Darren McLean

Build Like an Ancient

History EN ↓ 4 episodes

This series brings together episodes on the builders of the ancient world - The Egyptians, Greeks, Persians, Aztecs, Incas, and others. Each group is clearly identified with its own cover image, so you can easily follow themes across the series. Each season explores the materials, methods, and people behind some of history’s most ambitious construction—from the Indus to the Andes. I’m your host, Darren McLean, and this is Build Like an Ancient . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Author

Darren McLean

Episodes

Build Like an Egyptian: Mud, Men and Monuments 07.04.2026 18:34

The Egyptian - Mud Men and the First Monuments! To the surprise of many people, the ancient Egyptians built far more in sun dried mud-brick, than they ever id in monumental stone. See our photos on Instagram for this episode https://www.instagram.com/p/DW2YHHJiBpC https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pyramid_of_Djoser echnical Glossary: Egyptian Mudbrick & Plaster Db.t: The Egyptian word for mudbrick...

Build Like an Ancient Trailer 03.04.2026 0:35

If you've listened to  Build Like a Roman , now you can step back and see the bigger picture. Welcome to  Build Like an Ancient . Each season, we dive into the materials, methods, and the people behind ancient history's greatest buildings and their builders - from the Greeks to the Egyptians, the Inca to the indus. If you loved exploring Roman construction, this is your chance to discove...

Build Like a Greek - Before They Were Made of Stone 24.03.2026 11:19

The Greeks - Before they built with stone! The ancient Greeks are famous for the influential architecture of white marble. But from where did they get the inspiration for their buildings? In this episode, we look at the much earlier buildings of the Greeks, and the transition to stone. See our photos on Instagram for this episode https://www.instagram.com/p/DWQkvleiFaa/ Have a look at three of the...

Build Like in Shibam - The Manhattan of the Desert 21.03.2026 9:36

The Manhattan of the Desert In this, our first episode of both Build Like and Ancient and Build like in Shibam , we look at the adobe construction of the Yemeni city of Shibam. Photos of Shibam: See our Instagram for this episode https://www.instagram.com/p/DWJjX3MCFY/ Definitons Hadhramaut:  The historical region in Eastern Yemen where the "death-defying" desert climate forced builders to be...