The day my maternal grandparents got married. I probably couldn’t witness it, it was the pastor, the bride and groom, and two witnesses. The wedding was kept secret at their home, until the school year was over and my grandmother could quit her teaching job. I know the location of the wedding, the parsonage of the church. So I could tail them afterwards for a while. ---
**Author:** ![madsircool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madsircool/32/3432_2.png) [@madsircool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madsircool)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2017, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-spend-a-day-in-any-past-civilization/795582/13 "2017-09-06T01:37:29Z")
Mafia Era Vegas 1960s to see Count Basie and Sinatra at The Sands. Great dining and classic music and beautiful women. I’d avoid cheating at blackjack. ---
**Author:** ![Weisshund](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/ba8739/32.png) [@Weisshund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Weisshund)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2017, 1:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-spend-a-day-in-any-past-civilization/795582/14 "2017-09-06T01:48:01Z")
> [@Trinopus](#): > > Lots of other people would choose the crucifixion of Christ Why would anyone in a normal human state of mind what to use their trip in time to go see some poor man beaten to a bloody pulp, drug through town and then hauled up on timber to die? Doesn’t matter if he is just simply yeshua son of joseph the carpenter. Do lots of people also want to go see a day in the operation of Auschwitz? ---
**Author:** ![madsircool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madsircool/32/3432_2.png) [@madsircool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madsircool)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2017, 2:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-spend-a-day-in-any-past-civilization/795582/15 "2017-09-06T02:02:38Z")
I would guess the Resurrection would be much more popular. ---
**Author:** ![pool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pool/32/4152_2.png) [@pool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pool)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2017, 2:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-spend-a-day-in-any-past-civilization/795582/16 "2017-09-06T02:26:36Z")
Ancient Rome sounds pretty cool, especially seeing the Colosseum in perfect condition in all its glory. But it might be cooler to go to say London in the 1800’s and at least be able to somewhat understand what people are saying. I’d probably make some dumb ass mistake with the time machine and set it to August 6, 1945, Hiroshima, Japan. DOH!:smack: ---
**Author:** ![kopek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kopek/32/337_2.png) [@kopek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kopek)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2017, 2:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-spend-a-day-in-any-past-civilization/795582/17 "2017-09-06T02:35:53Z")
Quebec around early July 1753 but it would be quite a risk; my French is terrible. I would have to play it mute and dumb. Not knowing what was being said or anything I could live with - I just want to see that time for myself. I’d try to hook up with some voyagers and “disappear” that night into the forest. ---
**Author:** ![MaxTheVool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9fc29f/32.png) [@MaxTheVool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MaxTheVool)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2017, 5:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-spend-a-day-in-any-past-civilization/795582/18 "2017-09-06T05:38:13Z")
As is often the case with questions like this, we need some more details: (1) Do we get any kind of translation support? (2) What about general guidance of how to interact without getting killed? (3) Are we participating in the civilization for a day or just spectating? (4) Can we bring recording devices along? (5) Will people back at home believe us if we report what we saw? Etc, etc, etc. Assuming arguably the purest case (we have magical universal translator devices, and everyone perceives us as respected visiting nobles who will be shown around and not killed, but no recording devices, and no point in trying to memorize stuff to tell historians because they won’t believe you), I would be hard pressed not to go for Rome at its glorious height, if only because I at least know enough to appreciate what I’m seeing. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2017, 7:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-spend-a-day-in-any-past-civilization/795582/19 "2017-09-06T07:45:08Z")
[The Field of the Cloth of Gold](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Field_of_the_Cloth_of_Gold), Saturday 17th June, 1520. ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2017, 10:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-spend-a-day-in-any-past-civilization/795582/20 "2017-09-06T10:37:07Z")
> [@Weisshund](#): > > Why would anyone in a normal human state of mind what to use their trip in time to go see some poor man beaten to a bloody pulp, drug through town and then hauled up on timber to die? So that at the moment of his death, I could yell out “The Aristocrats!” [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-spend-a-day-in-any-past-civilization/795582.md?page=2)