Transcript
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It's the year 1446 BC and we're at a marketplace in Egypt. Ordinarily it would be crammed with people. Merchants trading exotic goods, vendors haggling for bargains, and men, women and children browsing the stalls in wide eyed wonder. But this morning, as we wander through the dusty streets in search of something to eat, there's no sign of the vibrant life it once boasted. The place is deserted and a warm wind whistles through abandoned shops and houses. The air is muggy and within a few minutes your hunger has turned to thirst. You fantasize about immersing yourself for a few moments in the cool waters of the River Nile. Except when you look over to where the Nile's meant to be, you don't see the river at all. Where the lush green banks should be, there are dull brown patches of grass and instead of shining water, a muddy sludge crawls slowly along the riverbed. Just weeks ago, these banks were crammed with boats transporting goods and passengers and housewives washing their clothes, not to mention the exotic species of fish and mammals that called the Nile home. You turn to walk away, but feel something soft against your foot. Looking down, you see a large frog jumping lazily along the dusty path. In fact, there are dozens of the creatures leaping and lurching on the dry ground. Dead frogs also lie along the riverbank. The sight of the slimy creatures makes you shiver. Shuffling out of their way, you try to continue your journey, but your vision is obscured by swarms of insects. You can taste gnats on your lips and tongue, hear their incessant buzzing in your ears. When you swap them away, more fly around your head. Insects like these have been growing in number the past few weeks and now seem to be as numerous as the grains of sand beneath your feet. Your stomach rumbles. So despite the pests, you press on through the ghost town, stepping over dried puddles where frogs are trying to find water, and through fields of dead vegetation swarming with giant locusts. You try not to look as you pass grotesque carcasses of livestock, their still bodies circled by halos of hungry insects. One particularly large fly lands on your arm and you swat it off in disgust. Suddenly, it's all too much and you take off. Run. You don't dare stop until you're back in the safety of your home. Slamming the doors and boarding up the windows, you breathe a sigh of relief. You're finally hidden from those armies of pests. The scene just described might be familiar to some of you as the Ten Plagues of Egypt, a story in the Hebrew Bible. Recently, historians and scientists have found evidence that similar events may have occurred in Ancient Egypt in around 1580-1450 BC. During this period, the Egyptian climate shifted significantly. Temperatures rose, causing the Nile to dry out. The resulting bloom of algae would have coloured the remaining water red and killed much of the pond life, allowing insects to breed. These then spread all sorts of nasty diseases. Now, this is just a theory, but one thing we can be sure of is that pests like those that plagued ancient Egypt, have been infesting, irritating and intimidating humans for millennia. So let's take a look at how humans and pests have lived side by side throughout history. I'm Ruth Goodman. I've spent my life exploring the extraordinary history of everyday items, the little things we often take for granted. You see, every object in your home has a fascinating hidden history, a story that's just waiting to be told. This week, we're creeping into the nooks and crannies of your house to learn all about historical pests and pest control. So come with me and together we'll explore the curious history of your home. The alleged plague of pests did eventually leave Egypt, but that's not to Say pests completely disappeared from the country. Ancient Egyptians had to contend with annoying insects, such as beetles and moths that would crawl in their water supplies and nibble at their clothes. There were also mice and rats, which would scurry into the woodwork to make their homes, damaging human houses in the process. And that's not to mention what their appetites would do to precious grain supplies. In response, the Egyptians set traps, hired professional pest catchers, or hung netting around their beds to keep flying insects at bay. Much like modern day mosquito nets, Some even adopted the pests. The tomb of a priest called Neferinpu, who lived during the fifth dynasty, reveals that his tiny pet mouse was buried alongside him. Talking of mice. They weren't necessarily unique to ancient Egypt. In fact, evidence shows they'd been living alongside humans long before the first pharaoh took to the throne. Archaeologists have found fossils of mice teeth in Natufian settlements in modern day Israel. These relics, dating from around 12,500 to 9,500 BC, suggest mice moved in with humans for the protection they provided from predators, as well as easy access to grain supplies. Further east, a Chinese manuscript dating from around the third century BC includes the first written reference to non wild mice. Drawings of mice have been found on ancient ceramics and evidence suggests there was widespread interest in domesticating and breeding coloured mice. Later writings from the han dynasty, around 80 BC, reference a certain type of yellow waltzing mouse. This breed became enormously popular, especially later in the 18th century, due to the mouse's strange tendency to spin round in circles, creating the illusion of dancing. In 1654, a Chinese Buddhist priest is even recorded as having traveled to Japan with his books, clothes and two pet mice. It seems as though mice were thought of as pets rather than pests. Over in ancient Greece, though, insects and rodents were held in much lower regard. The Greeks filled their myths with accounts of deadly and disgusting pests. Arachne was turned into a spider as punishment for defeating the goddess Athena in a weaving contest. Medusa, the monstrous Gorgon, who could turn a man to stone with one look, had serpents for hair. And the sole job of the minor God Myagros was to chase flies away from sacrifices offered to Zeus. But while the Greek gods shunned pests, others in the ancient world found a use for them. According to the Roman writer Herodian, in the second century, the defenders of Hatra in modern day Iraq found an ingenious way to hold off the invading Roman army. They hurled clay pots filled with scorpions at them, damaging the enemy and ridding their homes of scorpions in one fell swoop. So pests could be useful. But inevitably, where pests go, disease follows. 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