Maya Warfare and Sacrifice
With a history stretching back thousands of years, it’s about time that the Ancients started looking at the extraordinary Maya civilisation in Central America. Even with a range of sources that survive, many aspects of these ancient peoples remains debated and shrouded in mystery. This is especially true when studying warfare and the whole idea of ‘sacrifice’. What were the rules of engagement for the ancient Maya? What was the purpose of warfare? How did they define winning? And what would happen to those captured in war? Could they have been sacrificed? Joining Tristan today is Professor Elizabeth Graham, a titan of Mesoamerican archaeology who has been researching the Pre-Columbian Maya for several decades. Liz puts forward a very strong case for why she believes there was not human sacrifice among the Classic Maya and why we should not associate the occasional killing of captives with that term.For behind the scenes and extra Ancients, follow Tristan on instagram at https://www.instagram.com/ancientstristan/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
16 Syys 202153min
The Origins of Civilisation
The world is constantly changing, and so has the perception of civilisation, but what exactly are the origins of this concept? Helping us answer this question from an anthropological and archaeological perspective, Professor Nam Kim joins Tristan once again on The Ancients. We explore how advances in these disciplines are helping to answer this long-examined question.Nam is an anthropological archaeologist and Professor of Anthropology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
12 Syys 202158min
Sex in Ancient Rome
We’ve covered bloody battles, we’ve covered stunning cities, we’ve covered civilisations far away from the ancient Mediterranean. But in some 120 episodes of The Ancients we hadn’t covered one of the most popular topics in the world: sex. That is, until now. In today’s episode, strap yourself in for almost an hour’s worth of content all about what the Romans thought of sex. What was acceptable? What wasn’t? And why were the Romans so obsessed with carving penises at sites across the Roman Empire. From Pompeii to Hadrian’s Wall. Joining Tristan in today’s podcast is L J Trafford, the author of the upcoming book Sex and Sexuality in Ancient Rome. Suffice to say, adult themes feature in this episode. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
9 Syys 202156min
Romans vs Caledonians: The Battle of Mons Graupius
In 83/84 AD a battle was fought somewhere in Scotland between the Roman forces of Gnaeus Julius Agricola and the 'Caledonians' – the great climax to Agricola’s campaigns in Northern Britain. Details of the clash are few and far between, with our sole literary source for the event being the writings of the Roman historian Tacitus. But how much of Tacitus’ account can we really believe? And what locations have archaeologists suggested as being the site of this lost battlefield? Taking on the challenge of this much-debated ancient military event is Dr Andrew Tibbs, a History Hit veteran and an expert on the Romans in Scotland.In the first part of this podcast Andrew explains the background to Agricola’s campaigns in the north and the account of the Battle of Mons Graupius itself. In the second segment we look at some of the locations proposed as the site of this enigmatic ancient battle.For Ancients updates and behind the scenes footage follow Tristan on Instagram @ ancientstristan Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
5 Syys 20211h
Roman Camps in Britain
When one mentions Roman military installations you would be forgiven for instantly thinking of their forts, the remains of which we can see today dotted around the country. From the Kent coast to central Scotland. But what about their camps, these often-temporary structures that formed a keystone of Roman military activity. Roman camps have now been discovered across the former empire, but Britain boasts a wealth of them. To discuss the different types of camps and how we can tell them apart, Tristan spoke to Dr Rebecca Jones from Historic Environment Scotland. Rebecca explains why Scotland in particular is the best place to study marching camps, and why there is such a concentration of them on the Roman Empire’s northernmost frontier. Rebecca is the author of ‘Roman Camps in Britain’. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
2 Syys 202152min
Nan Madol: Venice of the Pacific
Nan Madol. It is one of the most awesome, enigmatic and unique ancient sites in the World, and yet most people have never heard the name. Labelled the ‘Venice of the Pacific’ by US aviators during the Second World War, this ancient Micronesian metropolis is not your usual city. Situated offshore, it was constructed on corals – ‘a floating citadel’. All across the site today, the remains of centuries-old monumental architecture can be seen, built on top of artificial islets. So what do we know about this stunning ancient site in the Pacific Ocean? When do we think it was constructed? How did the ancient population go about building this off shore citadel? In this episode we’re going to delve into what we know (and what we don’t know) about Nan Madol. From the earliest archaeology at the site to the structural layout of this enigmatic urban centre.Joining Tristan for this special podcast is Dr Felicia Beardsley, from the University of La Verne. A leading expert on Nan Madol and on the archaeology of many other ancient sites from across Micronesia, it was a real privilege to interview Felicia all about this extraordinary ‘lost city’. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
29 Elo 202157min
The Lost Tomb of Cleopatra
Among the rulers of Ancient Egypt, Cleopatra VII has long held a place in legend, her story having been told in folklore, by Shakespeare and in Hollywood movies. In reality, however, her story remains unfinished. The location of her final resting place remains lost to us. Dr Chris Naunton is back with us to explore the possible answers to this mystery, from Alexandria to Taposiris Magna, join us on this trawl through the evidence of Cleopatra’s final days. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
26 Elo 202125min
The Rise of Marseilles: France's Oldest City
Today it is the second largest city in France. But Marseilles is also the country’s oldest city. Founded at the turn of the 7th century BC by Greek settlers, the ancient history of Marseilles (known to the Greeks as Massalia and the Romans as Massilia) is rich. Strategically positioned close to the River Rhone it soon became a wealthy trading metropolis. Notable names are plenty. Artemis is closely linked with the city’s foundations; the explorer Pytheas hailed from Massalia. And who can forget the great Carthaginian general Hannibal Barca, who passed close by Massalia with his army enroute to Italy in 218 BC.To talk through the early ancient history of Marseilles, from its mythical Greek Mama Mia foundation story to the Battle of Alalia, Dr Joshua Hall returned to the podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
24 Elo 202148min
