The Ancients24 Elo 2023

Homo floresiensis: Early Human ‘Hobbit’

An extinct species of archaic human, Homo floresiensis has been discovered solely in one, very specific location - the Indonesian island of Flores. Nicknamed 'the hobbit' due to its diminutive stature (and discovery coinciding with a certain film franchise), this hominid is something of an enigma in the story of human evolution. Both amazing and confusing experts in equal measure since it's discovery more than a decade ago - have we been able to learn anything new in recent years?

In this episode Tristan is joined by leading paleoanthropologist Dr Adam Brumm from Griffith University in Australia. Looking at how Homo floresiensis came to be so much smaller than it's ancestors, their role in human evolution, and Adam's own experiences excavating in the wilds - how has their discovery challenged our understanding of our own shared past, and what can we expect to find next?

Discover the past on History Hit with ad-free original podcasts and documentaries released weekly presented by world renowned historians like Dan Snow, Suzannah Lipscomb, Lucy Worsley, Matt Lewis, Tristan Hughes and more. Get 50% off your first 3 months with code ANCIENTS. Download the app on your smart TV or in the app store or sign up here.

You can take part in our listener survey here.

For more Ancient's content, subscribe to our Ancient's newsletter here.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Tämä jakso on lisätty Podme-palveluun avoimen RSS-syötteen kautta eikä se ole Podmen omaa tuotantoa. Siksi jakso saattaa sisältää mainontaa.

Jaksot(621)

Thucydides: Thoughts on the Athenian Empire

From 478 BCE until 404 BCE, a collection of Greek city-states were united under the leadership of Athens. Beyond inscriptions and a few minor sources, there is very little to tell us about life within...

17 Joulu 202040min

The Garamantes: Farming the Sahara

Greco-Roman historians including Herodotus, Tacitus and Pliny the Elder would have us believe that the Garamantes were simple uncivilized cattle herders, living in sporadic camp dwellings. Until archa...

13 Joulu 202050min

Scotland's Enigmatic Ancient Structures

Brochs. Early archaeologists believed that they must have been built by the Danish, that the indigenous population could never have managed it. More recent suggestions have been that architects travel...

10 Joulu 202031min

Old Testament Warriors

It’s probably the most famous book in the world, and it’s also essentially the only literary source which covers the genesis of warfare and the nation state. Simon Elliott is an archaeologist, histori...

6 Joulu 202049min

Spartacus: Life or Legend?

‘I’m Spartacus!’ In the field of epic film making, the 1960 historical drama ‘Spartacus’, is legendary. Directed by Stanley Kubrick, adapted from the Howard Fast novel by Red Scare blacklisted screenw...

3 Joulu 202047min

Dura-Europos: The Syrian Pompeii

When we think of Pompeii, we remember the city which became frozen in time after a natural catastrophe. Well, in 1920, exactly 100 years ago, another 'frozen city' was rediscovered. This time it was D...

29 Marras 202049min

Pompeii and the Eruption of Mount Vesuvius

Pompeii is back in the news. An extraordinary new, touching discovery, found during the Great Pompeii Project of Professor Massimo Osanna and his team. Roughly 700 metres northwest of Pompeii, in the ...

26 Marras 202051min

Linothorax: Kevlar of the Ancients

The House of the Faun in Pompeii is known for being one of the largest and most impressive private residences in the ancient city. Among its many works of art is a depiction of Alexander the Great in ...

22 Marras 202048min