The Early Days of Communication

Smoke SignalsWith all the technology we have now we are never “out of reach”, from mobile phones to computers. But how did people communicate before all that happened, here are some of the ways our ancestors talked to each other.

Storytelling was a way of passing information down from one generation to the next. Stories about mythology, religion and history have been narrated by word of mouth.

In prehistoric times pictures were painted inside caves with paint made from dirt or charcoal mixed with spit or animal fat. They relayed stories of hunting, types of food, clothing and people.

Smoke signals are renowned with the Indians in the Americas and were a visual communication used to send messages to people over long distances.

Drums were sounded when important announcements had to be made by people in dense forests. The booming sound would reach neighbouring areas and people would then gather to collect the information.

In Africa, New Guinea and tropical America, the natives used this form of communication for centuries.

Runners were highly trained and fit people who would sprint for miles to deliver messages.

Pigeons were also used by postal services to send and receive letters.

And the Egyptians invented their own picture language which was called hieroglyphics.

Maybe none of the above were instant as they are today, but the people still communicated well together.