The Dirt Podcast

It's a bonus episode! Anna and Amber are joined by some of the wonderful folks at One Star Archaeology (Twitter: @1starchaeology, Instagram: @onestarchaeology) for dramatic readings of internet reviews of archaeological sites. Contact Email the Dirt Podcast: thedirtpodcast@gmail.com Affiliates Wildnote TeePublic Timeular

Seasons greetings! And by that we mean we're wrapping up 2020 by sitting down with Dr. Chris Stantis, who uses stable isotope analyses to learn how people lived in the ancient past. We discuss the real story of the Hyksos Dynasty during the Second Intermediate Period in Egypt. Were they the pushy invaders they've been made out to be? Or is there more to the story? (There's more to the story). Not...

This week, Amber takes Anna on a guided tour of her beloved Arabia. Learn about the varied mountains, deserts, and oases that are nowhere near as empty or inactive as Western explorers might have you believe. We examine the archaeology of Tell Abraq, get scammed by a guy named Ea-Nasir, solve the mystery of Magan (hint: not actually a mystery), and share insights from skeletal remains about commun...

This week, Amber and Anna delve into the massive site of the first Chinese Emperor's burial complex. Were there flowing rivers of mercury? Maybe. Are there thousands of terra cotta soldiers? Definitely. Do we understand how metal detectors work? Kind of! Plus, some thumb-related Art Crime, and Anna finally apologizes for attributing Hey Ya to Snoop Dogg when it is absolutely by Outkast. How embarr...

This week, Anna and Amber head to ancient Central Asia for a sponsored episode in which they explore the Bactria-Margiana Archaeological Complex. Come along and learn why there’s BMAC stuff all over the place! Visit Gonur and the man that wants to be buried in its deserts! Consider the who and the why of the BMAC and its collapse (psst it wasn’t a collapse)! Meet some Horse Guys! Links Bactria (En...

This week, Anna and Amber bring you the result of episode planning by two hosts who have had a VERY long year and who refuse to back down from a dumb joke. We're talking Mersons of Interest, aquatic apes, men who wear fish, and more! Make sure to listen through the end for...what can only be described as a musical masterpiece. Links Are mermaids real? (NOAA National Ocean Service) Did Human Evolut...

Anna and Amber embark once again into the Viking Age, this time with the help of Neil Price's excellent book Children of Ash and Elm: A History of the Vikings. Come learn about the origins of Ragnarok, Viking sorcery, and more! Contact Email the Dirt Podcast Affiliates Wildnote TeePublic Timeular Find this show on the educational podcast app, Lyceum.fm!

This week, Anna and Amber engage in some light speleology to give you a glimpse of the Ellora Caves--a shared Hindu, Buddhist and Jain sacred site in India. What makes a place feel sacred and special, and why are so many caves viewed as sacred places around the world and throughout time? Plus, Amber's review of Werner Herzog's opus In the Cave of Forgotten Dreams. We are all crocodiles looking bac...

This week, Anna and Amber have dealt you an excellent hand of examples of gambling, and the archaeology and anthropology thereof! Listeners, we hope you'll bear with us on this episode. We recorded on day three of the 2020 electoral vote counts, and we've both lost our minds. Come along on this ride with us as we explore what evidence we have for gambling in the archaeological record, and what we...

Anna and Amber sit down with Dr. Rebecca Wragg Sykes, Paleolithic archaeologist and author of the book "Kindred: Neanderthal Life, Love, Death, and Art." We talk about Rebecca's education and her love for all things ancient, and she resolves some common misconceptions about our Neanderthal cousins. "Kindred" just came out in the States, so pick up a copy of your very own for an amazing synthesis o...

For the final spooky episode of 2020, Amber and Anna take on the extremely frightening topic of live burials. We discuss the forensic evidence that indicates that a person might have been buried alive, talk about some archaeological contexts for live burials, and cover some real and probably-not-so-real accounts from history. This one's got some real ups and downs, so buckle up. Links The Live Bur...

Sure, maybe you've heard of the River Ordeal, or trial by fire, but have you heard of Trial by Bean? How about the Ordeal of the Turf? In this Spooktober installment, Amber walks Anna through the ways that those accused of crimes have proven their innocence (or not!) throughout history and all over the world. Links Why the trial by ordeal was actually an effective test of guilt (Aeon.com) The Laws...

For decades, American horror has been haunted by the specter of the "Indian Burial Ground." This week, we look at the roots of the phenomenon, the history behind some of the most famous instances, and Indigenous responses to the trope. Plus, Amber serves the worst Maine accent while trying to explain the plot of Pet Sematary, and bullies you all into checking out her Book Club recs. Links Why Ever...

