Podcast
Seven Ages Audio Journal
Hosted by Seven Ages Research · AFAR
The Seven Ages Audio Journal is a podcast that explores history through archaeological discoveries, scientific achievements, and cultural developments throughout time. Hosted by researchers Micah Hanks, Jason Pentrail, and James Waldo, the program features commentary and interviews with leading experts in the fields of history, archaeology, science, and other disciplines. Our aim is to unravel questions about ancient times, and explore areas of knowledge and culture from the past, to the present day.
90episodes
Episodes
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The Destruction of Tall el Hammam: Anatomy of a Cataclysm | SAAJ 050
Dec 8, 202101:39:13Tap to summarizeApproximately 3600 years ago, new evidence may indicate that a cosmic airburst leveled the ancient city of Tall el-Hammam, a Middle-Bronze-Age site in the southern Jordan Valley northeast of the Dead Sea. On this edition of the Seven Ages Audio Journal, we are joined by returning guests Malcolm Lecompte, Christopher R. Moore, and for his first appearance, Timothy Witwer for an in-depth discussion about their paper, "A Tunguska sized airburst destroyed Tall el-Hammam a Middle Bronze Age city in the Jordan Valley near the Dead Sea." Follow the Seven Ages Research Associates online: Twitter Instagram Facebook Below are links to stories covered on this edition of the podcast: Our Sponsors: The Smoky Mountain Relic Room THE PAPER: A Tunguska sized airburst destroyed Tall el-Hammam a Middle Bronze Age city in the Jordan Valley near the Dead Sea. MORE FROM MOORE: A giant space rock demolished an ancient Middle Eastern city and everyone in it – possibly inspiring the Biblical story of Sodom
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Göbekli Tepe Part II: Mysteries in Stone | SAAJ 49
Sep 4, 202101:38:52Tap to summarizeIn this episode of the Seven Ages Audio Journal, we continue our series on the enigmatic site of Göbekli Tepe in Anatolia, Turkey, as we are joined by Martin Sweatman, Ph.D., author of the book Prehistory Decoded and a number of research publications related to Göbekli Tepe. Sweatman's academic background is in statistical mechanics, the physical theory that links the properties of particles to the properties of matter. He heads a research group is mainly interested in theoretical aspects of classical statistical mechanics, as well as the design of new kinds of advanced material or engineering process. Typically, this involves developing or using Monte Carlo molecular simulation or classical density functional theory methods. However, Sweatman's study of the rock carvings at Göbekli Tepe have brought statistics into the study of this ancient site, which expands the possibilities as far as their meaning to the ancient hands who carved them. Follow the Seven Ages Research Associates online: Twitter Instagram Facebook Below are links to stories covered on this edition of the podcast: Our Sponsors: The Smoky Mountain Relic Room Martin Sweatman, Ph.D. Website Prehistory Decoded (Paperback) - Martin Sweatman Episode Art: "Vulture Stone, Gobekli Tepe, Sanliurfa, South-east Anatolia, Turkey (CC 2.0/Wikimedia Commons)
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Göbekli Tepe Part I: Art & Ancient Origins | SAAJ 48
Jul 29, 202101:25:02Tap to summarizeGöbekli Tepe is arguably one of the most captivating archaeological sites in anywhere in the world, not just for its age, but for its artisanship. The location is perhaps best known not just for its age, but for the iconic pillar structures that are a mainstay of the site. In this special edition of the Seven Ages Audio Journal, we look at this enigmatic ancient site, and what its discovery has meant for Archaeology in the 21st century. Joining us to discuss her work at the site is Sarah Kielt Costello, Associate Professor of Art History and Director of the Humanities Program at the University of Houston-Clear Lake. She earned her Ph.D. in anthropology from the State University of New York, Binghamton and her M.A. in Classical and Near Eastern Archaeology at Bryn Mawr College. Her research areas include Mesopotamian and Cypriot prehistory and museum and heritage studies. She is a co-editor of several volumes, and her work is also published in the journals Cambridge Archaeological Journal and Antiquity. Dr. Costello has excavated in Cyprus, Turkey, Israel, and Greece and in 2013 participated as a Fulbright Fellow in the Summer Session at the American School of Classical Studies. In 2021, she was awarded a University Faculty Fellowship in recognition of exemplary teaching, research, and service to UHCL. We discuss her work at Göbekli Tepe on this edition of the podcast, and what can be derived about the ways of life in the ancient world from the study of this site's captivating art and monumental structures. Follow the Seven Ages Research Associates online: Twitter Instagram Facebook Below are links to stories covered on this edition of the podcast: Our Sponsors: The Smoky Mountain Relic Room Sarah K. Costello at the University of Houston Clear Lake Object Biographies: Collaborative Approaches to Ancient Mediterranean Art (Menil Collection, 2021) Seals and Sealings in the Ancient World (Cambridge University Press, 2018) Routledge Companion to Ecstatic Experience in the Ancient World Episode Art: "Göbeklitepe Şanlıurfa" by Beytullah else (CC 4.0/Wikimedia Commons)
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The Lost Colony of Roanoke | SAAJ 47
