Think the modern flushing loo is a recent invention? Think again! In today's video, we’re taking a look into the fascinating, gross, and unbelievable history of human waste disposal. From 2,400-year-old palace thrones in Ancient China to 5,000-year-old Bronze Age plumbing, uncover how toilets shaped human civilization long before Thomas Crapper or the Romans came along.

We’re also sifting through medieval cesspits to look at 800-year-old lost notebooks, 1,200-year-old fossilized Viking poos (yes, really!), and the preserved diet secrets of ancient Roman towns.

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What does a real archaeologist think about Indiana Jones? Today, working archaeologist Giselle reacts to and breaks down Hollywood's most popular archaeology in movies and judges them based off of how accurate (or inaccurate) they are! From Indiana Jones to Jurassic Park, is your favourite film on the chopping block?

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What can you learn about a person from their skeleton? What do you do if you find a dead body? And how much do your bones really reveal about your life, health, and death? In today's video, Giselle (with the help of Patrice) walks you through how you can become an osteologist too by learning to read bones!

Breaking down the expert forensic techniques used on dig sites and police cases to analyze human remains, Giselle reveals how specialists determine age, sex, and stature, identify ancient diseases like scurvy and rickets, and detect gruesome trauma like sword wounds and decapitations!

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The Franklin Expedition is considered one of the worst exploration disasters in history. After 170 long years, more scientific evidence is coming out to help figure out what actually happened to these men. 

In today's episode, new DNA evidence is found from the infamous Franklin Expedition, 2,000-year-old Roman bread, and a Roman well made of wood found at Rolls-Royce: Giselle has three exciting new stories in the world of archaeology to share with you!

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Humans have had beloved animal companions for longer than you think! When did humans start treating animals as true family? Today, Giselle explores the deep, thousands-of-years-old history of human-pet relationships. From 14,000-year-old puppies nursed through severe illness to the oldest cat with a name, the archaeological record proves that our bond with animals goes far beyond work and utility!

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Why were ancient mummies buried with golden foil tongues inside their mouths? What hidden Iron Age secrets lie trapped inside a fused 2,000-year-old block of soil and copper? And how did a metal detectorist in Norway stumble upon the largest Viking silver hoard discovered in over a century? 

In today’s video, Giselle digs deep into three remarkable archaeological breakthroughs that are reshaping our understanding of the ancient world. Join Giselle and historian Tristan Hughes (host of ‘The Ancients’ podcast) to discuss “one of the most amazing discoveries in Britain”!

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Source Materials:

Alamy

Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities

Anne Engesveen, Innlandet County Council

Innlandet County Council

May-Tove Smiseth, Innlandet County Council

1,700-year-old sock by Manchester Museum (https://multilingualmuseum.manchester.ac.uk/object/1700-year-old-sock/) 

License: CC 4.0 International Attribution https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

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What are the greatest archaeological discoveries in medicine? In today's episode, Giselle breaks down how archaeologists have made groundbreaking discoveries in revealing how doctors practiced surgery thousands of years ago. From a 2,000-year-old skeleton unearthed in Hungary with a complete set of Roman surgical tools to a perfectly preserved doctor's toolkit found in the ruins of Pompeii, these remains offer an incredible look into how medicine was practiced in the ancient world.What are the greatest archaeological discoveries in medicine? In today's episode, Giselle breaks down how archaeologists have made groundbreaking discoveries in revealing how doctors practiced surgery thousands of years ago. From a 2,000-year-old skeleton unearthed in Hungary with a complete set of Roman surgical tools to a perfectly preserved doctor's toolkit found in the ruins of Pompeii, these remains offer an incredible look into how medicine was practiced in the ancient world.

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Was the mystery of the Neolithic population collapse caused by an ancient plague long before the Black Death? Join archaeologist Giselle as we explore three revolutionary archaeological discoveries that are changing our understanding of ancient burials, Greco-Egyptian mummification, and prehistoric epidemics.

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Source Materials:

Images & Videos Courtesy of Alamy

Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities

Eygpt Exploration Society / Faculty of Classics

University of Oxford & Oxford Cotswold Archaeology

Seersholm, F.V., Sjögren, KG., Koelman, J. et al. Repeated plague infections across six generations of Neolithic Farmers. Nature 632, 114–121 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-024-07651-2

UB_IPOA / Professor Ignasi-Xavier Adiego

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In 1951, archaeologists in Russia made a startling discovery in Novgorod: over 1,200 incredibly preserved birch bark letters dating back to the 12th century. Among these 800-year-old artefacts are the charming drawings and schoolwork of a six-year-old boy named Onfim. These rare texts changed what we know about medieval literacy, revealing that everyday people—and children—were reading and writing long before paper became common. Join Giselle as she investigates these rare remains and attempts to recreate an 800-year-old birch bark drawing herself!

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Why did Europeans spend centuries eating ancient Egyptian mummies? Today, Giselle delves into the dark history of Europe’s obsession with Ancient Egypt, from medieval apothecary remedies to the high-society mummy unwrapping parties of Victorian London.

Learn the true story behind the discovery of King Tutankhamun’s tomb by Howard Carter, how Harry Burton’s iconic photography shaped modern Egyptology, and how the legend of the Pharaoh's Curse forced archaeologists to abandon tomb raiding in favour of modern scientific preservation.

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