Ethnocynology with David Ian Howe

In this episode of Ethnocynology, David continues his conversation with Bradley Rydholm of Nature Is Not Metal to discuss animal cognition, ecology, and humanity’s relationship with the natural world. Bradley shares the story behind his popular Instagram page, his work as an outdoor educator, and why he believes wild animals possess rich social lives and individual personalities that are often ove...

In this episode of Ethnocynology, David sits down with Bradley Rydholm of Nature Is Not Metal to discuss animal cognition, ecology, and humanity’s relationship with the natural world. Bradley shares the story behind his popular Instagram page, his work as an outdoor educator, and why he believes wild animals possess rich social lives and individual personalities that are often overlooked. The conv...

In this episode of Ethnocynology, David chats with friend of the show Dr. Alyce Cannon, who is an expert in classics and dogs in the classical world. The discussion begins with an overview of Alyce’s research an ancient Greece and how dogs appear in pottery after the great Athenian plague. Then they begin to discuss Odysseus’s dog Argos in Home’s Odyssey: his roles, significance, and sad story. An...

In this Q&A episode of Ethnocynology , David answers listener questions about dogs, archaeology, human evolution, and the ancient past. From whether Neanderthals had dogs, to why humans mourn dogs so deeply, to what ancient people may have named their dogs, this episode explores the relationship between humans and dogs across history. David also discusses archaeological misconceptions, Ice Age soc...

In this episode of Ethnocynology, David has a deep discussion with Anjali Ranadive. Anjali Ranadive is a wildlife conservationist and founder of Women for Wolves, a California-based nonprofit and wolf-dog sanctuary focused on wolf conservation, rescue, education, and human–wildlife coexistence. Based in El Dorado County, her work bridges conservation, advocacy, policy, and storytelling to protect...

With two new dog genetic and archaeological studies in the news, David briefly overviews his thoughts on them before he interviews the researchers in the coming Episodes. One was found in Britain, and another in Turkey, and they help fill in the gaps of previously published genetic studies. Secondly, David discusses his newly launched The History of Dogs Course hosted by FluentPet! Check the link...

In this episode of Ethnocynology, David hosts a panel of guests, including Drs. Shane Miller, Spencer Pelton, Jesse Tune, and Carlton Gover, to discuss the recent Monte Verde paper by Surovell et al. They discuss the recent paper, the synopsis, and address the many professionally published comments and critiques of the paper, as well as the conversation of the paper on the YouTube video of the pre...

For decades, Monte Verde in southern Chile has been one of the most famous archaeological sites in the Americas. The site was widely accepted as 14,500 years old, making it one of the strongest pieces of evidence for human presence in the Americas before Clovis. But what if that interpretation was wrong? In this special episode, I sit down with Dr. Todd Surovell, professor of anthropology at the U...

In this episode, David sits down in Nashville with archaeologist Aaron Deter-Wolf, a leading researcher in the archaeology of tattooing and co-editor of Ancient Ink: The Archaeology of Tattooing . They explore how tattoos function as deep cultural expressions across human societies, from Ötzi the Iceman’s 5,000-year-old tattoos to newly documented tattooed mummies in Peru. The conversation dives i...

In this episode of Ethnocynology, David talks about his recent trip to Mexico. Initially, David went to Oaxaca to experience the local culture and take pictures of dogs, and he also spent a lot of time touring mezcal facilities and archaeological sites. After Oaxaca, David then took a bus to Mexico City, where he gave a talk about his upcoming book at UNAM, the largest university in Latin America....

In this episode of Ethnocynology, David talks about the book he's writing, reflects on the recent passing of his dog and his uncle, and what those have in common. With an upcoming trip to Mexico to research dogs in ancient and classical Mexican culture, David weaves in themes of dogs as spiritual constants and symbols of death around the world, including ancient Persia and China. He also asks the...

In this episode of ethnocynology, David gets back to dogs! Ever wanted to hear his full manifesto on dogs, culminating nearly a decade of research? Well, here it is! What are dogs, where do they come from, and why are they so prevalent in history, legend, and mythology? Transcripts For a rough transcript head over to: https://www.archaeologypodcastnetwork.com/ethnocynology/29 Links: David’s video...

