In this episode, Abbie Diaz (Wisconsin Maritime Museum) speaks to us about accessibility and inclusion in museums.

Abbie talks about a range of changes she and her colleagues have made to their tours, programs, staffing and staff training and exhibit spaces to hold universal design in mind. From visitors who require low-sensory conditions to people who require wheelchair access, museum professionals must work together to ensure cultural and scientific educational spaces are accessible for diverse publics.

We also discuss the challenges of pushing for inclusive practice in the museums and education field, how socioeconomic and racial inequalities also act to exclude certain people from cultural and educational buildings, and how a huge part of her professional and personal journey has been inspired by the love and care of her brother Daniel.

You can find more information in the show notes under the episode on our website.

You can find Abbie on Twitter if you have questions for her, or find her on Instagram.

You can find Michael on Twitter and Instagram.

The Arch and Anth Podcast is on Twitter and Instagram, and it has a Facebook page.

If you liked this episode and you want to help contribute to the show, please visit the Patreon page for details on how to do that.

Today, Neil Ackerman (University of the Highlands and Islands) talks about the PhD research he has just recently embarked upon studying the prehistoric architecture of Neolithic Scotland.

Neil hopes to compile information about this period and the changes in settlement and monumental architecture across Scotland. He hopes to do this by accessing previous archaeological reports and grey literature (i.e., research produced outside of academic publishing channels). We also speak about some of the problems that have negatively affected archaeology in the past, and the relevance of archaeology in greater sociopolitical discussions happening today.

You can find more information in the show notes under the episode on our website.

If you want to get in touch with Neil to share questions or thoughts, you can find him on Twitter. Neil also blogs about his work and various topics on his website.

You can find Michael on Twitter and Instagram.

The Arch and Anth Podcast is on Twitter and Instagram, and it has a Facebook page.

If you liked this episode and you want to help contribute to the show, please visit the Patreon page for details on how to do that.

In this episode, Izzy Wisher (Durham University) shares details of her PhD work studying European cave art dated to the Palaeolithic.

How can scientists and archaeologists understand better the reasons for why ancient humans created visual culture? What is it about caves that preserves cave art so well? Who in these Palaeolithic societies was producing this art and how did they do so? How is Izzy using interesting approaches borrowed from psychology, and running experiments with virtual reality (VR) technologies, to look at these questions?

You can find more information in the show notes under the episode on our website.

You can find Izzy on Twitter if you have any questions or feedback.

You can find Michael on Twitter and Instagram.

The Arch and Anth Podcast is on Twitter and Instagram, and it has a Facebook page.

If you liked this episode and you want to help contribute to the show, please visit the Patreon page for details on how to do that.

In this episode, Dr. Sarah Lockyer (Casualty Identification Program, Canadian Department of National Defense) talks about her work identifying the human remains of Canadian soldiers who perished during World War I, World War II and the conflict in Korea. We discuss not only the nature of the work, but also where her initial interests in forensics and anthropology stemmed from and the path she took to the position she now works in.

How does Sarah develop a biological profile of these deceased individuals and is DNA used commonly as a tool for identification? What are the complications that could occur before and after death that make a reliable identification more difficult? What happens when notifying the families or a positive identification and how are military burials handled in the final stages of this process?

You can find more information in the show notes under the episode on our website.

If you have feedback or questions for Sarah, you can find her on Twitter. You can find more about the Casuality Identification Program as well through the program's website to find out more.

You can find Michael on Twitter and Instagram too.

The Arch and Anth Podcast is on Twitter and Instagram, and it has a Facebook page.

If you liked this episode and you want to help contribute to the show, please visit the Patreon page for details on how to do that.

In this episode, Dr. Laura Heath-Stout (Rice University) talks about her research looking at sexism, racism and heterosexism in archaeology. This is a big topic of discussion that has gotten more attention in recent years among those in the field and many archaeologists are now thinking about what effects systemic biases in the field have on how we derive information about the past.

How did Laura go about measuring the problem of equity (or inequity) in archaeological publishing and knowledge production? What are some examples of how sexism, racism and heterosexism limit or misguide our understandings of human societies in the past? What is intersectionality theory and how do intersecting institutions of oppression produce compounding and interactive negative effects on scholars in the field? And though advocating and putting measures into place to tackle these issues can be an arduous process, why are Laura and Michael hopeful that the field can do better in terms of diversity, equity, inclusion and justice?

You can find more information in the show notes under the episode on our website.

To follow more of Laura's work or ask her any questions, you can find her on Twitter. She also has a website where you can read a lot more about her research.

You can find Michael on Twitter and Instagram too.

The Arch and Anth Podcast is on Twitter and Instagram, and it has a Facebook page.

If you liked this episode and you want to help contribute to the show, please visit the Patreon page for details on how to do that.

Today, Sarah Duignan (McMaster University; Anthrodish) speaks to us about her community-based work looking at water security and holistic health.

