The Curious History of Your Home

Oct 21 2024 34 ep. 42 mins 2.7k
The Curious History of Your Home Podcast artwork

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.

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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.

  History  Society & Culture
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Sheds

Oct 21 2024 38 mins  
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. And an American boy scout assembles parts for the nuclear reactor he’s building in his mother’s shed… A Noiser production, written by Roger Morris. For ad-free listening, exclusive content and early access to new episodes, joi

Laundry

Oct 14 2024 40 mins  
In the Middle Ages, people source ingenious ingredients to tackle stubborn stains. Henry VIII’s laundry risks causing a scandal. The Ancient Romans use questionable substances to clean their clothes. And the first washing machines revolutionise life in the home… A Noiser production, written by Nicole Edmunds. For ad-free listening, exclusive content and early access to new ep

Bins

Oct 07 2024 41 mins  
A prehistoric pot from Japan inspires a fingerprinting technique used by modern detectives. A whole city is built from waste in Neolithic Turkey. The Maya celebrate the new year by throwing out everything associated with the old one. And in London’s King’s Cross, an army of scavengers ekes out a precarious living on a mountain of dust… A Noiser production, written by Roger Mo

Neighbours

Sep 30 2024 43 mins  
Vigilantes chase a thief through the streets of medieval Winchester. A French king creates one of the world’s first gated communities. Villagers across Europe turn on each other with dangerous accusations of witchcraft. And the human race meets its very first neighbours - 45,000 years ago… A Noiser production, written by Nicole Edmunds. For ad-free listening, exclusive content

Bread

Sep 23 2024 42 mins  
The world’s oldest breadcrumbs are discovered in Jordan. Ryebread causes a devastating disease in medieval Germany. In 18th-century France, the rising price of flour sparks popular unrest. And a carbonised sourdough loaf is discovered in Herculaneum, entombed by the Mount Vesuvius eruption… A Noiser production, written by Nicole Edmunds. For ad-free listening, exclusive conte

Heating

Sep 16 2024 40 mins  
In ancient Korea, ingenious underfloor heating is invented. A king in dire financial straits institutes a controversial tax on fireplaces. Young boys are sent up treacherous chimneys in Victorian England. And the Great Smog envelops London, with deadly consequences… A Noiser production, written by Roger Morris. For ad-free listening, exclusive content and early access to new ep

Home Entertainment

Sep 09 2024 42 mins  
A medieval countess swoons over tales of courtly love. Georgian families amuse themselves by playing ‘bullet pudding’. Victorian writers do their best to crack down on saucy party games. And on a windswept island in the Bristol Channel, radio is born… A Noiser production, written by Nicole Edmunds. For ad-free listening, exclusive content and early access to new episodes, j

Clocks

Sep 02 2024 40 mins  
A miniature sundial survives the destruction of Pompeii. The most elaborate clock the world has ever seen is constructed in 11th-century China. In medieval Normandy, mechanical clocks rouse monks in the middle of the night. And an opportunistic Londoner starts a business that literally sells time… A Noiser production, written by Roger Morris. For ad-free listening, exclusive co

Pests

Aug 26 2024 45 mins  
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 London, a rat catcher turns his unsavoury profession into a form of street entertainment. And a miracle new pesticide turns out to have deadly unintended consequences… A Noiser production, written by Nicole Edmunds. For ad-free lis

Dinner Parties

Aug 19 2024 43 mins  
A Roman emperor terrifies his guests with a macabre dining room display. At a feast in Norway, drunk Vikings engage in a rap battle. A teenage Alexander the Great makes a scene at his dad’s dinner party. And partygoers in Victorian London get up close and personal with an unusual guest - an Egyptian mummy… A Noiser production, written by Roger Morris. For ad-free listening