3500 BCE - 1600 CE - Uncover the ancient earthworks of North America’s Pre-Columbian Mound Builders—exploring ritual, trade, astronomy, and society from the Adena to the Mississippians, in this immersive historical journey.
Jun 26, 2025•1 hr 1 min•Season 4Ep. 91
700 BCE - 1497 CE - Long before European contact, North America was home to vibrant civilisations. From the Ancestral Puebloans , Hohokam , and Mogollon in the Southwest to the Adena , Hopewell , and Mississippian cultures of the Eastern Woodlands, these societies thrived. In the Arctic, the Dorset and Thule peoples adapted to the harsh northern climate, leaving behind remarkable legacies....
Jun 02, 2025•43 min•Season 4Ep. 90
1325 - 1521 - The powerful Mesoamerican civilisation known for advanced city-building, military strength, religious rituals, and human sacrifices before their downfall to Spanish conquistadors led by Hernán Cortés.
May 18, 2025•41 min•Season 4Ep. 89
950 - 1697 - The fall of the Classic Mayan cities did not spell the end for the Mayan culture who migrated northwards, established memorable settlements like Chichen Itza, and adapted to new circumstances until the arrival of the Spanish many centuries later.
Apr 21, 2025•40 min•Season 4Ep. 88
A look back on the episodes about the Incas and the Toltecs, including a discussion on the role of AI in history contact such as this podcast and the usual look back at listener correspondence, and news from behind the scenes of the podcast itself.
Mar 30, 2025•39 min
950 - 1150 - Sophisticated and enigmatic, the Toltecs dominated their locality with their art, architecture and mythology. Their warrior culture inspired and was admired by the Aztecs, who claimed their own ancestry from the Toltecs.
Mar 23, 2025•40 min•Season 4Ep. 87
1200 - 1533 - The mysterious and wonderful Inca demonstrate the peak of South American human development before contact with the Old World, and such is their legacy that important remnants of their culture remain part of the fabric of Peru to this day.
Feb 11, 2025•40 min•Season 4Ep. 86
A look back on the episode surrounding the Middle Horizon period of pre-Columbian Peru, and we scrutinise the podcast's viability as an impartial source of information.
Jan 26, 2025•41 min
110 - 1470 - In the centuries leading up to the dominance of the Inca, three notable societies existed in Peruvian lands, all with similiarities but not necessarily a common cause.
Jan 21, 2025•36 min•Season 4Ep. 85
HISTORY A TO Z (8) - The letter F brings us the First Crusade, Saint Francis of Assisi, Frederick II (Holy Roman Emperor) and the Fall of Constantinople.
Jan 05, 2025•48 min
A look back at the episode on the Rapa Nui of Easter Island, plus plenty of discussion about mysteries of the ancient world, the Romans and the Picts among other things on this fresh look debrief episode.
Dec 29, 2024•45 min
1200 - 1722 - Understanding the hazy origins of a society isolated in the Pacific Ocean and their motivations and capabilities for creating some of the most iconic stone statues in the history of humankind.
Dec 22, 2024•39 min•Season 4Ep. 84
Did Hana-Rāwhiti Maipi-Clarke purposefully wait for the History of the World podcast to get to the Māori episode, before she performed her viral haka in the New Zealand parliament? Some discussion about the Māori episode and also about the podcast itself.
Nov 22, 2024•15 min
1250 - 1642 - Sometime before the eruption of Tarawera, Polynesians landed on the island group of New Zealand. From there, they developed a culture that would not be discovered for a few centuries, and by which time had cemented themselves as part of the fabric of New Zealand.
Nov 22, 2024•34 min•Season 4Ep. 83
Discussing the source material and digging deeper into the mysteries surrounding the hesitation of the expansion at the edge of Polynesia. Should we just assume what seems obvious, or could there be deeper reasons?
