The Resurrectionists | A Morbid Archaeology and History Podcast

Discover how enslaved and free Black professionals shaped the medical landscape of 19th-century Richmond. In this episode of The Resurrectionist Podcast, I sit down with architectural historian Jacqueline Drayer to peel back the layers of Richmond, Virginia’s complex past. We move beyond the textbooks to explore the "hidden history" of how health, industry, and slavery intersected in the...

Think mummification was just a solemn religious ritual? Think again. In this episode, we dive into the gritty, litigious, and surprisingly modern world of Ancient Egyptian mortuary priests. Far from just being "keepers of the dead," these families ran a massive funerary industry involving legal battles, tax receipts, and even "selling" mummies. Join us as Dr. Lauren Dogaer, a r...

What Victorians wore in death reveals shocking truths about class, gender, and mourning. In this episode of The Resurrectionists, I speak with Frances Harvey about burial dress in the Victorian era. They explore how burial practices shifted from simple shrouds to personal clothing, and what these changes reveal about death, identity, gender roles, and social class in 19th-century Britain. The disc...

"You're commodifying someone else's ancestors."In this conversation, Dr. Damien Huffer discusses the complex issues surrounding the sale of human remains online, the role of social media platforms in facilitating this trade, and the efforts of the Alliance to Countercrime Online to combat these issues. He emphasizes the need for better legislation and public awareness to address the ethical concer...

In this episode of the Resurrectionist podcast, host Megan McGrath interviews Polina Ignatova, a medieval historian with a focus on the narratives of the walking dead in medieval English texts. The conversation explores Polina's research on the symbolic roles of aquatic animals, the differences between medieval walking dead and modern zombies, and the complexities of ghost narratives. They dis...

Who owns human remains and fossils and who decides? In this episode of The Resurrectionists, we examine the legal and ethical debates surrounding fossils, human remains, and cultural heritage with legal researcher Paul Stewens. From blood amber mined in war zones to hominin fossils held in European museums, we explore how law, science, colonialism, and ethics collide. We discuss fossil ownership,...

Behind locked doors, entire lives were recorded — and then forgotten. In this episode of The Resurrectionists, Dr. Alexandra Lord explores the hidden histories of 19th-century asylums; places of care, control, silence, and secrecy. Through archival records, institutional spaces, and the people whose lives were shaped behind locked doors, we examine how mental health, disability, and social differe...

he only thing more terrifying than facing Napoleon’s army was being wounded by it. Step onto the brutal battlefields of the 19th century as we explore the shocking reality of Napoleonic military medicine. From the legendary speed of Dominique Jean Larrey’s "flying ambulances" to the grueling experience of surgery without anesthesia, historian Dr. Nebiha Guiga joins us to reveal how the w...

Discover what archaeology looks like in the world’s most dangerous places. In this episode, archaeologist and former UN peacekeeper Kevin MacDonald reveals how conflict zones, closed borders, and off-limits military landscapes hide some of the best-preserved ancient sites on Earth. From no-man’s-lands to desert buffer zones, we explore how war accidentally protects the past—and the unexpected disc...

What really happens beneath the surface of our cemeteries? In this episode of The Resurrectionists, I’m joined by Dr. Helen Frisby and Prof. Stuart Prior to uncover the hidden world of grave diggers, burial archaeology, and the strange (and sometimes explosive) secrets of modern and Victorian cemeteries.🎧 Love mysteries? Watch more episodes and dive deeper into the stories!https://bit.ly/resurrec...

Unlock the strange, spooky, and often disturbing Victorian obsession with Ancient Egypt. In this episode of The Resurrectionists, I sit down with Dr. Jay Sullivan to explore how the Victorians turned mummies, pharaohs, and ancient artefacts into a Gothic cultural phenomenon filled with superstition, pseudo-science, and full-blown madness. 🎧 Love mysteries? Watch more episodes and dive deeper into...

What did Ancient Egyptians think happened the moment you died? This episode Dr. Tiffany Bannworth explores the soul’s 12-hour journey through the Duat: heart-weighing, gods and monsters, judgment, and rebirth. From Ra’s nightly battle with Apophis to the Field of Reeds, we break down what death really meant in Ancient Egypt. 🎧 Love mysteries? Watch more episodes and dive deeper into the stories!h...

