What We Did Before | Human Survival and Ancient Inventions

OG Podcasts - Pre Modern Life and Human History

Before modern inventions and conveniences, humans had ingenious ways of solving problems. So how exactly did humans survive before fridges, without clothes or before surnames were invented? Find out the answers to these questions and more, right here. Hosted by Ollie Guillou.

  1. 3 days ago

    Before Tax Havens: How Islands Have Reinvented Themselves For Millenia | Jason Monaghan

    💬 Many islands all over the world are known for their finance industries - and especially for being “tax havens”. But this is just the latest ways islands have reinvented themselves over thousands of years.  As far back as the Stone Age, islands have served as stepping stones, trading hubs, military outposts and gateways between nations.  ⚡ In this episode we use the island of Guernsey as a case study, showcasing just how varied - and incredible - its history has been. And guiding us is archaeologist and author Jason Monaghan. Don't miss an episode - subscribe now: https://podfollow.com/what-we-did-before  🎧 Stay tuned to learn about: ➡ Why islands became some of the most important trading hubs in the ancient world ➡ How Roman traders, Viking raiders and medieval merchants shaped island life ➡ Why Guernsey spent centuries caught between England and France ➡ How islands repeatedly reinvented themselves through trade, shipbuilding, quarrying, tourism and finance ➡ Why many modern islands ended up becoming financial centres and offshore jurisdictions Check out Jason’s books on Guernsey: Story of Guernsey; Glint of Light on Broken Glass; Occupation to Liberation; A Brush With Life; Roman Guernsey About the podcast: What We Did Before is a podcast exploring the history of everyday life, from how we kept food fresh before fridges, to how we survived without shoes and what came before AI. About your host: Ollie Guillou is an award-winning podcast producer and broadcaster. He's co-founder of OG Podcasts, working with the likes of New Scientist, Dr Karan and Lessons From Our Mothers. Connect with Ollie: Website: www.ogpodcasts.co.uk  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ollie-guillou  Email: hello@ogpodcasts.co.uk

    25 min

  2. 5 days ago

    The Bleach Packer: One of the Worst Jobs of Victorian Britain | WWDB Highlights

    Bleach packers had one of the worst jobs of the 19th century.At Catalyst Museum in Widnes, discover the history of these workers, why they wore muzzles, and how they helped build the chemical industry. This is a highlight from a longer episode filmed at Catalyst. Scroll down in your feed if you'd like to learn more.About the podcast:What We Did Before is a podcast where we chart the history of modern inventions, from how we kept food fresh before fridges, to how we survived without shoes and what came before AI.About your host:Ollie Guillou is an award-winning podcast producer and broadcaster. He's co-founder of OG Podcasts, working with the likes of New Scientist, Dr Karan and Lessons From Our Mothers.Connect with Ollie:Website: www.ogpodcasts.co.uk LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ollie-guillou Email: hello@ogpodcasts.co.uk

    10 min
  3. The Terracotta Army & The Loch Ness Monster | A History Daily Special

    6 days ago

    The Terracotta Army & The Loch Ness Monster | A History Daily Special

    💬  One March 29th 1974, a Chinese farmer was working the field as he always did - when suddenly his shovel struck something hard. Little did he know he had just stumbled upon one of the most important archaeological finds in history. ⚡In this special episode we share two fantastic episodes from our friends over at History Daily. If you love them - subscribe to History Daily here: https://podfollow.com/history-daily  The first is the discovery of China’s Terracotta Army - which turned a small Chinese village into a tourist hotspot. The second takes us to the Scottish Highlands and the first photograph ever taken of the Loch Ness Monster. 🎧 Stay tuned to learn about: ➡ Why villagers were suspicious about extracting pieces of the Terracotta army ➡ Why the  Terracotta Warriors were first made, over 2000 years ago ➡ How discovering the army felt more like a curse to the farm who found it ➡ How the legend of the Loch Ness monster first caught mainstream attention ➡ The human story behind the famous “Surgeon’s photograph” of Nessie ➡ The role the Daily Mail played in stoking the flames of the legend About History Daily: History Daily does history, daily. Every weekday, host Lindsay Graham takes you back in time to explore a momentous event that happened ‘on this day’ in history. A co-production from award-winning podcasters Airship and Noiser. About What We Did Before: What We Did Before is a podcast exploring the history of everyday life, from how we kept food fresh before fridges, to how we survived without shoes and what came before AI. About your hosts: Ollie Guillou is an award-winning podcast producer and broadcaster. He's co-founder of OG Podcasts, working with the likes of New Scientist, Dr Karan and Lessons From Our Mothers. Matt Pyle is a lead software developer and tech enthusiast with a keen interest in media, and a love for interesting conversation and learning. Connect with Ollie: Website: www.ogpodcasts.co.uk  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ollie-guillou Email: hello@ogpodcasts.co.uk

