Building the Ponca Creek Towns: Houses, Migration, and Cultural Connections with Dr. K.C. Carlson and Dr. Doug Bamforth - Plains 51
In Episode 51 of the Great Plains Archaeology Podcast, Carlton is joined by new co-host Chris Johnston for his first appearance in the co-host chair, along with Douglas B. Bamforth and KC Carlson to discuss their recent Plains Anthropologist article, “House Structure, Cultural Connections Between Middle Missouri and Central Plains Communities, and Peopling the Ponca Creek Sites.” The episode explores the remarkable Ponca Creek settlements of the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries, including the enormous, rapidly developed 25BD1 site, and asks a fundamental question: who built these communities? Bamforth and Carlson explain how differences in house construction, particularly hip- and gable-roof structures, can provide evidence for migration and cultural connections that complement ceramic evidence, and how the archaeological record points toward communities formed by people with origins across different parts of the Plains. The conversation also considers the roles of environment, architecture, migration, and cultural adaptation in forming these large settlements, and what Ponca Creek can tell us about the complex, multiethnic communities of the precontact Great Plains.
Article Citation:
Transcript
Links
The Archaeology of the North American Great Plains by Douglas B. Bamforth (2021)
Archaeology on the Great Plains Edited by W. Raymond Wood (1998)
Contact
Instagram: @pawnee_archaeologist
APN
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An Archaeology Job Well Done - CRMArch 341
A job worth doing is worth doing right, as the old adage says. But what does that mean, really? Who defines what makes a a job worth doing? Is it only a worthy job that should be done right? The hosts discuss all these existential questions AND how an archaeologist’s response to such questions can impact their career.
Transcripts
Links
Blogs and Resources:
Bill White: Succinct Research
Doug Rocks-MacQueen: Doug’s Archaeology
Chris Webster: DIGTECH LLC
Andrew Kinkella
ArchPodNet
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A Sitcom about Archaeology (DIG) with Author Kate Myers - TAS 341
Is this what archaeology needs? We think so! On November 23, 2026 Peacock and NBC Universal will release a new comedy based on Kate Myers book, Excavations, released in 2023. It will star Amy Poehler and Hugh Laurie. In this episode, Chris talks with the author about the book and the making of the TV show.
Links
Contact
Chris Webster
Rachel Roden
ArchPodNet
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An Interview with Wolf Observer and Author, Rick McItnyre - Ethno 45
In this episode of Ethnocynology, David Ian Howe sits down with legendary Yellowstone wolf observer and author Rick McIntyre to discuss what decades of watching wild wolves have taught him about their complex social lives. Rick shares stories of some of Yellowstone’s most famous wolves, including Wolf 8 and Wolf 21, exploring leadership, adoption, family bonds, personality, cooperation, conflict, and even mercy.
The conversation also travels back into the Ice Age to ask what the first human hunter-gatherers may have seen in wolves and how that relationship could have eventually produced the domestic dog. Rick discusses how wolves may have entered human communities, why their family-oriented social structure made them uniquely compatible with people, and how wolves and early humans may have learned to hunt, cooperate, and live alongside one another.
Transcripts
Links:
ArchPodNet
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Stig of the Dump (2002) - Screens 138
Today we’re reviewing... *checks notes* ... Stig of the Dump, again? That’s right, we’re reviewing the 2002 remake! It’s surprising how much has changed in 20 years: the family dynamic shifted from latchkey kids to helicopter grandparents; the thieves are leaving the fine silver in favour of Dreamcast consoles; and Stig himself has devolved from a clever Neolithic boy to an apelike “Stiganopithecus.”
Links
Contact
ArchPodNet
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Archaeologist Commentary Tomb Raider vs Himiko part 3: Long Live the Queen - DiA 20
The third and final part of my Archaeologist commentary on the 2013 Tomb Raider game. The Tomb Raider vs Himiko: Long Live the Queen. Learn along as we wrap up the game’s final climax and discuss some of the hidden gems and meaning behind the game. Become a survivor of this series.
