Ancient Fossil Finds and Mythical Creatures Part 2: The Bones of Heroes and Monsters - TPM 29
In this continuation of The Past Macabre’s exploration of fossils and myth, host Stephanie Rice examines how ancient cultures interpreted fossil discoveries and connected them to tales of monsters, heroes, and gods.
Through oral traditions, archaeological finds, and texts from the Mexica (Aztecs) and Maya of Mesoamerica, the Hopi, Zuni, and Dine (Navajo) of the American Southwest, pre-Christian Ireland, and Classical Greece, this episode explores what these stories tell us about humanity’s enduring curiosity about the natural world.
Offline Sources Cited:
Bierhorst, John. 1992. History and Mythology of the Aztecs: The Codex Chimalpopoca. University of Arizona Press.
Mayor, Adrienne. 2000. The First Fossil Hunters. Princeton University Press.
Newman, Sarah E. 2016. Sharks in the Jungle: Real and Imagined Sea Monsters of theMaya. Antiquity 90(354):1522–1536.
Romano, M., 2024. Fossils as a source of myths, legends and folklore. Rend. Online Soc. Geol. It, 62, pp.103-117.
Solounias, Nikos and Adrienne Mayor. 2004. ANCIENT REFERENCES TO THE FOSSILS FROM THE LAND OF PYTHAGORAS. Earth Sciences History 23(2):283–296.
Transcripts
Links
Website | More information about the Dine (Navajo) from the Dine
Website | Paleontology of ancestral lands of the Hopi, Zuni, and Dine - Petrified Forest NP
Open Access Book | The Popol Vuh: The Mythic and Heroic Sagas of the Kichés of Central America
Open Access Book | The Codex Borgia (Pre-European text of the Aztec deities, rituals, and calendar)
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Getting a Doctorate in Ice Age Archaeology with Dr. Mckenna Litynski - Ethno 28
What if one of the most important technologies in human history wasn’t a spear, a stone tool, or writing, but a bone needle?
In this episode of Ethnocynology, David sits down with Dr. McKenna Litynski, an interdisciplinary anthropologist, to explore how sewing needles, clothing, and thermoregulation fundamentally reshaped human survival during the Ice Age. And helped Homo sapiens expand across the globe.
This conversation is both a deep dive into Ice Age archaeology and a clear, behind-the-scenes walkthrough of how you actually earn a PhD in anthropology, from preliminary exams to dissertation defense. This episode acts as both a spiritual successor to the viral “Why a Clovis Bone Needle Is the Most Important Artifact in North America” video and a practical guide for students curious about graduate school.
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Korg 70,000 B.C. - Screens 120
Today we’re reviewing Korg 70,000 B.C. (1974), a children’s TV series about a Neanderthal family from Hanna-Barbera, creators of The Flintstones, Scooby-Doo, and more. Unlike those series, however, this one is live-action! Who knew? Anyway, we talk about a lot of academic papers about Neanderthals, because nothing happens in the episode we watched.
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Chatting with Aaron Brien - HeVo 103
On this month’s episode, Jessica checks back in with Aaron Brien (Apsáalooke), who you may remember from Episode 23 on Salish-Kootenai College’s Tribal Historic Preservation Program, Episode 25 on Technology, and episode 41 on Collecting Oral Histories in Indian Country. In the more than 5 years since our last recording, Aaron has moved from being Tribal Historic Preservation Program faculty at Salish-Kootenai College to being the Crow Tribal Historic Preservation Officer. We talk about how that transition happened, the process of reinventing the Crow THPO program, and how the SKC program prepared him for being a THPO. On that note, the podcast Aaron and Dr. Shandin Pete started right before we recorded episode 41 is now called the Tribal Research Specialist podcast and is still going strong! Finally, the third segment focuses on the work the Crow THPO is doing and ongoing challenges as a THPO. We close out by discussing how the second Trump administration affects the work of a THPO and what we should all be doing to support THPOs and the resources they fight for.
