The Dirt Podcast

The Dirt Podcast

By The Dirt PodcastScienceSocial SciencesEducationNatural Sciences
Download on the App Store

The Dirt Podcast episodes

  • School of Rocks with Dr. Danielle Macdonald - Ep 155

    Dr. Danielle Macdonald specializes in the prehistory of Western Asia and the stone tools that people made and used in their everyday lives. That’s right, three years in, we’re finally doing an episode on lithics! We’ll also talk about Danielle’s path to anthropology and her ongoing work at the site of Kharaneh IV in what's today Jordan.

    Links

    • Follow Danielle on Twitter!
    • Danielle Macdonald (University of Tulsa)
    • Kharaneh IV Website
    • Convergent Evolution in Stone-Tool Technology (MIT Press)
    • Eccentric flint (Wikipedia)
    • Flint Knapping a spear head from English Flint with Will Lord (YouTube)
    • Knapping a Blade Core using a Rocker Punch by Craig Ratzat!

      • Contact


      ArchPodNet

      • APN Website: https://www.archpodnet.com
      • APN on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/archpodnet
      • APN on Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/archpodnet
      • APN on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/archpodnet
      • Tee Public Store

        • Affiliates

        • Wildnote
        • TeePublic
        • Timeular

          • 1 hr 4 min
        • ÖMG: Ötzi the Iceman - Ep 154

          It’s the episode title that’s been making us giggle for months! We’re FINALLY examining the famous Chalcolithic ice-mummy just in time for the 30th anniversary of hikers stumbling upon his body. We’ll explore the archaeological methods and evidence that tell us about who Ötzi was, what his life was like, and how he died. Umlauts will, no doubt, abound.

          Links

          • Chalcolithic Europe (Wikipedia)
          • Scientists Reconstruct the Glacial Conditions During Ötzi the Iceman’s Lifetime (Columbia Climate School)
          • Chalcolithic Period: The Beginnings of Copper Metallurgy (ThoughtCo)
          • Ötzi, the Iceman (ThoughtCo)
          • What We Can Learn From Ötzi the Iceman’s Hunting Pack (Smithsonian)
          • DNA Analysis Reveals What Ötzi the Iceman Wore to His Grave (Smithsonian)
          • Before He Died, Ötzi the Iceman Ate a Greasy, Fatty Meal (Smithsonian)
          • Lactose Intolerant, Before Milk Was on Menu (New York Times)
          • Mosses Expand the Story of Ötzi the Iceman’s Final Journey (Smithsonian)
          • Frozen moss reveals fatal final journey of 5,300-year-old ice mummy (CNN)
          • Scientists Have Mapped All of Ötzi the Iceman's 61 Tattoos (Discover) [cn: images of human remains]
          • Who Killed the Iceman? Clues Emerge in a Very Cold Case (New York Times)
          • Hear the Recreated Voice of Ötzi the Iceman (Smithsonian)
          • Ötzi the Iceman: Examining New Evidence from the Famous Copper Age Mummy (Expedition)
          • Ötzi, the Iceman (Archaeology) [cn: images of human remains]
          • 13 Cool Facts About Ötzi the Iceman (Mental Floss)

            • Contact


            ArchPodNet

            • APN Website: https://www.archpodnet.com
            • APN on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/archpodnet
            • APN on Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/archpodnet
            • APN on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/archpodnet
            • Tee Public Store

              • Affiliates

              • Wildnote
              • TeePublic
              • Timeular

                • 51 min
              • Who's the New Guy? - Ep 153

                Remember that time we did a whole series on the human family tree and then finished talking about evolution forever because we were all done? HA! OF COURSE WE AREN'T DONE! There have been some amazing new discoveries in the human fossil record since that series dropped, so we're here to update you on what our family shrubbery looks like now. We journey to Siberia, the Philippines, China, and other places, and our story gets a whole lot more complicated! We love to see it.

