Sphinx Thinks

Professor Simon Stoddart is professor of prehistory at the University of Cambridge, and Director of Studies at Magdalene College. In this episode we discuss Simon's early interests in archaeology and how his career took him to research in Malta. From the landscape to the incredible megalithic temples and interpretations of burials, we discuss the the fascinating history of the island of Malta...

Dr Trish Biers is Curator of the Duckworth Laboratory at the University of Cambridge. We discuss her early start in the field and where her interests have taken her - across the world in a variety of incredible positions from the Smithsonian Institute to right here in Cambridge. We cover everything from repatriation and paleopathology to  advice on studying in the US vs the UK and getting into a c...

Dr Emily Emmott is a lecturer in Human Behavioural Ecology at UCL. Specialising in extended and institutional child-rearing systems (such as parenting, grand-parenting, schooling and social care provisions) and their implications for health and wellbeing (including health-related behaviours. We discuss the limitations of taking an evolutionary perspective on childrearing, the burden on intensive p...

Professor Matthew Collins  is a Niels Bohr Professor at the University of Copenhagen and the McDonald Chair of Palaeoproteomics at  the McDonald Institute for Archaeological Research at the University of Cambridge. We discuss his journey to becoming a leading academic in the field, and his interests within the discipline. Within the world of biomolecular archaeology we track through palaeoproteomi...

Professor Cameron Petrie is professor of South Asian and Iranian Archaeology at the University of Cambridge. We discuss his journey to becoming an archaeologist, and finding his field, as well as his present work in the region. In the Indus region, we discuss the relationship between the settlers in the past and how they interacted with their environment - as well as what this means for the future...

Movement, mobility and migration - what can these facets of human behaviour in the archaeological record tell us about our past social relationships? Dr Amy Clark - lecturer and researcher at Harvard University - joins me to discuss this topic as well as her research in Morocco. Amy discusses what the structures and spatial distributions of groups across a landscape can tell us about group size, r...

Cognition, culture and environment - how do they work together to influence primate behaviour? What can tool use and behavioural patterns tell us about primate society? Studying primates provides one of the best insights into the evolutionary origins of human behaviours. To truly understand how and why certain behaviours are adopted (and differ) in primate species, a combination of factors must be...

From agriculture to human culture and society, there is more to zooarchaeology than just bones! Discover what we know about the human past from zooarchaeology and how we use animals to decipher history... When and why was agriculture adopted so differently across the globe? How can we use zooarchaeology to explore domestication and feasting? What does zooarchaeology tell us about status and human...

The earliest period in our human past - the Palaeolithic. This fascinating period covers human evolution and our early innovations as Homo Sapiens. The Palaeolithic really encompasses everything about us as a species... Why did humans develop art? When do we first see cave art? When did humans start burying the dead?  Professor Paul Pettitt and I discuss all this and much more in the episode - it&...

Neaderthals are plagued with stereotypes - brutish, simple and less human hominids. However, evidence increasingly suggests they were capable of abstract thought and compassion just like us. What evidence do we have of Neaderthal compassion? How can we learn about the cultures of our ancestors through archaeology? How can studies of health in the past inform our understanding of health today? For...

Archaeology tells us about the human past, but it's not all dirt and digging. We can explore how human biology has changed through time, through skeletons and sampling, it's all about bioarchaeology! Ever wondered how healthy people were in the past? Why we know where prehistoric people have lived and travelled? Or even what an Egyptian ate for breakfast? Then today's episode is for...

Chimpanzees are our closest living ancestor, and we are also theirs. We know how our biology has evolved - but what about our communication. Communication is a trait common to many organisms - but we don't all communicate in the same way. Join me (Georgina Holmes) and Dr Cat Hobaiter as we uncover why language is more than just vocalisation, and find out how we can understand what our fellow...

Primates are our closest living relatives. We know they can learn from us, but what can we learn from them? What is primatology? Should we study primates in zoos? And what can they teach us about evolution? Dive into the world of primatology with me (Georgina Holmes) and Charlotte Frearson as we discuss this fascinating field of research which provides an insight into humanity and evolution. Follo...