Insight into the mind of peoples of different eras. Any recommendations?
I'm not even sure how to word this as a non-historian but I am absolutely possessed by this concept that the very fundamentals of how what we believe or how we see the world are so epistemologically (if that is the right word) alien to us that it's hard to get into the mind of a medieval peasant for example. I'm amazed at how the idea that we should have kings was once an obvious thing and they might scoff at the suggestion that maybe we should try out a democratic-republic. Or how meaning/superstition was built into the daily lives of many societies. I've grown up with a very materialistic worldview so I'm fascinated at this idea that a black cat crossing your path was a bad omen. Or that pantheons of gods weren't autistically organized into neat categories and were treated more as forces of nature than tangible beings. Stuff like that.
So I guess the question is where can I find this sort of insight? I'm eager to leap down the rabbit hole. I want to be inside the mind of historical peoples. I especially love journals and more anthropological takes. Thank any input in advance.