Peopling the Past

Join us for the final episode of season 4, featuring Dr. Yannis Hamilakis, who talks to Chelsea and Melissa about his vision for a decolonial future for ancient archaeology. Listen in as Yannis tells us about how archaeology is a living, breathing practice that must recognize its relationship to the present and discusses his work with his students at Brown University as well as in the field in Greece.

In times of ongoing war, how can antiquities be protected from damage and looting? On today's episode, Dr. Isber Sabrine, the co-founder of Heritage for Peace, joins us to talk about his work preserving cultural heritage in the midst of armed conflict. Listen in as Isber discusses the importance of local communities in remembering their own pasts and the organizations working to give voice to those impacted by conflict.

How can archaeologists connect to the communities that share the cultural heritage they work on? Dr. Zena Kamash joins Chelsea and Melissa this week to discuss her work with Iraqi communities in the UK and in Iraq itself as she uses craftwork to bring the public together with cultural heritage and to foster wellbeing. Listen in as Zena tells us how she builds community through cautious intention and how outreach can be most effective on a personal scale.

How should we confront modern inequities in ancient Mediterranean studies? Is it possible to reenvision the place of Greece and Rome in the ancient world overall? In this week's episode, Dr. Mathura Umachandran joins Chelsea and Melissa to reimagine Classics through the lens of Critical Ancient World Studies (CAWS). Join us as we discuss the work of the CAWS collective in expanding our understanding of ancient studies and Mathura shares their vision of a future that embraces the complex truth of the place of "Classics" in the ancient and modern worlds.

What happens to people and antiquities when giant dams are built and lands are flooded? In this week's episode, Dr. William Carruthers joins Chelsea and Melissa to talk about the construction of dams on the Nile and their impact on Nubian communities as well as ancient sites along the river. Listen in as Dr. Carruthers explores what it means to move entire temple complexes and whole towns while preserving the tourist's view from the Nile.

Who counts as an archaeologist? Contrary to images from popular culture, excavation teams are a diverse group working to produce knowledge of the past. In this week's episode, Dr. Allison Mickel speaks with Chelsea and Melissa about the knowledge and labour that local communities contribute to archaeological digs in Jordan and Turkey. Listen in as Dr. Mickel talks about what expertise really means, how visiting archaeologists interact with the communities they work in, and how labour issues shape archaeological practices.

What makes Classics classic? How did members of elite British society use ancient Greek and Roman culture to shape their own identities on the Grand Tour? In this episode, Hardeep Dhindsa joins Chelsea and Melissa to discuss the relationship between classical culture and imperialism in the 18th and 19th centuries. Listen in to find out more about early archaeology, the scandalous red wall paintings of Pompeii, and how ancient culture was used to shape selective ideas of whiteness.

How did objects from around the globe and across millenia end up in major museums, far from their places of origin? What role has empire played in shaping modern museums? For this episode, Chelsea and Melissa Speak with Dan Hicks about how culture has been used to define and reinforce racial inequities through the collection and display of objects and human remains in cultural museums. Listen in as Dan explores the history of the cultural museum and how they might re-think their relationship to the spoils of empire.

The story of natural history museums and their relationship to ancient objects, but also people, is entangled with colonialism and capitalism. How should modern curators begin unravelling such a tangled web? In this episode, Dr. Lisa Saladino Haney joins Chelsea and Melissa to discuss her curatorial work with the Egyptian collection at the Carnegie Museum of Natural History in Pittsburgh. Listen in as Dr. Haney talks about connecting collections and source communities, respectful treatment of human remains in museum collections, and the patience required to address these issues with the care they require.

What happens when Egyptomania overshadows contemporary Egyptian people? This week Heba Abd el-Gawad joins Chelsea and Melissa to discuss the relationship between modern Egyptian communities and Egyptian antiquities in museums around the world. Listen in as we learn about the work of the Egypt's Dispersed Heritage: Views from Egypt project, how Egyptian voices are being amplified in conversations about decolonizing museums, and the ongoing challenges of that work.

