The Entire History of Homes Before Running Water Existed
23K views · Jul 10, 2026 · People & Blogs
Comments · 53
@edibleoriginshistory · 2 months ago
Imagine carrying every drop of water your family needed every single day. We really have it easy now.
2
@stevew6138 · 2 months ago
My wife was raised in the rural Philippines and she and her siblings carried water up to the mid 70's. Once during a visit one of my brothers-in-law showed me where they got water and it changed how I look at things like this.
6
@CrumbRoot-100 · 2 months ago
Videos like this remind me that the biggest revolutions often happen inside ordinary homes.
@AlimentLore · 2 months ago
Imagine explaining indoor plumbing to someone from this era... they'd think it's pure magic. 😂 Great video!
5
@alyshaharper8730 · 2 months ago
My mom, born in the mountains of Virginia in 1962, didn't have indoor plumbing until she was 12.
3
@duanegrindstaff9635 · 2 months ago
I can't imagine living in conditions depicted in this video.
@SwanandKhati · 2 months ago
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XGZ2QKB1xZk&t=298">4:58</a> is gold.
1
@Museumchronicles · 3 weeks ago
This was a brilliantly produced and eye-opening documentary. The sheer amount of time humanity spent simply hauling water is staggering to think about. As a sincere critique, however, I noticed the video skipped over the Indus Valley Civilization (like Mohenjo-Daro), which actually had some of the most sophisticated early indoor plumbing and drainage systems in private homes thousands of years before the 19th century. Including that would have added a fantastic layer to the ancient history segment! Regardless, the storytelling here really makes you appreciate the modern faucet.
@nattance1 · 2 months ago
The "LED" pipes!!
4
@generaluse2878 · 2 months ago
It is astounding how people in the Western world take running water for granted. How many times have we seen somebody leave a faucet open, wasting the water?
4
@curiositycodex001 · 2 months ago
Very good narration
1
@garyrobb5341 · 2 months ago
Back in the 70s or so someone started giving African women a device to help getting water. It was essentially a 30 gallon plastic drum with sockets molded into each end. A Y-shaped metal handle fitted into the sockets so the drum could be rolled along the ground. They hated it. Trips to the water source used to be a good reason to visit and gossip along the way. With one trip good for a day or two the husbands found other work that they had to stay home and do.😊
2
Up next
The Entire History of Floors Before Wood and Carpet Existed
Bizarre Compass and Weirdward Bound · 4.2K views
The Entire History of Roofs Before Waterproofing Existed
Bizarre Compass and Weirdward Bound · 16K views
Italy's Towns Are Losing the Ground Beneath Them
Unseen Earth · 80 views
Before Mirrors, Most People Never Saw Their Own Face
Bizarre Compass and Weirdward Bound · 9.8K views
Before Elevators, the Top Floor of Any Building Was the Cheapest | Weird History Documentary
Bizarre Compass and Weirdward Bound · 32K views
The History of Cotton - The Crop That Built and Broke America
Object Lore · 26 views
The Entire History of Houses Before Window Glass Existed
Bizarre Compass and Weirdward Bound · 147K views
The History of Toilet Paper — The Paper That Replaced Washing
The Merchant's Ledger · 150 views
Before Running Water, Half of America Hauled Every Drop by Hand
Weirdward Bound · 51K views
How Did Ancient Humans Invent Houses?
Draz · 20K views
The Entire History of Staying Warm Before Central Heating Existed
Bizarre Compass and Weirdward Bound · 36K views
The History of Pizza — The Poor Man’s Food That Conquered the World
Fork Lore · 129K views
What Did Americans Do When It Was Too Hot to Sleep?
Savor the Past · 250 views
What It Was Like to Sleep on Columbus’s Ship in 1492 | History for Sleep
Quiet Historic Nights and Old History Nights · 7.8K views
How America Built Roads Before Asphalt Existed
Kronoset · 98K views
Evenings Inside a Normal Home in Ancient Rome
Sleepy History with Oliver · 53K views
The History of Honey — The Food That Never Dies
Crumb Lore · 50K views
How Was Anything Shipped Across Oceans Before the Shipping Container? | Weird History Documentary
Bizarre Compass and Weirdward Bound · 19K views
Before Toilet Paper, You Only Wiped With… (If You Were Lucky)
Weirdward Bound · 175K views
The Story of Corn: How a Wild Grass Became the Crop That Feeds Half the World
HitoCast · 16K views
The Window Screen: The Invention That Saved a Million Lives
Weirdward Bound · 8.9K views
How Did People See Before Eyeglasses? | Weird History Documentary
Weirdward Bound · 111K views
The Entire Dinosaur Extinction Explained (Minute by Minute)
Wild Horizons · 870K views
Walls Made of Straw? The Bizarre History of Houses Before Cement Existed
Bizarre Compass and Weirdward Bound · 11K views
What Peasant Life Was REALLY Like in England in the 1300s
Sleep Time Podcast · 2.6K views
Before Door Locks, How Did Anyone Keep Their Home Safe?
Bizarre Compass and Weirdward Bound · 25K views