Together with Indigenous research partners at Six Nations of the Grand River, Sarah seeks to understand and solve a range of water challenges faced by the Indigenous communities. This involves monitoring the effect of water quality on health, interviewing and building relationships members of Six Nations, and constructing traditional medicine houses to teach on water, food and health. We also discuss what effects climate change and national and local governance have on water usage and sustainability.

Sarah is also a young mother and we talk about the challenges academia poses to scholars who are also new parents. Finally, Sarah hosts her own podcast—AnthroDish—which delves into food culture from a variety of perspectives.

You can find more information in the show notes under the episode on our website.

If you want to get in touch with Sarah to share questions or thoughts, you can find her on Twitter. More information on the Co-Creation of Indigenous Water Quality Tools project can be found on the project website.

AnthroDish is also on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, and can be listened to on iTunes, Stitcher, Spotify, or the podcast website.

You can find Michael on Twitter and Instagram.

The Arch and Anth Podcast is on Twitter and Instagram, and it has a Facebook page.

If you liked this episode and you want to help contribute to the show, please visit the Patreon page for details on how to do that.

In this episode, public and Plains Cree archaeologist Honey Constant (University of Saskatchewan) talks about her own cultural background and the indigenous archaeology of Wanuskewin Heritage Park in Saskatoon, Canada.

As a Senior Guide at Wanuskewin, Honey leads tours through the valley, plans and facilitates traditional craft workshops, and teaches visitors about archaeology and Plains culture. How did Cree groups in the area hunt bison successfully? How does Indigenous traditional knowledge enhance not just our understandings of the archaeology, but also the public's experience of the valley when they visit?

You can find more information in the show notes under the episode on our website.

If you have feedback or questions for Honey, you can find her on Instagram where she posts about her beadwork and other creations, or you can e-mail the podcast address.

You can find Michael on Twitter and Instagram.

The Arch and Anth Podcast is on Twitter and Instagram, and it has a Facebook page.

If you liked this episode and you want to help contribute to the show, please visit the Patreon page for details on how to do that.

Today, Dr. Wasiu Lawal (just graduated from University of Texas at Arlington) talks about his previous and current research looking at composition and contamination of drinking water.

How do water infrastructure and research capabilities differ in Nigeria and the United States? How do water treatment plants get rid of harmful impurities such as PFAs (perfluoroalkyl substances)? How is bottled water regulated differently from tap water? How important is the issue of water availability and access to sanitation worldwide, and how are geopolitics and climate change playing a role in this?

You can find more information in the show notes under the episode on our website.

If you want to get in touch with Wasiu, you can find him on Twitter. His TEDxUTA talk can be viewed on YouTube.

You can find Michael on Twitter and Instagram.

The Arch and Anth Podcast is on Twitter and Instagram, and it has a Facebook page.

If you liked this episode and you want to help contribute to the show, please visit the Patreon page for details on how to do that.

In this episode, Dr. Trish Biers (Duckworth Collection, University of Cambridge) speaks to us about her work in osteological curation and collections management.

What are the day-to-day tasks of a collections manager? What practical and ethical aspects do Trish and others in her profession bear in mind when storing, handling, displaying and repatriating human remains? How can an aspiring archaeologist or anthropologist get started working in museums and collections?

We also discuss Trish's former experience working at the San Diego Museum of Man, the Cambridge Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, and the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History.

You can find more information in the show notes under the episode on our website.

If you have feedback or questions for Trish, you can find her on Twitter or her institutional profile.

Together with Katie Stringer Clary, Trish also co-created Mors Mortis Museum, a public communication project that explores museums, human remains and death. That can be found at the Mors Mortis Museum website, Facebook page, Instagram profile or Twitter handle.

You can find Michael on Twitter and Instagram.

The Arch and Anth Podcast is on Twitter and Instagram, and it has a Facebook page.

If you liked this episode and you want to help contribute to the show, please visit the Patreon page for details on how to do that.

Cecilia Collins (University of Reading) discusses her work in Icelandic bioarchaeology and palaeopathology. Cecilia searched for signs of chronic upper respiratory disease among human skeletal remains at four archaeological sites (Hofstaðir, Keldudalur, Skeljastaðir and Skriðuklaustur). We talk about how sinus and ear infections appear on the human skeleton as lesions, how these conditions may manifest in children, and how sinusitis may relate to other conditions like tuberculosis.

We also speak about Cecilia's other interests in juvenile palaeopathology more broadly, cases of hydatid disease and parasitic infection in the form of calcified cysts she's studied, as well as the archaeology of disability, deafness and medical treatment in medieval contexts.

You can find more information in the show notes under the episode on our website.

You can find Cecilia on Twitter, and find Michael Rivera on Twitter and Instagram as well.

The Arch and Anth Podcast is on Twitter and Instagram, and it has a Facebook page.

If you liked this episode and you want to help contribute to the show, please visit the Patreon page for details on how to do that.