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History

The Curious History of Your Home

by NOISER
HistorySociety & CultureDocumentary

Not on the United States charts we track today.

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Latest episodes

  • Introducing Jane Austen Stories: Emma

    August 31, 2026 · 48 min

    This is a preview of a brand-new audiobook from the Noiser Podcast Network. Join Dame Julie Andrews as she reads another beloved Austen classic, Emma, on the Jane Austen Stories podcast. Step into the village of Highbury, home to the…

  • Sheds

    October 21, 2024 · 31 min

    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…

  • Laundry

    October 14, 2024 · 32 min

    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…

  • Bins

    October 7, 2024 · 33 min

    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…

  • Neighbours

    September 30, 2024 · 36 min

    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…

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  • Bread

    September 23, 2024 · 35 min

    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…

  • Heating

    September 16, 2024 · 33 min

    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…

  • Home Entertainment

    September 9, 2024 · 35 min

    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…

  • Clocks

    September 2, 2024 · 33 min

    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…

  • Pests

    August 26, 2024 · 37 min

    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…

  • Dinner Parties

    August 19, 2024 · 35 min

    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…

  • Windows

    August 12, 2024 · 33 min

    In medieval Ghana, an exhausted traveller stares in wonder at panes of glass glistening in walls. Craftsmen in 15th-century York assemble an intricate work of art, fit for the divine. A tax on windows leads to some interesting…

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About the show

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 subscription banner at the top of the feed to get started, or 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. No part of this podcast may be used or reproduced in any manner for the purpose of training artificial intelligence technologies or systems. In accordance with Article 4(3) of the DSM Directive 2019/790, Noiser Ltd expressly reserves this work from the text and data mining exception.