Forged provenance, forensic investigations, and placing ancient papyri in dish soap! In this episode, scholar Dr. Roberta Mazza shares tales from the black market papyrus trade, taking us from Egypt to Oxford to Waco, Texas. Listen in as we learn how wealthy collectors have influenced the antiquities trade and forced us to rethink our approach to ancient texts and their contexts. And yes, we do talk about THAT Sappho fragment!

For the first episode of our season on cultural heritage and legacies of colonialism, we look at the role of messaging apps and social media in the black market antiquities trade. Katie Paul joins Chelsea and Melissa to discuss the 'digital underworld' that supports looting and trafficking and her work with ATHAR (Antiquities Trafficking and Heritage Anthropology Research). Listen in as Katie tells us how digital networking has transformed the way cultural properties move around the world.

Peopling the Past Podcast is BACK for a fourth season on a very exciting topic: Cultural Heritage and Legacies of Colonialism. Join your hosts Dr. Chelsea Gardner and Dr. Melissa Funke with special guest Dr. Christine Johnston for an introduction to SEASON FOUR of the Peopling the Past podcast! This season is slightly different from our previous three seasons, because we're shifting our focus for these episodes to the theme from ancient people to modern issues with cultural heritage and legacies of colonialism. So, listeners, you can expect to hear from world-class scholars about ongoing inequities and issues facing the fields of archaeology, museum studies, and Mediterranean history today. Topics include everything from museum collections, descendent communities, identity, looting, forgery, water and resource management, the field of "Classics", the antiquities trade and social media, local labour, knowledge production, and how modern people from across the globe engage with the ancient world.  Follow us on our website, https://peoplingthepast.com, on Twitter, Instagram, and BlueSky @peoplingthepast and on our Facebook page Peopling the Past. Tag us with #peoplingpodcast. It's going to be a great year, so make sure to subscribe now!

On this special episode of the Peopling the Past Podcast, we are joined by Liv Albert, creator and host of Let's Talk About Myths, Baby!, the long running podcast about Greek mythology and the ancient Mediterranean. She's also the author of a couple of myth-centric books and soon to be the author of more. Learn more at mythsbaby.com. Listen in, as Liv takes us through her podcasting journey, how she approaches myths, and the voices that she amplifies in the discussion of these myths.

For the final episode of our season on women in the ancient Mediterranean, we feature the most famous woman in antiquity: Cleopatra! Dr. Shelley Haley joins Chelsea and Melissa to untangle the image of Cleopatra as a seductive manipulator and to challenge assumptions, misconceptions, and preconceived notions about her persona and reign. Listen in as Dr. Haley talks about Cleopatra as an African ruler and unpacks the sensationalized narratives about this talented and canny Egyptian pharoah. Come for the Plutarch, stay for the Beyonce!

Travel, displacement, religious pilgrimage - these are just some of the motivations for ancient migration, but how and why did people move from one place to another in antiquity? This week, Chelsea and Melissa are joined by Dr. Marie-Adeline Le Guennec, a historian of Roman mobility and migration. Listen in as Dr. Le Guennec talks about the ways in which women moved around the Roman Empire, the few sources that document this movement, and how modern scholars examine issues of mobility in the Roman world. We guarantee: this episode will really move you! 

In today's episode, Dr. Anna Bonnell Freidin joins Melissa and Chelsea to talk about risk, pregnancy, and childbirth in the ancient Roman empire. Listen in as we discuss the definitions of risk in various contexts, how women's lives were affected by risks associated with pregnancy, childbearing, and delivery, and how the concept of communities of care might link us to people who lived long ago. This episode discusses infant and maternal death, so might not be appropriate for our youngest listeners. 

Ah, youth! We are all familiar with that mysterious and formative period of life between childhood and adulthood, but how did the ancient Romans describe this time of transition? In this episode, social historian Dr. Lauren Caldwell joins Chelsea and Melissa to talk about aspects of Roman "girlhood" and the difficult transition to "womanhood". Listen in, as we dive into ancient Latin medical and legal texts to learn how the ancient Romans grappled with puberty and the various changes that took place in the female body that differentiated girls (puellae) from the women (feminae) they would become.

