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On a listener-sponsored episode, Anna and Amber tackle the archaeology and historical context of maroon communities. These are societies formed by self-liberated Africans during the period when the slave trade was a huge part of the world economy. We discuss some archaeological case studies, and then really think long and hard about what it means to reconstruct these lives, and who has historically done so.

This week, in the final installment of an accidental THREE-PART SERIES, we switch the focus to anthropology and anthropologists who create sci-fi or who are characters in sci-fi media. We cover two of the greats: Ursula K LeGuin and Octavia E Butler. We finish up with a roundup of TV and movie anthropologists at various levels from goofy to egregious.

We're back! And we're continuing our exploration of science fiction in archaeology AND anthropology in science fiction. Last time, we talked to author Pat Edwards about world-building and storytelling--this time, we tell the stories. Amber gets speculative, Anna spins some yarns, and we investigate the Thousand and One Nights.

Pat Edwards is an author, game builder, and creator of all kinds of sci-fi and fantasy content. We all sit down and puzzle through some questions about the boundaries between archaeological interpretation and fiction, the use of anthropological tropes in pop culture, and strategies for drawing from the archaeological record for fictional world-building. We had a blast with this unconventional topic, and we hope you enjoy listening!

On this sponsored episode, Anna and Amber follow up on Episode 99 - People of Size to talk about largeness, muscularity, and fatness in bodies that are coded male. Learn how sumo wrestlers spend their time, join us for some Paleolithic bioanthropology by way of elite athletics, and sit in on a meeting of the Fat Mens’s Club.

Amber and Anna discuss some of the different rituals, ceremonies, and traditions associated with coming of age in cultures around the world and throughout time. From tossing baby teeth up to the roof to tying a vine to your ankles and jumping off a wooden tower, it's all fascinating.

Amber and Anna examine how different ancient cultures viewed children and childhood. We’ll also discuss how the archaeological interpretation of the lives of children in the ancient past has shifted as we’ve gained more and more evidence.

This week's episode is a listener-sponsored one! Ancient hunter-gatherers are often painted as egalitarian, with all members contributing to the needs of the group. But what does evidence from prehistory say about things like access to nutrition, or care for the sick or injured? Are there cases where some individuals were clearly treated differently from others? How far back can we go to find clues? Stay tuned, sleuths.

Image: A Mbendjele hunter organizes meat for community sharing after a hunt. Wikimedia Commons CC BY-SA 4.0

This week, Anna and Amber head to ancient Central Asia for a sponsored episode in which they explore the Bactria-Margiana Archaeological Complex. Come along and learn why there’s BMAC stuff all over the place! Visit Gonur and the man that wants to be buried in its deserts! Consider the who and the why of the BMAC and its collapse (psst it wasn’t a collapse)! Meet some Horse Guys!

This week, on a sponsored episode, Anna and Amber examine the traces left by the various ancient cultures called "Illyrians." We've got some architecture, coin-nerdery, a smattering of religion, and a complicated political legacy. It all makes for an excellent entry in our collection of supporting characters from the Classical world!

This week, on a special sponsored episode, Anna and Amber explore some of the lesser-known Italic cultural groups that were peripheral to Ancient Rome. We seek out Samnites and uncover Umbrians. We also take a brief tour of Etruscan wine country.

This week, Anna and Amber get philosophical as they look for clues into how people through time and space have answered the question: when it comes to deserving help, who counts? What does care look like? What does charity look like?

This week Anna and Amber told you we’re going to the park, but really it’s a trip to the v-e-t in an episode all about evidence for animal care and veterinary medicine in the archaeological record. Learn how archaeologists assess animal welfare from bone analysis, ancient Egyptian animal medicine, a snapshot of life on a medieval French farm, and more, including 2nd millennium BCE pro tips on how to get your horse absolutely jacked.

It’s the second half of our two-episode series on Japan! This week, Amber and Anna explore some of the traditions and material culture surrounding Japanese food. We research rice, sample sake, banter about bento, and MAYBE MAKE THE BEST SERIES OF PUNS EVER HEARD ON THE SHOW.

This week, it’s a sponsored episode (thanks Elizabeth!) and part one in a two-part series on ancient Japan. This week—the Jomon, prehistoric Japanese hunter-gatherers, and their descendants, the Ainu indigenous people. Also, some bears.

It's another Very Special Sponsored Episode this week! We're talking prehistoric animals of all shapes and sizes (and by all sizes we mean mostly TOO BIG). Learn about giant birds hunted by the first people on New Zealand, the giant sea scorpion that will haunt Amber's dreams, and...probably more than you ever wanted to know about wooly mammoth butts.

It's another sponsored episode! This week, we bring you the fascinating (and sometimes delicious) topic of evolutionary anachronisms. What happens when two species co-evolve to support one another, but one goes extinct? What's up with that obscure, hipster fruit, the paw-paw, and why is Amber mad at NPR? What can blue jays tell us about human impulsivity? All this and more!

We all do it. We've done it for millions of years. It's the Poopisode, a Very Special Sponsor pick! Anna and Amber discuss coprolites (archaeological poo), and some of the surprising things we've learned from it. Anna's pun game has rarely been stronger, and Amber...well, Amber survived this episode.