Pre-Clovis Sites Part 2 - TAS 142
With the definitive dating of the “human” footprints at White Sands pushing back the earliest human occupation of North America to 21,000 to 23,000 years BP, we decided to take a look at several well known pre-Clovis sites. These sites are often controversial and heavily debated amongst archaeologists. We’ll discuss the findings from each site, why they are controversial, and what we think.
Links
Stunning footprints push back human arrival in Americas by thousands of years (Nat Geo)
Evidence of humans in North America during the Last Glacial Maximum (Science)
130k-Year-Old Arch Site with Dr. Steven Holen - Special Episode - The Archaeology Show
Radioactive Science and a 130,000-Year-Old Mastodon - ArchaeoTech 52
Settlers of Cerutti: Evaluating Claims About the Cerutti Mastodon Site - Ruins 37
Reclaiming Indigenous Histories and the Indigenous Paleolithic - HeVo 31
Getting "in tune" with the Paleoindian with Dr. Jesse Tune - Ruins 50
Surprise discoveries in Mexico Cave may double time of peopling of the Americas
Evidence of human occupation in Mexico around the Last Glacial Maximum
Were humans living in a Mexican cave during the last ice age? (Science)
Contact
Chris Webster
ArchPodNet
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Spooktober: Fear Itself - Dirt 160
We explore the evolutionary roots of fear, and the science of how it works. Why do some people love thrills and chills, while others don't? Why does fear make us stinky? And how can we think about something as personal and ephemeral as fear in the archaeological record?
Links
The biology of fear- and anxiety-related behaviors (Dialogues in Clinical Neuroscience)
The Powerful Smell of Fear Doesn’t Smell Like Anything At All (Inverse)
Alexithymia and emotional reactions to odors (Nature: Scientific Reports)
What we fear most: A developmental advantage for threat-relevant stimuli (Developmental Review)
Playing With Fear: A Field Study in Recreational Horror (Psychological Science)
The Archaeology of Anxiety: The Materiality of Anxiousness, Worry and Fear (via Google Books)
Contact
Email the Dirt Podcast: thedirtpodcast@gmail.com
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"Seeing Red" Episode 14 Review with Emily Van Alst and Lana Ruck - Ruins 79
In this episode of A Life in Ruins (originally recorded in the summer of 2020), Carlton chats with Rock Art Specialist Emily Van Alst and Lana Ruck, who teaches a course in Pseudoarchaeology. The three take a deep dive into Episode 14 - Our Ruined Lives with Bernie Taylor, to deconstruct Mr. Taylor's arguments and claims he made on the show. We review the individuals whom Mr. Taylor "name-drops" throughout his interview to sus-out their expertise and contextualize how they're being used in Mr. Taylor's arguments.
Lana illustrates the pseudoscience techniques and tactics that he employs, such as appeals to authority, inciting skepticism of the scientific process, and deflection of topics. Emily brings her expertise on Rock Art research to provide background and contemporary thought and method to the topic. The broad point that Carlton, Emily, and Lana make is that CONTEXT is important, and the purpose of this conversation is to respectfully provide context to Episode 14 and the claims that were made.
Guest Contacts
Lana's Twitter: @LanaRuck
Lana's Instagram: @LanaLately
ScIU's Instagram: @sciublog
Emily Twitter: @emilyvanawesome
Emily Instagram: @emilyvanawesome
Contact
Instagram: @alifeinruinspodcast
Facebook: @alifeinruinspodcast
Twitter: @alifeinruinspod
Website: www.alifeinruins.com
Ruins on APN: https://www.archaeologypodcastnetwork.com/ruins
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Pay Scales and Exemptions - CRM Arch 224
Are you exempt or non-exempt? What does that even mean and what does it mean for you? How much pay should you ask for when applying for a job? What are the employer's responsibilities regarding overtime? We answers these questions and more on this week's episode.
Links
Follow Our Panelists On Twitter
Bill @succinctbill; Doug @openaccessarch; Stephen @processarch; Bill A. @archaeothoughts; Chris W @Archeowebby, @DIGTECHLLC, and @ArchPodNet
Blogs:
Bill White: Succinct Research
Doug Rocks-MacQueen: Doug’s Archaeology
Stephen Wagner: Process - Opinions on Doing Archaeology
Chris Webster: Random Acts of Science
ArchPodNet
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The 405th Anniversary of Ben Johnson's Comedy 'The Devil Is An Ass' with Prof. D. Purkiss - Flipside 5
This Spooky Season episode is inspired by the 405th Anniversary of Ben Johnson's Comedy 'The Devil is an Ass', which appeared first on stage on the 1st October 1616. This play was and is rather special, as it mocks superstition and witchcraft belief, and makes The Devil himself and his lesser demons appear rather behind the times. In the Enlightened Age of the 1600s, the denizens of hell just don't know how to tempt like they once did. This discussion contains everything from the Witchcraft Trials including mention of Pendle, landscapes of superstition, the folklore of archaeology, symbolism within the persecution, and much, much more! Joining me this episode is Prof. D. Purkiss a lecturer in English Literature and History at the University of Oxford.
