Clemson Extension and Making It Grow. What in the world would we do without telephones? I can remember party lines and my husband actually remembers when calls went through central. My cousin Muff and I once used waxed string and empty cans attempting to make a private phone from her house to mine. The ancient Chimu Empire in Peru, renowned for its wealth based on agricultural canals and irrigation system, had god-like rulers. These supposed deities apparently were removed from dealing with common people by use of a what was basically a phone made of decorative gourds with membrane closures connected with seventy-five feet of twine probably that was made well over a thousand years ago. Search “1200 year old phone in Smithsonian Collection” and you can see a picture of this remarkably preserved and fascinating bit of ancient technology, based on a common gourd.
"1200 Year-Old Phone"