Links
Salish-Kootenai College’s Tribal Historic Preservation Program - Ep 23 — Heritage Voices
Collecting Oral Histories in Indian Country - Ep 41 - Heritage Voices
Tribal Historic Preservation Department - Salish Kootenai College
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Pleistocene-Holocene transition and rock art with Dr Maria Guagnin and Dr Ceri Shipton - Rock Art 157
In this episode, Alan is joined by Dr. Maria Guagnin (Max Planck Institute for Geoanthropology) and Dr. Ceri Shipton (Australian National University) to explore how human societies adapted to environmental change during the Pleistocene–Holocene transition. Maria and Ceri examine prehistoric settlement, mobility, and monumental rock art in northern Arabia, showing how symbolic expression and landscape use offer insight into survival, innovation, and cultural continuity. Their research demonstrates the resilience and creativity of early human societies.
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Field Notes: Magical Pasts - ABC 12
Let’s start the new year off with a little bit of magic! In January, the book club theme is “Magical Pasts”, and so this episode our three hosts discuss the role of magic - or related themes - in the deep and recent past. Tune in to hear all about entanglements, shamanism, and charms for bees.
Monthly Book: The History of Magic (Chris Gosden)
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2025 Year in Review - Pseudo 177
It’s time for my annual end of the year review! Let’s remember the good times, the bad times, and the mostly-kinda-sorta-okay times. Thank you all for listening! I hope you have a most excellent 2026.
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Message for Simplecast: For rough transcripts of this episode head over to https://www.archaeologypodcastnetwork.com/pseudo/177
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The Rap Guide to Evolution - Screens 119
To kick off the New Year, we’re reviewing The Rap Guide to Evolution, a music album by Baba Brinkman which is... pretty self-explanatory, really. So here’s an hour and 15 minutes of us explaining it! We get into evolutionary psychology, 2000s-era edgelord atheism, postmodernism, genital evolution, and much more!
Links
Gol’din and Radović (2018) A Middle Miocene baleen whale from Bele Vode in Belgrade, Serbia
Buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo
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APN10 bonus recording (part 2) - Teabreak 44
To celebrate 10 years of the APN, Matilda joined the #APN10 live event on 24th November 2024 to record a very special episode called “Tea-break 20 Questions”! Spoiler alert - get used to seeing this format pop up a bit more regularly for live events because it was a lot of fun! Joining the episode were Emma Jones (of Ancient Craft UK / Prehistoric Jewellery) and Raven Todd DaSilva (of Dig It With Raven), who each tried to guess which object the other had brought in. Tune in for an episode filled with fun, frustration, and fantastic questions!
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Cavemen S1E9 Caveman Holiday - Screens 118
Happy Longnight! Today is the December Solstice, and to celebrate we’re reviewing a very special holiday episode of 2007 sitcom Cavemen, based on the popular Geico insurance commercials. Everyone is invited, whether we like them or not, so grab a slice of forager’s pie and a glass of Beef Fizz and settle in to listen to your favourite palaeo researchers trying to explain basic astronomy. To the cow!
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APN10 bonus recording (part 1) - Tea break 43
To celebrate 10 years of the APN, Matilda joined the #APN10 live event on 24th November 2024 to record a very special episode called “Tea-break 20 Questions”! Spoiler alert - get used to seeing this format pop up a bit more regularly for future live events because it was a lot of fun! Joining the episode were Emma Jones (of Ancient Craft UK / Prehistoric Jewellery) and Raven Todd DaSilva (of Dig It With Raven), who each tried to guess which object the other had brought in. Tune in for an episode filled with fun, frustration, and fantastic questions!
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Archaeology of The Witcher (Part 2) - Trowel 58
Ash and Tilly are back on The Continent, silver swords polished, potions brewed, and trowels at the ready! After mapping The Witcher’s wild landscapes, they turn their attention to the real treasures of the world: its people, societies, and material culture. Through swords, cities, and stories, they uncover layers of coexistence, conflict, and memory that define Sapkowski’s world.
The Witcher Series:
Books: The Last Wish, Sword of Destiny, Blood of Elves, Time of Contempt, Baptism of Fire, The Tower of the Swallow, The Lady of the Lake, Season of Storms, and Crossroads of Ravens.
Games: The Witcher, The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, The Witcher 4 (release date 2026/2027)
TV Series: The Witcher (Netflix)
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Email: andmytrowel@gmail.com
Instagram: @and.my.trowel
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More Than Mammoths & Bison: Wyoming’s Ceramic Traditions with Michael Page - Plains 33
In this episode of The Great Plains Archaeology Podcast, Carlton sits down with Michael Page of the Wyoming State Archaeologist’s Office to explore a lesser-known side of Wyoming archaeology, its rich and varied ceramic traditions. While Wyoming is often defined by its iconic Paleoindian kill sites, Michael’s work reminds us that the region’s history is far more diverse than the stone tools and bison jumps that dominate public imagination.
