Our final episode on the America's in the 500s BC delivers all the details and fun you expect from a Fan of History episode. Before the Inuit. Before the Pueblo cities. Before the great trade networks of later centuries.

Across the northern half of the Americas, very different societies were adapting to some of the most challenging environments on earth.

In this episode we explore:

• The Dorset culture of the Arctic — among the most skilled cold-climate hunters in ancient history

• The rise of complex chiefdoms among the hunter-gatherers of the Pacific Northwest and California

• Early farmers and mobile societies across the Great Basin, Southwest, and Plains

• The continental trade networks moving shell, obsidian, copper, jade, feathers, and more across vast distances

Long before famous civilizations appeared, the Americas were already deeply connected.

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This is a podcast by Dan Hörning and Bernie Maopolski.

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E-mail: [email protected]

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Music: “Tudor Theme” by urmymuse.

Used here under a commercial Creative Commons license. Find out more at http://ccmixter.org/files/urmymuse/40020

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While Greece and Persia dominate the history books, entire worlds are developing across the Americas.

In this episode we explore:

• The Chavín network that connected the Andes through religion, pilgrimage, trade, AND DRUGS!

• The hidden civilizations of Amazonia beneath the rainforest canopy

• The Saladoid expansion across the Caribbean and the first island farming cultures

These societies were shaping entire regions — long before the civilizations most people recognize.

Please subscribe to our YouTube Channel!

www.youtube.com/@WhatsNewinHistory

This is a podcast by Dan Hörning and Bernie Maopolski.

Contact information:

E-mail: [email protected]

http://facebook.com/fanofhistory

https://twitter.com/danhorning

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Music: “Tudor Theme” by urmymuse.

Used here under a commercial Creative Commons license. Find out more at http://ccmixter.org/files/urmymuse/40020

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Before the Maya kings. Before the Aztecs. Before the Inca.

While the Mediterranean world reorganizes itself, two continents across the ocean are developing along very different lines.

In this episode arc we explore:

• The forgotten mound-builders of North America

• The Epi-Olmec world and the possible birth of writing

• Early Maya cities before dynasties and divine kings

These were advanced civilizations that might surprise you.

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Show notes

Ancient Americas YouTube Channel

www.youtube.com/@AncientAmericas

Use this link to share with family, friends, and barbarian hordes https://pod.fo/e/391dad

This is a podcast by Dan Hörning and Bernie Maopolski.

Contact information:

E-mail: [email protected]

http://facebook.com/fanofhistory

https://twitter.com/danhorning

https://www.instagram.com/dan_horning/

Music: “Tudor Theme” by urmymuse.

Used here under a commercial Creative Commons license. Find out more at http://ccmixter.org/files/urmymuse/40020

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

New discoveries in Norway point to a large-scale, coordinated reindeer hunting operation from 1,500 years ago. But this isn’t just another dig—it’s personal. Bernie is joined by Thomas, a hunter and farmer who lives right near the site, for a rare perspective on ancient tools, modern echoes, and what it means to live close to history.

Link to article:

https://archaeologymag.com/2025/11/1500-year-old-reindeer-hunting-system-in-norway/

https://buymeacoffee.com/whatsnewinhistory

This is a podcast by Dan Hörning and Bernie Maopolski.

Please subscribe to our YouTube channel!!

www.youtube.com/@WhatsNewinHistory

If you like what we do you can support the Fan of History project on https://www.patreon.com/fanofhistory

Contact information:

E-mail: [email protected]

http://facebook.com/fanofhistory

https://twitter.com/danhorning

https://www.instagram.com/dan_horning/

Music: “Tudor Theme” by urmymuse.

Used here under a commercial Creative Commons license. Find out more at http://ccmixter.org/files/urmymuse/40020

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How do you ignite a decades-long East-West conflict? Sometimes all it takes is some meddlesome Greeks, a Persian Transformer, and a tight oarhole. In this episode, we revisit a pivotal moment in 500 BC as the Persians sail for Naxos and history starts to shift—permanently.

PLEASE Subscribe to our YouTube channel!

https://www.youtube.com/@WhatsNewinHistory

This is a podcast by Dan Hörning and Bernie Maopolski.

Contact information:

E-mail: [email protected]

http://facebook.com/fanofhistory

https://twitter.com/danhorning

https://www.instagram.com/dan_horning/

Music: “Tudor Theme” by urmymuse.

Used here under a commercial Creative Commons license. Find out more at http://ccmixter.org/files/urmymuse/40020

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Most people think everyone died when Vesuvius erupted in AD 79. Pompeii and Herculaneum froze in time — but the story didn’t stop there. In this What’s New in History, we talk to Garry Stevens about the fascinating new perspective on the AD 79 eruption: archaeologists aren’t just finding victims — they’re finding evidence of Romans who survived and rebuilt their lives elsewhere. From Pliny’s eyewitness account to the trail of empty shrines and missing household gods, we rethink one of ancient history’s most dramatic disasters — with a side order of garum.

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Links

https://www.livescience.com/archaeology/romans/its-really-an-extraordinary-story-historian-steven-tuck-says-of-the-romans-he-tracked-who-survived-the-ad-79-eruption-of-mount-vesuvius

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dY_3ggKg0Bc

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1_Jl93aN4tizHWWM3bx31_2MX-T6h7RJU/view?usp=sharing

This is a podcast by Dan Hörning and Bernie Maopolski.

