A Life In Ruins

In this episode, we chat with Isaac Russel (@science_Is_real on TikTok), an 8th-grade science teacher and TikTok personality. We delve into his early experiences growing up in small-town Kansas. He details how community college was helpful for him and how he also lived in a very interesting situation. We then rapid-fire questions about teaching 8th-grade science, covering topics such as teaching o...

On this episode of A Life in Ruins Podcast, we talk to our arch-nemesis, co-founder of the Archaeology Podcast Network, and host of the Modern Myth Podcast Tristan Boyle. We start out talking about our terrible impersonations of him and talk about where he is from and where he currently lives in the UK. We then delve into his formative years and how he got into archaeology. Tristan then nerds out...

In this episode, we are joined by Dr. Richard Adams. Dr. Adams personally spoon-fed the archeology kool-aid to Connor at Colorado State University and he met Carlton and David through the University of Wyoming. Dr. Adam’s discusses his winding road into archaeology and how he was inspired to pursue archaeology. He details his experiences with Dr. George Frison and his research into soapstone use....

In this episode, we are joined by Megan Kumorek who is a writer and creative partner for the Middle East, North Africa, and Mediterranean Archaeology Publication Group and Promotional and Academic Partner for the Save Cultural Heritage Group. We start off by talking with Megan about her educational background in Archaeology, beginning with her undergraduate in Anthropology at Northern Arizona Univ...

In this episode, we are joined by Chris Johnston who is the Operations Director and Project Archaeologist for the Paleocultural Research Group. As always, we kick off the episode investigating Chris's introduction to archaeology and how he turned in his Buffalo horns for Ram horns. We delve into the Paleocultural Research Group (PCRG), what it does, how it operates, and what it is like to work for...

In this episode, Carlton does a solo interview with Rebekah Lamb. Rebekah is pursuing her Bachelor's degree in Cultural Anthropology and Developmental Sociology and minoring in Archaeology at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam-Zuidoost. Rebekah belongs to the Abenaki Tribe of the Wabanaki Confederacy as well as being a descendant of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy. Carlton and Rebekah talk abou...

In this special four-part episode we are joined by Zach Rice and Taylor to talk about how they are working on the reawakening of the Pawnee language. Both Zach and Taylor are citizens of the Pawnee Nation of Oklahoma and grew up in Pawnee, Oklahoma. We talk about growing up in Pawnee, where they went to school, what inspired them to pursue M.A.'s in Linguistic Anthropology at the University of Okl...

It's that time of the year again, Archaeology Podcast Network Director Chris Webster joins the lads for their annual "Performance Review". This episode doesn't cover much archaeology content but how the ongoing pandemic has affected the APN, what 2022 holds for the network, and how this podcast has been performing over the past year. Now, the annual review wouldn't be complete without Chris roasti...

In this episode we are joined by Ray Sumner, a Ph. D. candidate in Anthropology at Colorado State University. Ray was a career U.S. Army officer prior to pursuing his Ph. D. in Anthropology, he reflects on his military experience and how it has shaped his research on Plains Indian Warfare during the late 19th century. Ray and Carlton find out they share a collegiate organization, we discuss the si...

In this episode, we are joined by Dr. Heather Rockwell, who is an Assistant Professor at Salve Regina University. Big surprise, she is another fellow University of Wyoming alum. We begin by asking about her developing years in archaeology and then delve into her choice of undergraduate and graduate programs. She explains how having a diverse committee for her Ph. D. at UW was ultimately helpful fo...

On this episode of A Life in Ruins Podcast, we interview Matt Reed. Matt is the Tribal Historic Preservation Officer for the Pawnee Nation of Oklahoma, We talk about how his families military service factored into his fascination with history and ultimately pushing him to study history as an undergraduate. We then talk about his academic career and how he got started at the Oklahoma Historical Soc...

In this episode, we are joined by Dr. Kathryn Reusch, who is a Conservation Technician in the Museum Conservation Department at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science. We talk about her experiences in school in the UK, her graduate research, and then we take a deep dive into the painful topic of castration (and yes we mean human castration). Connor and Carlton pepper Dr. Reusch with questions abo...

In this episode, we are joined by Dr. Gillian Wong, who is an Adjunct Professor of Anthropology at Metropolitan Community College in Kansas City, Missouri, and a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Tuebingen. Dr. Wong chats with us about her early outdoor days, experiences at UC Davis, and how learning French has been useful for her in archaeology. We then delve into her thesis/dissertati...