This episode highlights the vital role of ceramic research in understanding the Northwest Plains and offers a fresh perspective on Wyoming's deep human history.
Transcripts
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)
The Archaeology of the North American Great Plains by Douglas B. Bamforth (2021)
Archaeology on the Great Plains Edited by W. Raymond Wood (1998)
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Instagram: @pawnee_archaeologist
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Archaeologist's Holiday Gift List - CRMArch 323
Episode 323 is our Christmas Episode!! This week, our show hosts discuss their favorite archaeology field gear in hopes that they will get these items for Christmas. There’s dream items for every price point-- Including if money was no object. Listen to hear what archaeologists dream they’d find under the Christmas tree this year.
Transcripts
Links
Blogs and Resources:
Bill White: Succinct Research
Doug Rocks-MacQueen: Doug’s Archaeology
Chris Webster: DIGTECH LLC
Andrew Kinkella
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Timelines: Linking Petra, the Nazca Lines, and the Great Wall of China - TAS 319
In this “Timelines” episode, we connect three iconic sites built during the same era: Petra’s stunning rock-cut city in Jordan, the mysterious Nazca Lines etched across Peru’s desert, and the monumental Great Wall of China. Explore how the Nabataeans engineered Petra’s hidden oasis, why the Nazca created massive geoglyphs only visible from above, and what drove dynasties to construct thousands of miles of wall across China. Discover the origins, uses, and enduring mysteries of these world wonders, and see how ancient ingenuity and ambition shaped civilizations across continents—all within a shared moment in history.
In this “Timelines” episode, we connect three iconic sites built during the same era: Petra’s stunning rock-cut city in Jordan, the mysterious Nazca Lines etched across Peru’s desert, and the monumental Great Wall of China. Explore how the Nabataeans engineered Petra’s hidden oasis, why the Nazca created massive geoglyphs only visible from above, and what drove dynasties to construct thousands of miles of wall across China. Discover the origins, uses, and enduring mysteries of these world wonders, and see how ancient ingenuity and ambition shaped civilizations across continents—all within a shared moment in history.
Links
Segment 1: Petra
Bedal, L. W. (2003). The Petra Pool Complex: A Hellenistic Paradeisos in the Nabataean Capital. American Journal of Archaeology.
Parr, P. J. (2013). “Petra.” In Encyclopedia of Ancient History. Wiley-Blackwell.
Schmid, S. G. (2001). “The Nabataeans: Travellers Between Lifestyles.” In Aram Periodical.
American Center of Research (ACOR) – Petra Archaeological Park
Bienkowski, P. (1990). Petra. British Museum Press.
Hammond, P. C. (1973). “The Nabataeans: Their History, Culture, and Archaeology.” Biblical Archaeologist.
Burckhardt, J. L. (1822). Travels in Syria and the Holy Land (rediscovery account).
Segment 2: Nazca Lines
Silverman, H., & Proulx, D. A. (2002). The Nasca. Blackwell Publishers.
Reindel, M., & Isla, J. (2001). “Nasca: Wunder der Wüste.” C.H. Beck.
UNESCO World Heritage Centre – Lines and Geoglyphs of Nasca and Palpa
Aveni, A. F. (2000). Between the Lines: The Mystery of the Giant Ground Drawings of Ancient Nasca, Peru. University of Texas Press.
Orefici, G. (2012). “Cahuachi: Capital of the Nasca World.” Andean Past.
Silverman, H. (1993). Cahuachi in the Ancient Nasca World. University of Iowa Press.
Isla, J., & Reindel, M. (2016). “Nasca and the ‘Puquios’: Water and Ritual in the Peruvian Desert.” Antiquity.
Segment 3: Great Wall of China
Waldron, A. (1990). The Great Wall of China: From History to Myth. Cambridge University Press.
Lovell, J. (2006). The Great Wall: China Against the World, 1000 BC–AD 2000. Grove Press.
Man, J. (2008). The Great Wall: The Extraordinary Story of China’s Wonder of the World. Da Capo Press.
Steinhardt, N. S. (1990). The Great Wall of China: Dynasties, Dragons, and Warriors. Oxford University Press.
