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 magic…

The myth of El Dorado played a significant role in driving the European conquistadors to explore and conquer large parts South America starting in the sixteenth century CE. But did this El Dorado actually exist, and where was it, or better who was it? In this episode of archaeological context, we will cover the source of the El Dorado legend, as it…

Is it true that archaeologists are grossly underpaid across the board? Is there current opportunity for fair compensation? What does “commensurate with experience” mean? Transcripts For rough transcripts of this episode go to https://www.archpodnet.com/crmarchpodcast/289 Blogs and Resources: Bill White: Succinct Research Doug Rocks-MacQueen: Doug’s…

Not all that glitters is gold… Sometimes it’s silver! In today’s episode, Matilda is joined by Egyptologist and Jewelery Historian Sigrid van Roode, to talk all about that most magical of materials: silver. Together, they discuss all the questions about silver that you didn’t even know you had: Why did people used to regularly cut up silver bracele…

oday, we dive into a topic that captivated the world's imagination: the so-called apocalypse of 2012, which was supposedly foretold by the Mayan calendar. This phenomenon sparked a frenzy of movies, books, and even TV specials, with many experts cashing in on the hysteria. Joining us in this episode is Professor Andrew Kinkella, not only the host o…

Meet Tilly, the amazing host of Tea-Break Time Travel, and co-host of the And My Trowel podcasts. She is also the woman behind the @‌the_archaeologists_teacup Instagram account, and all the APN social media! Today we chat with her about her all podcasts, as well as her areas of expertise: microwear analysis and experimental archaeology. Finally, sh…

Alan and Chris analyze three rock art panels from the Coso Range in California. You can look at these every day and see something different. Transcripts For rough transcripts of this episode go to https://www.archpodnet.com/rockart/124 Links View the Rock Art panels here: https://www.archpodnet.com/rockart/124 Contact Dr. Alan Garfinkel avram1952@y…

Continuing our fruitful discussion on famous geological formations that were not made by humans and don’t mean anything, I thought we’d take a cruise down the Bimini Road, AKA “The Stones of Atlantis.” Located in the Bahamas, this pile of stones is the big brother to last week’s pile of stones, the Yonaguni Submarine Ruins. Which one is stupider? Y…

This week we interview Dr. Matthew Harpster about his research using polygons to measure the density of maritime activity in the ancient Mediterranean Sea. He was a guest on the show back in 2020, and 4 years later he returns to discuss his new book that reveals patterns in ancient maritime activity and creates a narrative for this activity based o…

On today’s episode, Jessica goes more in depth with Joseph Gazing Wolf (Executive Director, Heritage Lands Collective [formerly Living Heritage Research Council]; Lakota, Nubian, and Amazigh) from Episode 84 on the Boulder Ethnographic-Education Project. On this episode, Joseph talks about how his childhood in Egypt and on the Standing Rock reserva…

Ancient Egypt seems to be all over the news lately, so today we cover 3 of the most interesting of those stories! Links Scientists Are Investigating a Puzzling Underground 'Anomaly' Near the Giza Pyramids Newly mapped lost branch of the Nile could help solve long-standing pyramid mystery Archaeologists discover ancient Egyptian pharaoh's fortified …

In episode nineteen, Tilly and Ash accidentally volunteer to help out the Butterbur Bree Historical Society with recording their most famous inn, the Prancing Pony. Armed with a measuring tape and a frosty pint, they go about discussing the biggest trope in all fantasy: the Tavern! Links Hall, T. (2018) Tropes and taverns, oh my!, BOOK RIOT Survey …

In this special episode of archaeological context, I want to highlight a bit of a different topic, as we will focus on a time period and especially geographical region, not often featured in archaeological discussions: A 17thcentury UNESCO world heritage site, located on the Westcoast of Africa. Specifically, we will explore Christiansborg Castle i…

What happens when your CV/Resume gets reviewed? In a different, from our normal, podcast the team takes a stab at the hiring process. Transcripts For rough transcripts and to view the fake resumes, go to https://www.archpodnet.com/crmarchpodcast/288 Blogs and Resources: Bill White: Succinct Research Doug Rocks-MacQueen: Doug’s Archaeology Chris Web…

In this episode, I will examine different Maya conspiracies found in Ancient Alien mythology with the help of Dimitris and Marie, the brains behind the Ancient Maya History Instagram account. Is there any truth to Palenque being depicted flying a spaceship? Are blood rituals a misunderstanding of how the alien communicates with humans? Is the Olmec…

This week we have 3 interesting news articles! First, we look at a mysterious Roman artifact called a dodecahedron that literally has baffled archaeologists and historians. Then, we look an unusual burial in Vienna with 2 individuals in an embrace. Re-analysis with new techniques has corrected assumptions made in the past about who they were! And f…

On today’s episode we visit with Paul Goldsmith, award winning cinematographer and creator of Talking Stone: Rock Art of the Coso, documentary film and the coffee table book on Coso rock art based on our film. In this episode we discuss some surprising insights Paul has after firsthand meetings with practicing shamans in the Amazon. He gives us a g…

Recent discussions with colleagues and the February 2024 issue of Advances in Archaeological Practice had Paul thinking about what we do with our digital data. This is an evergreen topic, and one that we’ve touched on before, but is always good to revisit. Transcripts For rough transcripts of this episode go to https://www.archpodnet.com/archaeotec…

Deep below the waves in southern Japan, surrounded in mystery and intrigue, there lies a pile of stones. But wait, is this just any pile of stones? The answer is yes, it is just any pile of stones. Transcripts For rough transcripts of this episode go to https://www.archpodnet.com/pseudo/141 Links Carl Feagans Yonaguni article Contact Kinkella Teach…

A few weeks ago, archaeologist Flint Dibble was invited on to the Joe Rogan Experience to have a dialogue with Graham Hancock. Over the course of the 4 hour show, Flint did a fantastic job engaging and attempting to educate Graham and Joe. This week, APN co-founder Tristan Boyle had an opportunity to interview Flint about how he prepared for the sh…

It’s time for part two of our discussion with forensic anthropologist, osteoarchaeologist, and conservator Jessica van Dam, as we discuss the issue of vampire teeth. Are there archaeological examples of vampires in the real world? (Spoiler: yes) Can we look at bones to see what happened to that person in life? (Spoiler: yes) Do vampire teeth and ha…

Since 2011 the Syrian civil war, with armed confrontations between regime and various opposition forces, led to a traumatic process that has strained the ethnic and social fabric of the country. Much of Syria lies in ruins, and also its archaeological heritage has been a major casualty of the conflict, especially regarding the deliberate destructio…

Are you looking towards the UK as you consider graduate schools in archaeology? This week, Doug gives us a rundown on how the system “over there” works, and we compare it to the US system. Even though both countries speak English, many words mean different things when the systems collide - you have been warned! Transcripts For rough transcripts of …

In this episode, we will cover the recent debate between Dr. Flint Dibble from Cardiff University and Graham Hancock on the Joe Rogan Podcast. The first part of the show will be a sort of answer to Flint Dibble's article in Sapiens. In the second part of the episode, I’m joined by Professor Howard Williams, also known as Archaeodeath on TikTok and …

This week we have 3 news stories about art in the ancient world. First up, 10 years of excavating a synagogue in Israel has revealed stunning floor mosaics. Then, we head to everyone’s favorited ancient city, Pompeii, where spectacular frescos were uncovered in a residence. And finally, rock carvings in Peru may depict people singing or dancing whi…