Heritage Interpretation: Shapes and Forms - EXARC 01
In this episode of the EXARC Show, Jess Shaw hosts a lively talk on heritage interpretation with Caroline Nicolay from Pario Gallico. What does the term cover? What forms can it take? How accurate should it be? What is the role of buildings and why are they important? Caroline is a professional living historian with a unique range of interests and experience.
Links
Earlier episode of the EXARC Show on ancient building techniques: Mud Matters
Presentation on YT: All you need is Mud - How Open-Air Museums can Champion Sustainability in the Built Environment
Presentation on YT: Mud Huts or Eco-houses? When archaeology meets sustainable architecture
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Mobile Artifacts and Conventional Signs with Dr Christian Bentz and Dr Ewa Dutkiewicz - Rock Art 162
In this episode, Alan speaks with Dr Christian Bentz and Dr Ewa Dutkiewicz about their research on early systems of conventional signs. They explore how recurring symbols in rock art and mobile artifacts may reflect shared visual communication as far back as 40,000 years ago, and what this reveals about early human cognition and culture.
Transcripts
Links
SignBase, a collection of geometric signs on mobile objects in the Palaeolithic
Humans 40,000 years ago developed a system of conventional signs
Contact
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Material Culture & Cognitive Evolution with Dr Matilda Siebrecht - ADHD 203
In this episode, George is joined by archaeologist and podcaster Matilda (Tilly) Siebrecht to explore what artefacts can really tell us about the human mind.
These aren’t just ancient objects — they’re decisions, habits, and lived experiences.
From tool use to decorative beads, George and Tilly discuss how material culture reveals:
• How people thought and learned
• The role of skill, repetition, and behaviour
• What wear and tear tells us about everyday life
• And how individual differences show up in the archaeological record
Drawing on Tilly’s work in material culture and experimental archaeology, this episode brings the past to life through the objects people left behind.
Because archaeology isn’t just about what survived…
It’s about the many ways people experienced being human.
Links
Transcripts
Music
Your Story by MusicbyAden | https://soundcloud.com/musicbyaden
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Archaeotextiles with Ronja Lau (part 2) - Teabreak 50
It’s time for part two of Matilda’s chat with textile archaeologist Ronja Lau! After discussing the background to Ronja’s current work in the Duerrnberg salt mines, the two delve deeper (pun intended) into the most interesting and surprising results of the project. Spoiler alert: it turns out that Iron Age Duerrnbergians enjoyed the look of a purple pin-striped suit!
Transcripts
Links
Contact the Host
Email: matilda@thearchaeologiststeacup.com
insta: @the_archaeologists_teacup
twitter: @ArchaeoTeacup
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The Daub Towers (Part 2) - Trowel 64
Ash and Tilly continue their discussion on archaeo-construction with experimental archaeologist and living historian Caroline Nicolay. Together, they outline the details of how to complete their quest of reconstructing a Fallohide seasonal settlement for the Anduin Fallohide Fellowship of Museums and Antiquity. Listen in to hear all about upside-down baskets, thatching (at a pinch), and why you need to build a wall before you can paint it.
Links
Book recommendation from Caroline: Thatch: Thatching In England 1790-1940: Pt. 1 (English Heritage Research Transactions). Letts, John; Moir, James
Contact
Email: andmytrowel@gmail.com
Instagram: @and.my.trowel
Transcripts
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Carrying the Stories: Preservation and Responsibility in the Crow Nation with Aaron Brien - Plains 39
In this episode of The Great Plains Archaeology Podcast, Carlton is joined by Aaron Brien (Apsáalooke), Tribal Historic Preservation Officer for the Crow Tribe, for a powerful conversation on history, memory, and responsibility. Grounded in Aaron’s experiences growing up with Crow oral traditions, the discussion explores how storytelling serves as a living practice, one that maintains relationships across generations and keeps the past present.
Aaron reflects on how memory and identity are carried through stories shared by his grandmothers and community, emphasizing that these narratives are not simply about the past, but are central to cultural continuity and the Crow worldview. The conversation then turns to his role as a Tribal Historic Preservation Officer, where these same values guide how cultural heritage is protected, interpreted, and passed forward.
