Episodes
It's time to come out of the dark ages this month with one of the most famous British archaeological sites: Sutton Hoo. This episode, Matilda is joined by Natasha Billson, a professional archaeologist and presenter, to chat all about the amazing Sutton Hoo helmet. Why is this object so important to our understanding of the past? What does it have to do with Sri Lankan garnets? And how can archaeologists engage with pseudoscience? Tune in to find out all this and more! Transcripts * For...
Published 03/26/24
This week we discuss 3 archaeological sites that we visited while in Arizona: Tuzigoot National Monument and Montezuma Castle and Well National Monument. Links * Tuzigoot National Park Service page [https://www.nps.gov/tuzi/learn/historyculture/human-history.htm] * Montezuma Castle National Park Service [https://www.nps.gov/moca/learn/historyculture/sinagua.htm] * American Southwest Virtual Museum - Montezuma Castle [https://swvirtualmuseum.nau.edu/photos/index.php?/category/584] *...
Published 03/25/24
It's time for an axe-tremely axe-citing episode! Ash and Tilly have to deal with a tricky situation over at the Bazkardum Society of Dwarfish History, who want to know how to classify a recently donated polished stone axe. Luckily, they have help from special guest Dr Amber Roy - experimental archaeologist and microwear analyst who specialises in prehistoric axes. In this first of two episodes, the three questers discuss the role of axes in fantasy fiction, and what a microscope might be able...
Published 03/22/24
On today's episode, Jessica chats with the crew she has been working with on the Boulder Ethnographic-Education Project. The crew includes the amazing Erica Walters (Ethnographer, Living Heritage Anthropology), Reshawn Edison (Ethnographer, Living Heritage Anthropology; Diné; CESC Program Coordinator for Harvest of All First Nations), and Joseph Gazing Wolf (Executive Director, Heritage Lands Collective (formerly Living Heritage Research Council); Lakota, Nubian, and Amazigh). The crew talks...
Published 03/19/24
Let's dust off our thinking hats and join in exploring two objects brought up in the Ancient Alien episode "Relics" from Season 6, episode 8. First, we will spend time with four golden hats from the European Bronze Age. Some claim they functioned as priestly antennas, but how do they fit into the Bronze Age cult. Then we will move on to the Copper Scrolls, one of the maybe more mysterious scrolls in the Dead Sea Scroll collection. It's a treasure map written on copper and hidden in a cave....
Published 03/19/24
This week we have 3 interesting archaeology news stories. First, we discuss a new dating technique that researchers in Ukraine are using on early human tools. Then, we head over to Mexico where a construction  project has uncovered a uniquely arranged group burial. And finally, we head down to Peru, and the gorgeous city of Cajamarca, where researchers have found the stone circle that was built over 4,000 years ago. Links * Archaeologists Just Uncovered The Oldest Evidence of Humans in...
Published 03/18/24
For today, we are diving into a deep, dark abyss of the truly stupid.  All I can say is that I am truly sorry, because your good sense, happiness, and faith in the human race are guaranteed to be destroyed by the Lost Continent of Mu.  You have been warned. Transcripts * For rough transcripts of this episode go to https://www.archpodnet.com/pseudo/138 Links * Wikipedia page on James Churchward [https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Churchward] Contact * Kinkella Teaches Archaeology...
Published 03/13/24
In our 50th episode, our Geophysics Technician Andres Perez Arana entertains a packed Red Deer to describe what archaeologists are able to observe without getting their hands dirty. He includes many examples of site she has worked at whilst in commercial and academic archaeology. ArchPodNet * APN Website: https://www.archpodnet.com [https://www.archpodnet.com/] * APN on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/archpodnet * APN on Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/archpodnet * APN on Instagram:...
Published 03/13/24
Ouch! In episode 14, Tilly and Ash confront the Magisterium of Malintent, the Grand Council of Dark Lords to talk about their power dynamics and how the archaeological record isn't always as clear cut when it comes to understanding hierarchy and power. Links * DNA Study of female warrior grave (Birka)...
Published 03/08/24
As we scrambled for a topic this week, we all realized that we were having issues with companies going out of business.  Whether buying screens, running radiocarbon samples, or upgrading computer programs, we found that some businesses that we used for years were closing.  What do you do after that happens?  The obvious answer is find a new supplier, but sometimes it's not that easy… Transcripts For rough transcripts of this episode go to https://www.archpodnet.com/crmarchpodcast/284 Blogs...
Published 03/06/24
This time, we will continue our examination of the pyramids of Ancient Egypt, especially the Great Pyramid of Khufu. We will investigate the queen's pyramids, take a trip with Khufu's sun boat, and sit down and read the Red Sea scrolls. Ultimately, we will see that this marvel of human engineering was indeed done by a workforce organized by Khufu. In this episode: * Layers of dating the pyramids * Khufus sunboats * The Queen Pyramids * Pyramid Texts * The Red Sea Scrolls * Links: *...
Published 03/05/24
On today's episode, we interview Dr. Rebecca Foote, the Director of Archaeology and Cultural Heritage Research for the Royal Commission for AlUla in Saudi Arabia (RCU). Rebecca's current role focuses on executing in-depth archaeological study unique in both geographical size and scale, assessing the rich and complex past of the AlUla region of northwest Saudi Arabia. Dr Foote develops archaeological surveys, excavations and research projects with national and international expert teams to...
