This week's episode was inspired by news coverage of Revolutionary War hero Casimir Pulaski, who, according to his skeleton, may have been intersex. But what does it mean to be intersex, and how do we incorporate this very real form of existence into our understanding of the archaeological record? Learn along with Anna and Amber from forensic archaeology, American history, Indigenous American culture, and a truly heart-wrenching tale from Iran.
Join Anna and Amber on a tour of third millennium BCE Mesopotamia, where they explore the Royal Tombs of Ur. It has everything: musical instruments, very extra jewelry looks, a Great Death Pit (!), a famous excavator with a flair for the dramatic, even a surprise find nearly a century later in a museum basement.
Hello, and welcome to The Dirt, a podcast all about dinosaurs! Since we’re archaeologists (and thus don’t study dinosaurs, ahem) we know nothing about them, so for this special April Fools’ Day episode, Anna sits down with paleontologist Chris Capobianco from Harvard University’s Museum of Comparative Zoology. Learn about how quickly a fossil forms, the process of preparing fossils for research or exhibition, what dinosaurs really looked like, how exactly one goes about becoming a paleontologist, and what the future may hold for the discipline (and humanity).
Our very first LIVE SHOW, from Cosumnes River College in Sacramento! In honor of Women's History Month, we celebrate the life and career of Helen Hunt Jackson, the raddest lady activist and author you've never heard of. In her lifetime, Jackson was a vocal and tireless advocate for Native American rights during the federal land grabs of the 1800s.
Anna and Amber rummage around on the floor of history's closet to bring you a brief history of shoes from around the world! Learn why caves in the southwestern USA are full of shoes. Find a shoe museum near you for some sole-searching. Enjoy a description of Anna's favorite goofy historical fashion statement. All this and more!
It's almost officially springtime in the Northern Hemisphere, and the vernal equinox brings with it another reason to celebrate: Nowruz! Commonly known as Persian New Year, Nowruz has its roots in a millennia-old religion founded by a man named Zartosht whose ideas had a profound impact on the world. Anna introduces fire temples and what ancient writers had to say about Zoroastrianism, while Amber hypes the Bronze Age in Central Asia and suggests some ways in which Zoroastrian ideas have affected other religions.
It's been hectic over at The Dirt HQ! Rather than leaving your feeds dark for a month, here's a Patreon-exclusive episode from earlier this year: We present to you the Piltdown Man, the most contentious human ancestor there never was.
Kick off Women's History Month with a show all about some of the earliest representations of women in art! Anna introduces us to the Venus of Willendorf and her curvy comrades, and shares a research study with very modern take on ancient art. Meanwhile Amber bursts our bubble about the matriarchy and goddess religions in Old Europe, and discusses goddess worshippers of past and present at Çatalhöyük in present-day Turkey.
Here at The Dirt, we talk a lot about the things that people leave behind, but we’ve not spent much time talking about what’s left behind of the people themselves. That changes this week, when Anna and Amber discuss excavating, storing, studying, and selling archaeological human remains, and take a look at some of the legal and ethical challenges involved.
We at The Dirt are excited to be a part of the American Anthropological Association’s Anthro Day activities, and we hopped on to Skype to answer some questions submitted by you, the listener! We talk about our own experiences, the origin of hairstyles, Antarctic archaeology, Neanderthals doing yoga, public outreach, and so much more!
Available on Patreon: Aleister Crowley is known for his work as an occultist, magician, writer, painter, mountain climber, and top-notch weirdo. But did you know that much of his inspiration came from the world of archaeology and ancient history? Did you know that he got it all wrong? Come along!
Available on Patreon: Our roundup of the newest oldest stuff this month includes an exhibition full of clothing items that exemplify contemporary women trailblazers’ work, the scale of cultural heritage destruction in Yemen, how humans will be remembered by the chicken bones we leave behind, and a note found in the butt of a Jesus statue… and other stuff, but get a load of that last one.
Brand new from The Dirt: For a $25 donation, YOU can choose an episode topic for Anna and Amber to cover! (Terms and conditions apply: we won’t do it if it’s fake or terrible, but we’ll work with you to come up with something you’ll enjoy!) You can dedicate the episode to your favorite nerd, special someone, or hey—to yourself! Give a completely unique gift, and support The Dirt at the same time!
Available on Patreon: This month, we do a bit of bopping around the Red Sea, as we talk about the Arabian Peninsula before Islam (and today!), specifically Mada'in Saleh, and what the medieval world's most famous tourist thought of Kilwa Kisiwani.
Available on Patreon: Our roundup of the newest oldest stuff this month includes an encyclopedia of traditional medicine in the Amazon, conversations around repatriation of art and antiquities, itty bitty terracotta warriors, and so much more.
Available on Patreon: Anna and Amber discuss culture-bound syndromes, mass hysteria, and the very real symptoms and consequences they yield. What makes an illness culture-bound, whose cultures are exempt, and what can we learn from it all?
Available on Patreon: We talked about boogeypeople, now let's talk about boggypeople. What exactly happens when someone is buried in a bog? We explain how bogs work, speculate at the lives that preceded some bog mummies, and learn that bog burials aren't limited to northern Europe!
Available on Patreon: Our roundup of the newest oldest stuff this month includes visualizing colonization around the world, some current PR challenges at the British Museum, the anthropology of heavy metal, and the discovery of a mummified body FULL OF BEES.
Join Anna and Amber on an excursion to the Indus Valley, and an exploration of some of the ancient societies therein. Learn about the thrills of city planning and indoor toilets, experience the mystery and absurdity of the Indus "unicorn," and enjoy a surprising number of Anna's best seal impersonations.