I am playing the sims history challenge and I caught myself wondering, when can my sims get an easel, or that stove they want? So I sat down and made a list of all the (interesting) objects in game. I sorted them by category and by age.

I am putting everything from 1500 until 1800 into the category “Colonial times” and the 1800-1900s into Victorian times. I hope others will find it useful as well.

Building

Prehistoric

• Shelters
• House building (Younger neolithic period)
• Windows: Shutters or hide
• Roof: Thatch
• Wall: Timbered houses
• Floor: Dirt, stone

Ancient civilization

• Bricks
• Glass windows (small and expensive)
• Paper windows (East Asia)
• Roof: Terracotta, wood shingles, slate, copper
• Wall: Brick
• Swimming pools
• Floor: Wood, stone, mosaic, terracotta, rugs
• Column

Medieval times

• Roof: Dutch roof tiles (almost modern terracotta roofing tiles)
• Chimney

Colonial times

• Glass windows become more common
• Wallpaper (1700s)
• Fence: Picket fence*

Victorian

• Glass windows: Common and quite see through
• Roof: Industrially made wood shingles, corrugated metal roof
• Carpets rather than just rugs

Comfort:

Ancient civilization

• Beds
• Backstool /folding stools/taboret/faldstool
• Trones
• Divan: Ancient civilization
• Bench: Ancient civilization

Medieval times

• Proper chairs with backs that is not reserved for royalty

Colonial times

• Swivel chair
• Padded sofa & loveseat: late 1600 – commonly in use in normal homes 1800s so Victorian/wild west in the cities)

Can’t find information on

• Bar stool – probably either colonial times or victorian

Surfaces

Ancient civilization

• Countertops – wooden with no cupboard under. Or made of stone/brick. Add the cupboard from colonial time onward
• Dining table
• Work table
• Office table
• Shelf

Colonial times

• End table

Victorian

• All tables should be waist high or higher – otherwise the skirts get in the way

Early 1900s

• Low sofa table

Plumbing

Prehistory

• Shower – waterfall

Ancient civilization

• Bathtub
• Big communal pool
• Washing bowl
• Well
• Shower: Jug of water poured over one’s head and in upper class homes drainage in the floor
• Ancient greece/ ancient Rom: Proper showers with running water and drainage (note however that nobody else really had them till at the earliest colonial time)

Colonial times

• Shower: Mechanical

Victorian

• Water Closet – WC
• Sink with running water
• Modern showers

Note: No modern hot tubs till the 1940s

Activities and skills

Prehistoric

• Dance floor/area
• Painting
• Sauna/sweat hut
• Tents
• Camp fire

Ancient Civilization

• Yoga (India)
• Chess (early version – again India)
• Horse shoe throwing (properly)
• Massage table
• Chemistry lab (alchemy)
• Easel
• Lyre (sort of a violin-like instrument)
• Wet bar
• Lute (sort of guitar)
• Workbench
• Card games
• Aquarium (ancient Rome)
• Punching bags
• Writing
• Scroll bookcases
• Chest

Medieval Times

• Chess – the modern version
• Telescope (late 13th to early 14th century)
• Violin
• Piano-like instruments
• Printed books (Asia)
• Bookcase/cupboard
• Chest of drawers

Colonial times

• Microscope
• Carving pumpkins (remember they are a new world food)
• Modern piano
• Periodic table
• Aquarium – popular for the upperclass
• Printed books (Europe) – which probably mean you can publish books
• Wardrobe
• Tobacco: Hookah  (I mean Bobble blower) – c. 1550

Victorian

• Camera
• Microphone
• Darts (as a proper recognised game – but the precursors are much earlier)

Early 1900s

• Chemical analyser
• Rockets (that are anything like the modern ones)
• Guitar (the modern version)
• Electric guitar
• Fussball
• Cooler box
• Teddybears 

Note that they wasn’t invented till after WW2

• DJ pult
• Treadmill

Lighting & electronics

Prehistoric

• Campfire
• Stone bowl lamps
• Touches

Ancient Civilization

• Olielampe
• Candle
• Sundial
• Hourglass

Middle ages

• Kerosene lamp (Middle East)
• Lanterns (metal or skin and wood)
• Mechanical clock (China in AD 725, Europe 1200’s)

Colonial times

• Street Light is now possible in some cities
• Oil Lamp with a glass shade

Victorian times

• Gas light (invented late 1700s)
• Kerosene lamp (modern version)
• Electric light

Early 1900’s

• Electric light became common
• TV (was invented, but wasn’t really in use until after WW2)
• Radio
• Gramophone
• Jukebox

Note that they wasn’t invented till after WW2

• Computer

Appliances

Prehistoric

• Food storage: Mostly drying and smoking
• Open fireplaces/camp fires

Ancient civilization

• Food storage: Fermenting, salting, keeping cool in basements
• Stove: Brick in large households otherwise open fireplaces was still the norm. Clay stoves in the Roman and Greek civilisations
• Grill/bbq

1500-1700: Colonial times

• Stove: Wood burning stoves – later part of the period. The English was sceptical. (The black metal ones)
• Coffee makers

Victorian

• Food storage: Canning
• Stove: Coal or wood or gas
• Washing Mashine (mechanical) 

Early 1900’s

• Refrigerator
• Stove: Electric toward the end of the period
• Coffee maker: Electric
• Dishwashers (though not common until after WW2)

More resources

• How houses were structured
• List of architectural styles