Nov 04, 2024•17 min
3000 BCE - 1250 CE - The story of the population of the Pacific Ocean and beyond, including Indonesia, Philippines, Madagascar, New Guinea, Fiji, New Zealand, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, Tahiti, Samoa, Hawaii, New Caledonia, Tonga, Samoa, Palau, Easter Island, and the place it all began, Taiwan.
Oct 28, 2024•45 min•Season 4Ep. 82
HISTORY A TO Z (7) - It's the letter E, and we are exploring the Epic of Gilgamesh, the Eruption of Mount Vesuvius, the Edict of Milan, Edward the Confessor and Eleanor of Aquitaine.
Oct 16, 2024•46 min
Our usual round up of news from the world of the History of the World podcast, and some brief discussion on the nature of the medieval societies of Mainland South East Asia.
Oct 08, 2024•16 min
192 - 1471 - This is the story of the resiliant polity of Champa whose story feels like a story of constant warfare, but interspersed with great piety and temple construction. How did this tribal confederation survive these brutal medieval centuries?
Oct 07, 2024•49 min•Season 4Ep. 81
802 - 1431 - The modern Cambodian flag contains a picture of Angkor Wat, an eye catching religious temple constructed by the Khmer, and the pride of Cambodian history. The religious construction was symbolic of the key fundamental priorities of Khmer rulers, ruling over this dominant South East Asian political movement.
Sep 16, 2024•45 min•Season 4Ep. 80
HISTORY A TO Z (6) - Concluding our two parter on subjects beginning with the letter D, we discuss the Roman Emperor Diocletian, the Domesday Book, Sir Francis Drake and D-Day.
Sep 02, 2024•52 min
Why don't we talk more about the histories of countries not on the mainstream when they are so relevantly intertwined in the history of the world and have interesting stories to tell? Is it right for an English podcaster to attempt to speak with respect of the tonality of the nations of the east?
Aug 29, 2024•18 min
968 - 1407 - Much of modern Vietnamese culture stemmed from the Red River valley, where a polity emerged called Đại Việt, that would have to survive on the southern fringes of the power of China to its north.
Aug 26, 2024•55 min•Season 4Ep. 79
What a challenge this episode was! We don't necessarily know how much of the information about Srivijaya is strictly true. Let's dip into the material and methods used to construct this week's episode.
Aug 08, 2024•11 min
671 - 1200 - There were times when the land based Silk Road was not an easy path and the sea route was favoured. In order to get to China, one would have to navigate through the islands of South East Asia, which offered the opportunity for someone there to obtain some fortunate wealth. Let me introduce you to Srivijaya.
Aug 08, 2024•37 min•Season 4Ep. 78
HISTORY A TO Z (5) - The first of two episodes exploring people and events that begin with the letter D. In this broadcast we feature both Darius I and Darius III of Achaemenid Persia, the great Greek orator, Demosthenes and the poignant death of Socrates.
Jul 29, 2024•41 min
The dangers of becoming ever dependent on AI for direction and the continuing value of books in an ever modernising society are up for discussion is this debrief episode.
Jul 22, 2024•11 min
849 - 1297 - The Burmese Chronicles provide us with sources of material which describes the fortunes of Pagan, which expanded from a small city-state to an imperial force comparable to the Khmer Empire. Their kings come to life with their characters and their magnificent Buddhist temples are their legacy.
Jul 22, 2024•46 min•Season 4Ep. 77
The construction of the episode about Petaluma was a new and interesting challenge for somebody who has never been to California, let alone Sonoma County. We also look ahead at what to expect from the next set of Volume Four episodes.
Jul 08, 2024•15 min
A must listen for our American listeners and beyond. The story of the city of Petaluma, Sonoma County, California is the fascinating and unique story of a northern California settlement that was the home of indigenous Miwok peoples, New Spanish Californios, and American migrants. Petaluma's contribution to the world includes eggs and wrist wrestling.
Jul 08, 2024•47 min