Air conditioning has become somewhat of an essential feature in modern buildings over the past decade, from small apartments to three-storey Queenslanders, contemporary offices, and sky-high city towers.

But what did people do before air conditioning? And how did they keep cool, avoid sunstroke, and prevent heat exhaustion? We take a look…

1. Roman Engineering

Everyone knows that the Romans were far more advanced in their engineering feats than most of their early counterparts. But did you know that attempts to control indoor air temperatures actually began in Rome? Yep, the Romans used hundreds of miles of aqueduct piping to channel cool water through the walls of their homes, effectively creating liquid insulation.

Bonus fact: one crazy Roman Emperor, called Elagabalus, also sent a thousand slaves into the mountains to fetch snow so that he could stockpile it in his garden. Whether or not it actually worked to keep him cool remains unknown.

(Image via Wikipedia Commons)

2. Big Fans in Ancient China

Foreshadowing its modern appearance by nearly two thousand years, a manual-powered rotary fan on wheels was invented by an ancient Chinese artist called Ding Huan in the 2nd century. The fan was three metres wide and had seven wheels.

Bonus fact: years later, Huan’s invention was adapted by Liang Tian, an employee of the Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang dynasty. It was used to construct a ‘cool hall’ in the emperor’s palace with water-controlled fans.

(Image via Wikipedia Commons)

3. Windcatchers in Medieval Persia

Developed in medieval Persia around 500 years ago, windcatcher towers were designed to ‘catch’ strong desert winds and funnel the cool air down through a pillar into a number of rooms below. They were also used to suck warm air up and out of the building through tall windows.

Bonus fact: Windcatchers are still prevalent today in some parts of Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan and Dubai.

(Image via Chasing the Unexpected)

4. Elizabethan Ostrich Feathers

Only the English nobility would use the lavish, intricately decorated feathers of a bird to keep them cool. Just imagine, a group of English ladies with big poofy dresses (and even bigger hair) all standing around, flapping their ostrich feather fans while sipping on wine from ornate bronze cups. It seems both romantic and like an olden day version of what people do at Mardi Gras.

(Image via Tripod Girl)

Bonus fact: most Elizabethan fans were decorated with jewels and made of ivory (aka elephant, walrus, or narwhal tusk).

5. Egyptian Fans and Door Sheets

Damp sheets and linens were often hung by the Egyptians in their doorways and windows to transform dry, humid breezes into ancient mist-making machines. These sheets would both stop the dust from blowing in and provide a cool mist of water over the home’s occupants.

Bonus fact: the ancient Egyptians also forced their slaves to fan large, porous clay jars filled with water to successfully make use of the evaporative cooling technique.

(Image via Art of Counting)

6. Native American Cliff Palaces

All over the world people have built homes in caves and small sheltered dwellings to keep cool, but the Pueblo Indians took that one step further and built an entire palace in the cliff faces of Mesa Verde National Park, Colorado. These hand-carved caves offered protection from the sun, lower temperatures, and insulation during hot, dry days.

Bonus fact: the cliff palace in Colorado had multiple storeys and 217 rooms, including storage chambers, open courtyards, walkways, and 23 rooms for religious rituals. Many of the rooms were also brightly painted.

(Image via Wikipedia Commons)

Are you looking for an innovative cooling solution for your home or business? Contact Star Air Conditioning today!