Links
Read along, Pictures, and Citations: Detours in Artaeology
Contact
Printify Shop - shirts, stickers, and mugs, oh my!
My YouTube channel - where you can find all my episodes too
Follow my BlueSky
Follow me on Instagram @FlyingSepiida
Join my Patreon (It's free :D)
Follow me on LinkedIn: LinkedIn
ArchPodNet
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Music
'Amberlight' by Scott Buckley - released under CC-BY 4.0. Scott Buckley - Composer
'Convergence' by Scott Buckley - released under CC-BY 4.0. Scott Buckley - Composer
'Echoes Of Home' by Scott Buckley - released under CC-BY 4.0. Scott Buckley - Composer
'Aphelion' by Scott Buckley - released under CC-BY 4.0. Scott Buckley - Composer
'Incredulity' by Scott Buckley - released under CC-BY 4.0. Scott Buckley - Composer
'Into The Wilds' by Scott Buckley - released under CC-BY 4.0. Scott Buckley - Composer
'Penumbra' by Scott Buckley - released under CC-BY 4.0. Scott Buckley - Composer
'Sentinel' by Scott Buckley - released under CC-BY 4.0. Scott Buckley - Composer
'With These Hands' by Scott Buckley - released under CC-BY 4.0. Scott Buckley - Composer
'Wildflowers' by Scott Buckley - released under CC-BY 4.0. Scott Buckley - Composer
'Home Was You' by Scott Buckley - released under CC-BY 4.0. Scott Buckley - Composer
'Meanwhile' by Scott Buckley - released under CC-BY 4.0. Scott Buckley - Composer
Libyan Shamanism and the Archiving of Rock Art with Shefa Salem and Mohamed Al-Trhuoni - Rock Art 173
In this episode, Alan speaks with previous guest, Shefa Salem, and her colleague Mohamed Al-Trhuoni, about the remarkable rock art of Libya and their efforts to document, preserve, and interpret it. They explore similarities between Libyan rock art and imagery from other parts of the world, including rain symbolism, animal figures, altered states of consciousness, and shamanic imagery. The conversation also examines the limitations of purely descriptive approaches to rock art and the importance of making Libya’s vast and largely underdocumented record accessible to researchers and the public.
Links
Contact
ArchPodNet
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Stig of the Dump (1981) - Screens 137
Stig of the Dump is a 1963 children’s novel by Clive King which spawned at least two TV adaptations; today we’re reviewing the first, from 1981. It’s a very gentle, very British show in which a neglected child befriends a caveman in a garbage dump and everyone else gaslights him for 10 episodes.
Links
Contact
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The Missing Dead: Archaeological Evidence of Smallpox Epidemics with Dr. Alex Garcia-Putnam and Dr. Tomas Snyder - Plains 50
What can archaeology tell us about the devastating smallpox epidemics that affected Indigenous communities across the Americas following European colonization? In this episode of the Great Plains Archaeology Podcast, Carlton Shield Chief Gover is joined by Dr. Alex-Garcia Putnam and Dr. Thomas J. Snyder to explore the archaeological evidence for historic smallpox epidemics.
They begin by discussing smallpox, its impact on Indigenous populations, and what archaeologists might expect to see in the archaeological record when an epidemic causes widespread mortality. From there, they examine why evidence for these epidemics can be surprisingly difficult to identify, including the challenges surrounding burials, preservation, and the archaeological visibility of epidemic deaths. In the second half of the episode, they explore approaches archaeologists can use to identify evidence of historic epidemics and discuss what this research can tell us about Indigenous population loss, colonialism, and the relationship between archaeological and historical evidence.