We're celebrating Black History and African Heritage month with a very special episode on the women of ancient Nubia! Join Chelsea and Melissa as they welcome Dr. Jacke Phillips, an expert in Nubian history and archaeology, to the show. In this episode, we discuss women in ancient Nubia, from rulers and royals to the lives of everyday women. Listen in as Dr. Phillips introduces a variety of evidence, including graves, tattoos, statues, and historical sources. You'll also learn the origin of the name "Candace"! Don't miss this very special episode on a fascinating region of the ancient world. 

What better way to understand the real lives of everyday folk in the ancient Mediterranean than to look at the bones of the people themselves? On this episode, Chelsea and Melissa welcome Dr. Efthymia Nikita, a bioarchaeologist who studies the  surviving skeletal remains of ancient humans. Dr. Nikita shares her research and explains how bones can provide crucial information for understanding how people in the past lived, not just how they died. Join us as Dr. Nikita explores the way in which skeletal remains of ancient women can shed light on their mobility, sickness, diet, societal roles, and more!

Countless faces of real people survive in ancient portraiture, but how often do we know their names, or anything about their lives? In this episode, Dr. Judith Swaddling joins Melissa and Chelsea to talk about Seianti Hanunia Tlesnasa, an Etruscan woman who lived over 2000 years ago in Italy. Seianti is an incredible person to get to know, since we have a full-sized portrait of her lying atop her sarcophagus, as well as the physical remains of her skeleton. Listen in as Dr. Swaddling reveals the layers of Seianti's past and discusses the limits to how much we can actually know about any one person from the ancient Mediterranean world.

What can we say about Boudicca, one of the most famous women from the ancient world? Who was she, and was she even real? Why is she still so important to us today?  Listen in as Dr. Caitlin Gillespie joins Chelsea and Melissa to discuss what we (think we) know about this powerful resistance fighter and how her actions against the imperial Roman army still resonate with modern women in the 21st century.

What does it mean to be a "free woman" in the ancient Mediterranean world? Listen in as our guest, Dr. Stephanie Budin, joins Chelsea and Melissa to discuss women who lived outside of the traditional confines of the patriarchy and who were not under the direct control of a man. Dr. Budin, a historian and expert in ancient religion and sexuality, tells us about "harimatu" in ancient Mesopotamia and refutes the idea that these free women were prostitutes. This episode has it all: sex, gender-bending legal documents, and the dismantling of patriarchal assumptions about women's freedom and the origins of prostitution.

In today's episode, our featured guest Dr. Tara Mulder tells us all about the oldest profession in the world: midwifery! Listen in on a discussion between Dr. Mulder and hosts Dr. Chelsea Gardner and Dr. Melissa Funke that covers the sights, sounds, smells, and experiences of childbirth in ancient Rome, from the perspective of professional midwives. We look at a gravestone of a known midwife and talk about training and approaches to the birthing process. Dr. Mulder brings a unique perspective to the conversation, as she herself the daughter of a professional midwife! Don't miss it, this is an episode that definitely delivers!

Welcome to the first ever LIVE episode of Peopling the Past! Join our featured expert, Dr. Natalie Swain, and hosts Drs. Chelsea Gardner and Melissa Funke, for the premiere of our season on Women in the Ancient Mediterranean. Dr. Swain is an expert on the reception of Classics in modern comics and during this episode we discuss how ancient women, both real and mythological, figure into comics of the 20th and 21st centuries.  You will hear about well-known favourites like Wonder Woman, but you'll also have a chance to learn about newer comics, like Lore Olympus, Nubia, and Three. Together, we chat about how some awesome new re-tellings of ancient stories by more diverse authors are changing the landscape of traditional comics.  A special thanks to our audience, the students at the University of Winnipeg, for listening in and taking part in the live Q&A you'll hear at the end of the episode! It's a truly WONDERful time!