Jun 2, 202101:24:00Tap to summarizeOn this edition of the Seven Ages Audio Journal, the team focuses on one of the earliest and greatest mysteries in early American History: the famous Lost Colony of Roanoke. Joining us to discuss this historical mystery is Phillip Evans of The First Colony Foundation, a North Carolina 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that, according to its website, is "dedicated to conducting archaeological and historical research, combined with public education and interpretation, relating to the story of America's beginnings with the attempts by Sir Walter Raleigh to establish English colonies at Roanoke Island in the 1580s under his charter from Queen Elizabeth I." We discuss the Foundation's efforts to utilize archaeology in resolving the mystery of the Lost Colony of Roanoke. Follow the Seven Ages Research Associates online: Twitter Instagram Facebook Below are links to stories covered on this edition of the podcast: The First Colony Foundation Online Our Sponsors: The Smoky Mountain Relic Room
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The Collapse of Cahokia | SAAJ 46
Apr 11, 202101:41:40Tap to summarizeOn this edition of the Seven Ages Audio Journal, we discuss the ancient Mississippian city of Cahokia, its mysterious collapse, and cultural significance in pre-Columbian North America. Joining us to discuss the riddle of Cahokia and its decline is Tim Pauketat, the Illinois State Archaeologist and a professor of Anthropology and Medieval Studies at the University of Illinois. Dr. Pauketat is the Director of the Illinois State Archaeological Survey, one of the largest archaeological research units in the United States. He was trained in global archaeology at the University of Michigan but has chosen to focus on the peoples and history of eastern North America and the Plains. Director Pauketat has published extensively on his research at the ancient city of Cahokia and other medieval-era sites along the Mississippi, having written or edited 16 books, including The Archaeology of Ancient North America, Medieval Mississippians, and Cahokia: Ancient America's Great City. We discuss the ancient earthworks of the site, and what archaeology tells us about the mysterious rise and fall of this ancient American city. Follow the Seven Ages Research Associates online: Twitter Instagram Facebook Below are links to stories covered on this edition of the podcast: Timothy Pauketat at the University of Illinois Cahokia: Ancient America's Great City on the Mississippi Ancient Cahokia and the Mississippians (Case Studies in Early Societies) Our Sponsors: The Smoky Mountain Relic Room "Cahokia" image in this episode's art by Michael Hampshire, Cahokia Mounds State Historic Site.
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The Clovis Enigma | SAAJ 45
Feb 27, 202101:59:28Tap to summarizeOn this special edition of the podcast, we go in search of answers to one of American Archaeology's most enduring mysteries: the enigmatic Clovis people and their unique technology. Who were the hunters that designed the fluted projectile point, regarded by some as "America's first invention," and what happened to them and their technology at the end of the last ice age? Did they truly vanish, or does the rise and sudden disappearance of what archaeologists call Clovis represent something far more complex? Our investigation of the Clovis enigma takes us back to the first decade of the 20th century with the discoveries at Folsom, New Mexico, followed by those at Blackwater Draw, which effectively put Clovis on the map. We then examine archaeological perspectives on the Clovis people, including who they were, how and when they arrived in the Americas, and what makes their highly specialized technology so significant. Finally, we also explore the lingering shadow of "pre-Clovis" sites that predate the appearance of these distinctive fluted lithic points. Our exploration of the Clovis enigma leaves us with more questions than answers, and stands testament to why archaeologists remain fascinated with this enigmatic cultural manifestation, their technology, and their lasting imprint on the world of the Ancient Americas. Follow the Seven Ages Research Associates online: Twitter Instagram Facebook Below are links to stories covered on this edition of the podcast: Carolina Bays and Ice Age Carolinas - NASA Earth Observatory Randy Daniel's Book: Time, Typology, and Point Traditions in North Carolina Archaeology: Formative Cultures Reconsidered (Archaeology of the American South: New Directions and Perspectives) Our Sponsors: The Smoky Mountain Relic Room
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The Archaeology of Magic | SAAJ 44
Jan 29, 202101:36:42Tap to summarizeOn this special "After Dark" edition of the Seven Ages Audio Journal, the gents join for an after-hours gathering in the Cross-Tyme Pub, as we explore the more esoteric side of archaeology and humanity's past. With that, our focus during this discussion has to do with the archaeology of magic. We are joined by Dr. C. Riley Augé, the University of Montana's Anthropological Collections Facility curator and instructor of many archaeology and cultural anthropology courses, such as "Myth, Ritual, and Religion." She specializes in the anthropological and archaeological study of belief systems where her research and national and international publications emphasize the emotive and sensorial aspects of ritual behaviors and religious and magical beliefs. She was awarded the Society for Historical Archaeology 2016 Kathleen Kirk Gilmore Dissertation Award for her work on gendered magic, which is the basis for her book The Archaeology of Magic: Gender and Domestic Protection in Seventeenth-Century New England. Follow the Seven Ages Research Associates online: Twitter Instagram Facebook Below are links to stories covered on this edition of the podcast: C. Riley Auge: University of Montana The Archaeology of Magic: Gender and Domestic Protection in Seventeenth-Century New England