    34 min

  4. 10 Jun

    Before Tools: How Neanderthals Used Rhino Teeth, Vulture Bones and Deer Antlers

    💬 Neanderthals have been shown to use many incredible tools - but none quite as surprising as this. After studying rhinoceros teeth from a cave chock full of them - researchers managed to figure out why they were covered in strange markings. ⚡Alicia Sanz-Royo and her team of archaeologists examined the teeth that had remained a mystery for many years. By recreating ancient Neanderthal activities, they managed to reproduce the same markings - showing these rhino teeth were probably used as tools! In this episode we find out how they managed to finally figure out this mystery, how Neanderthals managed to hunt rhinos, and why they chose to use rhino teeth at all. We also delve into two other amazing animal tools used by Neanderthals - vulture bones and deer antlers. Don't miss an episode - subscribe now: https://podfollow.com/what-we-did-before  Read the paper: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0047248426000230  🎧 Stay tuned to learn about: ➡ The ancient mystery hidden in dozens of rhino teeth ➡ Whether Neanderthals hunted or scavenged rhinoceroses ➡ The surprising reason rhino teeth made great tools ➡ How deer antlers helped shape Stone Age technology ➡ The bizarre vulture-bone tools that changed our view of Neanderthals About the podcast: What We Did Before is a podcast exploring the history of everyday life, from how we kept food fresh before fridges, to how we survived without shoes and what came before AI. About your hosts: Ollie Guillou is an award-winning podcast producer and broadcaster. He's co-founder of OG Podcasts, working with the likes of New Scientist, Dr Karan and Lessons From Our Mothers. Connect with Ollie: Website: www.ogpodcasts.co.uk  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ollie-guillou  Email: hello@ogpodcasts.co.uk Image Credit: Jakub Hałun, CC BY-SA 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

    23 min

  5. 8 Jun

    Before Social Media: How Cleopatra Turned Herself Into a Living God | Natasha Solomons

    💬 Much of the myth of Cleopatra was crafted by her during her lifetime. An intentional process to shape how the citizens of Egypt - and the world - saw her. But without social media, how did great rulers of the ancient world fashion their own brand? Cleopatra was unusually good at shaping her own image - and the brand she built has endured for over 2,000 years. But who was the woman behind the myth? ⚡ That’s the Cleopatra Natasha Solomons explores in her new book, where she reimagines the life of this ancient queen. Don't miss an episode - subscribe now: https://podfollow.com/what-we-did-before  🎧 Stay tuned to learn about: ➡ Why Natasha wanted to detangle Cleopatra’s story from the men in her life ➡ How Cleopatra understood sex as power - and leant into the story of politics ➡ Why she chose to make her nose look big on coins ➡ How she dressed as Isis to portray the image of her as a goddess ➡ What Alexandria and its Great Library might have felt like in ancient times ➡ What it takes to fictionalise and reimagine parts of such a famous story Buy Natasha’s book: https://amzn.eu/d/02eG3udG  About the podcast: What We Did Before is a podcast exploring the history of everyday life, from how we kept food fresh before fridges, to how we survived without shoes and what came before AI. About your host: Ollie Guillou is an award-winning podcast producer and broadcaster. He's co-founder of OG Podcasts, working with the likes of New Scientist, Dr Karan and Lessons From Our Mothers. Connect with Ollie: Website: www.ogpodcasts.co.uk  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ollie-guillou  Email: hello@ogpodcasts.co.uk

    45 min

  6. 1 Jun

    Before We Were The Last Human Species: When We Lived With Neanderthals

    💬 For a big portion of human history, we shared the planet with other human species. What was that world like to be part of? How often did we interact with prehistoric humans - and would we have recognised the differences between them and us? ⚡ Michael Marshall is a science writer and expert voice on ancient human species. In this episode he paints a picture of this ancient world, where Neanderthals, Hobbits and Denisovans and other early humans walked alongside us. Don't miss an episode - subscribe now: https://podfollow.com/what-we-did-before  🎧 Stay tuned to learn about: ➡ The many species of the Homo genus that have existed - and those who lived with us ➡ Whether any other hominins attempted to reshape the landscape - and conquer it ➡ What the likes of Homo erectus and Homo naledi got up to in their spare time ➡ Just how similar looking Neanderthals were to modern humans ➡ The LRJ people - a group of Homo sapiens that tried to push into Europe and failed ➡ The types of tools, art and rituals other hominins demonstrated About the podcast: What We Did Before is a podcast exploring the history of everyday life, from how we kept food fresh before fridges, to how we survived without shoes and what came before AI. About your host: Ollie Guillou is an award-winning podcast producer and broadcaster. He's co-founder of OG Podcasts, working with the likes of New Scientist, Dr Karan and Lessons From Our Mothers. Connect with Ollie: Website: www.ogpodcasts.co.uk  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ollie-guillou  Email: hello@ogpodcasts.co.uk Image Credits: Tim Evanson, CC BY-SA 2.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0, via Wikimedia Commons Cicero Moraes (Arc-Team) et alii, CC BY 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0, via Wikimedia Commons Neanderthal-Museum, Mettmann, CC BY-SA 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0, via Wikimedia Commons Cicero Moraes, CC BY-SA 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