Why we travel to sites of death and what dark tourism reveals about humanity. From cemeteries to catacombs, discover why we’re drawn to the macabre. In this episode of The Resurrectionists, I speak with curator and author Janica Buhagiar about the ethics, history, and emotion behind dark tourism; exploring how we remember death, tragedy, and the darker side of human experience. 🎧 Love mysteries?...

Discover how the people of Roman Phoenicia buried, mourned, and even dined with their dead in this fascinating look at ancient funerary archaeology with PhD student Nicolas Aherne. 🎧 Love mysteries? Watch more episodes and dive deeper into the stories! https://bit.ly/resurrectionists 👉 Explore more mysteries and exclusive content here! https://linktr.ee/theresurrectionists 💡 Got a case in mind?...

Discover how archaeologists relocate cemeteries, exploring the science, history, and ethics of moving the dead. 🎧 Love mysteries? Watch more episodes and dive deeper into the stories! https://bit.ly/resurrectionists 👉 Explore more mysteries and exclusive content here! https://linktr.ee/theresurrectionists 💡 Got a case in mind? Suggest new episode ideas here! https://bit.ly/episodesuggestions Gu...

What if archaeology could heal the living? In this episode of The Resurrectionists, osteoarchaeologist Giselle Kiraly joins Megan to explore Operation Nightingale — a groundbreaking project where war veterans recover and reconnect through archaeology. Discover how digging up the dead is helping soldiers process trauma, rebuild community, and find peace through the past. 🎧 Love mysteries? Watch mo...

What can children’s bones reveal about life and death in the past? In this episode of The Resurrectionists, host Megan McGrath speaks with Isobel Grimley, a PhD researcher at the University of Bradford, about her groundbreaking work on frailty in children and adolescents from medieval and post-medieval England. Discover how skeletons challenge the myth that children were simply “little adults,” wh...

QnA special episode answering your questions!

Discover how Paris’s ancient quarries, once used to build the city, transformed into one of the world’s largest underground graveyards. From collapsing streets to overcrowded cemeteries, uncover the chilling history behind the Paris Catacombs and the millions of skeletons resting beneath the City of Lights. 🎧 Love video? Watch episodes and dive deeper into the stories here! 👉 Explore more myster...

Explore the fascinating story of a disabled teenager who lived in Roman Britain nearly 2,000 years ago. Through the osteological study of their remains, we uncover how they adapted to life with impairments and what their care reveals about attitudes toward disability in the ancient world. Discover how this young individual’s life challenges our modern assumptions about Roman society and the treatm...

Explore the mystery behind Saint Valentine’s relics, scattered across Europe from his skull in Rome to a vial of blood in Dublin. Are these bones really his, or is the story of the patron saint of love more fiction than fact? Join us as we uncover the truth behind the relics and the man behind Valentine’s Day. 👉 Explore more mysteries and exclusive content here! 💡 Got a case in mind? Suggest new...

Delve into the tragic final hours of Herculaneum, the wealthy Roman town buried by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD. Once thought to have escaped, over 300 victims were found centuries later, waiting for a rescue that never came. Discover how this extraordinary archaeological find sheds new light on ancient Roman life and the catastrophic event that sealed their fate. 👉 Explore more myster...

Discover the chilling history of Kilkenny Union Workhouse, where over 1,000 forgotten souls were unearthed beneath a modern shopping center. In this episode, we delve into the tragic impact of Ireland's Great Famine and the significance of this shocking discovery. Join us as we uncover the untold stories of those who suffered and explore what their experiences reveal about the famine's imp...

In 1933, Arthur Kingsley Porter, a renowned Harvard professor and art historian, vanished from the cliffs of Inishbofin, sparking Ireland's first inquest without a body. Was his death a tragic accident, a carefully planned escape, or something more sinister? Explore the mystery surrounding the real-life "Indiana Jones" and the decades-long debate over his mysterious disappearance. 👉...

Discover the hidden history of Southwark's Crossbones Graveyard, an unconsecrated burial site in London. Unearthed in 1989, this graveyard holds 15,000 bodies, including paupers, prostitutes, and the forgotten outcasts of Victorian society. We explore its dark past, the myths of the 'Winchester Geese,' and the harsh realities of life, disease, and death in 17th-19th century London. ⁠Fi...