The episode also looks ahead to the upcoming 150th anniversary of the Battle of the Little Bighorn, considering what remembrance, responsibility, and representation mean from a Crow perspective. Together, these themes highlight the importance of Indigenous knowledge, lived experience, and storytelling in shaping both the past and the future.
Transcripts
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
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The Tomb of Fu Hao, Ancient China's Warrior Queen - TPM 34
In 1976 near the ruins of the ancient capital Yin, archaeologists rediscovered the tomb of Fu Hao and it transformed our understanding of the Shang Dynasty. Most royal tombs were ravaged by looters, but the final resting place of Fu Hao remained perfectly preserved. Now we know in addition to her duties as queen, she was also a military general, priestess, and she managed lands of her own.
For Women's History Month, learn about the life of this legendary figure through the contents of her tomb. From bronze Yue axes symbolizing her military authority to the world’s oldest jade archery ring to trade goods from far off lands, learn about some of the artifacts that helped us rediscover a warrior queen from the first dynasty of Ancient China.
Offline Sources Cited:
Chinese Academy of History. 2025. Rituals of the Xia and Shang Dynasties (c. 2070–1046 BCE). In: A Concise History of Chinese Civilization. Springer, Singapore..
Kwok, Kian-Chow. 1984. The Tomb of Fu Hao. Thesis, University of British Columbia, Vancouver.
Institute of Archaeology, Chinese Academy of Social Science (Ed.). 2003. Zhongguo kaoguxue, xiashangjuan [Chinese archaeology, Xia and Shang dynasties]. China Social Sciences Press.
Schwartz, Adam C. 2019. The Oracle Bone Inscriptions from Huayuanzhuang East: Translated with an Introduction and Commentary. De Gruyter.
Links
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Cave of Forgotten Dreams (2010) - Screens 125
Cave of Forgotten Dreams (2010) is a surreal documentary by Werner Hertzog offering viewers an unprecedented glimpse of Europe’s oldest Palaeolithic art inside France’s Chauvet Cave. As we step into the cave, we cross a threshold between present and past, waking and dreaming, fact and truth... sanity and insanity... A place where juggling archaeologists dream of lions, perfumers find caves by smell, and nuclear crocodiles draw closer every year.
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Monte Verde Discussion Panel with Drs. Shane Miller, Spencer Pelton, Jesse Tune, and Carlton Gover - Ethno 34
In this episode of Ethnocynology, David hosts a panel of guests, including Drs. Shane Miller, Spencer Pelton, Jesse Tune, and Carlton Gover, to discuss the recent Monte Verde paper by Surovell et al.
They discuss the recent paper, the synopsis, and address the many professionally published comments and critiques of the paper, as well as the conversation of the paper on the YouTube video of the previous episode.
Links:
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Interpreting the Past with Professor Duncan Garrow - ADHD 202
In this episode, George is joined by archaeologist Professor Duncan Garrow to explore how archaeologists turn fragments of evidence into meaningful stories about the past.
From soil layers to artefacts and landscapes, they discuss how we piece together human lives from what remains—and the creativity, curiosity, and pattern recognition that make this possible.
The conversation also touches on how different ways of thinking, including neurodivergent traits, can be a real strength in archaeology.
And at the heart of it all is uncertainty.
Even with careful methods and decades of research, some questions remain unanswered—like how the first Neolithic farmers managed to get cows across the sea to Britain.
It’s a light moment, but it captures something essential:
Archaeology isn’t just about answers…
It’s about embracing the mystery of the past.
Transcripts
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Your Story by MusicbyAden | https://soundcloud.com/musicbyaden
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Skull Wars is a Great Book - Pseudo 181
I have decided to stop using David Hurst Thomas’ 2000 book Skull Wars in my classes because it is a bit old at this point. But it’s still great, and gives an excellent overview of relations between archaeologists and the Native community, including many Pseudoarchaeological beliefs from the 19th and early 20th centuries!