Published 03/03/24
Chris and Alan discuss a panel that was discovered in the eastern Sierra's of California recently. It's one of the most complex panels that either of us have ever seen. We deconstruct this panel and talk about some of the elements. Transcripts * For rough transcripts of this episode go to https://www.archpodnet.com/rockart/119 Links * To see the image, go to https://www.archpodnet.com/rockart/119 Contact * Dr. Alan Garfinkel [email protected] Dr. Alan Garfinkel's Website ...
Published 03/01/24
Finally, Atlantis in all its glory!!!  In this episode, I track the history of the oxymoron otherwise known as "Atlantean thought."  What is the history of Atlantis? Why do we still talk about it today?  Where is it?  Did Plato just make it up?  (Hint - is Star Wars real, or did George Lucas just make it up? You decide…). Transcripts For rough transcripts of this episode go to https://www.archpodnet.com/pseudo/137 Contact * Kinkella Teaches Archaeology (Youtube)...
Published 02/28/24
After chatting with Danny all about the tools and techniques used in ancient tattooing, it's time to talk about the tattoos themselves! For that, Matilda enlisted the help of professional archaeologist Aaron Deter-Wolf, who specialises in the study of ancient tattoos all around the world. But how exactly can you identify tattoos on badly preserved skin? Why were people tattooing in the past? And how can you juggle independent research with a day job? Tune in to this month's episode to find...
Published 02/27/24
We've got three great news stories for you this week. We start with the oldest rock paintings in South America. They might be conveying a message. Next up is a tale of discarded armor from the first capital of Maryland. Finally, we talk about a 10,000 year old wall that was used to hunt reindeer. It's now under 70 feet of water! Links Segment 1 * This Ancient Cave Art Passed Survival Information Across 130 Human Generations in Patagonia, Study Suggests...
Published 02/26/24
What do you do when you encounter two wizards throwing balls of fire at each other? Soothe them with archaeological theory of course! In this episode, Ash and Tilly have a slightly different task ahead of them as they discuss the history of processual versus post-processual archaeology, all in an attempt to deal with the intricate politics of academic research. Links * Michael Shanks and Ian Hodder chapter on "Processual, Postprocessual, and Interpretive Archaeologies" (1995)...
Published 02/23/24
According to an article Doug read about passion in regards to architecture, Doug asks Chris and Andrew some specific questions. They answer the questions without hearing the other's answers and then the three of them discuss the results. Do you need passion to be an archaeologist? Transcripts * For rough transcripts of this episode go to https://www.archpodnet.com/crmarchpodcast/283 Links * We couldn't link to the article. Blogs and Resources: * Bill White: Succinct Research...
Published 02/21/24
On today's episode, Jessica chats with Dr. Shayla Monroe (Assistant Professor of Anthropology at Harvard University) and Debora Heard (Ph.D. Candidate in Anthropology at the University of Chicago). The three talk about Nubia and its people (both ancient and modern), why they have been overshadowed, and why they are important. We also talked about what got them interested in this topic, what they are studying now in Nubia, and how the war in Sudan has affected their work and their colleagues....
Published 02/20/24
How were the great pyramids of Giza built? This is a question that's been asked for a long time. The answers have been ranging from those based on the best available evidence to the more far-out ideas. Among those there are suggestions that such precision and scale could only be the work of extraterrestrial intervention. But what do the most recent archaeological discoveries and scientific experiments tell us? This time we delve into the true ingenuity behind these monumental structures. The...
Published 02/20/24
This week we have 3 fascinating archaeology news stories. First, experimental research has helped researchers determine the function of an ivory baton. Then, we take a look at a newly discovered Roman villa that may have belonged to Pliny the Elder. Finally, Amelia Earhart is back in the news with some new and potentially controversial findings! Links * Experiments suggest ancient four-holed ivory baton was used to make rope (Phys.org)...
Published 02/19/24
Alan and Chris have a conversation about how past Native American cultures interpreted and interacted with their environment, and how that should impact the modern interpretation of rock art archaeological sites today. Transcripts * For rough transcripts of this episode go to https://www.archpodnet.com/rockart/118 Links * The Archaeology Show Episode 252 [https://www.archpodnet.com/archaeology/252] Contact * Dr. Alan Garfinkel [email protected] Dr. Alan Garfinkel's Website ...
Published 02/16/24
Continuing our "Old School Classics" theme here at the Pseudoarchaeology Podcast, today we have the tale of Augustus Le Plongeon, nineteenth century explorer extraordinaire.  His ideas on the Maya were terrible, but his photos of Maya sites were great!  A classic case of great data meets bad interpretation - enjoy! Transcripts * For rough transcripts of this episode go to https://www.archpodnet.com/pseudo/136 Contact * Kinkella Teaches Archaeology (Youtube)...
Published 02/14/24
Today Chris talks to the editors of a fascinating new book about animals and their representation and symbolism in ancient Mesoamerica. We talk about things like frogs that soak in water through their bellies and animals wearing clothes…and what that means! Ancient people in this area were very connected to their surroundings and observed everything with amazing clarity. Links * Birds and Beasts of Ancient Mesoamerica: Animal Symbolism in the Postclassic Period...
Published 02/11/24