In this episode, we are chatting with Dr. Alex Garcia-Putnam who is the Assistant State Physical Anthropologist for the Department of Archaeology and History Preservation in Washington State. And how did we come across Dr. Garcia-Putnam? Well he is a UW graduate of course! We start out by recapping how we know each other and talk about Alex's awesome experience returning to US from Canada. Alex ta...

In this episode, we are joined again by Duel Ph. D. candidate in Anthropology and Cognitive Science, Lana Ruck. Lana first appeared on Episode 16, then Episode 41, and recently appeared on Episode 79. But on this episode, rather than talk about pseudoscientists or nerd out over paleo-anth with Ella, we’re going to catch up with Lana about her dissertation and the academic job market and why each p...

For this episode, we are joined again by Dr. William Taylor, who first appeared on the podcast in episode 25. We start out by discussing Dr. Taylor's COVID experience as a new professor and how his museum projects had to change to adapt to the new COVID landscape. We then delve into the research surrounding the Lehi horse. Dr. Taylor explains his methods of analysis and how they can be used to tel...

In this episode of A Life in Ruins (originally recorded in the summer of 2020), Carlton chats with Rock Art Specialist Emily Van Alst and Lana Ruck, who teaches a course in Pseudoarchaeology. The three take a deep dive into Episode 14 - Our Ruined Lives with Bernie Taylor, to deconstruct Mr. Taylor's arguments and claims he made on the show. We review the individuals whom Mr. Taylor "name-drops" t...

In this episode of A Life in Ruins, Connor does a solo interview with Dr. Bryon Schroeder. Dr. Schroeder was originally on Episode 15, where he discussed his career in archaeology and regaled us with tales about Texas archaeology that were sometimes, quite disturbing. Connor wanted to continue to talk with him about his research because it is very interesting. We talk about some of the work in cav...

In this episode, we are chatting with Dr. Robert Lassen, a Principal Investigator for AmaTerra Environmental. Robert received his Ph. D. from the University of Tennessee where he specialized in lithic technology and studied Clovis and Folsom archaeological cultures. He has worked at a multitude of sites throughout the Republic of Texas, including Gault. He's also worked at the Topper site in South...

Something's afoot. There is, yet again, another controversial preclovis find. This time, away from the West Coast and in New Mexico. The controversy surrounds human footprints found in White Sands National Park that are dated between 23 and 21 kya. To discuss these possible pre-Clovis footprints, we invited Dr. Jesse Tune and Dr. Shane Miller on the show to contextualize the data. We begin with an...

Dr. Devin Pettigrew comes back on the show to talk about his doctoral dissertation on atlatl and bow weapon system ballistics. Devin first appeared on the show as a guest host back in episode 18.2 and then again as a guest for episode 19. You may also recognize him if you've checked out our YouTube channel. We start off by talking about the dissertation process, what Devin's research question was,...

In this episode of A Life in Ruins, we provide information about undergraduate and graduate school. We start off joking about our favorite episodes (all of them are our favorite) and then dive into things to consider when applying to undergraduate and graduate programs. We talk about our differing experiences in undergrad and the positives and negatives of each of our experiences. Importantly, we...

On this episode of A Life In Ruins Podcast, we are joined by an early A Life in Ruins guest, Dr. David S. Anderson, to talk about the Origins of early states in Mesoamerica. Dr. Anderson first appeared on our show in episode 11 to talk about pseudoscience in archaeology, and we are excited to have him back on the show to discuss with us the real perpetrators of Central American megalithic structur...

In this episode of we have the pleasure of hosting the most fan-requested crossover: The Shipwreck Mermaid and the Pirate Historian. Dr. Maddy McAllister, aka the Shipwreck Mermaid, is a Maritime archaeology Curator based out of Australia. Dr. Jamie Goodall is a staff historian with the US government. They are both popular social media personalities on Twitter and Instagram. We discuss their respe...

On this episode of ALiRP, we interview our friend and colleague, Dr. Madeline Mackie. Dr. Mackie just began her position as an assistant professor at Weber State University in Ogden, Utah. Dr. Mackie studies Paleoindian lifeways and big game hunting, as well as ochre hand sprays. We met Dr. Mackie at the University of Wyoming, where she dealt with our numerous shenanigans. We start off by talking...