Podcast Summary: Legacy – "The History of Wellness and Wellbeing | The Early Years | 1"
Hosts: Afua Hirsch & Peter Frankopan
Date: January 15, 2026
Theme: Tracing the roots of wellness and well-being from prehistory through early agricultural societies, and exploring how ancient practices, gender roles, and community health inform today's wellness movement.
Episode Overview
Afua Hirsch and Peter Frankopan kick off a multi-episode exploration of the history of wellness, examining its origins in ancient societies. They challenge modern assumptions about progress and health, delve into gender, community, ecological practices, and spiritual wellbeing, and connect current wellness trends to prehistoric roots. The hosts invite listeners to re-evaluate the legacies of early societies and ask: what can we learn—and unlearn—from humanity's earliest approaches to health, healing, and happiness?
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. What “Wellness” Meant Across Millennia
- The idea of “wellness” predates its modern name; earlier cultures conceptualized it as holiness, health, or healing (03:04).
- Today’s “wellness” industry has ancient antecedents—ancestors also sought personal development, community, and holistic wellbeing long before #wellness trended on Instagram.
2. Revisiting Hunter-Gatherer Societies
- Challenging stereotypes: Hunter-gatherers are often seen as primitive, but bioarchaeology shows their diets were varied and protein-rich, leading to robust health (04:58).
- Early communities “are much healthier than people who live in towns and cities” (04:40, Peter Frankopan).
- Diet and movement: Diversity and mobility produced strong bodies—fewer chronic stresses than in agricultural societies (06:57).
- Life expectancy was low, but recovery from injury was notable: “Survival after injury actually had really impressive rates... communities that were able to care for people with quite serious disabilities” (06:57, Afua Hirsch).
“The diets that people ate and eat from hunter-gatherer societies are much more varied, ...more seasonally adaptive than sedentary diets.”
— Peter Frankopan (05:13)
3. Movement and Physical Adaptation
- Human bodies were “constantly in motion,” with everyday life serving as functional exercise—climbing, carrying, digging (09:13).
- Gym trends like walking on all fours mimic ancient movement patterns (09:43, Afua Hirsch).
4. Early Medicine & The Role of Women
- Plant medicine was central—willow bark (source of salicylic acid), bitumen, herbal infusions (11:46, Afua Hirsch).
- Women likely dominated the roles of healers and herbalists (11:26).
- Evidence of early surgical interventions with high survival rates indicates significant medical skill (12:59).
5. Environmental & Preventative Health Practices
- Without industrial medicine, ancient societies paid close attention to water sources, sanitation, burial practices—all aimed at preventing disease (14:06).
- Mobility was a health strategy, reducing exposure to parasites (14:40).
6. Body & Mind as One
- Separation of body and mind is a recent construct; ancient people viewed spiritual, emotional, and physical health as intertwined (17:07).
- Early “healers” addressed both mental and physical ailments, and causes of illness were often interpreted in spiritual terms.
“There was no difference between spiritual wellbeing, rites of passage and practices, and the idea of physical health. They linked them so intrinsically...”
— Afua Hirsch (17:16)
7. Community, Ritual, and Cohesion
- Rituals, ceremonies, and communal activities (sometimes involving alcohol) created social bonds and group identities (18:50).
- Sites like Göbekli Tepe served as early “psychological” forums to mitigate stress and foster unity.
“The wellness element... is really important in binding societies together.”
— Peter Frankopan (20:29)
8. The “Neolithic Revolution” and Its Perils
- Transition to farming (Neolithic Revolution) viewed as progress, but it worsened health: more cavities, anemia, repetitive injuries (22:33).
- Sedentary life introduced new nutritional deficiencies and greater exposure to parasites from dense settlements and domesticated animals (27:14).
- Close animal-human proximity introduced zoonotic diseases—a recognizable legacy in modern pandemics (27:44).
9. Gender & Social Inequality
- Shift to agriculture led to gendered division of labor.
- Women’s skeletons show extreme wear from tasks like grinding grain; upper body strength comparable to Olympic athletes—from necessity, not recreation (29:07).
- Labor inequity set precedents for later gender roles and social hierarchies; only a few benefited from surplus and privilege (32:02, 33:24).
“I can almost feel it because each of those tasks are things that women would have done. ...Now I get to go to the gym and aspire to modern Olympic athlete upper body strength by lifting weights.”
— Afua Hirsch (30:28)
10. Violence, Control, and the Struggle for Resources
- Abundance and accumulation led to organized violence, mass atrocities, competition for prized locations and resources (34:48).
- Mass graves (Talheim, Austria) show societal-scale violence not tied to ritual but plain competition and exploitation (36:00).
11. Necessity as the Mother of Invention
- Declining health in settled societies drove medical and ritual innovation. Ancient wellness evolved as people sought creative ways to survive, heal, and flourish (37:01).
Notable Quotes & Moments (with Timestamps)
-
On the baggage of wellness:
“There are some really legitimate ideas mixed up in a load of really problematic baggage. ...How we can maybe separate the gems from the trash.”
— Afua Hirsch (01:13) -
On progress and “wellness shock”:
“The arrival of agriculture is... a kind of wellness shock, I guess, that your calorie intake goes up, but your resilience goes down.”
— Peter Frankopan (24:10) -
On status and inequality:
“Those inequalities start to go with the hierarchy of who has the best available proximities, who has the biggest houses, …who gets to eat protein, for example, rather than cereal.”
— Peter Frankopan (33:24)
Timestamps for Key Segments
- Introduction/Resolutions and framing of 'wellness' — 00:32–03:42
- How far back does wellness go? Prehistory to hunter-gatherers — 04:14–06:57
- Evidence from bioarchaeology: health, diet, ancient healing — 06:57–11:26
- Role of women, herbal medicine, and ancient medical practice — 11:26–12:59
- Environmental health and preventative practices — 14:06–15:40
- Spiritual and emotional wellbeing — 17:07–18:50
- Community cohesion, ritual, alcohol (teased for later episode) — 18:50–20:54
- Neolithic revolution and the rise of farming — 21:14–24:10
- Health decline with agriculture; processed foods then and now — 24:10–27:44
- Parasites, animal domestication, zoonotic diseases — 27:44–28:48
- Gender division, social hierarchy, labor inequality — 28:48–33:24
- Violence, resource competition, and organized warfare — 33:48–36:24
- Pragmatism and historical innovation in healing — 37:01–38:05
Tone, Language, and Style
- Conversational, playful, and thoughtful
- Hosts blend academic insight with relatable, witty commentary (“I can almost feel it because each of those tasks are things women would have done...” 30:28)
- Frequent modern parallels (from gym trends to pandemic anxieties), making ancient history relevant
In Summary
Afua Hirsch and Peter Frankopan illuminate the ancient origins of wellness, showing how prehistoric practices, community dynamics, and environmental strategies shape our concepts of health even now. They underscore that many “modern” wellness ideas have surprisingly deep roots—and that the legacy of ancient societies is complex: advances in farming and civilization often came with profound costs to health, equality, and peace. This inaugural episode sets the stage for a series unpacking the myths and realities behind our pursuit of wellbeing—then and now.
Next episode tease: How ancient societies responded to the pressures and health crises of settled life with new healing innovations.
For further exploration, see the show notes or find Legacy on all major platforms. Highlights from this episode offer a fresh lens for anyone reflecting on their wellness resolutions—or questioning the assumptions behind them.