Field Notes from the Dead

After wars, epidemics, disasters, and personal tragedy, ghost stories often appear Why? In this episode of Field Notes from the Dead , we explore a fascinating anthropological question: Why do humans tell stories about the dead after periods of profound loss? From Gettysburg to Victorian London, from World War I to the COVID-19 pandemic, cultures around the world have used ghost stories to process...

For centuries, people believed fairies were stealing children and replacing them with changelings. But beneath the folklore may have been something far more human. In this episode of Field Notes from the Dead , we explore the anthropology of changeling myths, disability, autism, fear, and the stories societies create when they cannot explain suffering. From medieval Europe to the tragic Bridget Cl...

The Werewolf Trials: Fear, Disease, and the Monster in the Woods. Why did thousands of people in early modern Europe believe werewolves were real? In this episode of Field Notes from the Dead , we explore the anthropology behind the werewolf panic of the 1500s and the infamous case of. Through folklore, psychology, disease history, and social fear, we examine how societies create monsters during p...

Why do certain crimes become labeled as “ritualistic”? And what happens when fear, culture, religion, and violence collide? In this episode of Field Notes from the Dead , we explore the anthropology behind ritual crimes, moral panic, and the cultural fear of the unknown. From the Satanic Panic and the Matamoros Murders and modern witchcraft accusations across parts of Africa, this episode examines...

Why do humans create monsters? From vampires and witches to serial killers and internet horror, every society creates stories about dangerous things lurking in the dark. But anthropology suggests these creatures are more than entertainment; they are reflections of cultural anxiety, survival instincts, morality, and collective fear. In this episode of Field Notes from the Dead , we explore: The evo...

This episode discusses disappearance, historical violence, and grief in a non-graphic but emotionally heavy context. Please take care of yourself while listening. Welcome to Field Notes from the Dead, a podcast exploring forensic anthropology, archaeology, and the human stories that shape how we understand death, memory, and dignity. In this episode, Ki Roberts examines the real-world origins of f...

Writing trauma realistically doesn’t mean being graphic. In this episode, we explore how trauma actually works, how it shows up in behavior and memory, and how writers and worldbuilders can portray it with care — without voyeurism or exploitation. This gentle, trauma-informed conversation focuses on: The difference between the traumatic event and its aftermath Common mistakes in trauma writing Wri...

In this episode, we explore how ancient peoples across the world deliberately opened the skull, how we know many patients survived, and what trepanation reveals about healing, ritual, and community care. Using osteological evidence and archaeological context, this episode reframes trepanation not as madness or violence, but as effort, knowledge, and hope.

Content Note: This episode discusses cannibalism in the archaeological record from an educational and anthropological perspective. The discussion is non-graphic and focuses on evidence, context, and ethics, but the topic may be distressing for some listeners. Please listen with care. Cannibalism is often portrayed as monstrous, but the archaeological record tells a more complicated story. In this...

How do bones reveal when something happened? In this episode, we break down how forensic anthropologists distinguish between antemortem, perimortem, and postmortem trauma and how the entire body acts as a clock through the decomposition process. A clear, friendly, writer-focused guide to: Healing vs fresh injuries Bone behavior at the moment of death Environmental damage after death The full decom...

Why were some people in the past buried with stones over their necks? Why were some pinned down, bound, or placed face down in graves? And were they really “witches,” “vampires,” or “criminals”… or something far more complicated? In this episode, we wander into the world of deviant burials: archaeological graves that break the “rules” of how people were normally buried. These unusual burials give...

Cheddar Man, one of the oldest nearly complete skeletons in Britain; became a cultural flashpoint when ancient DNA revealed he likely had dark skin, dark curls, and blue or green eyes. But what does his genome really tell us about identity, migration, and early post-Ice-Age Europe? And why did the public react so strongly to a scientific finding that surprised almost no anthropologist? In this epi...

In this debut episode of Field Notes from the Dead, we open the case file of a medieval monk whose skull carries the unmistakable mark of a sword strike, a blow he survived long enough for the bone to heal. This wound isn’t just evidence of violence. It’s evidence of care, survival, and community in a world far more dangerous and far more human than popular history suggests. Join Ki as she explore...