Transcripts
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Archaeotextiles with Ronja Lau (part 1) - Tea-break 49
It’s time to venture into the mines! But make sure you are well dressed… This episode, Matilda chats with textile archaeologist Ronja Lau all about her work looking at Iron Age clothing from the Duerrnberg salt mines. Tune in to hear all about the history of textile archaeology, the importance of salt in preserving clothes, and why you should support archaeological research!
Transcripts
Links
Contact the Host
Email: matilda@thearchaeologiststeacup.com
insta: @the_archaeologists_teacup
twitter: @ArchaeoTeacup
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BREAKING NEWS - Monte Verde is no longer a pre-Clovis site, with Dr. Todd Surovell - Ethno 33
For decades, Monte Verde in southern Chile has been one of the most famous archaeological sites in the Americas. The site was widely accepted as 14,500 years old, making it one of the strongest pieces of evidence for human presence in the Americas before Clovis.
But what if that interpretation was wrong?
In this special episode, I sit down with Dr. Todd Surovell, professor of anthropology at the University of Wyoming, to discuss new research that re-examines Monte Verde using modern geoarchaeological methods. The results suggest that the famous site may actually be much younger than previously believed, dating to the Holocene rather than the Ice Age.
If true, this would mean that Monte Verde is not evidence for pre-Clovis humans in South America, and it could force archaeologists to reconsider one of the most influential discoveries in American archaeology.
We discuss:
The history of the Monte Verde discovery
Why it reshaped textbooks in the 1990s
How new geological and dating analyses challenge the original interpretation
What this means for Clovis-first vs. pre-Clovis models
Why independent verification and skepticism are essential in science
This episode explores how science evolves—and how even the most famous discoveries can be re-examined.
Links:
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Treasures, Seated Skeletons, and Egyptian Receipts - TAS 325
This week on The Archaeology Show, we tour three very different windows into the ancient world: a 5,000-year-old tomb packed with remarkable treasures, a surprising discovery of upright-buried skeletons beneath a French school, and tens of thousands of Egyptian notes and receipts that capture everyday life in vivid detail. We unpack what these finds reveal about status and burial ritual, how archaeologists interpret unusual body positions, and what “boring” paperwork can tell us about work, money, and people behind the monuments. Three discoveries, one big question: what survives—and what it can still say.
Links
Segment 1
Segment 2
Segment 3
Contact
Chris Webster
Rachel Roden
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The Daub Towers (Part 1) - Trowel 63
It’s time to get out our plastering trowels out, because this episode Ash and Tilly are (re)joined by experimental archaeologist and archaeo-construction expert Caroline Nicolay. Together, the three tackle the quest of reconstructing a Fallohide (hunter-gatherer hobbit) seasonal home for the Anduin Fallohide Fellowship of Museums and Antiquity. But all is not as simple as it seems… Listen in to hear why burnt clay is so important, what a vampire did tohis historic castle, and how you too can become a mud mason.
Books mentioned:
Den of Wolves (Juliet Marillier)
The Bards of the Bone Plain (Patricia A. McKillip)
The Viscount of Adrilanka (Steven Brust)
Your Coffin or Mine (Jacklyn Hyde)
Legends and Lattes (Travis Baldree)
Can’t Spell Treason Without Tea (Rebecca Thorne)
Carpe Jugulum (Terry Pratchett)
Links
Contact
Email: andmytrowel@gmail.com
Instagram: @and.my.trowel
Transcripts
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Fort Berthold Indian Reservation Visit - Plains 38
On this week’s episode, Carlton recounts his recent trip to the Fort Berthold Indian Reservation. The Fort Berthold Indian Reservation is the home of the Three Affiliated Tribes: Mandan, Hidatsa, and Arikara. While recounting his recent trip, Carlton dives back into Middle Missouri Archaeology.
Transcripts
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
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Turn That Frown Upside Down - The Positives in the Current State of Archaeology - CRMArch 328
The hosts consider the positives in the current state of CRM and academic archaeology. As anthropologists we are especially conscious of how society impacts our discipline and at times can trend towards the negative and get mired in the fear of what lays ahead. In this episode, we discuss how any challenge can be used for opportunity and how change and progress is best effectuated through a positive attitude.
