And My Trowel

Where fantasy meets archaeology! The realms between fantasy and reality have collided and only archaeologists can pave the way through the unknown. Ash and Tilly, armed with two trowels and a backlog of archaeological theory, navigate to new, thrilling worlds, filled with magic and mayhem to answer those burgeoning questions that only archaeologists can answer.

The Intangible Wand - Ep 24
Rachel Roden Rachel Roden

The Intangible Wand - Ep 24

Ash and Tilly are about to embark on their biggest quest yet - trying to find archaeological evidence for the origins of magic! But how can you identify magic in the archaeological record? Listen in to hear a discussion about what defines a wand, how to tell if someone’s used magic, and what the link is between witches and beer.

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Damsels in Distress - Ep 23
Rachel Roden Rachel Roden

Damsels in Distress - Ep 23

This episode, Ash and Tilly are on a bit of a side quest that becomes much bigger than they ever thought possible, as they try to help a student from Lothlorien University critique the concept of a “damsel in distress” using gender archaeology. But what exactly is gender archaeology? What’s the difference between feminist and gender archaeology? And why do we need it? Listen in to find out!

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Two or More Objects Meet in a Hoard - Ep 22
Rachel Roden Rachel Roden

Two or More Objects Meet in a Hoard - Ep 22

It’s part two of a discussion all about hoards! Ash and Tilly are joined by Dr Adrián Maldonado in their quest to identify a hoard of objects recently stumbled across in the middle of the redevelopment of Khazad-dûm. But how do you identify a hoard? What kind of research can be done on them? Are were Viking silver rings just a medieval form of friendship bracelet? Listen it to find out!

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Two or More Objects Meet in a Hoard - Ep 21
Rachel Roden Rachel Roden

Two or More Objects Meet in a Hoard - Ep 21

Deep in the heart of Khazad-dûm, changes are being made. Caverns are being restored, bridges are being rebuilt, and there’s even plans for a new shopping centre… But when a huge hoard of objects is discovered in a hidden chamber, Ash and Tilly are called in to investigate! And helping them in their quest is Dr Adrián Maldonado - archaeologist, author, and expert on hoards.

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Personhood Through the Looking Glass - Ep 20
Rachel Roden Rachel Roden

Personhood Through the Looking Glass - Ep 20

After the physical labour of episode 19, Ash and Tilly decide to put their interpretative skills to work in this episode, and discuss how to research a certain magical mirror that has been dropped in their office. To do that, they chat about the history of mirrors, the symbolism of mirrors, and try to work out how exactly you would classify a magical mirror.

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Looking at the fantastic side of archaeology and the ARCHAEOLOGY side of fantasy.