We’ve got a few really interesting news articles for this week. First, a priest found what he called the “backdoor to hell” in Mexico in the 1600s and sealed it off. Archaeologists may have found it. The we look at a Dutch henge complex that could have been use to monitor the solstices. Finally, we learn about a possible Age of Bamboo in the Philippines 39,000 years ago. Links Archaeologists Found the Ruins of the Famous ‘Backdoor to Hell' Project Lyobaa - Results from the first 2022 Season Arch...
Jul 09, 2023•42 min•Ep. 225
Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny was just released so you know we had to review it! We start with an overview of the movie plot, and then we spend some time looking at how historically accurate the artifacts, people, and events were. We rank the movie on a scale of 1-10 as well as all the IJ movies in order of best to worst, what’s your ranking?? Here’s ours: Rachel: Dial of Destiny 8/10; IJ movies from best to worst: 3, 1, 5, 2, 4 Chris: Dial of Destiny 6/10; IJ movies from best to worst: ...
Jul 02, 2023•58 min•Ep. 224
On this week’s news episode we first cover some cool bird bone flutes that were used up to 12,000 years ago as calls for birds of prey. We then go to Greece where the archaeological record has been pushed back a quarter million years to about 700,000 years ago by the presence of stone tools. Finally, we talk about some ancient ovens that were used consistently for over 5000 years by native Americans in northeastern Washington State. Links Segment 1 These 12,000-Year-Old Flutes Mimic the Sound of...
Jun 25, 2023•41 min•Ep. 223
Chris, one of the hosts, is a lefty. He’s always had to deal with what that means. But, why are 85% of humans right-handed while only a disproportionate few are left-handed? It’s not fair! But, it is evolutionary. On today’s episode we talk about how we know when handedness in humans likely developed and why it was the right side that became dominant. Segment two features an interview for Lana Ruck, an archaeologist that studied handedness for her Master’s research. Links The prehistory of hande...
Jun 18, 2023•47 min•Ep. 222
This week we have 3 archaeology news articles. First, even more research points to animal digesta playing a crucial role in providing nutrition to prehistoric peoples. Once again, this also challenges the traditional idea that men were the hunters in hunter-gatherer societies. Then we head over to Barcelona were 9 Roman era burials were found below the city streets. And finally, a site with 37 standing stones has been bull dozed to make way for a hardware store in France. Links ‘Man, the hunter’...
Jun 11, 2023•39 min•Ep. 223
On today’s show we have 3 news stories from the Middle East. The first story is about rock art “blueprints” for desert kites in Jordan. Then we move over to Jerusalem where researchers have tested the microbes left behind in ancient toilets and a stone receipt was found on the pilgrimage road between the gates of the city and the temple. We finish up with a short update about the archaeology project in downtown Miami. Links Stone Engravings of Mysterious Ancient Megastructures May Be World's Old...
May 28, 2023•42 min•Ep. 220
We’ve got three stories about pretty well known places or events. The first contains a video and pictures representing over 700,000 images that were stitched together to form the most complete views of the Titanic, ever! We then go to Pompeii to discover that not everyone died as a result of the eruption of Vesuvius. Finally, we head down to Maya country to see a CRM project find a rare sculpture of a Mayan god. Links Titanic: First ever full-sized scans reveal wreck as never seen before Skeleto...
May 21, 2023•40 min•Ep. 219
We saved the drama for, well, YOU this time! We start with an archaeologist that’s trying to build somewhat of an archaeology theme park in Guatemala and the local community isn’t having it. Then we go to Netflix’s latest blunder regarding a show about Cleopatra. Finally, if you find something in England with your metal detector you’d better report it or suffer the consequences. Links U.S. Archeologist Seeks to Privatize Maya Historic Sites in the Name of Conservation What was behind the protest...
May 14, 2023•50 min•Ep. 218
This week we have 3 news stories. First we head over to Puerto Rico where new analysis of human remains from a 4,000 year old site is helping redefine what we know about the early inhabitants of the island. Then we look at a 39,600 year old bone from Spain that may be a leather punch board. And finally, the Dry Tortugas National Park has found a lost underwater cemetery off the coast of Florida. Links Oldest human remains from Puerto Rico contradict idea of simple island nomads Reconsidering the...
May 07, 2023•40 min•Ep. 217
This week we have three interesting archaeology news stories. First up is the recent (re)discovery of a Roman era fortlet in Scotland. Then we head over to the Grand Canyon where the Glen Canyon dam is having an unanticipated effect on downstream cultural resources. And finally we discus how digesta, or the partially digested vegetation in a large mammal’s digestive tract may have been a food source to prehistoric groups. Links Archaeologists Discover Lost Roman Fort in Scotland Archaeologists f...