What if one of the most important technologies in human history wasn’t a spear, a stone tool, or writing, but a bone needle? In this episode of Ethnocynology, David sits down with Dr. McKenna Litynski, an interdisciplinary anthropologist, to explore how sewing needles, clothing, and thermoregulation fundamentally reshaped human survival during the Ice Age. And helped Homo sapiens expand across the...

As the APN takes a break this holiday season we’re taking this opportunity to bring you episodes of shows you may not be aware of. Today we have an episode from The Archaeology Show about lost cities. The Archaeology Show: Lost City or Lost Cause? Diving Into the Latest Atlantis Claims In this episode of The Archaeology Show, we kick things off with a look at the recent discovery of a treasure-fil...

Do you have your pens at the ready? It’s pop-quiz time! Since David’s away for this episode, he’s given you a refresher on why bone needles are so important! This may or may not relate to a certain episode sequel he’s been working on… Here’s a recap of Episode 9! In this episode of Ethnocynology, David highlights a recent paper published about a bone needle he helped excavate in the summer of 2022...

Please enjoy this Promo episode from the Great Plains Podcast this week! In this episode, I sit down with Nebraska archaeologist Nolan Johnson to talk about his work uncovering and interpreting the state’s rich historic past. We begin with the Beaver Creek Trail Crossing, a site that offers a glimpse into the experiences of travelers along the overland trails and the material traces they left behi...

In this episode David sits down with Zach Lindsay, a Mayanist archaeologist and board member of the Institute of Maya Studies, to explore the intersection of Mesoamerican archaeology, art, mythology, and—of course—dogs! From the monumental pyramids of Teotihuacan to the symbolic underworld journeys of ancient Maya souls, Zach brings a journalist’s curiosity and an archaeologist’s precision to one...

In this third installment of the “Horse Series,” David sits down with Dr. Carlton Shield Chief Gover to explore the intersections of Indigenous oral traditions, radiocarbon dating, and the archaeology of horses across the Great Plains and the Caribbean. Carlton shares how Pawnee oral traditions align with archaeological evidence, revealing new insights into the transitions from hunter-gatherer to...

Remembering Jane Goodall with Primatologist Carson Black In this deeply heartfelt episode, David speaks with Primatologist, Biological Anthropologist, and Conservationist, Carson Black, who has spent her academic career studying chimpanzees in Senegal and howler monkeys in Costa Rica. Together, they reflect on the life and legacy of Jane Goodall, the “living Darwin of the modern era,” and how her...

In this episode of Ethnocynology with David Ian Howe , I sit down with my good friend and former graduate school cohort member Cassidee Thornhill , Collections Manager at the University of Wyoming Archaeological Repository. Cassidee’s research dives into the early contact era in Wyoming , focusing on the arrival and spread of horses before and during European colonization. We discuss her fascinati...

In this episode of Ethnocynology , host David Ian Howe sits down with archaeologist and anthropologist Dr. William Taylor (University of Colorado Boulder), author of Hoofbeats: How Horses Shaped Human History . While this show usually focuses on dogs, today we shift to the other animal that transformed humanity: the horse. Dr. Taylor walks us through the evolutionary history of horses, their domes...

In this episode of Ethnocynology , host David Ian Howe sits down with friend and creator North02 to dive into one of North America’s most fascinating and overlooked archaeological stories—the Old Copper Culture . Together, they explore how Native communities in the Great Lakes region began shaping some of the world’s earliest metal tools and weapons , thousands of years before metallurgy took hold...

On this episode of A Life in Ruins Podcast, David and Connor talk to Dr. Angela Perri about her lengthy CV and her academic/professional career. Dr. Perri is currently the top researcher in the world in terms of understanding the relationship between humans and dogs in the ancient world. So clearly, David's ears perked up. As usual, we first dive into Angela's early life and career in anthropology...

An Anthro Chat With Stefan Milo. In this episode of ethnic psychology, David sits down with good friend Stefan Milo, archaeologist, YouTuber, and overall outstanding chap. David and Steve catch up on recent anthropology news and discussed the recent archaeological findings at White Sands national Park, as well as the recent genetic findings surrounding Dragon Man, the Denisovans, and the peopling...

On this episode of A Life In Ruins podcast, David interviews his former advisor Dr. Todd Surovell. Todd served as an advisor to David and was a committee member for David and Connor‘s MA theses. David begins interviewing Todd about what archaeology means to him, and a discussion of his early life. The conversation later turns into how Todd found his way into anthropology, and his work in graduate...