WARNING: This episode does discuss the witchcraft persecution and some aspects of ritual sacrifice. It goes with the topic, but some people might find these aspects a little disturbing.
Music
Intro/Outro Music - Creative Commons - "Fantasia Fantasia" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
ArchPodNet
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Indigenous Mapping: The One Holding the Pen Tells the Story - HeVo 56
On today’s podcast Jessica interviews Steve DeRoy (Buffalo Clan, Anishinaabe/Saulteaux, Ebb and Flow First Nation), co-founder, director and past president of The Firelight Group and founder of the Indigenous Mapping Workshop. Steve and Jessica do a deep dive into Indigenous mapping. How does one Indigenize mapping, why is that important, and what are some of the ethics involved? We also discuss the 2021 Indigenous Mapping Workshop coming up November 1-5, 2021 as well as ongoing resources available (free for Indigenous individuals, Nations, and organizations!) through the Indigenous Mapping Collective. Register to attend the 2021 Indigenous Mapping Workshop: Turtle Island, by RSVPing on the Indigenous Mapping Collective in the links below.
Links
Contact
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The Life of Bryon: An Interview with Dr. Bryon Schroeder and Connor Johnen - Ruins 78
In this episode of A Life in Ruins, Connor does a solo interview with Dr. Bryon Schroeder. Dr. Schroeder was originally on Episode 15, where he discussed his career in archaeology and regaled us with tales about Texas archaeology that were sometimes, quite disturbing. Connor wanted to continue to talk with him about his research because it is very interesting. We talk about some of the work in caves he has been doing, his work with sloths, and catch up about the mummy we discussed in the original episode. This episode was originally recorded in July of 2020.
Contact for Guest
Center for Big Bend Studies Instagram: @centerforbigbendstudies
Contact
Instagram: @alifeinruinspodcast
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Spooktober: Monster Mash - Dirt 159
This week, we lift our spirits (oooOOOooo) with a round-up of monsters. We explore their origins and effects on us, with examples ranging from memories of very real things in the past to a hypothesis that doesn't quite have legs (unlike griffins).
Links
Why we'll always be obsessed with – and afraid of – monsters (The Conversation)
Why the scariest monsters look almost human (Wellcome Collection)
Why do we want to feel sorry for monsters that scare us? (Gizmodo)
Neanderthals, Scandinavian trolls, and troglodytes (Norwegian American)
Why Protoceratops almost certainly wasn't the inspiration for the griffin legend (Mark Witton)
Andrewsarchus, "Superb Skull of a Gigantic Beast" (American Museum of Natural History)
Rare Book Library Summons Tales of World’s Oldest Monsters (Smithsonian)
The Nazi Werewolves Who Terrorized Allied Soldiers at the End of WWII (Smithsonian)
The strange tale of ‘Monster Mash’, the graveyard smash that will never die (NME)
Contact
Email the Dirt Podcast: thedirtpodcast@gmail.com
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Pre-Clovis Sites Part 1 - TAS 141
With the definitive dating of the “human” footprints at White Sands pushing back the earliest human occupation of North America to 21,000 to 23,000 years BP, we decided to take a look at several well known pre-Clovis sites. These sites are often controversial and heavily debated amongst archaeologists. We’ll discuss the findings from each site, why they are controversial, and what we think. In Part 1 we cover four of the youngest pre-Clovis Sites including, Paisley Cave in Oregon, Monte Verde in Chile, Gault in Texas and Topper in South Carolina.
Links
New Archaeological Evidence for an Early Human Presence at Monte Verde, Chile
Evidence of an early projectile point technology in North America at the Gault Site, Texas, USA
Contact
Chris Webster
ArchPodNet
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Why Digital Archaeology? A Case Study - ArchaeoTech 165
Archaeologists have been using digital technologies to augment traditional field archaeology for several decades (GPS and mapping mostly). However, as modern technologies continue to enter the archaeological space, most researchers are using these techniques almost as a second thought. The authors of this case study argue for development of a digital strategy that will allow researchers to plan and develop questions that are answered by a suite of techniques.
