The Past Macabre

Join Egyptologist Stephanie Rice as she delves into topics such as the elaborate tombs built to immortalize the dead, ancient guardians of the afterlife, and the tales of heroes who defied and often triumphed over deities of death. The Past Macabre explores the diverse ways in which cultures throughout history have sought to understand, confront, and transcend death.

Ancient Fossil Finds and Mythical Creatures Part 2: The Bones of Heroes and Monsters - TPM 29
Rachel Roden Rachel Roden

Ancient Fossil Finds and Mythical Creatures Part 2: The Bones of Heroes and Monsters - TPM 29

In this continuation of The Past Macabre’s exploration of fossils and myth, host Stephanie Rice examines how ancient cultures interpreted fossil discoveries and connected them to tales of monsters, heroes, and gods. Through oral traditions, archaeological finds, and texts from the Mexica (Aztecs) and Maya of Mesoamerica, the Hopi, Zuni, and Dine (Navajo) of the American Southwest, pre-Christian Ireland, and Classical Greece, this episode explores what these stories tell us about humanity’s enduring curiosity about the natural world.

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PROMO - Heritage Voices - Ep 98
Rachel Roden Rachel Roden

PROMO - Heritage Voices - Ep 98

As the APN takes a break this holiday season we’re taking this opportunity to bring you episodes of other network shows you may not be aware of. Please enjoy this episode of the Heritage Voices Podcast!

For this episode of Heritage Voices, Jessica Yaquinto speaks with Charlotta Hillerdal (University of Aberdeen), Jaqueline Nalikutaar Cleveland (Native Village of Kwinhagak), Lonny Alaskuk Strunk (Native Village of Kwinhagak), and Alice Watterson (University of Iceland). The team explains how climate change was causing artifacts to erode out on the shoreline, so the Native Village of Quinhagak (Kwinhagak)  requested an archaeological excavation so that their heritage would be documented. They describe how what would happen to those artifacts and how to educate the community and larger public about their heritage remained a constant concern and area of discussion. The team described the process of creating this public education resource and how they conveyed the sense of place and focused on incorporating the language into the digital exhibit.

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PROMO: The Rock Art Podcast Ep 144
Rachel Roden Rachel Roden

PROMO: The Rock Art Podcast Ep 144

In this episode, Dr. Alan Garfinkel speaks with Dr Damien Finch from the University of Melbourne about Kimberly Rock Art and his work on the application of radiocarbon dating to determine the age of rock art. They discuss how scientific techniques can be applied to past human activity and, of course, rock art!

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Welcome to The Past Macabre! Where we dive into humanity’s enduring obsession with death—and what lies beyond it!