Shows
The TelTrevor J Wallace: The Menorca Shipwreck Project (Underwater Archaeology in the Balearic Islands)In this interview, international filmmaker and explorer Trevor Wallace tells me about the Menorca Shipwreck Project, an ongoing excavation of a series of shipwrecks in the Balearic Islands of Spain.
2024-10-2638 minThe TelBriana Doering: Ancient Migrations from Alaska to the SouthwestIn this conversation, we focus on one research topic: the Dene Transition, a pivotal moment of change more than a thousand years ago, when people speaking Na-Dene languages, such as the modern Navajo and Comanche migrated out of Alaska, the Yukon, and British Columbia, eventually settling as far south as the border of Mexico.
2024-09-2342 minThe TelKirk Freudenburg: The Cinematic Art of Virgil's WorldYale classicist Kirk Freudenburg discusses the epic poems of the ancient world. From the Iliad to the Aeneid.
2024-04-2940 minThe TelGino Caspari: Exploration on the Eurasian Steppe and BeyondIn this episode, I speak with Dr. Gino Caspari, an Explorers Club fellow and expert in the archaeology of the ancient Eurasian Steppe. Gino uses satellite imagery, LiDAR, and other forms of remote sensing paired with ambitious field surveys to discover new ancient sites. Check him out on Instagram @ginocaspari
2024-03-0438 minThe TelWei-Cheng Lin: Stories of a Sacred Mountain in Medieval ChinaArt historian Dr. Wei-Cheng Lin and I discuss the arrival of Buddhism in ancient and early medieval China. We track the emergence of a major sacred site called Mount Wutai, discuss the symbolism of the mountains in Chinese history, and much more.
2023-10-2244 minThe TelMorag Kersel: Looters, Tourists, and Archaeologists in the Holy LandDr. Morag Kersel and I discuss the ethics of archaeology, including the challenges posed by looting, the illegal antiquities trade, and the curation crisis. We focus on these issues in Israel, Jordan, and Palestine, through the lens of Dr. Kersel's archaeological and ethnographic research.
2023-10-1341 minThe TelBrian Bauer: At the Edge of the Wari EmpireIn this episode, Dr. Bauer tells me about his work studying a remote outpost of the Wari Empire, an enigmatic civilization that preceded the Inca in Andean prehistory. We discuss imperial expansion, social hierarchy, burials, and more.
2023-09-1840 minThe TelDavid Paradis: War and Honor in Medieval EnglandIn this episode, David Paradis joins me to discuss the legacies of early medieval feuding and honor cultures. We examine how those forces shaped England, and Europe more broadly, across the middle ages.
2023-09-031h 10The TelAdrian Chase: Mapping Ancient Maya CitiesIn this episode, Dr. Adrian Chase takes us on a deep dive into the process of mapping and understanding ancient Maya cities, how the Maya shaped the natural world around them, and how studying ancient urbanism can enrich our understanding of modern cities.
2023-06-0159 minThe TelCatherine Kearns: Unearthing Iron Age CyprusA fascinating conversation on one of the lesser-known regions in the ancient Mediterranean. Dr. Kearns talks about her fieldwork studying archaic Cyprus. We talk about the rural landscapes of the Iron Age world, and why it's important to look beyond palaces and temples to the countryside, where most of the ancients lived their lives.
2023-04-0739 minThe TelMcKenna Litynski: The Tales Bones TellA discussion on squeezing every possible bit of data from ancient bones. Learn how archaeologists analyze bone artifacts using cutting-edge paleoproteomics, spatial and statistical analyses, experimental archaeology, and more!
2023-03-2136 minThe TelChristopher Milan: The Manchay Culture of Ancient PeruHow did civilization emerge on the Peruvian coast? Who were the Manchay? How did Amazonian civilization influence the coast, and what role did Shamanism play in Andean prehistory?
2023-03-1646 minThe TelJackson Crawford: Odin’s Advice and the Values of the Viking WorldDr. Jackson Crawford joins me to discuss ethics and beliefs in the viking world, through the lens of Hávamál, a collection of Old Norse poetry written from the perspective of Odin. The conversation meanders through topics including violence, relations between the sexes, magic and runes, honor, and reputation.
2022-11-1353 minThe TelEvelynn Combs and Gerad Smith: Precolonial Coppersmiths of AlaskaIn this episode, I speak with Evelynn Combs and Gerad Smith about the history of metalworking - particularly copper - in ancient Alaska. We talk about their experiments trying to reconstruct Dene methods of copper working, and I learn some of the meanings behind this traditional craft.
2022-11-1042 minThe TelGerad Smith: Ancient Alaska and the Gift of the TananaIn this episode, Dr. Gerad Smith tells me about the archaeology of the indigenous Dene people of the Alaskan interior. He works heavily with Dene elders, informants, and professionals from a variety of organizations. He also incorporates linguistics, mythology, and ethnography into his studies to better understand the things he digs up.
2022-09-0757 minThe TelJustin Cramb: The Zooarchaeology of Prehistoric PolynesiaIn this episode, I speak with Dr. Justin Cramb, an expert in the archaeology of prehistoric Polynesia.
2022-08-0645 minThe TelRobert Kelly: The Fifth BeginningIn this episode, I speak with Dr. Robert Kelly, an expert in prehistoric archaeology and the study of ancient hunter-gatherers. The topic of the day is his book, The Fifth Beginning: What Six Million Years of Human History Can Tell Us About Our Future.
2022-05-301h 03The TelTodd Surovell: The Overkill HypothesisIn this episode Dr. Todd Surovell lays out the case for the Overkill Hypothesis: the claim that ice age hunters triggered a wave of megafaunal extinctions as they entered the New World.
2022-05-0455 minThe TelCatherine Steidl: Ancient Greek Colonies and Mediterranean MigrationsIn this episode I speak with Dr. Catherine Steidl. Dr. Steidl is a Scholar in residence at the Benson Center for the Study of Western Civilization, at the University of Colorado, Boulder. Having earned her PhD from Brown University’s institute for Archaeology and the Ancient World in 2018, she is an expert in the archaeology of the ancient mediterranean. In particular, her work has been focused on the emergence of Greek colonies in the archaic period, from Ionia to the shores of Spain and France. We discuss the intermingling of Greek colonial communities with local populations, and the way an...
2022-03-2753 minThe TelSpencer Pelton: Out of Africa and Into the IceWyoming State Archaeologist Spencer Pelton tells me about his research on how anatomically modern humans colonized the globe. We also talk about paleoindian archaeology, ancient ochre mines, ethnography in Mongolia, cave archaeology, and more.
2022-02-0856 minThe TelJames Johnson: Uncovering the Ancient Pastoralists of the Bronze Age SteppeIn this episode I speak with Dr. James Johnson, an archaeologist and expert in the ancient western Eurasian steppe. Tune in next time for more interviews on archaeology, ancient history, and prehistory.
2021-12-2655 minThe TelMolly Herron: Mammoth Ivory and Big Game Hunting in the Ice AgeIn this episode, I speak with my friend Molly Herron. She specializes in the archaeology of pleistocene North America, and is interested in the relationship between ancient humans and megafauna. We discuss her research identifying ivory at mammoth kill/scavenge sites, and her ongoing reexamination of the Colby Mammoth Site.
2021-12-0642 min