Witness of the Times

Episode 6 Title: The History of Money, Part VI: Cryptocurrency and the Future of Wealth Drop Date: July 7, 2026 Show Notes In the final installment of Season 4’s exploration into the history of money, Witness of the Times examines one of the newest and most controversial forms of currency ever created — cryptocurrency. From ancient coinage and salt trades to paper money and the global dominance of...

Episode 5 Title: The History of Money, Part V: Paper Currency and the Power of Trust Drop Date: June 30, 2026 Show Notes In Episode 5 of Season 4, Witness of the Times explores the fascinating rise of paper currency — the form of money that dominates the modern world. From ancient Chinese merchants exchanging receipts during the Tang Dynasty to the collapse of the gold standard in the 1970s, Dr. B...

Episode 4 Title: The History of Money, Part IV: Animals, Currency, and the Price of Human Labor Drop Date: June 23 Show Notes In Episode 4 of Season 4, Witness of the Times turns to perhaps the most difficult and controversial chapter in the history of money — the use of animals, animal products, and ultimately human beings as commodities of exchange. From buckskins and beaver pelts to shells, wha...

Episode 3 Title: The History of Money, Part III: Spices, Trade, and the First Global Economy Drop Date: June 16 Show Notes In Episode 3 of Season 4, Witness of the Times continues its exploration into the history of money by turning to one of the most influential trade systems ever created — the spice trade. Long before modern banking systems or global stock exchanges existed, spices helped create...

Episode Title: The History of Money, Part II: Salt — The Currency of Civilization Drop Date: June 9Show Notes In Episode 2 of Season 4, Witness of the Times continues its exploration into the history of money by examining one of the most valuable commodities in human history — salt. While inexpensive and commonplace today, salt once functioned as currency across vast regions of the ancient world....

Episode 1 Title: The History of Money, Part I: From Barter to Coinage Drop Date: June 2, 2026 Show Notes Season 4 of Witness of the Times begins with the first installment of an in-depth exploration into one of the most influential inventions in human history — money. In this episode, Dr. Bruce Baker traces the origins of money from the earliest barter systems of Mesopotamia to the revolutionary i...

Welcome to Witness of the Times, where we explore the stories behind the headlines of history, the people, places, and moments that shaped our world, often hidden in plain sight. Each week, Dr. Bruce Baker invites you to join him on a journey across time — from the dusty backroads of forgotten towns to the great turning points of civilizations past. Whether we’re unraveling the myths of ancient Ro...

Welcome to Witness of the Times, where we explore the stories behind the headlines of history, the people, places, and moments that shaped our world, often hidden in plain sight. Each week, Dr. Bruce Baker invites you to join him on a journey across time — from the dusty backroads of forgotten towns to the great turning points of civilizations past. Whether we’re unraveling the myths of ancient Ro...

Welcome to Witness of the Times, where we explore the stories behind the headlines of history, the people, places, and moments that shaped our world, often hidden in plain sight. Each week, Dr. Bruce Baker invites you to join him on a journey across time — from the dusty backroads of forgotten towns to the great turning points of civilizations past. Whether we’re unraveling the myths of ancient Ro...

Welcome to Witness of the Times, where we explore the stories behind the headlines of history, the people, places, and moments that shaped our world, often hidden in plain sight. Each week, Dr. Bruce Baker invites you to join him on a journey across time — from the dusty backroads of forgotten towns to the great turning points of civilizations past. Whether we’re unraveling the myths of ancient Ro...

  Welcome to Witness of the Times, where we explore the stories behind the headlines of history, the people, places, and moments that shaped our world, often hidden in plain sight. Each week, Dr. Bruce Baker invites you to join him on a journey across time — from the dusty backroads of forgotten towns to the great turning points of civilizations past. Whether we’re unraveling the myths of ancient...

Welcome to Witness of the Times, where we explore the stories behind the headlines of history, the people, places, and moments that shaped our world, often hidden in plain sight. Each week, Dr. Bruce Baker invites you to join him on a journey across time — from the dusty backroads of forgotten towns to the great turning points of civilizations past. Whether we’re unraveling the myths of ancient Ro...

Welcome to Witness of the Times, where we explore the stories behind the headlines of history, the people, places, and moments that shaped our world, often hidden in plain sight. Each week, Dr. Bruce Baker invites you to join him on a journey across time — from the dusty backroads of forgotten towns to the great turning points of civilizations past. Whether we’re unraveling the myths of ancient Ro...