Links
Transcript
So, transcripts are new from our recording software. It doesn’t get everything right and the transcript is the raw recording with no editing. But, it’s better than nothing and I’m glad we have them now! Let me know what you think in the comments.
Contact
Chris Webster
Twitter: @archeowebby
Paul Zimmerman
Twitter: @lugal
Email: paul@lugal.com
ArchPodNet
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The Gault in Our Stars: A Conversation with Dr. Robert Lassen - Ruins 77
In this episode, we are chatting with Dr. Robert Lassen, a Principal Investigator for AmaTerra Environmental. Robert received his Ph.D. from the University of Tennessee where he specialized in lithic technology and studied Clovis and Folsom archaeological cultures. He has worked at a multitude of sites throughout the Republic of Texas, including Gault. He's also worked at the Topper site in South Carolina. Robert is an expert flintknapper and was also David’s Human origins TA at the University of Tennessee. We talk about his inspiration from the goonies and his early years digging in the playground. Robert tells us about his experience with Texas archaeology and his love of lithic technology. We then delve deeply into why Texas archaeology is so cool and underappreciated and then close out with his experiences at the Gault site.
Literature recommendations
1) 2013 The Prehistory of Texas By Timothy K. Perrtula
2) 2010 First Peoples in a New World: Colonizing Ice Age America by David J. Meltzer
3) Texas Beyond History Website
Contact
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Ammonite and Mary Anning - TAS 140
Released on Hulu in 2020, Ammonite is a fictionalized movie that portrays a few years at the end of Mary Anning's life. She was an amateur paleontologist and with her family discovered the first ichthyosaur fossils in England. We talk about the movie, what it got right and what it didn't, and about the real Mary Anning and her life, work, and discoveries.
Links
Contact
Chris Webster
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Spooktober: Homo lepidopteris - Dirt 158
This week, we're taking a turn for the cryptid and spooking local with the legend of West Virginia native son, the Mothman. For a little over a year leading up to December 1967, sightings of a winged humanoid with glowing eyes were reported in and around Point Pleasant, WV. Since then, Mothman has evolved from evil omen to legend to meme. In this episode, we’ll explore the legend, collective memory, and the power of portents.
Links
Mothman: The Facts Behind the Legend (West Virginia Book Company)
Mothman myth rooted in Messenger reporter's work (Athens Messenger)
Silver Bridge tragedy still haunts river city residents (Charleston Gazette-Mail)
UFOs Were Born Among America’s Cold War Fears (Foreign Policy)
Federal Facilities Restoration Program (WV Dept of Environmental Protection)
Contact
Email the Dirt Podcast: thedirtpodcast@gmail.com
ArchPodNet
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Great Mural Rock Art and Travel Adventures - Rock Art 55
Trudy Angell is the principal for Saddling South a travel company that runs trips into the interior of the Baja California Peninsula in Mexico. She and her company are pioneers in this kind of adventure, off the grid, travel. This is especially relevant when it comes to some of the most spectacular and among the largest rock art images in the world. The Great Mural Rock Art of Baja is both spectacular unto itself but its landscape context makes it even more so. Take a trip with us on the back of a mule with our gear packed on donkeys to visit this remarkable country... Come along and learn about these mysterious images and the epic adventures one experiences visiting them.
Links
Contact
Chris Webster
Dr. Alan Garfinkel
ArchPodNet
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Declining Higher Education Enrollment - CRMArch 223
Today we talk about the lower student populations currently, and getting worse, in higher education. We end up talking about some alternatives to a higher education and how university programs can pivot to become more attractive to students.
Links
Follow Our Panelists On Twitter
Bill @succinctbill; Doug @openaccessarch; Stephen @processarch; Bill A. @archaeothoughts; Chris W @Archeowebby, @DIGTECHLLC, and @ArchPodNet
Blogs:
Bill White: Succinct Research
Doug Rocks-MacQueen: Doug’s Archaeology
Stephen Wagner: Process - Opinions on Doing Archaeology
Chris Webster: Random Acts of Science
ArchPodNet
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Time Warped! Part Five - The Zooarchaeology of the Medieval Period - Animals 39
On the last instalment of the ‘Time Warped’ miniseries, Alex and Simona discuss animal exploitation in the Medieval period. Also ineffective door-to-door Beaker salesmen, snail-riding cats and confusing cave site stratigraphy.
