A history podcast looking at the collapse of a different civilization each episode. What did they have in common? Why did they fall? And what did it feel like to watch it happen?
Last refreshed: ⓘ
Follow this podcast in the Metacast mobile app to refresh it and see new episodes.
Don't just listen to podcasts. Learn from them with transcripts, summaries, and chapters for every episode. Skim, search, and bookmark insights. Learn more
In the highlands of the Iranian Plateau, a collection of enormous pillars reach up to the sky... In this episode, we tell the story of the Achaemenid Persian Empire. Find out how this remarkable ancient power sprung up from the rubble of a ruined world to become the most powerful human society on earth. Hear how they raised their grand palaces and monuments, and brought an unprecedented number of people together within their borders, as well as coming into conflict and cooperation with other anc...
In the far east of the Eurasian steppe, the sound of hoofbeats is growing...In this episode we travel along the vast grassland corridor of the steppe, to hear one of the most remarkable and unlikely stories from medieval history – the story of the Mongol Empire. Find out how this group of nomadic horse riders united the peoples of the Mongolian steppe, and forged them into a truly unique kind of state. Discover how they conquered much of the lands of Eurasia, and brought the distant cultures of ...
This episode delves into the rise of the Mongol Empire, tracing the journey of Ibn Battuta through its ruined Central Asian cities before exploring the origins of nomadic life on the Eurasian Steppe. It chronicles the early life and struggles of Temujin, his unification of the Mongol tribes, and his transformation into Chinggis Khan. The narrative details the Mongols' military innovations, state reforms, and their brutal conquests of Western Xia, Jin China, and the vast Khwarezmian Empire, highlighting the immense destruction and fear they inspired while also laying foundations for future global connections.
This episode explores the epic history of ancient Egypt, from its geographical foundations and early human presence to its rise under pharaohs, pyramid construction, religious shifts, and eventual decline due to invasions and internal strife. It covers key periods like the Old, Middle, and New Kingdoms, along with the impact of figures like Akhenaten, Tutankhamun, and Ramesses II, ending with Egypt's conquest and cultural transformation under foreign rule.
Delve into the fascinating history of Carthage, a powerful Phoenician empire that rose from eastern Mediterranean city-states to dominate trade and exploration across the ancient world. Discover its unique culture, advanced navigation, and the legendary figures like Dido and Hannibal. The episode meticulously details Carthage's intense struggles with emerging Rome through the brutal Punic Wars, recounting its innovative military tactics, desperate defenses, and ultimate, tragic demise, which saw its city razed and its legacy almost completely forgotten.
In the lowlands of Burma lie the remains of thousands of crumbling temples...In this episode, we tell one of the most colourful stories of civilizational survival: the story of the Bagan Empire of Myanmar. Find out how this kingdom rose up in the Irrawaddy river valley of central Myanmar, and built one of the most remarkable series of monuments to have survived from the medieval world. Discover what life was like for the people who lived there, and find out what happened to cause its sudden and ...
In the deserts of Jordan, a city lies hidden for centuries in a valley of rose-red stone...In this episode, we look at one of the most peculiar stories of civilizational survival to come down to us from the ancient world, the story of the Nabataeans. Find out how these once humble traders rose to become masters of the desert sands, and to defy empires. And discover what happened to finally bring down the empire of Nabataea.
On the rocky banks of South India's Tungabhadra River, an enormous ruined city lies crumbling...In this episode, we look at the Vijayanagara Empire of Southern India, a civilization that has all but faded from memory in many parts of the world. Find out how this remarkable society rose up out of an age of conflict and fragmentation, how it built one of the largest and most impressive medieval cities in the world, and developed an identity that was both South Indian in nature, and global in its o...
In the lowlands of Northern Iraq, a series of enormous cities lies crumbling in ruins...In this episode, find out about one of the most remarkable ancient civilizations: the society known today as the neo-Assyrian Empire. Discover how the Assyrians built their empire out of the ashes of the Bronze Age, and built an empire of iron that lasted for centuries. Explore the extraordinary flourishing of art and technology that they fostered. And finally, discover what happened to cause their final, dev...
High up on the craggy peaks of the Urubamba Canyon, a lost city lies wreathed in cloud...In this episode, we explore the mountains of the Andes, and tell the story of the Inca Empire. Find out how these mountain people built the largest empire in the Western Hemipshere, in one of the toughest terrains on earth. With Inca poetry, Quechuan hymns and authentic Andean instruments, discover the unique culture of the Inca. And find out what happened to bring their society crashing down around them.Sou...