Peopling the Past Podcast is BACK for a third season on a very exciting topic: Women in the Ancient Mediterranean! Join your hosts Dr. Chelsea Gardner and Dr. Melissa Funke for an introduction to SEASON THREE of the Peopling the Past podcast! This season, listeners will hear about real women from all over the ancient Mediterranean world, from Britain to Nubia, Italy to Cyprus, Greece to Mesopotamia, and more! Let us take you on a journey into the lives of all kinds of women, from the most famous (yes, we've got Cleopatra and Boudicca!) to those whose names are lost forever to history. We've got something for everyone: inscriptions, medical texts, osteoarchaeology (bones); Macedonians, Etruscans, the Iceni; pleasure (sex), pain (childbirth), and comics! Follow us on our website, https://peoplingthepast.com, on Twitter and Instagram @peoplingthepast and on our Facebook page Peopling the Past. Tag us with #peoplingpodcast. It's going to be a great summer, so make sure to subscribe now!

What does it mean to be free? In our Season 2 finale episode, archaeologist and historian Dr. Katharine Huemoeller joins the podcast to tell us all about her research on the female, forced, and reproductive aspects of ancient Roman slavery and how manumission and marriage can become intertwined. Join us as we dive into the story of woman named Acte and a cursed grave monument from Rome whose inscriptions reveal some dark secrets about the reality of living as an enslaved - and freed - person in antiquity.

You might call ceramics the "plastics" of the ancient world...ubiquitous, indestructible, and incredibly useful! But how do we identify the spaces where ancient potters once made these everyday objects? Dr. Elizabeth Murphy joins the podcast to tell us all about the discovery and excavation of ancient tableware workshops at the site of Sagalassos in modern Turkey. Listen in as artisanal techniques are brought to life and the everyday lives of ancient potters are revealed through archaeological exploration.

It's all about Mary this week on the podcast! We are joined by archaeologist and PtP webmaster Dr. Sabrina Higgins, who takes us through catacombs, churches, and monasteries in Egypt, Syria, and Rome to trace the emergence of the cult of the Virgin Mary in the Mediterranean. Dr. Higgins discusses how Mariologists uncover signs of early worship of the mother of Jesus Christ, and emphasizes the role of artistic depictions of the saint and other material culture in tracing the diffusion of Marian veneration.

The sights, smells, and sounds of an ancient Roman bakery might surprise you...in this episode, historian and archaeologist Dr. Jared Benton joins the show to tell us all about the economics of ancient Roman bread-baking, from the household level to industrial-scale production. Come break bread with us as we talk about capitalism, social classes, Ostia, Djemila, and...donkeys! 

Money makes the ancient Mediterranean world go round...but what happens when there's not enough metal to make official coinage? In this episode, archaeologist Dr. Irene Soto Marín shares her research on quasi-official (not counterfeit!) coinage in Roman Egypt during the 4th century CE, a period of instability and uncertainty. Join us as we learn how the Roman army created a cheap and effective monetary system to meet the needs of the local populations and how they literally "broke the mold" in doing so!

Today's episode is simply magical! Join us as we welcome Dr. Britta Ager - an expert in ancient Mediterranean magic, spells, and curses - to the show and hear about her experimental work re-creating some sweet and smelly spells based on surviving recipes from the Egyptian Greek Magical Papyri. Listen in to learn about evidence for how and why people practiced magic in antiquity, from getting the gods on your good side to taking care of your animals, with a few surprises thrown in for good measure!

Waste not, want not! In this episode, learn all about ancient Mediterranean olive oil production and how real people producing this delicious food used the manufacturing byproducts to create a closed-loop, sustainable system. Dr. Erica Rowan, an expert on archaeobotanical (plant!) remains, joins us to explain how the ancient Romans in North Africa, Spain, and Italy used industrial olive oil waste as a fuel source to heat their homes, kilns, bakeries, and even to power the olive presses themselves!