State Administration of Cultural Heritage, China. “Archaeological Discoveries Along the Great Wall.”
Barfield, T. J. (1989). The Perilous Frontier: Nomadic Empires and China. Blackwell.
Contact
Chris Webster
Rachel Roden
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Ancient Fossil Finds and Mythical Creatures Part 1: Here Be Dragons - TPM 28
Throughout history, people have uncovered fossils and tried to explain them using the knowledge and stories of their time. In this episode of The Past Macabre, host Stephanie Rice explores how ancient discoveries of prehistoric bones may have inspired some of humanity’s most enduring myths about dragons and other legendary creatures.
From China’s loong, whose image appeared in tombs thousands of years before the first dynasties, to the Greek and Roman tales of sea monsters and winged serpents, this episode traces how archaeology and paleontology overlap in uncovering the roots of these mythical beings and the human fascination with what fossils.
Offline Works Cited:
Boaz, Noel T., and Russell L. Ciochon. 2004. The Bones of Dragon Hill. In Dragon Bone Hill: An Ice Age Saga of Homo Erectus, edited by Noel T. Boaz and Russell L. Ciochon. Oxford University Press.
Crump, J., & Crump, I. 1963. Dragon Bones in the Yellow Earth: The story of archaeological exploration & research in northern China in the present century. Dodd, Mead, and Company.
Romano, M., 2024. Fossils as a source of myths, legends and folklore. Rend. Online Soc. Geol. It, 62, pp.103-117.
Transcripts
For transcripts of this episode head over to: https://archpodnet.com/tpm/28
Links
Open Access Article | Finding the origins of dragons in Carboniferous plant fossils
Open Access Article | Sea Monsters in Antiquity: A Classical and Zoological Investigation
Open Access Book | Palaephatus, On Unbelievable Things (English Translation)
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Teenage Cave Man - Screens 117
Today we’re reviewing the paradoxically and yet aptly named Teenage Cave Man (1958), the story of a 30-something teenage rebel who dares to break the rules and explore beyond his Stone Age tribe’s borders – and discovers a shocking twist!! In this episode we talk about [REDACTED: SPOILERS], [REDACTED: SPOILERS], and how much Josh hates Game of Thrones.
Links
Atkinson (2011) Phonemic Diversity Supports a Serial Founder Effect Model of Language Expansion from Africa, https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1199295
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Scandinavian Rock Art with Dr James Dodd - Rock Art 156
In this episode, Alan is joined by Dr. James Dodd, a researcher at Aarhus University and board member of the Scandinavian Society for Prehistoric Art. James uses digital tools such as GIS and high-performance computing to document and analyse rock art across Scandinavia. His work reveals how prehistoric communities expressed ideas through imagery and symbolism and how modern technology can uncover patterns and connections hidden across the landscape.
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Archaeologists don't dig dinosaurs! - ABC 11
In this episode, the bookworms dive into December’s theme: Archaeologists Don’t Dig Dinosaurs! With Judith off sick, Tilly and Ash are left unsupervised, and things get delightfully chaotic as they explore pop-culture misconceptions, swap their best archaeology-vs-palaeontology anecdotes, and share this month’s wildly different book picks. Tune in to hear all about alien-dino hybrids, dinosaur accountants, and the ongoing struggle of explaining—once again—that archaeologists definitely do not dig up dinosaurs!
Monthly Book: TBC
Other books mentioned:
Kindred (Rebecca Wragg Sykes)
Science of Discworld (Terry Pratchett, Jack Cohen, Ian Stewart)
Jurassic park (Michael Crichton)
Futurama (tv show)
A Sinister Revenge (Deanna Rayboun)
Monstrous Heat (Joely Sue Burkhart)
Women of the Dunes (Sarah Maine)
Amelia Peabody Series (Elizabeth Peters)
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The Silurian Hypothesis: Does it Actually Contain Lizard People? - Pseudo 176
After uploading a quick video on Instagram about the top two stupidest pseudoarchaeology stories of all time, the one and only Flint Dibble said that I, Dr. Professor Andrew Kinkella PhD, had gotten something wrong. He said the Silurian hypothesis didn’t contain any lizard people! What?!? I quickly re-checked my research, and found out he was right. But I was right too! Listen onward for the solution to the Great Silurian Debacle of 2025…
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