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.

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23 Elo 202052min

Battle of Thermopylae

2,499 years ago the Persian 'Great King' Xerxes launched history's largest amphibious invasion of Europe before D-Day. Accompanied by a huge army and navy he crossed the Hellespont (modern day Dardane...

20 Elo 202058min

War Elephants

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16 Elo 202052min

'Killing for the Roman Republic'

In 281/280 BC, the Hellenistic King Pyrrhus ventured to southern Italy to aid the Italiote-Greek city of Tarentum against a rising power based in central Italy. This enemy was the Romans. Over the nex...

13 Elo 202059min

Combat Trauma

From the 2000 historical blockbuster 'Gladiator' to the Total War series, brutal hand to hand warfare is something we commonly associate with antiquity. But do we have any ancient cases of psychologic...

9 Elo 202048min

Stone Circles

From Cornwall to Orkney, stone circles are scattered throughout the length and breadth of the British Isles. Their history stretches more than 2 millennia, varying from the earlier huge stone circles ...

2 Elo 202033min

Agrippina the Younger

Agrippina the Younger (AD 15 - 59) was one of the most prominent women in the Julio-Claudian dynasty. Born during a time of radical political change in the Roman Empire, she had a very powerful pedigr...

26 Heinä 202056min

Horse Archery

The horse archer was one of the most feared warriors of antiquity. Triumphing mobility and fluidity, these swift skirmishers came to epitomise a feared ‘eastern’ style of warfare. Renowned historical ...

19 Heinä 202058min