The following collection of ancient artefacts are fascinating. At a time when waiting more than 5 seconds to watch a video streaming via satellite on a handheld pocket-sized device is unacceptable, it’s almost impossible to imagine a world before shoes were invented for instance.

This rip-roaring rollercoaster of technology, the never-resting tsunami of data, our pulsating march of all things technical sometimes blocks our view of the past. As I flicked through the images below, I tried to imagine what life might have been like for the ancient folk who used them. My initial feeling was that it would absolutely suck because they didn’t have heavy metal or Kit Kats, but I guess you can’t miss what you never had.

The people who owned the items below never once had to remember a password and they were never forced to learn algebra. Yeah they would have got pretty cold some nights but I’d take that over my cruddy desk job any day of the week.

(Use your arrow keys/slide on mobile to view the images.)

1) The Oldest Surviving Socks

Can you even imagine a time when we didn’t have socks? WTF? What would you have put on your feet to keep them warm? I guess you would have stuck them under a wolf or something.

These bad boys are dated to between 250 and 420 AD and were unearthed in Egypt. The split toes were so they could easily be worn with sandals. They look toasty don’t they?