What can over 5,200 holes carved into an Andean hillside reveal about ancient life? Digital archaeologist, Dr. Jacob Bongers, takes us inside his team’s new research at Monte Sierpe in Peru, including how their emerging hypothesis reshapes long-held ideas about the site’s purpose. And along the way, we talk about how archaeologists follow curiosity through evidence, collaboration, and community engagement.

Mentioned on the show:

• Jacob and his team’s publication: https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/antiquity/article/indigenous-accounting-and-exchange-at-monte-sierpe-band-of-holes-in-the-pisco-valley-peru/41D83389D230D99CFF18194CF274A9A3
• Jacob’s website: https://jacobbongers.weebly.com/

📝 Full transcript: https://smitinathan.com/how-archaeologists-are-rethinking-5200-andean-holes/

🎁 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 volunteering become a way back into archaeology? Archaeologist and research analyst, Dr. Sneh Patel, shares how volunteering in her hometown of Nashville helped her reconnect with teaching, community engagement, and the practice of archaeology itself. From guiding students through hands-on programs to navigating questions about science and ethics, we explore how public service can spark new connections between people and the past and why representation and curiosity matter just as much as discovery.

Mentioned on the show:

• https://youtu.be/tknGiqtlB_I?si=yp8z_uYLgDlieX9s

📝 Full transcript: https://smitinathan.com/reconnecting-with-archaeology-through-giving-back/

🎁 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 tiny, overlooked bones tell us about Paleolithic life, technology, and art? Archaeologist and paleoanthropologist, Dr. Giulia Gallo, reveals how these fragile fragments hold clues to both our past and that of our ancient relatives. From evidence of fire use to the burning of specific animal bones, we explore why these materials were once disregarded and how new techniques like ZooMS proteomics are transforming what we know.

Mentioned on the show:

• Giulia’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/giuliatgallo/
• Giulia’s Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/giuliagallo.bsky.social
• More about ZooMS: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=loAgeUuK08g

📝 Full transcript: https://smitinathan.com/what-tiny-overlooked-bones-reveal-about-the-paleolithic/

🎁 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 20–30 minute curated conversation with guests who reveal the layered stories behind objects, places, and people.

What can voice reveal about history, identity, and expression across time? Voice, accent, and communication coach Christine Adam shares how voice carries both personal and collective memory. We discuss what goes into preparing historically grounded performances, how vocal trends have shifted across eras, and what today’s voices might reveal about the world we live in now.

Mentioned on the show:

• https://voicewhatmatters.com/
• https://www.youtube.com/@voicewhatmatters
• https://voicewhatmatters.com/podcast/

📝 Full transcript: https://smitinathan.com/voice-as-a-record-of-time/

🎁 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 20–30 minute curated conversation with guests who reveal the layered stories behind objects, places, and people.

What can overlooked ancient civilizations teach us about connection, perspective, and the stories we choose to tell? Archaeologist and science communicator Raven Todd DaSilva shares this and more as we speak about her new book The Other Ancient Civilisations. We discuss why and how she spotlighted cultures often missing from mainstream narratives and what they reveal about humanity across time and the world.

Mentioned on the show:

• Raven’s Book: The Other Ancient Civilisations
• https://bookshop.org/a/115409/9781684813230
• https://amzn.to/47QXBRS

📝 Full transcript: https://smitinathan.com/expanding-our-view-of-the-ancient-world/

🎁 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 20–30 minute curated conversation with guests who reveal the layered stories behind objects, places, and people.

What can Malta’s mysterious megalithic monuments teach us about curiosity, ritual, and the power of independent research? YouTuber Laura, a.k.a. MegalithHunter, shares what makes these archaeological sites both architecturally and culturally distinct. She also reflects on how her curiosity about the past shaped her educational journey and her approach to public storytelling.

Mentioned on the show:

• Laura’s YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@MegalithHunter
• Laura’s Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/megalithhunter.bsky.social
• FRAGSUS Monographs:
• https://www.academia.edu/84270797/Temple_Landscapes_Fragsus_Vol1_h_Chapter
• https://www.academia.edu/77524109/Archaeological_studies_of_Maltese_prehistory_for_the_FRAGSUS_Project_2013_18
• https://www.academia.edu/93313027/Temple_People_Fragsus_Vol3_n_Chapter

📝 Full transcript: https://smitinathan.com/how-maltas-ancient-monuments-still-capture-our-curiosity/

🎁 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 20–30 minute curated conversation with guests who reveal the layered stories behind objects, places, and people.

What can a multi-generational home in rural Galicia, Spain, reveal about memory, creativity, and connection? Multimedia artist Laura Fajín Riveiro reflects on how childhood artifacts, personal history, and the textures of Galicia continue to inspire her creative practice. Her work shows how engaging with the past can nurture both a deeper connection to the past and artistic expression in the present.

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Mentioned on the show:

• https://www.laurariveiro.com/

📝 Full transcript: https://smitinathan.com/three-generations-shaping-a-galician-artists-work/

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

✉️ Get in touch at [email protected]

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🎙️ Curiosity Meets The Past is a podcast for curious minds who love learning about the past. Each episode features a 20–30 minute curated conversation with guests who reveal the layered stories behind objects, places, and people.

What can mapping tell us about public health in medieval cities? Archaeologist, Dr. Taylor Zaneri, uncovers revealing insights from medieval Bologna, from which activities drew the strictest regulation, to who was actually responsible for fixing them. Her work shows how archaeology, historical texts, and maps come together to reveal what was really happening on the ground.

Mentioned on the show:

• Taylor’s Academia.edu: https://iisg.academia.edu/TaylorZaneri
• Featured Academic Paper: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhg.2023.02.009
• Public Mapping Tool ft. Bologna: https://healthscapes.humanities.uva.nl/

📝 Full transcript: https://smitinathan.com/what-maps-reveal-about-medieval-public-health/

🎁 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 20–30 minute curated conversation with guests who reveal the layered stories behind objects, places, and people.

Did you know some of the most fascinating archaeological discoveries never make the headlines? Rachel, from Inside Archaeology, shares overlooked finds from self-healing Roman concrete to surprising burials. We explore how interpretation, imagination, and new technologies shape the stories we tell about the past.

Mentioned on the show:

• https://www.youtube.com/@Inside_Archaeology

📝 Full transcript: https://smitinathan.com/archaeology-discoveries-that-deserve-more-attention/

🎁 Bonus content: 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 20–30 minute curated conversation with guests who reveal the layered stories behind objects, places, and people.

What do we mean when we say “the past,” and how might those definitions shape the futures we imagine? Human-centered designer, Shanice Webb, shares how engaging with the past in different ways can offer surprising clarity when it comes to building what’s next.

Mentioned on the show:

• Shanice’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shanicewebb/

📝 Full transcript: https://smitinathan.com/**designing-futures-that-engage-with-the-past**/

🎁 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 20–30 minute curated conversation with guests who reveal the layered stories behind objects, places, and people.