What We Did Before | Human Survival and Ancient Inventions

OG Podcasts - Pre Modern Life and Human History
  • 5.0 (3)
  • History
  • Updated Biweekly

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. 4d ago

    Before Cotton Left Britain: Inside Bancroft Mill Where The Weaving Looms Still Run

    💬 This is the deafening noise that powered Britain's Industrial Revolution. At its peak, thousands of men and women spent their days surrounded by the relentless clatter of weaving looms - a workplace so loud that many workers gradually lost their hearing. ⚡ Yet despite the dangers, becoming a weaver was a skilled and sought-after job. Britain's cotton industry transformed Lancashire into the workshop of the world, with entire communities built around the mills. But what was daily life really like inside them? In this episode I visit Bancroft Mill, one of the last surviving steam-powered weaving sheds, where the looms still run today. Secretary of the museum Ian McKay explains what it was like to be a cotton weaver, why so many people chose the profession, and what happened when Britain's once-mighty cotton industry began to disappear. Don't miss an episode - subscribe now:https://podfollow.com/what-we-did-before 🎧 Stay tuned to learn about: ➡ What a weaving shed really sounded like ➡ Why many weavers gradually lost their hearing ➡ How James Nutter opened this mill having come from nothing ➡ How Lancashire became the heart of the world's cotton industry ➡ Why Britain's cotton mills eventually fell silent ➡ What life was really like for the people who powered the Industrial Revolution 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

  2. Jul 13

    Before Cushioned Shoes: The 1970s Style That Changed Footwear Forever

    💬 Shoes got a massive makeover 50 years ago, thanks to a boom in interest for running. A style that first emerged in the 1970s quickly became the dominant one - cushioned soles, elevated heels, narrow toes. And it’s the style we still see today. But why?  ⚡ Humans spent hundreds of thousands of years barefoot - and when we did make shoes, they were made of plant fibres or thin animal hides. We’ve cycled through many variations over the years, but today’s shoes are very different - maximising comfort and protection. Steven Sashen is the founder of barefoot shoe brand Xero. He explains how today’s shoe style was first adopted, how marketing made it spread - and why one the original designers described it as the biggest mistake he made in his career. Don't miss an episode - subscribe now: https://podfollow.com/what-we-did-before  🎧 Stay tuned to learn about: ➡ How Nike’s first waffle shoe started the shift ➡ Why the science driving the change was problematic ➡ The strange Medieval trend of wearing mega pointy “poulaines” ➡ Why barefoot runners today don’t experience life like our ancestors ➡ How barefoot shoes emerged and what they’re doing differently 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: (Fort Rock sandals) Ian Poellet, CC BY-SA 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

  3. Jun 30

    Before Weapons: Unearthing Ancient Wooden Tools and Spears | Dr Annemieke Milks

    💬 Archaeologists have found evidence of the oldest wooden handheld tools used by humans. Discovered in Greece, these ancient tools are around 430,000 years old. ⚡Dr Annemieke Milks is a palaeolithic archaeologist and part of the team which identified the objects. They were recovered from Marathousa, a Middle Pleistocene site which may have been inhabited by Homo heidelbergensis - one of our distant ancestors. In this episode we find out about this incredible discovery - and discuss Annemieke’s wider research looking into the ancient wooden hunting weapons used by humans in the deep past. Don't miss an episode - subscribe now: https://podfollow.com/what-we-did-before  🎧 Stay tuned to learn about: ➡ What these wooden hand-tools would’ve been used for ➡ How this wood has been preserved for so long ➡ The prehistoric wooden spears discovered at Schöningen in Germany ➡ What shifts in weapon design tell us about the cognitive abilities of ancient humans ➡ The emerging field of children’s archaeology Read the paper: https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2515479123  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: https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Annual-ring-analysis-a-Taphonomic-transverse-break-surface-from-where-micro-cuts-were_fig5_372470761

  4. Jun 22

    Before Instagram: Why Rich People Built Fake Ruins

    💬 There’s a ruined archway sitting among the trees of my local park - but what grand building did it once belong to? A castle? A church? A grand manor house? In this episode I take a trip to Worden Park in Leyland. Rich in history, this park was once the estate of James Nowell Farington, who set about a major programme of improvements when he inherited it in 1837. ⚡ Join me on a trip to visit an archway with a very strange backstory, a Victorian-era ice house decorated with ancient ornaments, and a stone that landed in the park during the last Ice Age. Don't miss an episode - subscribe now: https://podfollow.com/what-we-did-before  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:  Paul Brooker / Ralph Allens Castle Sham Castle, Bathampton by Humphrey Bolton, CC BY-SA 2.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0 via Wikimedia Commons Sham Castle, Bathampton Down by Elliott Simpson, CC BY-SA 2.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0 via Wikimedia Commons buzzard525, CC BY 3.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0 via Wikimedia Commons Artur Kozioł, CC BY-SA 3.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0 via Wikimedia Commons St. Andrew's Church by philandju, CC BY-SA 2.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0 via Wikimedia Commons Colin Smith / Inside Broome Park Ice House

  5. Jun 19

    The Bleach Packer: Your Questions Answered

    You had lots of questions about the Victorian job of the "Bleach Packer". So I invited Judith Wilde from Catalyst museum back for a Q&A.Together we dig deeper into the fascinating history of this gruelling job, that helped build the chemical industry.🎧 Judith answers questions like: Stay tuned to learn about:➡ Why didn't their eyes burn?➡ Did the muzzle actually work?➡ Why were some of them drinking ten pints a day?➡ Did this really continue into the 1950s?➡ What is the area of Widnes like today?Don't miss an episode - subscribe now:https://podfollow.com/what-we-did-before Visit Catalyst Museum: https://www.catalyst.org.uk/ 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 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

  6. Jun 15

    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

  7. Jun 13

    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

  8. Jun 12

    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

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