Transcript
Links
The Archaeology of the North American Great Plains by Douglas B. Bamforth (2021)
Archaeology on the Great Plains Edited by W. Raymond Wood (1998)
Contact
Instagram: @pawnee_archaeologist
APN
APN Website: https://www.archpodnet.com
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CRM vs. Academia: Breaking the Misconceptions - CRMArch 340
In today’s episode, the crew discusses some of the misconceptions surrounding CRM and academia. Rather than viewing them as two separate worlds, working together and learning from both sides would be the most ideal approach for archaeology as a whole.
Transcripts
Blogs and Resources:
Bill White: Succinct Research
Doug Rocks-MacQueen: Doug’s Archaeology
Chris Webster: DIGTECH LLC
Andrew Kinkella
ArchPodNet
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Archaeology of the Hobbit: Hoards and hobbits with Dr Adrián Maldonado (part 1) - Trowel 73
Ash and Tilly have finally made it to the Troll Caves, and they’re not alone… Joining them as a return consultant is hoard expert Dr Adrián Maldonado! Listen in as the three of them discuss the possibility of Viking antiquarians, the definition of a hoard, and how the Galloway Hoard is currently enjoying its surfing holiday.
Links
Contact
Email: andmytrowel@gmail.com
Instagram: @and.my.trowel
Transcripts
ArchPodNet
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Cute Archaeology with Zac Lindsey (part 2) - Teabreak 61
It’s time for the second part of Jessica and Matilda’s discussion with Maya archaeologist Zac Lindsey all about the aesthetics of “cute”. This episode dives into the perception of cute as a valid field of study, how the concept of cute can change our view of past societies, how it can be used to make political statements, and more!
Transcripts
Links
Stela 3 at Piedras Negras (Lady K’atun Ajaw of Namaan and her daughter) (go to “Stela 3”)
Contact the Host
Email: matilda@thearchaeologiststeacup.com
insta: @the_archaeologists_teacup
twitter: @ArchaeoTeacup
ArchPodNet
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Landscapes for the Dead Part 2: Corpse Roads - TPM 37
Second episode in the Landscapes series of The Past Macabre
Transcripts
Links
ArchPodNet
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Archaeologists and Classicists Discuss The Odyssey - Ethno 44
Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey has been out for a few weeks, but how does it hold up to a panel of archaeologists and classicists?
In this episode, I’m joined by archaeologist, author, and YouTuber Raven Todd DaSilva, classicist, researcher, and PhD student Cosima Carnegie, and classicist and ancient dog expert Dr. Alyce Cannon to break down Nolan’s The Odyssey from the perspectives of archaeology, ancient history, and the original Homeric epic.
We get into the film’s Bronze Age armor and architecture, the Trojan Horse, Agamemnon’s infamous helmet, the Sea Peoples and Bronze Age Collapse, and what the movie gets right and wrong about the ancient Mediterranean world. We also compare Nolan’s versions of Polyphemus, Circe, Calypso, the Sirens, Scylla, Argos, and the Underworld with their counterparts in Homer and ancient Greek art.
We also discuss some of the movie’s biggest changes to the original story: turning Odysseus’ hubris into a story about trauma and PTSD, removing much of the sexuality and complexity of Homer’s female characters, changing Odysseus’ relationship with Argos, and reducing some of the cunning and deception that define Odysseus in the original epic.
And then there are the Sea Peoples…
Despite all our archaeological and literary nitpicking, this was a super fun and productive convo. Nolan delivers some genuinely incredible sequences, particularly Polyphemus, the Sirens, Scylla, Circe’s pigs, and Odysseus’ epic return to Ithaca. And if the movie gets more people interested in Homer, Bronze Age Greece, archaeology, and the Late Bronze Age Collapse, isn't that a good thing?
So how accurate is Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey? And more importantly: does it actually matter? Let us know!
Links:
Raven - / digitiwithraven
Cosi: / cosisodyssey
Alyce: / historydoggos
ArchPodNet
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Journal Club - September 2026 - Ghost DNA and Carved Turtles - TAS 340
This week we have the latest installment of the journal Club! Ash and Tilly from the And My Trowel podcast join us for a lively discussion about two recent news articles. Join us to learn about ghost DNA, turtle figurines (or not?), and all the ways Americans eat and drink tea and scones incorrectly!
