The humble spoon. Without it we'd be sunk. Slurping soup would never be the same. Research shows the average household contains 83 - teaspoons, soup spoons, dessert spoons, baby spoons, serving spoons, disposable picnic spoons, medicine spoons, measuring spoons, wooden spoons... and that's before you really start looking!

Unsurprisingly, humankind's first eating utensils have a long and checkered history and crop up outside of the kitchen - in ceremonies, ritual, folklore, myth, scientific theories, art, music and literature. Here, archaeologist and TV presenter Peter Ginn delves into the fascinating world of spoons and serves up a complete history of this trusty companion.