Skip to navigation Skip to content
  • twitter
  • instagram
  • facebook
Shop Now
House of Books & Friends
My Account
  • £0.00 0
House of Books & Friends
  • Home
  • About
    • Our Mission
    • Resources for Connection
    • News
  • Shop
  • Events
    • Events Calendar
    • Create Your Own Love Story
    • Coffee & Connections
  • Our Café
    • Bookish Afternoon Tea
  • Contact
    • Hire Us
    • Accessibility Information
  • Home
  • About
    • Our Mission
    • Resources for Connection
    • News
  • Shop
  • Events
    • Events Calendar
    • Create Your Own Love Story
    • Coffee & Connections
  • Our Café
    • Bookish Afternoon Tea
  • Contact
    • Hire Us
    • Accessibility Information

Buy Online

A Compendium of Curious Contraptions

£14.99

Guess what some of the most unusual objects from history were used for in this book by archaeologist Anna Goldfield!

In Stock

ISBN: 9781916745032 Category: Children's - Non-Fiction Tags: Children's / Teenage general interest: General knowledge & trivia, Children's / Teenage general interest: Machines & how things work, Educational: Social sciences, social studies
  • Description
  • Additional information
  • Reviews (0)

Description

An illustrated guide to some of the most bizarre objects from history by archaeologist Anna Goldfield, including a guessing game for kids to play!

Each page contains a mystery item from the past, with a set of clues as to what it was used for. Readers can take a guess before unfolding a giant flap to reveal the answer. Without giving too much away, the book contains Inuit snow goggles, designed to protect eyes from the blinding glare of the ice, an ancient Chinese earthquake detector featuring several metal frogs, and err.. the Royal fistula – an item used to perform delicate surgery on the rear end of King Louis XIV of France.

Kids will delight in trying to work out the purpose of the beautiful objects, brought to life by Mexican illustrator Paula Zamudio, and will learn a lot about the cultures that created them – from ancient Rome to Polynesia, and Mesopotamia to Viking Scandinavia.

Additional information

Weight 0.68 kg
Dimensions 28.8 × 23.6 × 1.8 cm
Author

Goldfield, Anna

Publisher

Neon Squid

Imprint

Neon Squid

Cover

Hardback

Pages

64

Language

English

Edition
Dewey

909 (edition:23)

Readership

Children – juvenile / Code: J

Reviews

There are no reviews yet.

Only logged in customers who have purchased this product may leave a review.

Related products

  • Do You Believe in Ghosts?

    £8.99
    Add to basket
  • Draw With Will

    £7.99
    Add to basket
  • Feeling words to explain my emotions

    £12.99
    Add to basket

houseofbooksandfriends



View Instagram post by houseofbooksandfriends


Feb 15



Open post by houseofbooksandfriends with ID 18033925328783543


To celebrate International Womens Day we're hosting a Morning Conversation alongside @gunnercookellp ♀️

We’ll be discussing the community and how one local project united people across Manchester to help save a much-loved charity.

Featuring:
🔸Catherine D’Albertanson, CEO of @little_green_sock Little Green Sock Project
🔸Matthew Dashper-Hughes, executive coach and trustee of Alice

You’ll also hear from the gunnercooke foundation @dogoodfaster on how giving back strengthens and enriches communities. 

Sign up via the link in our bio!

houseofbooksandfriends



View Instagram post by houseofbooksandfriends


Feb 13



Open post by houseofbooksandfriends with ID 18092563160055274


HELLO LOVERS 💛

Why not treat that special someone in your life, be it a partner, pal or family member, to a book this Valentine's Day?!

Pop down to HOBAF for your fill of coffee, sweet treats and great reads this bookshish Valentines.

houseofbooksandfriends



View Instagram post by houseofbooksandfriends


Feb 13



Open post by houseofbooksandfriends with ID 18066760622265696


CRAFTS WITH TONY 🎨

Friend of the shop Tony is coming back to craft on 28th February from 11am - 1pm. Learn how to make beaded keychains; who needs a labubu on their bag?! These events are free for all; no booking needed ✨

houseofbooksandfriends



View Instagram post by houseofbooksandfriends


Feb 12



Open post by houseofbooksandfriends with ID 18087500789329871


Love is in the air at House of Books and Friends, and these are our top recommendations if you want to get into the spirit of Valentine’s Day! Enemies-to-lovers not your cup of tea? No problem! We have plenty to offer including YA, poetry, and non-fiction. 
Romantic love is not our only focus at House of Books and Friends, so this is a reminder to cherish all your loved ones: familial, platonic, or even furry friends that help keep your head up. Connection should be celebrated all year round, not just one day in February…

‘The Romantic Tragedies of a Drama King’ by Harry Trevaldwyn
‘Wuthering Heights’ by Emily Bronte
‘When Angels Speak of Love’ by bell hooks
‘Conversations on Love’ by Natasha Lunn
‘Book Lovers’ by Emily Henry
‘In Memoriam’ by Alice Winn
‘Everything I Know About Love’ by Dolly Alderton

houseofbooksandfriends



View Instagram post by houseofbooksandfriends


Feb 11



Open post by houseofbooksandfriends with ID 18307344229261855


EVENT REMINDER 💙

We still have tickets available to hear Adam Farrer in discussion with Max Dickins on his paperback title, 'Broken Biscuits, and Other Male Failures'. Join us on 17th February at 6pm for a discussion and a chance to ask Adam your questions!
Tickets in bio 🎫

houseofbooksandfriends



View Instagram post by houseofbooksandfriends


Feb 9



Open post by houseofbooksandfriends with ID 17924863368230130


Ethan's recommendation encourages us to unplug, and reconsider our connection to the world around us📚 📱

Released in paperback just this month, The Extinction of Experience is a passionately written reflection on the iron-fist integration, or domination, of digitally mediated communication in everyday life. Rosen pleas with us to consider the more profound impacts of these new communication styles on our ability to empathise, socialise, and understand each other’s true motives. 

This book has caused me to reflect on how digital communication has both facilitated connections my loved ones, but also disconnected me from the mundane, random moments of connection with strangers, instead prioritising algorithmically-fed content on my phone🤔😀.


Follow on Instagram

You're here, so you must like reading.... our newsletter is akin to a literary classic! We have so many projects, events and plans for House of Books & Friends all of which we will pack in to our newsletter so you can be among the first to find out about all the latest news. Don't worry, we promise not to bombard you!

SUBSCRIBE
  • twitter
  • instagram
  • facebook

Get in Touch

We love to hearing from fellow Bookworms!

Please drop us a message, find out where we are or get directions via our contact page.
Contact Us

 

© House of Books and Friends 2026 / Website designed by Bookswarm

The House of Books and Friends CIC is a community interest company registration number 13909633, the registered office of which is 53 King Street, Manchester, M2 4LQ. Trading Address - 81 King Street, Manchester M2 4AH. what3words ///stars.wished.papers

  • Terms and Conditions
  • Privacy Policy and Cookies
  • My Account
  • Search
  • Basket 0