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Paleoindian Discoveries in Florida Archaeology | SAAJ 43
Dec 24, 202001:40:21Tap to summarizeOn this special holiday edition of the Seven Ages Audio Journal, after the team recaps some of the top archaeological stories of 2020, we are then joined by guests Andy Hemmings and Jim Dunbar, for a discussion of archaeological work being conducted along Florida's waterways. Andy Hemmings grew up in Minnesota around the Twin Cities. In 1991 he graduated from the University of Arizona with a BA in Anthropology, and after doing contract archaeology for a time, he worked in the Navajo Nation Historic Preservation Department before heading to graduate school at the University of Florida. Hemmings received his Anthropology Masters in 1999, and Ph.D. in 2004 from the University of Florida, followed by a Post-doctoral Fellowship with the Gault Project at the University of Texas. Jim Dunbar is an archaeologist with a research focus on Paleoindian (and pre-Clovis) populations, primarily in Florida. He was an employee with the Bureau of Archaeological Research and is now engaged full-time in archaeological research. He has an extensive publication record and completed his Ph.D. in Anthropology in 2012. His research includes the excavations at Wakulla Springs (funded by National Geographic), as well as the Norden site, Page-Ladson on the Aucilla River, and dozens of other sites. And, as we have heard, he has probably seen more Paleoindian sites than anyone in Florida. Follow the Seven Ages Research Associates online: Twitter Instagram Facebook Below are links to stories covered on this edition of the podcast: NEWS: The Top 10 Archaeological discoveries 2020 JUDITH JESCH ONLINE: University of Nottingham Bio Page
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The Viking Diaspora | SAAJ 42
Nov 25, 202001:11:38Tap to summarizeOn this edition of the Seven Ages Audio Journal, the team is joined for a wide-reaching discussion about ancient Scandinavia, Viking culture, and ancient texts by Professor Judith Jesch. Jesch was educated at the Universities of Pennsylvania (USA), as well as Durham, where she received her BA in English Language and Medieval Literature, and Oslo, Norway, as part of the Leverhulme Study Abroad Studentship. Finally, she received her Ph.D. in Scandinavian Studies in London at UCL. Before coming to Nottingham in 1985, Jesch worked as a Wissenschaftliche Mitarbeiterin at Johann Wolfgang Goethe-Universität, Frankfurt am Main (Germany). "During my time at Nottingham," she tells us, "I have been Head of the School of English Studies (2001-4), and was promoted to Professor of Viking Studies in 2002." The team enjoys quite a deep discussion on Viking Studies, runology, and much more with Professor Jesch on this holiday edition of the podcast. Follow the Seven Ages Research Associates online: Twitter Instagram Facebook Below are links to stories covered on this edition of the podcast: NEWS: Archaeologists in Norway find rare Viking ship burial using GPR JUDITH JESCH ONLINE: University of Nottingham Bio Page
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J.M. Adovasio: Meadowcroft and Beyond | SAAJ 41
Oct 13, 202001:34:15Tap to summarizeOn this special Legacy Series edition of the Seven Ages Audio Journal, we celebrate International Archaeology Month with one of the most influential American archaeologists today: J.M. Adovasio, who led cutting edge excavations at Pennsylvania's Meadowcroft Rockshelter for several successive seasons beginning in the early 1970s. J. M. Adovasio received his undergraduate degree in Anthropology from the University of Arizona in 1965 and Ph.D. in Anthropology from the University of Utah in 1970. Since that time, he has served as a Post Doctoral Fellow at the Smithsonian Institution (1972 – 1973) and as Professor and Chairman of the Department of Anthropology at the University of Pittsburgh (1973 – 1990). Adovasio is generally considered to be the world's leading authority in the arena of perishable artifact analysis. Since 1970, he has published books, book chapters, manuscripts, and technical papers numbering more than 400. These notably include The Invisible Sex (with Olga Soffer and Jake Page). He is also the author of Strangers in a New Land: What Archaeology Reveals About the First Americans, which is one of the most visually appealing and, arguably, simply one of the finest books on Paleoindian archaeology in the Americas. Follow the Seven Ages Research Associates online: Twitter Instagram Facebook Below are links to stories covered on this edition of the podcast: NEWS: How the Vampire Got His Fangs: An incisive history of a Halloween snarl J.M. ADOVASIO: James Adovasio - Archaeological Institute of America The Invisible Sex: Uncovering the True Roles of Women in Prehistory The First Americans: In Pursuit of Archaeology's Greatest Mystery Strangers in a New Land: What Archaeology Reveals About the First Americans
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