Podcast
If Objects Could Talk
Hosted by Getty · EN
What is Athena's owl doing in the Greek marketplace? How does a snake bracelet celebrate her favorite holiday? This first season on If Objects Could Talk, the newest series from Getty Podcasts, artifacts leave the museum vault and come alive to share their side of the story. Featuring objects from Getty's antiquities collection, each episode introduces listeners to the history, creation, and everyday use of incredible items like an Egyptian cat statue, an ancient kind of dice, and a glass flask shaped like a fish. Voice actors and immersive sound design bring these historical fiction tales to life.
10episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
(Rerun) Snake Charm on Your Arm
Mar 600:10:15Tap to summarize(Rerun) How does a snake bracelet celebrate her favorite holiday? Learn about gold jewelry, the meaning of snakes for ancient Egyptians, and the Roman holiday of Saturnalia from this snake who knows all the best secrets! For a listening guide, a coloring sheet, images, and more, visit getty.edu/podcasts/if-objects-could-talk/.Come see the bracelet in person at the Getty Villa in gallery 216!
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Going for Glory: A History of the Ancient Olympics
Feb 200:12:54Tap to summarizeYou probably know that the Olympics started in ancient Greece, but did you know that they started as just a single running race? Or that the athletes—all male—competed naked and covered in oil? As the world gears up to watch athletes from nearly 100 countries compete in ice skating and bob sledding (two sports the Greeks would have been shocked at!), we had to know more about where the Olympics came from nearly 3000 years ago! Learn all about the early Olympic games in this bonus conversation with archaeologist Shelby Brown. Visit the episode website for images of art that teach us about Greek athletic competitions and for an episode transcript.Read more about the ancient Olympics and other Greek athletic competitions on Getty's website: https://www.getty.edu/news/the-getty-villa-guide-to-the-ancient-olympics/
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Introducing Constant Wonder Kids: Do Plants Think?
Jan 26Tap to summarizeThis season on If Objects Could Talk we imagined what would happen if museum objects could talk. But have you ever wondered if plants could talk? To dig into this question, we’re sharing an episode from Constant Wonder Kids. Through a conversation with science writer Zoë Schlanger, this episode investigates how plants seem to communicate, hear, see, and even think! Constant Wonder Kids is a family-friendly podcast that sparks curiosity about plants, animals, and natural phenomena. Through conversations with scientists, explorers, and artists, Constant Wonder Kids helps kids (and the adults who love them) discover ways to feel awe and wonder in the natural world. To learn more, visit https://www.byuradio.org/constant-wonder-kids.
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Your Ultimate Saturnalia Gift Guide!
Dec 1700:08:49Tap to summarizeFrom bad poetry and papyrus to candles and boar, give the gifts any Roman would love to receive with our Ultimate Saturnalia Gift Guide! (Cue the air horns.)In this special episode, a carved doll has combed the ancient literature to bring you timeless gift advice for the holiday season. Io Saturnalia!For a listening guide filled with Roman-inspired DIY gifts, images, and more, visit getty.edu/podcasts/if-objects-could-talk/.
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Culture Kids Collab: You're Invited to an Ancient Roman Dinner Party! (Part 2)
Dec 1500:16:27Tap to summarizeThis week we’re sharing part two of our collaboration with the Culture Kids podcast. (Head back to the feed for part one if you haven't listened yet!)Asher and his mom Kristen join If Objects Could Talk producer Zoe on the Culture Train Time Machine for an unforgettable visit to ancient Rome. Together, they tiptoe into a glowing triclinium, the Roman dining room, to watch a real dinner party happening over two thousand years ago!You’ll discover how ancient Romans lit up the night, what they wore to make room for dinner, and what foods they ate.Hear more from Culture Kids on your favorite podcast app and at https://www.culturekidsmedia.com/.
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Culture Kids Collab: Culture Train Time Travel to Ancient Rome! (Part 1)
Dec 800:17:58Tap to summarizeThis week we’re sharing a collaboration with the Culture Kids podcast. Asher and his mom Kristen join If Objects Could Talk producer Zoe at the Getty Villa Museum to learn about Roman dinner parties—then we travel back in time to experience one! In this two part series, you’ll learn more about how and what the Romans ate—especially when they wanted to show off to their friends. You’ll discover how ancient Romans reclined on couches while eating, what dishes and cups looked like in the ancient world, why people often ate with their hands, and how paintings inspired by Egypt became popular decorations inside Roman homes.Hear more from Culture Kids on your favorite podcast app and at https://www.culturekidsmedia.com/. And tune in for part two, coming soon!
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(Rerun) All's Fair in Love and Games
Nov 1700:12:13Tap to summarize(Rerun) Does this acrobatic astragalos (an ancient kind of dice) have what it takes to win the big game? Learn about the twists and turns of ancient gameplay and how sheep knucklebones aren’t so different from modern dice. For a listening guide, a coloring sheet, images, and more, visit getty.edu/podcasts/if-objects-could-talk/.
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Introducing Who Arted: The Treasures of King Tutankhamun's Tomb
Nov 1000:06:45Tap to summarizeThis week we're sharing an episode of another art history podcast we love! Who Arted celebrates art in all of its forms and in terms anyone can understand. Each episode tells the story of a different artist and artwork. Who Arted is written and produced by art teacher Kyle Wood with the goal of making art history fun and accessible to everyone.This episode focuses on King Tut's tomb. On November 26, 1922, Howard Carter prepared to enter the tomb of a little-known pharaoh. Nobody had set foot inside the space for over 3,000 years, but as Carter held up his candle, his partner, Lord Carnarvon who had financed the expedition called out asking if he saw anything. Carter responded, “Yes, wonderful things.” Though his reign may have been short, the treasures found in Tutankhamun’s tomb have given him an outsized place in the history books and popular culture.Learn more at https://www.whoartedpodcast.com/.
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The Case of the Missing…Me?!
Oct 2700:13:10Tap to summarizeLike a noir detective, this key with a horsehead handle becomes embroiled in a mysterious disappearance—her very own! Help her investigate the blacksmith’s workshop and solve the case so she can open her special box again. This podcast uses episode-specific artwork. If you don’t see an image of the horsehead key with this episode, you may have to turn on this setting in your podcast app. For a listening guide, a coloring sheet, images, and more, visit getty.edu/podcasts/if-objects-could-talk/.
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Dude, Where’s My Sheep?
Oct 2000:14:13Tap to summarizeThis dancing Satyr—half goat, half man, all prankster—is on the move, sealing important documents that travel across Etruria, a pre-Roman civilization. With his good-luck scarab on his back, he travels to help a birthday girl’s wish come true and only gets them into a little bit of trouble playing “hide the sheep.”This podcast uses episode-specific artwork. If you don’t see an image of the satyr scarab gem with this episode, you may have to turn on this setting in your podcast app.For a listening guide, a coloring sheet, images, and more, visit getty.edu/podcasts/if-objects-could-talk/.
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