Apr 30, 2023•55 min•Ep. 216
This week we are taking a deep dive into the origins, history and archaeology of wine. We’ll cover the surprising “birthplace” of wine with some of the oldest evidence of wine making we have so far. Then we look at ancient shipwrecks in the Mediterranean and how they contribute to our knowledge of wine trade routes in Rome and Greece. And then finally, the oldest known wine type that is still in production today! Links Discover the Secret Birthplace of Wine - National Geographic History of Wine ...
Apr 23, 2023•34 min•Ep. 215
This week we cover three recent archaeology news stories. First up is a ball game carving found at Chichen Itza in Mexico. Then we head over to Egypt where mummy tags are used to reconstruct the ancient climate. And finally bridge construction in Ohio has prompted the excavation of a Hopewell Hamlet. Links Intact Ball Game Carving Discovered at Chichen Itza Play Ball! - About the game Reviving a 3,000-year-old Ancient Ballgame - YouTube An Ancient Ballgame Makes A Comeback In Mexico - NPR Facebo...
Apr 16, 2023•43 min•Ep. 214
On this news show we start with an update on the excavations and controversy surrounding the development of a new set of luxury high-rises in downtown Miami. We then see what the face of a 35,000 year old man from Egypt looks like. Finally, would it hurt to have gold wires woven in and around your teeth to keep them in place? A 17th-century Frenchwoman likely had some opinions about it. Links Battle Over Miami Development Site Where Ancient Artifacts Were Discovered The Tequesta of Biscayne Bay ...
Apr 09, 2023•38 min•Ep. 213
This week we have 3 archaeology news stories! First up, 2,000 ram skulls have been discovered in Egypt’s temple of Ramses II. Then we cover the rent Sapiens article about whether prehistoric humans actually carried and used clubs. Then finally, a new technology is used to create a surprising climate profile at Paleolithic sites in Alaska. Links Over 2,000 ram skulls discovered in Egypt's temple of Ramses II, a new mystery for archaeologists - CBS News Club-Wielding Ancestors: Myth or Reality? - ...
Apr 02, 2023•42 min•Ep. 212
MEMBERS: There’s a bonus segment! This is our final episode in our overview of paleoanthropology and human evolution. It’s been a bumpy ride with a lot of species falling by the wayside, but, we’re down to the final few and we’ll see what happens to them! Don’t forget to check out the other episodes in this series and for members, there’s a special bonus segment for this episode in the Ad Free Downloads area on this episode’s page. Links Human Family Tree Human Evolution Interactive Timeline Nea...
Mar 26, 2023•50 min•Ep. 211
In this second episode of our Paleoanthropology series we focus on the Paranthropus family of fossils. The are descended from the Australopithicenes and lived next to our early hominid ancestors, but, they are not directly on the line to humans. MEMBERS! Don’t forget to check the early downloads page for a bonus segment! Links Human Family Tree Human Evolution Interactive Timeline Contact Chris Webster chris@archaeologypodcastnetwork.com Rachel Roden rachel@unraveleddesigns.com RachelUnraveled (...
Mar 19, 2023•39 min•Ep. 210
In this second episode of our Paleoanthropology series we focus on the Australopithecus family of fossils. Links Human Family Tree Human Evolution Interactive Timeline Contact Chris Webster chris@archaeologypodcastnetwork.com Rachel Roden rachel@unraveleddesigns.com RachelUnraveled (Instagram) ArchPodNet APN Website: https://www.archpodnet.com APN on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/archpodnet APN on Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/archpodnet APN on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/archpo...
Mar 12, 2023•45 min•Ep. 209
We talk a lot about human origins, so we thought this would be a good time time to do an overview of paleoanthropology, and the human evolutionary tree. In this first episode of the series we start with some of the oldest human ancestors including Sahelanthropus tchadensis and Ardipithecus ramidus. Links Human Family Tree Human Evolution Interactive Timeline Contact Chris Webster chris@archaeologypodcastnetwork.com Rachel Roden rachel@unraveleddesigns.com RachelUnraveled (Instagram) ArchPodNet A...
Mar 05, 2023•35 min•Ep. 208
It’s a news episode again! This week we talk about a shipwreck from the 1800s that washed up on the shore in Massachusetts in the US. Then we head over to the other side of the world and see what was so important it had to be written on a comb. And finally, we look at some experimental archaeology that cracked some skulls with ancient stone tools. Links Wreck of ship lost to storm 139 years ago washes up on Massachusetts beach Scientists Translate the Oldest Sentence Written in the First Alphabe...
Feb 26, 2023•35 min•Ep. 207
Chris is sick this week and needs to let his voice rest so we are playing a really awesome episode of Archaeotech with Chris and his co-host Paul Zimmerman. Recently an article came out in CNN featuring the work that the team Paul is part of is doing in Iraq, so it was the perfect opportunity to talk about that article and play the episode that they recorded a couple months ago about how they use Magnetometry at Lagash. Links Archaeologists find 5,000-year-old tavern -- including food remains --...