Transcripts
Links
Blogs and Resources:
Bill White: Succinct Research
Doug Rocks-MacQueen: Doug’s Archaeology
Chris Webster: DIGTECH LLC
Andrew Kinkella
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Ancient Egyptian Goddesses of Necropolises - TPM 33
In celebration of Women's History Month, this episode is about four lesser-known goddesses of the ancient Egyptian afterlife whose primary roles were to protect, nourish, and occasionally punish those within the city of the dead. While famous deities often dominate pop culture, these four goddesses offer a unique window into how the Egyptians viewed the natural world and the social roles of mortal women.
Discover the stories and archaeological footprints of Imentet who was the personification of the West; Khefethernebes and Meretseger who were both from the Theban Necropolis; and Hapetnebes from the Abydan Necropolis.
From the royal tombs to the graffiti of tomb builders, this episode traces how the divine feminine provided a sense of security for both the physical body and the soul on its journey through the Duat.
Offline Sources Cited:
El Menyawy, Habiba. 2021. The Goddess Xft-Hr Nb.s. Journal of Association of Arab Universities for Tourism and Hospitality 0(0):1–33.
Iwaszczuk, Jadwiga. 2017. Sacred Landscape of Thebes during the Reign of Hatshepsut. Royal Construction Projects. Topography of the West Bank, Vol. 1. Institut des Cultures Méditerranéennes et Orientales de l’Académie Polonaise des Sciences (IKŚiO PAN), Warsaw.
Jacquet-Gordon, Helen K. 1967. The Illusory Year 36 of Osorkon I. The Journal of Egyptian Archaeology 53:63–68.
Nagy, Z. 2017. A Study of Scribal Practice in the Late Ramesside Letters: Characteristics of Scribal Mechanisms Deployed in Hieratic to Determine Negative Aorists, 'Not yet' Forms, Second Tenses, Terminatives and Stative Formations PhD thesis, University of Liverpool.
Rummel, Ute, et al. 2020. Landscape, Tombs, and Sanctuaries: In Ritual Landscape and Performance, edited by Christina Geisen, 13:pp. 89–120. Proceedings of the International Conference on Ritual Landscape and Performance, Yale University, September 23-24, 2016 No. Yale Egyptology.
Töpfer, Susanne, Paolo Del Vesco, and Federico Poole (editors). 2022. Deir El-Medina through the Kaleidoscope: Proceedings of the International Workshop, Turin 8th-10th October 2018. Formazione e Ricerca No. Franco Cosimo Panini Editore, Modena.
Zago, Silvia. 2022. The Otherworld (with)in This World: Imhet as a (Super)Natural Conduit between Dimensions in Egyptian Sources. Journal of Near Eastern Studies 81(2):283–304.
Transcripts
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Blackened Teeth, Jaw Surgery, and Ancient Knitting - TAS 324
This week we are back with some News stories! First, we discuss evidence from an Iron Age cemetery in northern Vietnam showing intentional, permanent tooth blackening dating back 2,000 years. Then, we cover a 2,500-year-old Pazyryk culture burial in southern Siberia where CT scans of a mummified woman’s skull suggest a severe jaw injury was stabilized with surgical sutures. And finally, we summarize Bronze Age textile finds from Anatolia dated roughly 1915–1745 BCE and later, including the earliest regional evidence of nalbinding (single-needle “knitting”) and an indigo-dyed hemp fragment identified as the oldest known blue-dyed textile in Bronze Age Anatolia.
Links
Contact
Chris Webster
Rachel Roden
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Stone Age Advertising (Part 2) - Screens 124
We’re back with more caveman TV commercials! From deodorant to veganism to car insurance, it seems like prehistoric people have been exploited to sell everything. All this commercialism seems to be getting to us and this episode kinda devolves into an anti-capitalist rant. So go plant a garden, buy local, and eat the rich! (This is Part Two of a two-part episode)
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