                Links

                • Human Evolution Interactive Timeline (Smithsonian Museum of Natural History)
                • Are Homo sapiens and Neanderthals the same species? (Stefan Milo, via YouTube)
                • ​Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) (National Human Genome Research Institute)
                • First portrait of mysterious Denisovans drawn from DNA (Nature)
                • Biggest Denisovan fossil yet spills ancient human’s secrets (Nature)
                • New clue to human evolution's biggest mystery emerges in Philippines (CNN)
                • Indigenous Filipino Group Has Highest Known Denisovan Ancestry (The Scientist)
                • Ancient tools and DNA discovered in a Tibetan cave shed unprecedented light on humans' most enigmatic ancestor, the Denisovans (Business Insider)
                • Denisovans: The ancient humans who share our ancestry (New Scientist)
                • Philippine Ayta possess the highest level of Denisovan ancestry in the world (Current Biology)
                • A new species of Homo from the Late Pleistocene of the Philippines (Nature)
                • Homo luzonensis: New human species found in Philippines (BBC News)
                • New species of ancient human discovered in the Philippines (National Geographic)
                • Homo naledi (Smithsonian Museum of Natural History)
                • Homo naledi, a new species of the genus Homo from the Dinaledi Chamber, South Africa (Evolutionary Biology)
                • The age of Homo naledi and associated sediments in the Rising Star Cave, South Africa (Evolutionary Biology)
                • Homo naledi is only 250,000 years old – here’s why that matters (New Scientist)
                • New type of ancient human discovered in Israel (BBC News)
                • Israeli fossil finds reveal a new hominid group, Nesher Ramla Homo (Science News)
                • A new type of Homo unknown to science (ScienceDaily)
                • A Middle Pleistocene Homo from Nesher Ramla, Israel (Science)
                • Homo longi: extinct human species that may replace Neanderthals as our closest relatives found in China (The Conversation)
                • 146,000-Year-Old Archaic Human Cranium Represents New Species: Homo longi (Sci-News)
                • Homo Longi: Extinct Human Species That May Replace Neanderthals As Our Closest Relatives Found in China (Discover)
                • 'Dragon man' claimed as new species of ancient human but doubts remain
                • (New Scientist)

                  • Contact


                  ArchPodNet

                  • APN Website: https://www.archpodnet.com
                  • APN on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/archpodnet
                  • APN on Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/archpodnet
                  • APN on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/archpodnet
                  • Tee Public Store

                    • Affiliates

                    • Wildnote
                    • TeePublic
                    • Timeular

                      • 58 min
                    • We Stan a King: Nabonidus - Ep 152

                      This week, Amber tells Anna the story of Nabonidus, King of Babylon, who, mid-kinging, tootled off to the Arabian desert for a decade to worship the moon god, Sin. But is that the whole story? Of course not. Tune in to learn what Nabonidus was maybe really doing out there.

                      Links

                      • Cuneiform inscription from last king of Babylon discovered in Saudi Arabia (LiveScience)
                      • Mesopotamia (World History Encyclopedia)
                      • Video: The rise and fall of the Assyrian Empire - Marian H Feldman (TED-Ed via YouTube)
                      • A History of the Ancient Near East ca. 3000-323 BC (via WorldCat)
                      • The Reign of Nabonidus King of Babylon 556-539 BC (Yale Babylonian Collection)
                      • The Harran Inscriptions of Nabonidus (Anatolian Studies)
                      • Qedar (Livius)
                      • The Archaeology of Prehistoric Arabia: Adaptation and Social Formation From the Neolithic to the Iron Age (via WorldCat)
                      • New Discoveries at Sela, the Mountain Stronghold of Edom (Ancient Near East Today)
                      • First evidence of Nabonidus in the Ancient North Arabian inscriptions from the region of Taymāʾ (Proceedings of the Seminar for Arabian Studies, Vol. 31 via Academia.edu)
                      • The Cyrus Cylinder (World History Encyclopedia)
                      • Arabia and the Arabs: From the Bronze Age to the Coming of Islam (via WorldCat)

                        • Contact


                        ArchPodNet

                        • APN Website: https://www.archpodnet.com
                        • APN on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/archpodnet
                        • APN on Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/archpodnet
                        • APN on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/archpodnet
                        • Tee Public Store

                          • Affiliates

                          • Wildnote
                          • TeePublic
                          • Timeular

                            • 1 hr 6 min
                          • Shh! We're in the Library Episode - Ep 151

                            This week, Anna and Amber take a tour of some of the libraries of the ancient world. We visit Mesopotamia for the origins of writing and the heartland of administrative paperwork, hit up Africa for the oral traditions of the Griots, browse the stacks of oracle bones in China, and...yes, talk about the Library of Alexandria.

