People of all eras tried to envision a “perfect” society. Ancient peoples didn’t write about their ideal societies or what they thought the future was like in our traditional sense, they did it through myths, stories, and legends. They created songs and danced and while there was still war and imperfect gods, these times were elsewhere. Life was vastly different for people in ancient times, and we must understand our ancestors’ conditions to appreciate their lives, comprehend their thinking, and learn from them. Humans have always received information from the outside world through their senses.

What we can see

Without photographs and with drawings and paintings being rare, our visual knowledge was limited to only immediate surroundings. Only a few people had seen various biomes throughout the world. The snow, jungles, mountains, forests, and oceans were vastly spread apart across the world. Only travelers could describe these sights, but their direct view and experience of these sights was very personal. With few written works and little literary knowledge, reading and writing was very unusual.

The Middle East and North Africa enjoyed a lot of sunlight. Because of the sun, they developed blindness from cataracts. In northern Europe, they had less light and a varied time of day, but could see the world around them! People in Canaan, an ancient historical region in the Middle East, could experience many different sights. There were snowy mountains, deserts, forests, fresh water, and the Mediterranean Sea, which only took a few weeks to travel between.

There were crossroads and trade routes between that area of the world, including parts of Asia and Europe. Few places in the world had, and still have, such geographic and climate diversity. There were a lot of places to see and new things to experience. Now, regardless of our environment and physical opportunities, technology allows almost all of us to have most types of visual input. Millions of things to read, see, write about, take in; almost every conceivable topic is available to us. 

What we can hear

Back then, the sounds of nature, the noises of a few man-made creations, such as the creaky sounds of carts and the slashing of tools and swords, and the voices of others, contained the sounds available to be heard. The overall levels of noise were low, compared to now. When colosseums and amphitheaters were beginning to be created, their focus was specifically made to amplify sound and have it so that everyone could hear what was being said. This compares to now where we have theaters with all surround sound speakers. Now, we can hear things from areas of the world that nobody has ever from before. You can listen to deep sea soundscapes, meditative gongs, anything more that nobody has really experienced. We have busy cities, with airplanes, jets, and traffic constantly creating busy noise for us to listen to. 

The smells in the natural world were immediately accessible around them. There were no scents created that everyone had access to, unless certain fragrances and herbs were traded. Perfumes were created later in history; religious ceremonies used incense and sage. Similar to our modern lives, smells are more limited to us because it is difficult to acquire chemicals or natural fragrances unless you have the money to pay for them. Foods, flowers, herbs, and other items can be transported easily. 

What we can taste

Like with smells, food could not travel far for certain items, so they could really only experience what was close by. Meals and diets were limited by what grew near or what could be efficiently transported. Wealthy people could feast on better food. Potatoes were out of reach in ancient

times. Plums, pomegranates, pears, figs, and any well-known stone fruit, were in abundance, but most plants weren’t found until the New World. Vegetables and a variety of meats were available to eat and enjoy, but for the people who had space to raise cattle and garden. Food was, of course, healthier and more natural as the food was fresh. However, in hot and dry climates, as well as in the military, at least 10% of the food spoiled and was wasted. Because of this, in the 12th century BC, Egyptian soldiers and people explored other ways to consume food. Meat was salted, dried, or pickled. Fruit and fish were dried or eaten immediately. Milk was turned into cheese and butter, and wheat and rye were turned into bread. We have learned better ways to eat food. There haven’t been too many advancements with food, but we can experience various foods as many groups of people have traveled around the world and left classic recipes with them. 

What we can touch

Touch is the same throughout the world and is incredibly special for humans to experience. In ancient times, nomadic journeys and agricultural life were important for humans to experience scarring and injuries, which built how our bodies work. They experienced different climates and textures that occur throughout all of Earth. Most of us spend time in our climate-controlled shelters, vehicles, and areas that we are able to control. While ancient people had a smaller variety of touch stimuli, they may have observed more deeply than we could imagine we do today. 

Ancient habits go back to when humans first experienced the Earth. Life was completely different for people than today, and it is important to learn how we have vastly changed as humans, and how we continue to evolve.

What do you think about human’s ancient habits vs. what we do now? Let us know in the comments below!