On the outskirts of modern Istanbul, a line of ancient walls lies crumbling into the earth...In this episode, we look at one of history’s most incredible stories of survival - the thousand-year epic of the Byzantine Empire. Find out how this civilization suffered the loss of its Western half, and continued the unbroken legacy of Rome right through the middle ages. Hear about how it formed a bridge between two continents, and two ages, and learn how the impregnable walls of Constantinople were fi...
This episode explores the rise and fall of China's Han Dynasty, covering its initial prosperity, technological advancements, and complex political struggles. It details key events like the Yellow Turban Rebellion, the rise of warlords, and the dynasty's eventual collapse into the Three Kingdoms period, painting a vivid picture of this transformative era in Chinese history.
Beneath the busy streets of Mexico City, a buried god lies waiting to be discovered...This episode, we look back at the age of the Aztecs. Learn how this society grew from nothing to create one of the world's largest cities in the middle of a lake. Discover Aztec riddles, poetry and songs, as well as the bloody ritual of the flower wars. And hear the remarkable story of how this thriving empire collapsed all at once, in a matter of days.Credits:Sound engineering by Thomas NtinasVoice Actors:Jake...
In the dusts of Iraq, the ruins of the world's first civilization lie buried. This episode, we travel into the extremely distant past to look at the Sumerians. These ancient people invented writing and mathematics, and built some of the largest cities that the world had ever seen. Find out about the mystery of their origins, and learn how they rose from humble beginnings to form the foundation of all our modern societies. With myths, proverbs and even some recreated Sumerian music, travel back t...
Today, the Songhai Empire is all but forgotten by history. But this medieval kingdom was once the most powerful force in Africa.Find out how this civilization grew up on the fringes of the Sahara Desert, among some of the most extreme conditions that nature can throw at us. Discover how it grew and flourished, passing through a process known as the imperial cycle, and learn about what ultimately caused its sudden and dramatic collapse.Credits:Sound engineering by Thomas NtinasVoice Actors:Jake B...
This episode of Fall of Civilizations explores the history of Easter Island, challenging the popular narrative of ecological collapse due to deforestation and statue building. Instead, it highlights the ingenuity of the Rapa Nui people in adapting to environmental changes and argues that their society collapsed after European contact due to disease, slave raids, and cultural destruction. The podcast emphasizes the importance of reevaluating historical narratives and learning from the resilience and resourcefulness of the Rapa Nui people.
This episode explores the rise and dramatic fall of the Khmer Empire and its mega-city, Angkor. It delves into how the civilization leveraged its environment and unique social and religious structures, particularly its sophisticated water management and the concept of the god-king, to achieve unprecedented size and wealth. The narrative covers periods of civil war, foreign invasion, religious shifts, climate change impacts, and ultimately, the complex factors leading to the abandonment of Angkor and the empire's collapse.
One of the most unlikely tales of a society’s fall in is the incredible saga of the Vikings of Greenland. Find out the history of how these European settlers built a society on the farthest edge of their world, and survived for centuries among some of the harshest conditions ever faced by man. Discover how this civilization was able to overcome the odds for so long, and examine the evidence about what happened to cause its final and mysterious collapse. Including Viking poetry, Inuit folktales a...
In the tropical forests of Central America, vast stone pyramids slowly crumble beneath the trees.In this episode, we look at one of history's great romantic mysteries: the fall of the Classic Maya Civilization. Find out how this great civilization grew up among environmental conditions that no other civilization has ever contended with, learn about the fatal flaws that lay beneath its surface, and what happened after its final, cataclysmic collapse.Credits:Sound engineering by Thomas NtinasVoice...
Around the year 1100 BC, a wave of destruction washed over the Eastern Mediterranean. It wiped whole civilizations off the map, and left only ash and ruin in its wake. This catastrophe, known as “the Late Bronze Age Collapse”, has become one of the enduring puzzles of history. I want to explore how so many societies could collapse all at once, and seemingly without warning, as well as examine the lessons it might teach us in our increasingly globalised and interconnected world.Credits:Sound engi...
A vast ruined bath house, a fire-damaged poem and a world teetering on the brink of collapse. In this episode, we look at the history of the collapse of Roman Britain. Find out how a great civilization grew up almost overnight on the island of Britannia, how it endured the test of centuries against barbarian invasions and foolish rulers, and what happened after its final dramatic collapse.Credits:Sound engineering by Thomas NtinasVoice Actors:Shem JacobsJacob RollinsonJake Barrett-MillsMusic by ...
Jan 19, 2019•1 hr 4 min
For the best experience, listen in Metacast app for iOS or Android