                            Links

                            • The Origins of Writing (Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History)
                            • Writing (World History Encyclopedia)
                            • Hidden women of history: Enheduanna, princess, priestess and the world’s first known author (The Conversation)
                            • Archives and Bookkeeping in Southern Mesopotamia during the Ur III period (Comptabilités)
                            • Hard Work-Where Will It Get You? Labor Management in Ur III Mesopotamia (Journal of Near Eastern Studies, via CDLI)
                            • OIP 92. Persepolis Fortification Tablets (Oriental Institute Publications)
                            • Persepolis Fortification Archive (Oriental Institute)
                            • A Heritage Threatened: The Persepolis Tablets Lawsuit and the Oriental Institute (Persepolis Fortification Archive Project)
                            • Persepolis Fortification Tablets (Livius.org)
                            • The Library of Ashurbanipal (ThoughtCo)
                            • A Library Fit for a King (British Museum)
                            • The Library of Alexandria Is Long-Gone – And All Around Us (Daily Beast)
                            • The Life and Death of the Library of Alexandria (Literary Hub)
                            • The Great Library of Alexandria (James Grout)
                            • Chinese Oracle Bones (British Library)
                            • History of Library Developments in China (IFLA)
                            • Zhou Period Literature (ChinaKnowledge.de)
                            • The History of Chinese Literature (China Highlights)
                            • What Is a Griot and Why Are They Important? (Culture Trip)
                            • African Music: A People’s Art (via WorldCat)
                            • The Four Surviving Maya Codices (ThoughtCo)
                            • Maya codices: invaluable cultural heritage burned by the Inquisition in 1562 (Yucatan Times)

                              • Contact


                              ArchPodNet

                              • APN Website: https://www.archpodnet.com
                              • APN on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/archpodnet
                              • APN on Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/archpodnet
                              • APN on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/archpodnet
                              • Tee Public Store

                                • Affiliates

                                • Wildnote
                                • TeePublic
                                • Timeular

                                  • 59 min
                                • Back to School: Stratigraphy - Ep 150

                                  It's our 150th episode! Wow! This week we're starting our Back To School series with a short primer on stratigraphy. How do archaeologists divide a site into time periods? How did people first figure out that layers of sediment accumulate over time through different processes? How many dirt/soil/sediment puns is Anna capable of making in roughly forty minutes? We’ll find out.

                                  Links

                                  • Stratigraphy: Earth's Geological, Archaeological Layers (ThoughtCo)
                                  • Charles Lyell: Principles of Geology (WGBH)
                                  • About Sir Charles Lyell (University of Edinburgh)
                                  • Charles Lyell (Encyclopedia Britannica)
                                  • The Blasphemous Geologist Who Rocked Our Understanding of Earth’s Age (Smithsonian)
                                  • Harris Matrix (Wikipedia)
                                  • The Harris Matrix Tool for Comprehending the Archaeological Past (ThoughtCo)
                                  • How to Read a Munsell Color Chart (Munsell Color)
                                  • Atapuerca (Don’s Maps)
                                  • Chicken Bones May Be the Legacy of Our Time (Smithsonian)

                                    • Contact


                                    ArchPodNet

                                    • APN Website: https://www.archpodnet.com
                                    • APN on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/archpodnet
                                    • APN on Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/archpodnet
                                    • APN on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/archpodnet
                                    • Tee Public Store

                                      • Affiliates

                                      • Wildnote
                                      • TeePublic
                                      • Timeular

                                        • 42 min
                                      • I Gotta Go: Archaeology of Abandonment - Ep 149

                                        This week, we’ve got an episode that started off as a funny title and became a topic. There are many possible reasons for abandoning a site, and there are plenty of examples from the archaeological record. We’ll look into evidence for climate change, conflict, natural disaster, and other reasons for abandonment (not all at once; that sounds like a really bad place to live). Plus, Anna and Amber do Dickens.

                                        Links

                                        • What does panarchy even mean? (Foresight Design Initiative)
                                        • A Canaanite palace was abandoned 3,700 years ago. Archaeologists finally know why. (National Geographic)
                                        • Study: Scant evidence that ‘wood overuse’ at Cahokia caused local flooding, subsequent collapse (Washington University in St. Louis)
                                        • Human Poop Reveals That Climate Change Caused The Fall Of Cahokia, A Medieval Native American City (Forbes)
                                        • 10 Deserted Places and Why They Were Abandoned (MentalFloss)
                                        • Internet Archaeology: Behold the Most Hilarious Abandoned Websites (Wired)
                                        • Ghost Towns

                                          • Contact


                                          ArchPodNet

                                          • APN Website: https://www.archpodnet.com
                                          • APN on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/archpodnet
                                          • APN on Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/archpodnet
                                          • APN on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/archpodnet
                                          • Tee Public Store

                                            • Affiliates

                                            • Wildnote
                                            • TeePublic
                                            • Timeular

                                              • 49 min
                                            • Field Season with Carlton Gover - Ep 148

                                              This week, Anna and Amber sit down with archaeologist, podcaster, and member of the Pawnee Nation of Oklahoma, Carlton Shield Chief Gover. We talk about his path to archaeology, an Indigenous perspective on archaeology as history and heritage, how to prank your site supervisor, and more!