Welcome to Witness of the Times, where we explore the stories behind the headlines of history, the people, places, and moments that shaped our world, often hidden in plain sight. Each week, Dr. Bruce Baker invites you to join him on a journey across time — from the dusty backroads of forgotten towns to the great turning points of civilizations past. Whether we’re unraveling the myths of ancient Ro...

Welcome to Witness of the Times, where we explore the stories behind the headlines of history, the people, places, and moments that shaped our world, often hidden in plain sight. Each week, Dr. Bruce Baker invites you to join him on a journey across time — from the dusty backroads of forgotten towns to the great turning points of civilizations past. Whether we’re unraveling the myths of ancient Ro...

Welcome to Witness of the Times, where we explore the stories behind the headlines of history, the people, places, and moments that shaped our world, often hidden in plain sight. Each week, Dr. Bruce Baker invites you to join him on a journey across time — from the dusty backroads of forgotten towns to the great turning points of civilizations past. Whether we’re unraveling the myths of ancient Ro...

Welcome to Witness of the Times, where we explore the stories behind the headlines of history, the people, places, and moments that shaped our world, often hidden in plain sight. Each week, Dr. Bruce Baker invites you to join him on a journey across time — from the dusty backroads of forgotten towns to the great turning points of civilizations past. Whether we’re unraveling the myths of ancient Ro...

Welcome to Witness of the Times, where we explore the stories behind the headlines of history, the people, places, and moments that shaped our world, often hidden in plain sight. Each week, Dr. Bruce Baker invites you to join him on a journey across time — from the dusty backroads of forgotten towns to the great turning points of civilizations past. Whether we’re unraveling the myths of ancient Ro...

In this special wrap-up of Witness of the Times Season Two, Dr. Baker and I reflect on an incredible run of thought-provoking conversations and eye-opening discoveries. From revisiting our favorite episodes to sharing insights we gained along the way; we pull back the curtain on the making of the season. We also offer a sneak peek at the possible directions and topics for Season Three. Welcome to...

Witness of the Times – Season 2, Episode 12 Title: Breaking Barriers at Surgeons’ Hall: The Edinburgh Seven and the Fight for Women’s Medical Education As we bring Season 2 of Witness of the Times to a close, we return to a central theme—remarkable women who refused to accept the limits society placed upon them. In our finale, we journey to 19th-century Britain and spotlight the trailblazing effor...

In this powerful episode of Witness of the Times, we profile the remarkable true story of Deborah Sampson, a woman whose courage helped reshape American history. Born in 1760 and descended from Mayflower pilgrims, Sampson defied 18th-century gender roles by disguising herself as a man to serve in the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War. Enlisting under the name Robert Shurtleff,...

🎙️ Witness of the Times Season 2, Witness of the Times, Episode 10 – “The Guard Who Unlocked an Empire: The Story of Mehmet Kusman” In recent episodes, we've explored the grand civilizations of Babylon, Greece, and Rome. But today, Witness of the Times brings you a story from modern history that is every bit as powerful—and perhaps even more surprising. In this episode, we journey to the remote fo...

Season 2, Witness of the Times, Episode 9 – “Alexandria: The Soul of a City” 🎧 Show Notes – Witness of the Times In this sweeping episode, we explore the rise—and eventual decline—of one of the most remarkable cities in human history: Alexandria, Egypt. Founded in 332 BC by Alexander the Great, Alexandria was built from the ground up with the ambition to become the intellectual, cultural, and nav...

🎙️ Witness of the Times – Season 2, Episode 8 Title: The Fall of Massalia: When Rome Went to War With Itself In Episode 8, Dr. Bruce Baker continues our three-part arc on the cities that stood in the way of Rome's domination of the Mediterranean—Mare Nostrum. This week, we turn to Massalia (modern-day Marseille), a proud Greek colony and once-great trading power. Founded by Anatolian Greeks, Massa...

Witness of the Times – Season 2, Episode 7 Title: Carthage Must Be Destroyed: How Rome Claimed the Sea In this sweeping episode, Dr. Bruce Baker traces the rise and fall of one of the most powerful cities of the ancient world—Carthage. Once a thriving hub of trade, innovation, and naval dominance, Carthage was born from Phoenician roots and flourished as the jewel of the western Mediterranean. Fro...