Links
https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/learn/story-of-england/medieval/
https://www.medievalists.net/2012/08/when-were-the-middle-ages-2/
Ashby, S.P. (2002) The role of zooarchaeology in the interpretation of socioeconomic status: a discussion with reference to Medieval Europe. Archaeological Review from Cambridge. pp. 37-59.
Fitzpatrick, A. (2019) Identification of avian remains from Covesea Cave 2, on the Moray Firth coast, northeastern Scotland. Cave and Karst.
- Bramanti, B. et al. (2021) Assessing the origins of the European Plagues following the Black Death: A synthesis of genomic, historical, and ecological information. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences Sep 2021, 118 (36).
- Hodges, R. (2012) Dark Age Economics, Bloomsbury Publishing
Contact
Alex FitzpatrickTwitter: @archaeologyfitz
Simona FalangaTwitter: @CrazyBoneLady
Alex’s Blog: Animal Archaeology
Music "Coconut - (dyalla remix)" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_2UiKoouqaY
Affiliates
Spooktober: Feral Children - Dirt 157
SPOOKTOBER HAS BEGUN! This week, we discuss the trope in myth, legend, horror, and adjacent genres of feral children. We won't be directly discussing actual cases of trauma, neglect, or child abuse, but rather the place of the bestial feral child in the mythology of different ancient cultures all the way up to a more recent timeline. Why do these stories interest us, spook us, and who's the real monster here?
Links
Register for our International Archaeology Day Live Show on October 16!
Black Doves Speak: Herodotus and the Languages of Barbarians (Center for Hellenic Studies)
Guide to the classics: the Epic of Gilgamesh (The Conversation)
Between gods and animals: becoming human in the Gilgamesh epic (Aeon)
Why Sasquatch and Other Crypto-Beasts Haunt Our Imaginations (Anthropology of Consciousness)
Wild stories: why do we find feral children so fascinating? (The Guardian)
Contact
Email the Dirt Podcast: thedirtpodcast@gmail.com
ArchPodNet
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Something A-foot in White Sands National Monument with Dr. Shane Miller and Dr. Jesse Tune - Ruins 76
Something's afoot. There is, yet again, another controversial preclovis find. This time, away from the West Coast and in New Mexico. The controversy surrounds human footprints found in White Sands National Park that are dated between 23 and 21 kya.
To discuss these possible pre-Clovis footprints, we invited Dr. Jesse Tune and Dr. Shane Miller on the show to contextualize the data. We begin with an open discussion about the recent published report and try to understand what the researches found at the site. We then chat about their controversy, how it’s hit the mainstream media, and what the ramifications of the repaint are for archaeology.
The conversation then turns into a open dialogue about scientific biases, as well as the role of Indigenous oral traditions and their incorporation into scientific theories.
Literature recommendations
2020, Bennett et al., Walking in mud: Remarkable Pleistocene human trackways from White Sands National Park (New Mexico), Quaternary Science Reviews
2018 Bustos et al., Footprints preserve terminal Pleistocene hunt? Human-sloth interactions in North America, Supplmentary Materials, Science Advances
2021 Rachal et al., Lake levels and trackways: An alternative model to explain the timing of human-megafauna trackway intersections, Tularosa Basin, New Mexico, Quaternary Science Advances
2021 Bennett et al., Evidence of humans in North Americaduring the Last Glacial Maximum, Science
2020 Ardelean et al., Evidence of human occupation in Mexico around the Last Glacial Maximum, Nature
Links
Earliest evidence of human activity in the Americas found at White Sands National Park
The White Sands discovery only confirms what Indigenous people have said all along
Contact
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Reconsidering Point Typologies of North Carolina with Dr. Randy Daniel - TAS 139
In this episode we interview Dr. Randy Daniel of East Carolina University about his new book: Time, Typology, and Point Traditions in North Carolina Archaeology. His research interests include the archaeology of prehistoric hunter-gatherers in the Southeastern United States, particularly hunter-gatherer adaptations at the end of the last Ice Age. Dr. Daniel recognized the need to update, revise and add to the previous point typology definitions in North Carolina, which lead to the book published earlier this year. We chat with Dr. Daniel about why the update was needed, as well as his methodology and approach towards working with private land owners and amateur collectors.
Links
Contact
Chris Webster
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Rock Paintings of Sierra de San Francisco - Rock Art 54
Dr. Garfinkel has been to Baja California a number of times to study the rock paintings of the area and to lead tours for the California Rock Art Foundation. On this episode, Chris interviews Dr. Garfinkel about the significance of the works, what they could mean, and about the people that made them.
Links
Contact
Chris Webster
Dr. Alan Garfinkel
ArchPodNet
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