Ever wonder how ancient artists created the vividly-coloured frescoes that adorned the houses of Pompeii and Herculaneum? Dr. Hilary Becker joins Chelsea and Melissa to tell us all about nature's palette and the raw materials that were used to create the reds, yellows, blues, whites, blacks, greens, and purples of the Roman world. Focusing on the archaeological remains of the only surviving pigment shop in ancient Rome, join us on a colourful journey from dangerous extraction to elusive transaction!

Water, water, everywhere...but how much of it can we drink?  In this episode, Chelsea and Melissa chat with Dr. Mark Locicero about Roman drainage systems in the ancient North African town of Volubilis (modern Morocco) and the Italian port city of Ostia. Find out how ancient Mediterranean people controlled and accessed clean drinking water and how that differed based on status, class, and location. In this episode we explore issues that are still very relevant to our lives today, including global water shortages, waste, and inequality, through a discussion about how archaeologists interpret the "invisible footprint" of ancient water.

What do our choices say about who we are? In this episode, Dr. Blair Fowlkes Childs joins Chelsea and Melissa to talk about clothing, status, dress, identity, preservation, commemoration, and cultural heritage! Focusing on art historical analyses of ancient funerary portraits from Palmyra (modern Syria), we explore memory and permanence, and dive into issues of protecting our collective past for the future.

In this episode, Dr. Liana Brent joins Chelsea and Melissa to talk about the archaeological remains of burials in Roman Italy at the ancient cemetery of Vagnari. Find out how archaeologists and anthropologists discover information about the real lives of ancient people through their commemorative practices, funerary rituals, and graves.

In the Season 2 premiere episode, Dr. Elizabeth Greene joins Chelsea and Melissa to talk about the archaeological remains of Roman shoes from the site of Vindolanda on Hadrian's Wall in present-day England. Why do shoes survive here, and what can they tell us about the men, women, and children who lived at this military fort hundreds of years ago? Listen to find out!

Join your Season 1 host, Dr. Chelsea Gardner, as she welcomes new co-host Dr. Melissa Funke for an introduction to the second season of the Peopling the Past podcast! This season, we'll take listeners on a journey through under-explored aspects of archaeology, history, material culture and everyday life in the ancient Roman world, from Egypt to Italy, Syria to England, Morocco to Turkey, and more! Follow us on our website, https://peoplingthepast.com, on Twitter @peoplingthepast with #peoplingpodcast, on our Instagram at peoplingthepast, and on our Facebook page Peopling the Past. 

In this episode, Sanchita Balachandran joins us to speak about the sensory experience of ancient potters and painters, her experimental archaeology project at Johns Hopkins, and the underdrawings on Greek painted pottery.

In this episode, Dr. Lana Radloff speaks about seascapes, the ancient sensory experience of the Mediterranean, and the ancient city of Miletus.

In this episode, Susan Matheson joins us to speak about representations of old age and the elderly in Greek art.

In this episode, Dr. Jennifer Stager discusses her work on Greek art, polychromy, and materiality.

In this episode, Dr. Rebecca Worsham discusses her work on Bronze age houses, deliberate destruction, and home renovation.

In this episode, Dr. Flint Dibble joins us to discuss his work on zooarchaeology and climate change in the Iron Age.

In this episode, Dr. Carolyn M. Laferrière discusses her work on Greek art, music, and religious ritual by taking a close look at the Vari Cave on Mount Hymettos.

In this episode, Dr. Laura Gawlinksi joins us to discuss her work on religious processions, ancient dress, inscriptions, and the festival at Andania.

In this episode, Katie Petrole joins us to discuss the Nashville Parthenon, its history, and its relationship with the Athenian Parthenon.

In this episode, Dr. Katherine Harrington joins us to discuss her work on women's labour, weaving and textiles, and Bau Z in the Kerameikos.

Join your hosts Dr. Carolyn M. Laferrière and Dr. Chelsea A.M. Gardner for an introduction to Peopling the Past. This season, we'll take listeners for a journey through under-explored aspects of material culture and everyday life in ancient Greece. Follow us on our website, peoplingthepast.com, on Twitter @peoplingthepast with #peoplingpodcast, on our Instagram at peoplingthepast, and on our Facebook page Peopling the Past.