Tea-Break Archaeology
The world is full of incredible archaeological sites, inspiring historic figures, and breathtaking ancient artefacts. But what about those everyday objects that have become so essential to our daily life that we don't even notice them any more? In this podcast, professional archaeologist and journalist Dr Matilda Siebrecht explores the deep history and archaeological origins of the most familiar objects and crafts, sometimes enlisting the help of an expert guest speaker to really dig into the topic. Ever wanted to find out the history of the simple notebook? What the ancient equivalent of a computer was? When we started using doors? Then plug in your headphones, grab your hot beverage of choice, and tune in!
Gladiator training with Svenja Fabian (part 1) - Ep 46
Let’s get down to business, to talk about gladiatorial training! In this episode, Matilda is joined by Svenja Fabian, who is a retired gladiatrix, or female gladiatorial re-enactor. Svenja’s shares her experiences in this particular field of re-enactment, and helps to bust some myths about gladiators in ancient Rome. But what actually is a gladiator? Did women really fight in gladiatorial battles? And why is it unlikely that people would have used the thumbs up/thumbs down signals? Tune in to find out!
Archaeological Methods: Experimental Archaeology - Ep 45
Following the popularity of the previously coined “Tea-break Time Travel Training”, Matilda focuses in this episode on a commonly used method in archaeological research: Experimental Archaeology. Listen in to hear what experimental is, its origins and development, its strengths and weaknesses, and how it all started for Matilda with an afternoon of throwing prehistoric spears in a public park in Aberdeen!
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!
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!
The Archaeology of Stone Tools - Tea Break 42
In this episode Matilda is diving far back into the earliest depths of human history to discuss when we first developed our love of stuff. From chimpanzee termite-fishing to complex flint-knapping technology, she explores how technological traditions developed alongside our own human evolution. Tune in to hear all about core preparation, mode classifications, and why we might soon need a capuchin monkey archaeologist.