    50 min

  7. 25 May

    Before Chemicals: 'Bleach Packers' and the Birth of the Chemical Industry

    💬 The birth of the chemical industry - one which has reshaped the course of human history - happened in a small town in England. In the 19th century, Widnes was transformed into a major centre of the chemical industry.  This era saw the rise of the bleach packers - workers who shovelled toxic chemicals to earn a living, wearing bandages to protect themselves from burns and muzzles to avoid passing out. ⚡Catalyst is the UK’s only museum dedicated to the chemical industry. And in this episode Judith Wilde, Heritage Manager at the museum, introduces us to the museum’s extensive archive of historical artefacts. Now, more than 30 years since it was curated, Catalyst is getting a complete makeover - so this is a last chance to see the museum before it changes for good. Don't miss an episode - subscribe now: https://podfollow.com/what-we-did-before  🎧 Stay tuned to learn about: ➡ The ancient origins of humanity’s obsession with chemicals ➡ Why Widnes was chosen to house these chemical factories ➡ What life would’ve been like in such a heavily polluted industrial town ➡ The bleach packers - and why it was one of the worst jobs of the 19th century ➡ How soap first emerged - to clean floors, not bodies ➡ The rise of anaesthetics and antibiotics Visit Catalyst Museum: https://www.catalyst.org.uk/  About the podcast: What We Did Before is a podcast exploring the history of everyday life, from how we kept food fresh before fridges, to how we survived without shoes and what came before AI. About your host: Ollie Guillou is an award-winning podcast producer and broadcaster. He's co-founder of OG Podcasts, working with the likes of New Scientist, Dr Karan and Lessons From Our Mothers. Connect with Ollie: Website: www.ogpodcasts.co.uk  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ollie-guillou  Email: hello@ogpodcasts.co.uk

    41 min

  8. 18 May

    Before Brain Science: When We Thought With Our Hearts | Matthew Cobb

    💬 For thousands of years, humans believed the heart controlled the body - your thoughts, your emotions…everything. The brain was just a radiator - something to discard when preparing the dead.  But why did our ancestors think this for so long? Were there no tell-tale signs? It’s only in the last few hundred years that the brain has received the attention it deserves. And even once it did, we believed a lot of strange things about how it works. ⚡In this episode Matthew Cobb, author of The Idea of the Brain, explains why throughout history we believed the heart was the seat of thought and emotion. And he explores the many bizarre and surprising ways we’ve tried to grapple with how our brain actually works. Don't miss an episode - subscribe now: https://podfollow.com/what-we-did-before  🎧 Stay tuned to learn about: ➡ Why Ancient Egyptians literally threw away the brain during mummification ➡ The clues present in the heart that led ancient people to believe it was in control ➡ How skull size and the nonsense practise of “phrenology” became mainstream ➡ The gruesome story of Phineas Gage - and what he taught us about the brain ➡ Why ancient brain experiments gave us one of the most famous novels ever written ➡ How our modern understanding of the brain as “like a computer” is just as strange Grab Matthew’s book here: https://amzn.eu/d/049Th1r2  About the podcast: What We Did Before is a podcast exploring the history of everyday life, from how we kept food fresh before fridges, to how we survived without shoes and what came before AI. About your host: Ollie Guillou is an award-winning podcast producer and broadcaster. He's co-founder of OG Podcasts, working with the likes of New Scientist, Dr Karan and Lessons From Our Mothers. Connect with Ollie: Website: www.ogpodcasts.co.uk  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ollie-guillou  Email: hello@ogpodcasts.co.uk Image Credit: SimplisticReps, CC BY-SA 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0, via Wikimedia CommonsRaffaele pagani, CC BY-SA 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0  via Wikimedia Commons

    1hr 7min
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Before modern inventions and conveniences, humans had ingenious ways of solving problems. So how exactly did humans survive before fridges, without clothes or before surnames were invented? Find out the answers to these questions and more, right here. Hosted by Ollie Guillou.

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