Excavations at Weathertop (Amon Sûl) have uncovered significant evidence of its role as a Númenórean watchtower and the later decline of Arnor. Artefacts including weapons, pottery, and tools reflect the site’s military importance before its destruction by Angmar’s forces. Remains of battle and burnt structures provide insight into the final assault on the tower, while later finds suggest sporadic use by travellers and the Dúnedain. This report examines the site’s stratigraphy and the material culture uncovered, offering a glimpse into the history and symbolic decline of Weathertop as part of Middle-earth’s broader narrative.

TLDR: Tilly and Ash excavate the fantastical site of Weathertop as found in Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings.

Bintliff, J., ed., 2012. Archaeology: Theories, Methods, and Practice. 5th ed. London: Thames & Hudson. Available at: https://archive.org/details/ArchaeologyTheoriesMethodsAndPracticeTheoriesMethodsAndPractice [Accessed 24 March 2025].

Tolkien, J.R.R., 1954. The Fellowship of the Ring. London: George Allen & Unwin. Chapter 10 ("A Knife in the Dark").

Tolkien, J.R.R., 2001. The Lord of the Rings: Appendices. In: The Return of the King. London: HarperCollins.

LOTRO Wiki, 2025. Weathertop. Available at: https://lotro-wiki.com/wiki/Weathertop [Accessed 24 March 2025].

Tolkien, C., 1996. The History of Middle-earth, Vol. 10: The Peoples of Middle-earth. London: HarperCollins. Appendix A (The Tale of Years).

Email: [email protected]

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This week we jump back into some big news stories that have come out this past month. First, we look at the recent discovery of the first ancient Egyptian tomb since King Tut in 1922. Then we head over to China where new evidence pushes back the oldest date of the Great Wall of China. And finally, frescoes in Pompeii show evidence of a cult in Ancient Rome.

Archaeologists Say They've Discovered the First Ancient Egyptian Pharaoh's Tomb Since Tutankhamun's in 1922

The Past Macabre - Episode 13

The Great Wall of China Might Be Older Than We Thought

See the Stunning Frescoes of a Mysterious Dionysian Cult Discovered in Ancient Pompeii

Chris Webster

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Rachel Roden

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RachelUnraveled (Instagram)

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In this episode of The Past Macabre, we explore the fascinating world of funerary food—from bread buried with Egyptian pharaohs to tamales sealed in Mayan tombs. Discover how ancient meals, cookware, and food offerings reveal powerful beliefs about the afterlife, social status, and the rituals of mourning.

See photos related to episode topics on Instagram

Loving the macabre lore? Treat your host to a coffee!

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In this episode of Ethnocynology with David Ian Howe, David sits down with friend and wildlife photographer Hannah Rheaume.

Hannah, born in Maine, but residing in the Pacific Northwest today, frequently travels to Yellowstone to photograph wolves in the wild.

David asks her about her childhood, what led her to photography, and what it must be like to get so close to wolves and understand their behavior.

You can follow Hannah on her Instagram and on her website linked below.

Hannah’s IG: Instagram (@hannahrheaume)

Hannah’s website: Hannah's Camera | Linktree

davidianhowe.com

Davidianhowe.com/store

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Today, Chris Webster joins Alan to talk about a rock art panel from Arizona. It’s got a handful of elements but a bug story to tell. We try to interpret some of the elements and Alan tells us how to read the others.

Dr. Alan Garfinkel

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Dr. Alan Garfinkel’s Website

Support Dr. Garfinkel on Patreon

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In this episode George talks to neurodivergent Historian Jessica Secmezsoy-Urquhart about their research in the fascinating area of neurodiverse jesters, fools and entertainers in renaissance Royal courts in England and Scotland.

Jessica can be contacted as a PhD Historian at [email protected] or [email protected], online as JessicasuAKA@twitter/Jessicaakas@insta/Jessica Secmezsoy-Urquhart@FB/Jessicasuaka@tiktok and as a writer at Bookseeker Agency.

Your Story by MusicbyAden | https://soundcloud.com/musicbyaden
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Some days in life you may find yourself at the Royal Hawaiian Hotel on Waikiki Beach. Those are defined as “good days.” While experiencing one of those good days, I thought “why not try and do a “live” podcast using just my phone and the shaky hotel wifi, centered on the history and ghost stories associated with the hotel?” It sounded like a great idea to me - listen in to see if it actually worked!

Kinkella Teaches Archaeology (Youtube)

Blog: Kinkella Teaches Archaeology

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On today’s episode, Jessica chats with Trish Fernandez (Founder and Principal at InContext). Jessica and Trish discuss Trish’s journey into archaeology, including working in CRM as a mother of a young child. Trish describes her Masters research looking at Mexicans in the gold rush and how themes found in that work continue to resonate today. Next Trish describes her path to founding InContext and the culture she wanted to provide for her employees. Finally, she describes an large important excavation project in NAPA, what she learned from working on a controversial ethnography project during COVID, and the importance of advocating for the rights of workers in archaeology.

Heritage Voices on the APN

Jessica

[email protected]

@livingheritageA

@LivingHeritageResearchCouncil

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In part two, Tilly and Ash continue their mission with Rhoda, artefact conservator and tattoo artist, to help the Hamunaptra Revitalisation Society bring back personhood into their reanimated - and potentially tattooed - mummies! In this episode, the team looks at the tools and techniques for uncovering ancient tattoos and asks why would someone tattoo a rooster on their thumb?

Rhoda’s Links:

https://www.instagram.com/rhoda.tattoo/?igsh=eHk4MDF5dnh0YWZt#

Tattoos and Projects Mentioned:

Identifications of Iron Age Tattoos from the Altai-Sayan Mountains in Russia. Ancient Ink, The Archaeology of Tattooing.

Ancient ink: Iceman Otzi has the world's oldest tattoos (Smithsonian Museum)

https://exarc.net/issue-2022-3/ea/examining-physical-signatures-pre-electric-tattooing-tools-and-techniques

DStretch plugin

https://agenda.pucp.edu.pe/evento/xi-congreso-mundial-de-estudios-sobre-momias-1

Tattoo Projects and Notable Instagram links:

https://www.instagram.com/archaeologyink/

https://www.instagram.com/totemic_tattoo/?igsh=MWVxYzNvMmYxenpsbw%3D%3D#

Link to Tea-Break Archaeology’s episodes with Aaron Deter-Wolf and Danny Riday:

Episode 20: Lascaux Cave: the original tattoo studio

Episode 21: Humans like decorating things

Email: [email protected]

Instagram: @‌and.my.trowel

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In this episode of The Great Plains Archaeology Podcast, we examine the shift from the Late Plains Woodland Period to the emergence of the Early Plains Village tradition in the Central Plains. We explore the changes in settlement patterns, subsistence strategies, and social organization that accompanied this transition, from increased maize agriculture to the development of more permanent villages. What drove these transformations, and how did they set the foundation for later Central Plains societies? Join us as we unpack the archaeological evidence and discuss what this pivotal period reveals about the resilience and adaptability of Plains communities.

Links:

The Archaeology of the North American Great Plains by Douglas B. Bamforth (2021)

Archaeology on the Great Plains Edited by W. Raymond Wood (1998)

Carlton's KU Anthropology Faculty Bio

Contact:

Instagram: @‌pawnee_archaeologist

Email: [email protected]

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