Links
Researchers identify traces of two ‘ghost’ ancestors in modern human DNA
Recovering signatures of archaic hominin introgression using ancestral recombination graphs
Archaeologists Dug up 25 Turtles Carved During the Ice Age. They May Point to a Lost Mountain Cult.
Recently dug turtle figurines expose ancient ritual heritage
Contact
Chris Webster
Rachel Roden
ArchPodNet
APN Website: https://www.archpodnet.com
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Dr George Nash and Bacon Hole, Palaeolithic Art - Rock Art 172
In this episode, Alan speaks with Dr. George Nash about Ice Age archaeology and rock art in South Wales. They explore the remarkable discoveries at Bacon Hole and Cat Hole, including a painted cave panel rediscovered after disappearing beneath calcite for decades, and a stylized reindeer engraving dated using uranium-thorium dating. They also examine Ice Age hunter-gatherer movement, the changing landscape of the Gower Coast, and how new technologies such as D-Stretch are revealing previously invisible traces of prehistoric art.
Transcripts
Links
Contact
ArchPodNet
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Seventh Century Māori in Antarctica? Survey Says No! - Pseudo 191
Did the Māori of New Zealand make an ocean voyage all the way to Antarctica in the 7th century AD, predating the European discovery by many hundreds of years? No. Why not? Because listen and I’ll tell you, that’s why!
Transcripts
Contact
ArchPodNet
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Ancient Inscriptions - TAS 339
In this episode of The Archaeology Show, we follow three discoveries that reveal how much ancient meaning can survive—and how much can still elude us. First, we look at rare Neolithic obsidian arrowheads from central Anatolia, etched with one-of-a-kind geometric designs that took real effort to carve, yet remain impossible to interpret. Then we head deep into Spain’s Cova de les Dones, where a hidden chamber holds 120 Latin inscriptions—evidence of an organized Roman cult centered on a mysterious “Lady,” Domina, and the name “MALACI.” Finally, we travel to Wetar Island in eastern Indonesia, where a 4,000-year-old painted stone plaque provides the first portable example of Austronesian Painting Tradition art, suggesting seafarers carried shared symbols and identities across the ocean long before pottery arrived.
Links
Segment 1
Segment 2
120 Roman-Era Inscriptions Found Deep in a Spanish Cave Point to a Mysterious Goddess Named 'Domina'
Segment 3
Contact
Chris Webster
Rachel Roden
ArchPodNet
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Cute Archaeology with Zac Lindsey (part 1) - Teabreak 60
It’s time for a guest! Jessica and Matilda are joined by Mayanist Zac Lindsey in this episode focusing on the aesthetic concept of “cute”. But what exactly is “cute”? How can we study it archaeologically? And can we pitch a new idea to Disney featuring an adulterous rabbit? Listen in to find out!
Transcripts
Links
Contact the Host
Matilda’s Contact Details
Email: matilda@thearchaeologiststeacup.com
Jess’s Contact Details
ArchPodNet
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Archaeology of the Hobbit: Memories and Dirt - Trowel 72
Ash and Tilly have finally started chapter 2 of The Hobbit, which means its time for some frantic last-minute preparations before they set off on their quest, or on their archaeological excavation! Together, they discuss their packing essentials, their bucket-list sites, and why you should always know where your handkerchief is.
Books mentioned:
Jingo (Terry Pratchett)
Links
Bamburgh Research Project (North East England)
Apolline Project (Italy)
The SERF Project (Forteviot)
Tools
Contact
Email: andmytrowel@gmail.com
Instagram: @and.my.trowel
Transcripts
For rough transcripts of this episode, go to: https://www.archpodnet.com/trowel/72
ArchPodNet
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