DIG THIS

In our 7th and final episode of Season 3, Amanda and Kleanza archaeologist, Gwen Topacio invite UCLA art historian and Associate Director for Research and Knowledge Creation at the Getty Research Institute, Nancy Um, to share her extensive knowledge around the subject of coffee. It turns out that Nancy and Gwen both share a great enthusiasm and curiosity about the subject and their conversation is...

In Episode 6, Amanda and Kleanza Archaeologist, Kevin Haugrud, explore the subject of Geographic Information Services with GIS Specialist Mikaela Bennett, from Ecora in Kelowna. She explains how she uses different types of software to look at both spatial (ie. map) and tabular information (ie. spreadsheet) to get answers about a point or area. The conversation covers techniques, the possibilities...

Our friend and field geophysicist, Péter Takács, from GeoScan Subsurface Surveys, joins Kleanza archaeologist Sheriff Hossain to talk about Ground Penetrating Radar. Their conversation touches on having a career in GPR, its advantages, different techniques, and the challenges of using GPR in archaeological, and geophysical surveys. This is one of Sheriff’s passions and he was able to gather a weal...

We start the New Year with an incredibly moving and uplifting story. Amanda and guest host Brady McBride welcome Debbie Nagano, Director of Heritage for the Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in Government and Dr. Grant Zazula who heads the Yukon government’s paleontology program to tell the story of the mummified baby mammoth, Nun Cho Ga, found in 2022. They discuss the profound opportunity this powerful event provi...

In Episode 3 Amanda and guest host Joseph LeBrun and have an amazing conversation with Dr. Camilla Townsend, historian and professor of history at Rutgers University. She spent over 10 years learning the Náhuat language to be able to analyze the historical annals written in the 16th and 17th centuries by the Nahuas (or Aztecs) in their own language. Spanish friars taught them the Roman alphabet so...

We continue Season 3 as Amanda and guest host Gary Brewer talk with Robin Greubel - CEO of K9Sensus.  Robin has been involved in detection work since 2001, beginning in wilderness and human remains detection (HRD), which expanded into disaster work. She trains and deploys with Nebraska Task Force 1 and Iowa Task Force 1, and is a certified explosives and narcotics detection dog handler.  Gary has...

Welcome to Season 3 where Amanda includes members of her archaeological team as guest hosts. They each pick a subject they love and a dream guest to interview! In Episode 1, Amanda welcomes Curt Carbonell who interviews Dr. Marie Hopwood about her research regarding the production and cultural significance of alcohol in past societies. She also has a research partnership with Dave Paul of Loveshac...

Thank you for hanging with us throughout Dig This Season 2! In this, the season’s final episode, Archaeologist Kay Jollymore talks with Jenny about mentorship!  From her start in the Cariboo area and throughout her career, Kay celebrates the generous people who made a difference in her career. She shares the value of becoming a mentor, how to be a good one, mentor, different kinds of mentors inclu...

Celebrating our team this Gratitude Season, each Kleanza archaeologist chose to discuss a subject that was important to them. In Episode 21, Jenny talks with archaeologist Kevin Haugrud about women in archaeology!  Kevin shares his gratitude for all the women he has worked with and for, in his career. Touching on mining, oil and other industry platforms, camp culture, toxic masculinity, healthy co...

Gratitude Season continues with Episode 20. Today Jenny, and Kleanza archaeologist Manda Palmer gently, with compassion and vulnerability, have a very difficult but important discussion about harassment, abuse, rape, sexual assault, mental health and burnout in the practice of archaeology…and our obligation, to ourselves now, and to the next generation.  Again, it feels like we're just scratching...

Today Jenny hosts Kleanza archaeologist, Gary Brewer, to talk about how differently archaeology, both federally and provincially, is handled across our country. Provinces don’t all do things the same way?! Whaaaaaat?!  Gary has worked across Canada and the US, with expertise in CRM, Academia and Regulation. He is imminently qualified, but also able to offer a rare combination of knowledge, experie...

In Episode 18, Jenny is joined by archaeologist Mirjana McIntyre, for a serious discussion about working with First Nations in their territories. About involving, listening and acknowledging what Indigenous communities want. About the importance of developing deep and respectful relationships. What meaningful consultation really means. And tangible ideas to empower First Nations, ensuring that the...

