Curiosity Meets The Past

What happens when archaeologists and archaeology lovers read novels together? Archaeologist and journalist Dr. Matilda Siebrecht shares how and why she started an archaeology book club. In our conversation, we discuss fiction as a lens for thinking critically about the past, what makes for good depictions of archaeology, and which books Tilly highly recommends.

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the_archaeologists_teacup/

• Website: https://www.thearchaeologiststeacup.com/

• Archaeo Book Club: http://Archaeobookclub.com

• Books Mentioned: https://bookshop.org/shop/smiti-nathan

🎁 Bonus content: https://patreon.com/smitinathan

✉️ Get in touch at [email protected]

What can animal bones reveal about the daily lives of working-class communities in 19th-century New York City? Archaeologist and zooarchaeologist Dr. Pam Crabtree guides us through her research at two sites in Lower Manhattan: Five Points and Corlears Hook. In our conversation, she walks us through what working-class people ate, some surprising finds, and how these finds can change our perception of New York City in the past.

Mentioned on the show:

• Pam's Email: [email protected]

• New York Archaeological Repository: https://archaeology.cityofnewyork.us/

📝 Full transcript: https://smitinathan.com/what-animal-bones-reveal-about-life-in-19th-century-new-york/

🎁 Bonus content: https://patreon.com/smitinathan

✉️ Get in touch at [email protected]

🎙️ Curiosity Meets The Past is a podcast for curious minds who love learning about the past. Each episode features a 15-30 minute curated conversation with guests who reveal the layered stories behind objects, places, and people.

This Curiosity Exchange is with The Dirt Diaries!

What can ancient weapons reveal about the choices people made in the past? Archaeologist and art historian, Dr. Tenninger Kellenbarger, guides us through the world of Bronze Age Aegean weaponry. In our conversation, we explore ancient choices that impacted how far these objects traveled, the curious places we do and don't find them, as well as what it means for a weapon to die.

Mentioned on the show:

• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@the.Dirt.Diaries

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dirtdiaries_/

• TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@dirtdiaries_?lang=en

• More Ways to Connect: https://beacons.ai/dirtdiaries.tenn

📝 Full transcript: https://smitinathan.com/the-careful-choices-behind-bronze-age-aegean-weapons/

🎁 Bonus content: https://patreon.com/smitinathan

✉️ Get in touch at [email protected]

🎙️ Curiosity Meets The Past is a podcast for curious minds who love learning about the past. Each episode features a 15-30 minute curated conversation with guests who reveal the layered stories behind objects, places, and people.

How can we learn about people who lived centuries ago, but were not included in typical written records? Biocultural anthropologist, Alex McDougle, guides us through her work on free and enslaved Black communities in Maryland during the 1700s and 1800s. In our conversation, she shares how she approaches bioarchaeology, her collaborations with descendant communities, and the present-day implications of her work.

We've been around for 1 year! Sharing some highlights and updates in this bonus episode.

Mentioned in the episode:

• Video on podcasting challenges: https://youtu.be/COOhPl9eEJg?si=gNCIPaVDbARIiTHJ
• Curiosity Meets the Past Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/curiositymeetsthepast

🎁 Bonus content: https://patreon.com/smitinathan

✉️ Get in touch at [email protected]

🎙️ Curiosity Meets The Past is a podcast for curious minds who love learning about the past. Each episode features a 15-30 minute curated conversation with guests who reveal the layered stories behind objects, places, and people.

Mentioned on the show:

• Full episode (website): https://sowingtheseed.org/podcast/episode-21-gender-violence-in-late-antiquity-with-dr-jennifer-barry/
• Full episode (Apple Podcasts): https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/broadcast-seeding-ep21-with-dr-jennifer-barry/id1096448667?i=1000734336759
• Broadcast Seeding Podcast website: https://sowingtheseed.org/podcast/

🎁 Bonus content: ⁠https://patreon.com/smitinathan⁠

✉️ Get in touch at ⁠[email protected]⁠

🎙️ Curiosity Meets The Past is a podcast for curious minds who love learning about the past. Each episode features a 15-30 minute curated conversation with guests who reveal the layered stories behind objects, places, and people.

What can a crumbling family scrapbook reveal about history and the way diasporic communities make meaning? Religious scholar, Dr. Richard Newton, guides us through the surprising story of how a scrapbook handed to him by his mother became the catalyst for an entire research project. In our conversation, he walks us through what he found when he opened the book and how he's making this project accessible to anyone who's curious.

Mentioned on the show:

• Scrapbook Website: https://decodingdiaspora.org/decoding-diaspora/index

• Richard's Website: https://sowingtheseed.org/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/seedpods

• Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/seedpods.bsky.social

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/seedpods/

• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/seedpods

📝 Full transcript: https://smitinathan.com/decoding-diaspora-through-a-family-scrapbook/

🎁 Bonus content: https://patreon.com/smitinathan

✉️ Get in touch at [email protected]

🎙️ Curiosity Meets The Past is a podcast for curious minds who love learning about the past. Each episode features a 15-30 minute curated conversation with guests who reveal the layered stories behind objects, places, and people.

Where did the English alphabet come from, and how do we know? Linguist and writer, Dr. Danny Bate, guides us through the archaeology and linguistic history behind the letters many of us use every day. In our conversation, we explore what various archaeological artifacts reveal about the alphabet's past and what that means about our relationship to the English language today.

Mentioned on the show:

• Danny's Book: https://bookshop.org/a/115409/9781785307430

• Danny's Website: https://dannybate.com/

• Substack: https://dannylbate.substack.com/

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dannylbate/

• Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:i4oicfdtysshyfxjmvpx2xza

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danny-bate-b3ba02277/

📝 Full transcript: https://smitinathan.com/the-archaeology-behind-the-english-alphabet/

🎁 Bonus content: https://patreon.com/smitinathan

✉️ Get in touch at [email protected]

🎙️ Curiosity Meets The Past is a podcast for curious minds who love learning about the past. Each episode features a 15-30 minute curated conversation with guests who reveal the layered stories behind objects, places, and people.

What can water systems tell us about people in the past and present? Landscape archaeologist, Dr. Mehrnoush Soroush, guides us through the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Shushtar in Iran and how her work is challenging dominant water history narratives. In our conversation, she shares the surprising challenges that come with studying ancient water systems, her somewhat nontraditional approach, and what we can learn about humanity along the way.

Mentioned on the show:

• Academia Page: https://chicago.academia.edu/mehrnoushsoroush

📝 Full transcript: https://smitinathan.com/rethinking-water-history-at-shushtar-in-iran/

🎁 Bonus content: https://patreon.com/smitinathan

✉️ Get in touch at [email protected]

🎙️ Curiosity Meets The Past is a podcast for curious minds who love learning about the past. Each episode features a 15-30 minute curated conversation with guests who reveal the layered stories behind objects, places, and people.