Please subscribe to our YouTube channel!!

www.youtube.com/@WhatsNewinHistory

If you like what we do you can support the Fan of History project on https://www.patreon.com/fanofhistory

Contact information:

E-mail: [email protected]

http://facebook.com/fanofhistory

https://twitter.com/danhorning

https://www.instagram.com/dan_horning/

Music: “Tudor Theme” by urmymuse.

Used here under a commercial Creative Commons license. Find out more at http://ccmixter.org/files/urmymuse/40020

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Picking up where we left off, in part 2 of my conversation with Leo from Classical Numismatics, we go deeper—tracing the earliest coins across Rome, Persia, and beyond. If you think everyone used silver, think again. From punch-marked coins in India to Roman bronze lumps, the diversity of 500 BC money tells a wild story of innovation and imitation.

Please rate us (highly) on Apple Podcasts and Spotify

Leo's Channel:

https://www.youtube.com/@ClassicalNumismatics

Great Playlists - I recommend starting with ANCIENT GREEK COINS

https://www.youtube.com/@ClassicalNumismatics/playlists

https://www.kinzercoins.com/

HELP SUPPORT OUR SHOW!

https://buymeacoffee.com/whatsnewinhistory

If you like what we do you can support the Fan of History project on https://www.patreon.com/fanofhistory or https://buymeacoffee.com/whatsnewinhistory

To easily share this episode with friends and family use this link https://pod.fo/e/35a649

This is a podcast by Dan Hörning and Bernie Maopolski.

Contact information:

E-mail: [email protected]

http://facebook.com/fanofhistory

https://twitter.com/danhorning

https://www.instagram.com/dan_horning/

Music: “Tudor Theme” by urmymuse.

Used here under a commercial Creative Commons license. Find out more at http://ccmixter.org/files/urmymuse/40020

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How did little metal disks became power, propaganda, and paychecks?

Could you buy a round of drinks with a coin in 500BC?

Well that depends! Some places maybe yes and some places maybe a goat would be better. In this episode, Bernie talks with Leo from Classical Numismatics about the early days of coinage—how it started in Lydia around 650 BC, spread to the Greek world, and why these early coins weren’t just money—they were power, propaganda, and prestige.

Please rate us (highly) on Apple Podcasts and Spotify

Leo's Channel:

https://www.youtube.com/@ClassicalNumismatics

Great Playlists - I recommend starting with ANCIENT GREEK COINS

https://www.youtube.com/@ClassicalNumismatics/playlists

https://www.kinzercoins.com/

HELP SUPPORT OUR SHOW!

https://buymeacoffee.com/whatsnewinhistory

If you like what we do you can support the Fan of History project on https://www.patreon.com/fanofhistory or https://buymeacoffee.com/whatsnewinhistory

To easily share this episode with friends and family use this link https://pod.fo/e/35a649

This is a podcast by Dan Hörning and Bernie Maopolski.

Contact information:

E-mail: [email protected]

http://facebook.com/fanofhistory

https://twitter.com/danhorning

https://www.instagram.com/dan_horning/

Music: “Tudor Theme” by urmymuse.

Used here under a commercial Creative Commons license. Find out more at http://ccmixter.org/files/urmymuse/40020

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Before Greek, Latin, or Sanskrit, there was PIE: Proto-Indo-European. Bernie and Garry Stevens unpack the new book PROTO, focusing on the Anatolian branch—especially the Hittites—and what their strange, early divergence tells us about migrations, language, and identity in the ancient world. Come for the ancient words; stay for the PIE.

Use this link to share with your friends, family, and social media!

https://pod.fo/e/3556de

This is a podcast by Dan Hörning and Bernie Maopolski.

If you like what we do you can support the Fan of History project on https://www.patreon.com/fanofhistory

Contact information:

E-mail: [email protected]

http://facebook.com/fanofhistory

https://twitter.com/danhorning

https://www.instagram.com/dan_horning/

Music: “Tudor Theme” by urmymuse.

Used here under a commercial Creative Commons license. Find out more at http://ccmixter.org/files/urmymuse/40020

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It’s 506 BCE. The armies of Wu and Chu have finally met at Boju after years of rising tension, personal vendettas, and political ambition. In this episode, we break down the strategies, leadership, and terrain behind one of the most dramatic military clashes of the Spring and Autumn period. With Sun Tzu in the field and kings on the line, the fate of states hangs in the balance. chew

Will Chu finally find a friend or is Wu too much for Chu?

Find out in this dramatic episode!

This is a podcast by Dan Hörning and Bernie Maopolski.

Use this link to share with your friends, family, and social media!

https://pod.fo/e/351125

If you like what we do you can support the Fan of History project on https://www.patreon.com/fanofhistory

Contact information:

E-mail: [email protected]

http://facebook.com/fanofhistory

https://twitter.com/danhorning

https://www.instagram.com/dan_horning/

Music: “Tudor Theme” by urmymuse.

Used here under a commercial Creative Commons license. Find out more at http://ccmixter.org/files/urmymuse/40020

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.