                                              Contact


                                              ArchPodNet

                                              • APN Website: https://www.archpodnet.com
                                              • APN on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/archpodnet
                                              • APN on Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/archpodnet
                                              • APN on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/archpodnet
                                              • Tee Public Store

                                                • Affiliates

                                                • Wildnote
                                                • TeePublic
                                                • Timeular

                                                  • 59 min
                                                • Field Season: The Indiana Jones Episode - Ep 147

                                                  In this installment of Field Season, Amber and Anna take a trip to the semi-mythical world of cinematic archaeology. Who inspired the character of Dr. Henry Walton "Indiana" Jones, Jr.? Did the Indiana Jones franchise leave a lasting impression on archaeology? Plus--we've got a whole roundup of fellas that likely influenced the American public's perception of what an explorer should look like.

                                                  Links

                                                  • How Indiana Jones Actually Changed Archaeology (National Geographic)
                                                  • The Casual Colonialism of Lara Croft and Indiana Jones (Hyperallergic)
                                                  • 2 Archaeologists, Robert Braidwood, 95, And His Wife, Linda Braidwood, 93, Die (New York Times)
                                                  • Linda Braidwood (TrowelBlazers)
                                                  • Raiders of the Lost Journal: The Hunt for the Real Indiana Jones (Oriental Institute)
                                                  • Roy Chapman Andrews and the Kingdom of the Cretaceous Skulls (Scientific American)
                                                  • The real-life Indiana Jones was from Wisconsin (The Bozho)
                                                  • Badass? This Guy Was the Real-Life Inspiration for Indiana Jones (Adventure Journal)
                                                  • Roy Chapman Andrews: A Real Life Indiana Jones (MentalFloss)
                                                  • From the State Historian: Discovering the Explorer Hiram Bingham III (History.org)
                                                  • Finding Machu Picchu: A Look at Explorer Hiram Bingham, A Real-Life Indiana Jones (National Geographic)
                                                  • Who was the real Indiana Jones? -- EXCLUSIVE (Entertainment Weekly)
                                                  • Our Very Own Indiana Jones (Northwestern University)
                                                  • Walter A. Fairservis, 73, Dies; Was Archeologist and Author (New York Times)
                                                  • Science: Journey to Afghanistan (Time)
                                                  • ‘Fighting like angry sheep’: Wendell Phillips in the Gulf (National Archives)

                                                    • Contact


                                                    ArchPodNet

                                                    • APN Website: https://www.archpodnet.com
                                                    • APN on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/archpodnet
                                                    • APN on Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/archpodnet
                                                    • APN on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/archpodnet
                                                    • Tee Public Store

                                                      • Affiliates

                                                      • Wildnote
                                                      • TeePublic
                                                      • Timeular

                                                        • 1 hr 3 min
                                                      • Field Season with Allyson Blanck - Ep 146

                                                        Anna and Amber are joined this week by Allyson Blanck, a Classical archaeologist and advocate for accessibility and inclusivity in the field. Learn about best practices for accommodating archaeologists with disabilities in the field, the changes that are already underway in the discipline, and how much farther we need to go. Plus, some excellent dog content and a discussion of ancient cranial surgery!

                                                        Links

                                                        • Allyson on Twitter: @ablanck_page
                                                        • https://classics.arizona.edu/people/ablanck

                                                          • Contact


                                                          ArchPodNet

                                                          • APN Website: https://www.archpodnet.com
                                                          • APN on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/archpodnet
                                                          • APN on Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/archpodnet
                                                          • APN on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/archpodnet
                                                          • Tee Public Store

                                                            • Affiliates

                                                            • Wildnote
                                                            • TeePublic
                                                            • Timeular

                                                              • 1 hr 18 min

                                                            About The Dirt Podcast

                                                            From the publisher's feed

                                                            Join Anna and Amber; friends, archaeologists, and big nerds, for an exploration of the lives of people in the past.