Ancient Inventions: Sex and Love

Jones, Terry

Television Director: Percival, Daniel

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Catalogue Number: SEV150-6

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Join Monty Python's Terry Jones on a tour of the ingenuity of our ancestors. Take a humorous yet factual look at inventions we think of as unique to modern times when really they have been around for centuries and many even longer. Some of the amazing discoveries include: automatic doors - first designed over 2000 years ago; accurate pregnancy tests - a regular feature of ancient Babylon; and tanks - actually devised by the Assyrians in 8 BC. Clearly the ancient world was every bit as inventive as our own.

Sex and Love

No one invented sex or love, but they've always been one of the greatest spurs to human inventiveness. Making ourselves sexually attractive is not just a modern obsession. Our ancient ancestors were just as obsessed with inventing new ways of looking good and turning each other on as we are today. For example, Pharaoh's slaves once went on strike because they ran out of makeup. And, fashionable Roman women used to smear themselves with gladiator sweat. And, when it comes to finding ways to improve our sex lives, our ancestors came up with a good many inventions modern Man has only just rediscovered. The female condom, the pregnancy tester, yes, and even the oral contraceptive. Believe it or not, they're all ancient inventions.