Feb 19, 2023•41 min•Ep. 206
On today’s news episode we start with another Maya Kingdom found just sitting under some bushes in the jungle. OK, it’s a LOT of bushes. Then we move over to the UK and learn more about a skeleton that’s been in the University of Sheffield’s collection since the early 2000’s. Finally we talk about why the people of Miami keep letting developers dig up and pave over their most important cultural resources. Links Vast Maya Kingdom Is Revealed in Guatemalan Jungle (Wall Street Journal) LiDAR analys...
Feb 12, 2023•40 min•Ep. 205
There's some "mind-blowing" news in archaeology this week! We start with early hominids in Ethiopia using tools 500,000 years earlier than anything thought. Then we move to a possible 20,000 year old writing system in rock art. Finally, the oldest mummy ever found in Egypt was covered in gold! What else will they find there? Links Archaeologists Discover 1.2 Million-Year-Old 'Workshop' in Mind-Blowing Find A surge in obsidian exploitation more than 1.2 million years ago at Simbiro III (Melka Kun...
Feb 05, 2023•38 min•Ep. 204
We’re in Lake Havasu City, AZ this week so naturally we’re talking about the London Bridge! Did you know that one of the three stone versions of the bridge to exist in the last 1500 years is here in Arizona? We talk about this history of the bridge and what led to this version being moved to an Arizona tourist town that was literally built around it. Links The London Bridge London Bridge History Remains of the Old London Bridge Contact Chris Webster chris@archaeologypodcastnetwork.com Rachel Rod...
Jan 22, 2023•39 min•Ep. 203
This week we have 3 interesting archaeology news stories! First up, after a 2 year hiatus, underwater excavations of the HMS Erebus have resumed with some amazing new findings. Next, we head over to Scandinavia where genetic studies of the ancient remains tell a new story about the movement of people in and out of the area in the Viking era. And finally, how Nazis 'whitewashed' a shaman's prehistoric remains. Links Archaeologists Recover 275 Artifacts From Mysterious Arctic Shipwreck HMS Erebus:...
Jan 15, 2023•36 min•Ep. 202
This week we happened across 3 different stories in the News about to looting and the collection of antiquities both by museums and individuals. There are many ways that looting happens, and it can have far reaching effects on both the looter(s) and the people from whom they stole. Links Oscar White Muscarella, archaeologist who exposed looted artifacts and fakes, dies at 91 TAS Episode 165 - Desert Kites, Miami Pre-History, and Illicit Antiquities An Open Letter to Arrowhead Hunters Spanish pol...
Jan 08, 2023•53 min•Ep. 201
Have you ever wondered how we ended up with the calendar we have today? Where leap years come from, and why we need them? This week we take a look at our modern calendar and the ancient calendars that came before it. January APN Membership Giveaway! Leave us a review on iTunes or on your platform of choice and get entered to win a 1 year APN membership! Here’s the fine print: 1) Leave us a review on a podcast listening platform (iTunes, Spotify, wherever you listen!). 2) Each review counts as an...
Jan 01, 2023•47 min•Ep. 200
As some of you celebrate Christmas and we all look to the end of 2022 there are the inevitable articles talking about the "Best" whatever. We saw one article from ABC that stood out to us and on this holiday episode, we're going to talk about why. Plus, we'll talk about some of our favorite episodes and articles from this year that we talked about on the show. Links Some of the best archaeological discoveries of 2022 - ABC News (different title online!) Episode 191 - Powerful Viking Women Episod...
Dec 25, 2022•43 min•Ep. 199
It’s a solo show with Chris Webster today. They APN recently celebrated it’s eight birthday and Chris wanted to tell you a little bit about how the APN came about. It’s origin story, if you will. Also, he talks about the other shows in the “APN Encyclopedia” and what’s coming up in the future. Links Succinct Research Kulturo Media Contact Chris Webster chris@archaeologypodcastnetwork.com Rachel Roden rachel@unraveleddesigns.com RachelUnraveled (Instagram) ArchPodNet APN Website: https://www.arch...
Dec 18, 2022•40 min•Ep. 198
This week we happened to find 3 news stories about evidence for eating and cooking food in the ancient world. First up is the first evidence of Homo Erectus cooking fish 780,000 years ago. Then, we fast forward to 70,000 years ago and leftover evidence of a Neanderthal meal gives us insight into how they prepared food. And finally, in Rome new excavations under the coliseum reveal the kind of snacks that spectators would have enjoyed. For our members , we have a bonus segment describing how one ...
Dec 11, 2022•34 min•Ep. 197
This is just a short episode because it was a busy week for us. However, I had time to watch a few episodes of the catastrophe of historical inaccuracies known as “La Brea”. It’s a show on NBC and it’s really bad! Chris rants on it for one segment. Links NBC’s La Brea Contact Chris Webster chris@archaeologypodcastnetwork.com Rachel Roden rachel@unraveleddesigns.com RachelUnraveled (Instagram) ArchPodNet APN Website: https://www.archpodnet.com APN on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/archpodnet ...
Dec 04, 2022•18 min•Ep. 190