Amber eases Anna into Spooktober with some archaeological accounts of hands in... unexpected places. Links The Second Intermediate Period: The Hyksos (slide show, via Brown University) Severed Hands Discovered in Ancient Egypt Palace (LiveScience) Stone Age Horror! Pit Filled with Severed Limbs Uncovered (LiveScience) A farewell to arms: a deposit of human limbs and bodies at Bergheim, France, c....

This week, Anna and Amber get ready for the spooky season by talking about some of the ways that people in various cultures have protected themselves from bad luck, ill will, and evil. Load up on garlic, toss some salt over your shoulder, and join us! Links The strange power of the ‘evil eye’ (BBC Culture) The Evil Eye: An Account of this Ancient & Widespread Superstition (via WorldCat) Apotro...

This week, Amber and Anna bring you three of the best-known archaeological sites from Ancient Egypt. These sites tell us a whole lot about life in the past--not just for the pharaohs and the elites, but the workers who built them. We also dip our toes into Ancient Egyptian cosmology and zip through the dynastic timeline! Contact Email the Dirt Podcast; thedirtpodcast@gmail.com Affiliates Wildnote...

Anna and Amber finally get some much-needed linguistics help from Dr. Chris Donlay. We talk about his unconventional academic path and his work recording and studying endangered languages! Plus, he schools us on how language shapes our perception of the world, how old spoken language *might* be, and what to do with a linguistics degree. Contact Email the Dirt Podcast Affiliates Wildnote TeePublic...

The second half of Anna and Amber's conversation with librarian and research guru Tasha Bergson-Michelson. This week, we chat about the value of critical thinking, combatting misinformation in our social circles, and how to hack Wikipedia for the greater good. Plus, some unexpected facts about ice cream parlors and fog! Contact Email the Dirt Podcast Affiliates Wildnote TeePublic Timeular Find thi...

Amber and Anna sit down to chat with the incomparable Tasha Bergson-Michelson, a librarian and educator. Research is a skill that is learned, and Tasha teaches us how to up our game. We learn about the process of good research, how to avoid sketchy sources, and the best ways to get started on any research project. We enjoyed talking with Tasha so much that we did it a whole bunch! Next week, we'll...

This week, on a sponsored episode, Anna and Amber examine the traces left by the various ancient cultures called "Illyrians." We've got some architecture, coin-nerdery, a smattering of religion, and a complicated political legacy. It all makes for an excellent entry in our collection of supporting characters from the Classical world! Links The Illyrians on WorldCat Discovery of ‘Lost City’ in Alba...

This week, Anna and Amber take on archaeological illustration. That's right-it's an audio episode about an entirely visual topic! This'll go well. We cover the merits of hand drawing vs. photography, reveal some stories from our own...mixed experiences, and investigate the very cool technique of photogrammetry. Links Pencils and Pixels: Drawing and Digital Media in Archaeological Field Recording (...

This week, on a short but fun episode, Anna and Amber investigate some of the massive figures cut into the chalk landscape of the Southern UK. Who made them? How old are they? Why are there so many horses? Links Cerne Abbas Giant is NOT prehistoric and may have been created just a few hundred years ago before becoming a propaganda tool for William of Orange, snail shells reveal (Daily Mail) Englan...

Since back-to-school season is rolling around again, let's return to our annual tradition of busting myths and righting wrongs! This time, we cover pyramid construction (and curses), the Genghis Khan family reunion, the end of James Cook, Stonehenge, the Dark Ages, and more. This episode is not to be myth-ed. Links Enter to win Dirt merch This 4,500-Year-Old Ramp Contraption May Have Been Used to...

This week, for our ONE HUNDREDTH EPISODE, Anna and Amber bend their brains around the archaeology of the future and the future of archaeology. What will excavation look like in 100, 1,000, or 5,000 years? What about human evolution? Human culture? Language? We come up with more questions than answers, and have a great time doing it. THANK YOU for getting us to Episode 100! Links Chicken Bones May...

Amber and Anna explore perceptions of human body shape in different times and places. What’s the difference between fatness and obesity? Why should we look askance at BMI? What is UP with Peter Paul Rubens and his damp, shiny nudes? And more! Links The Bizarre and Racist History of the BMI (Medium’s Elemental) A History of Obesity, or How What Was Good Became Ugly and Then Bad (Advances in Chronic...