Gratitude Season continues! Today, our archaeologist, Tannis Wilson, talks about the importance of preserving organic materials and wet site finds, as well as building this capacity in Indigenous communities. She does this through the lens of caring for and preserving 2000+ year old fishing weirs. Archaeologists are at a bit of a trust deficit when it comes to communities, because of the terrible...

Welcome to Episode 16!  Today our archaeologist, Curt Carbonell, uses his experiences in the military and as a distiller and mixologist to explore the subject of public outreach. The perception of archaeology as - a cerebral, exclusive, academic pursuit by primarily settler gatekeepers in ivory towers -  needs to change. Or we won’t be able to attract (very much needed) new students, or garner pub...

This week we begin our GRATITUDE SEASON.  It’s been a rough couple of years with COVID, and we wanted to celebrate our wonderful team and talk about subjects that matter to them. And do it in a way that’s not a client conversation, or getting trucks out the door, or figuring out what happened with the shovels!  Archaeologist Suzy Carruthers shares her experience with and thoughtful insight on the...

In PART 2 of our conversation with archaeologist, assistant professor, blogger, podcaster, and eBook publisher, Bill White, he talks about problematic colonial cultures in archaeology and education, and his work to decolonize those associations, organizations, and institutions.  Alongside his work using community-based participatory research to investigate the past of multi-racial neighbourhoods,...

Welcome to Season 2, Episode1! A passionate and articulate archaeologist, assistant professor, blogger, podcaster, and eBook publisher, Bill White joined us from University of California Berkeley. His work focuses on using community-based participatory research to investigate the past of multi-racial neighbourhoods and areas. We learn about how he's building an archaeology community that is anti-r...

Amanda & Jenny reflect on Season 1 - their favourite moments, all that they've learned, and plans for the next season! They also share their gratitude for all their listeners - for great feedback and support, and for going on this journey with them. They love how this podcast is becoming a real discussion. To that end, send in any comments, questions and suggestions and A&J will address th...

In our very first pan-Canadian roundtable - (where you may hear zoom’s audio limitations) - topics range from leadership, inclusivity, ableism, guilt and confidence, to harassment, abuse, boundaries, accountability, and ethics. And it feels like we just scratch the surface. To our dear listeners, this episode contains content that may be alarming. Please check the show notes for specific time code...

 Owning his own CRM company, teaching, running a field school, excavating one of the world's oldest public skateboard parks, studying the archaeology of COVID, unearthing Japanese settlements in the North Shore Mountains, twitter, writing books - these are just some of the topics we touched on in a fascinating conversation with archaeologist Bob Muckle. But truly, his life's work has been to get p...

Join us for the first of our Kitchen Talks mini-sodes. For years, Jenny and Amanda have carved out time at the end of the day, to work out weekly business challenges – all while cooking dinner. We asked them to try recording a few of them! Today, the conversation is about ‘Remote Monitoring’ - a covid 19 solution to address Indigenous community participation safely in the field, which is helping a...

Promoting disciplines that engage in early communication and obtaining consent from First Nations, is a priority for us. Archaeological geo-physicist, Peter Takacs shares his enthusiasm for ground-penetrating radar, as Amanda flexes her field producer skills, recording out in the field with Peter and Kleanza archaeologist, Travis Freeland. As a GPR Technician at GeoScan Subsurface Surveys, not onl...

In this podcast, one of the things that we've been exploring is the meaning of archaeology and why it matters. We’re all parents in this episode, so today we’re going to explore how our kids bring additional meaning to what we do. Candice Wilson, Environment Manager with Haisla Nation, joins us again, (YAY!), to reflect on this aspect of our lives. What does being a mom and having kids bring to ou...

‘How do we ‘right the balance and balance the right?’ This quote by Justice Murray Sinclair has resonated for years. Even archaeologists who understand the imbalance in our practice – and the need for Indigenous communities to be involved in more meaningful ways – find change a challenge. The existing system ends up being replicated in communities, with the all the same problems. Today we talk wit...