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The Thames is 215 miles long and while there are portions that are 100% wrapped in civilisation I think there are areas in both the tidal and non-tidal sections

The Thames is 215 miles long and while there are portions that are 100% wrapped in civilisation I think there are areas in both the tidal and non-tidal sections that are totally wild. Obviously experimental archaeologists have to try and ignore airplanes, plastic bag waste, and their own good health and shiny teeth but I think this kind of activity is amazing.

shmageggy 3y ago
"Totally wild" is probably an exaggeration, considering there is virtually nowhere in southern England that could reasonably be considered totally wild.
- thworp 3y ago
  There isn't a totally wild area larger than a few square kilometres anywhere west of Warsaw in Europe.
bboygravity 3y ago
Huh no shiny teeth? Why? Weren't the teeth of the average person back then much shinier because... no sugar?
- tmoravec 3y ago
  Not really, because: * No dentists * Not brushing teeth * Plenty of sand, stones etc. in food (in particular, grinding grain with traditional millstones introduces a ton of sand in the flour). * Many more diseases and infections that have negative impact on mouth biome and pH. It's a common trope to point out white teeth of Hollywood actors in historic films.
  - Cthulhu_ 3y ago
    > Not brushing teeth People have practiced dental hygiene since forever: > Since before recorded history, a variety of oral hygiene measures have been used for teeth cleaning. This has been verified by various excavations done throughout the world, in which chew sticks, tree twigs, bird feathers, animal bones and porcupine quills have been found. In historic times, different forms of tooth cleaning tools have been used. Indian medicine (Ayurveda) has used the neem tree, or daatun, and its products to create teeth cleaning twigs and similar products; a person chews one end of the neem twig until it somewhat resembles the bristles of a toothbrush, and then uses it to brush the teeth. In the Muslim world, the miswak, or siwak, made from a twig or root, has antiseptic properties and has been widely used since the Islamic Golden Age.
    - greggsy 3y ago
      use of the miswak is likely to be the only consistent practice though, mainly because it is so intertwined as a habitual religious practice.
    - rprospero 3y ago
      Also worth mentioning that Catullus[1] recorded performing oral hygiene with both water and... let's say ammonia. [1] http://rudy.negenborn.net/catullus/text2/e39.htm http://rudy.negenborn.net/catullus/text2/e39.htm
  - greggsy 3y ago
    The damage caused by grit in ground grains is probably the most significant, and was also evident in Native American tribes.
scatters 3y ago
The nearly entire length of the river is navigable, with the flow controlled by locks and weirs. This isn't to minimize their achievement, but they didn't have to contend with rapids, shallows or swamps like the river would have had back in the stone age.

shmageggy 3y ago

"Totally wild" is probably an exaggeration, considering there is virtually nowhere in southern England that could reasonably be considered totally wild.

thworp 3y ago
There isn't a totally wild area larger than a few square kilometres anywhere west of Warsaw in Europe.

bboygravity 3y ago

Huh no shiny teeth? Why? Weren't the teeth of the average person back then much shinier because... no sugar?

tmoravec 3y ago
Not really, because: * No dentists * Not brushing teeth * Plenty of sand, stones etc. in food (in particular, grinding grain with traditional millstones introduces a ton of sand in the flour). * Many more diseases and infections that have negative impact on mouth biome and pH. It's a common trope to point out white teeth of Hollywood actors in historic films.
- Cthulhu_ 3y ago
  > Not brushing teeth People have practiced dental hygiene since forever: > Since before recorded history, a variety of oral hygiene measures have been used for teeth cleaning. This has been verified by various excavations done throughout the world, in which chew sticks, tree twigs, bird feathers, animal bones and porcupine quills have been found. In historic times, different forms of tooth cleaning tools have been used. Indian medicine (Ayurveda) has used the neem tree, or daatun, and its products to create teeth cleaning twigs and similar products; a person chews one end of the neem twig until it somewhat resembles the bristles of a toothbrush, and then uses it to brush the teeth. In the Muslim world, the miswak, or siwak, made from a twig or root, has antiseptic properties and has been widely used since the Islamic Golden Age.
  - greggsy 3y ago
    use of the miswak is likely to be the only consistent practice though, mainly because it is so intertwined as a habitual religious practice.
  - rprospero 3y ago
    Also worth mentioning that Catullus[1] recorded performing oral hygiene with both water and... let's say ammonia. [1] http://rudy.negenborn.net/catullus/text2/e39.htm http://rudy.negenborn.net/catullus/text2/e39.htm
- greggsy 3y ago
  The damage caused by grit in ground grains is probably the most significant, and was also evident in Native American tribes.

scatters 3y ago

The nearly entire length of the river is navigable, with the flow controlled by locks and weirs. This isn't to minimize their achievement, but they didn't have to contend with rapids, shallows or swamps like the river would have had back in the stone age.