The Curious History of Your Home
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Join domestic historian Ruth Goodman as she guides you through the surprising, often epic, stories behind everyday objects in your home. Double-glazed windows? We owe those to a French king’s odd fascination with oranges. The minty fresh toothpaste by your sink? Well, if you lived in Ancient Greece, you’d be washing your teeth with ground-up bones and oyster shells. And wallpaper? It seems innocent enough, but in the Victorian era it was downright deadly. Discover the extraordinary history of the ordinary items all around you, every Tuesday, wherever you get your podcasts. For ad-free listening, exclusive content and early access to new episodes, join Noiser+. Click the Noiser+ banner to get started with a 7-day free trial. Or if you’re on Spotify or Android, head to noiser.com/subscriptions For advertising enquiries, email info@adelicious.fm Hosted by Ruth Goodman. Production: Emmie Rose Price-Goodfellow, Tom Pink, Addison Nugent, Nicole Edmunds, Lloyd Starr, George Colwey, Miriam Baines, Katrina Hughes. Compositions by Tom Pink, Dorry Macaulay, Oliver Baines.

Sheds

The death of a woolly mammoth provides the building material for a prehistoric storage space. A tsunami in Japan puts a sturdy outbuilding to the test...
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Laundry

In the Middle Ages, people source ingenious ingredients to tackle stubborn stains. Henry VIII’s laundry risks causing a scandal. The Ancient Romans us...
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Bins

A prehistoric pot from Japan inspires a fingerprinting technique used by modern detectives. A whole city is built from waste in Neolithic Turkey. The ...
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Neighbours

Vigilantes chase a thief through the streets of medieval Winchester. A French king creates one of the world’s first gated communities. Villagers acros...
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Bread

The world’s oldest breadcrumbs are discovered in Jordan. Ryebread causes a devastating disease in medieval Germany. In 18th-century France, the rising...
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Heating

In ancient Korea, ingenious underfloor heating is invented. A king in dire financial straits institutes a controversial tax on fireplaces. Young boys ...
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Home Entertainment

A medieval countess swoons over tales of courtly love. Georgian families amuse themselves by playing ‘bullet pudding’. Victorian writers do their best...
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Clocks

A miniature sundial survives the destruction of Pompeii. The most elaborate clock the world has ever seen is constructed in 11th-century China. In med...
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Pests

Fleas spell disaster for people living in the Middle Ages. The inhabitants of an ancient Iraqi city hurl scorpions at an invading army. In Victorian L...
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