The First Toolmakers
The Ancients20 Apr 2023

The First Toolmakers

Invention and innovation are two concepts that have propelled humankind forward for as long as people can remember - but who were the first, original tool makers, and what can we learn from them? Travelling back nearly 3 million years ago to the African continent, in modern Kenya, recent archaeological discoveries have altered long standing opinions about who the first tool makers were - so which hominin species deserves the title 'the first toolmakers', and just how related to them are we?


In this episode Tristan welcomes the Professor Fred Spoor back to the podcast to help answer some of these questions. Together they look at some of these recent archaeological discoveries and how they change our understanding of human history. Examining, and questioning, some long-held assumptions about our distant ancestors, they journey through the mid-pliocene to help piece together this murky moment of history.


The Senior Producer was Elena Guthrie

The Assistant Producer was Annie Coloe

Mixed & edited by Aidan Lonergan


For more Ancients content, subscribe to our Ancients newsletter here.

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

Avsnitt(607)

Agrippa: Rome's Forgotten Hero

Agrippa: Rome's Forgotten Hero

There are few men in Roman history that can claim to have been as influential as Marcus Agrippa. The right-hand man of Octavian / Augustus, his career is dotted with powerful positions. And yet, what ...

1 Okt 202043min

The Polynesians: Ancient Mariners of the Pacific

The Polynesians: Ancient Mariners of the Pacific

The ancient Polynesians remain the greatest seafarers in history. Already by the time of the legendary founding of Rome on 21 April 753 BC, Polynesian voyagers had crossed huge parts of the Pacific Oc...

27 Sep 202033min

The Battle of Salamis

The Battle of Salamis

We've had the Battle of Thermopylae with the brilliant Paul Cartledge; we've had the Battle of Artemisium with the great Owen Rees. And I'm delighted to say that we are today fulfilling the 2,499 Pers...

24 Sep 202037min

The Rise of Constantine

The Rise of Constantine

The Emperor Constantine I, better known as Constantine the Great, is one of the most significant emperors in Roman history. His later Christian biographers lauded him as an icon, the man who set in mo...

20 Sep 202049min

Jason and the Golden Fleece

Jason and the Golden Fleece

This week's episode from the History Hit archive features the brilliant Tom Holland telling the myth of Jason and the Argonauts, an epic story of honour, adventure, dangerous women and a golden fleece...

17 Sep 202054min

Alexander the Great: Through Persian Eyes

Alexander the Great: Through Persian Eyes

Conqueror. Destroyer. Convert. Legendary king. It's fair to say that Alexander the Great's relationship with ancient Persia was complicated. Despite conquering the Persian Empire, Alexander admired an...

13 Sep 202034min

The Roman Forum

The Roman Forum

Another one from the History Hit archive! The Roman Forum, also known by its Latin name Forum Romanum (Italian: Foro Romano), is a rectangular forum (plaza) surrounded by the ruins of several importan...

11 Sep 202025min

The Vestal Virgins

The Vestal Virgins

Priestesses of Vesta, Goddess of hearth, home and family, the College of Vestal Virgins were Rome’s only full-time priesthood. They numbered only six and were selected from noble Roman families at an ...

6 Sep 202046min

Populärt inom Historia

massmordarpodden
p3-historia
historiska-brott
kod-katastrof
motiv
olosta-mord
historianu-med-urban-lindstedt
historiepodden-se
rss-seriemordarpodden
rss-historien-om
rss-massmordarpodden
krigshistoriepodden
rss-brottsligt
rss-historiska-brottslingar
harrisons-dramatiska-historia
rss-arkiv-stieg
palmemordet
vetenskapsradion-historia
nu-blir-det-historia
rss-borgvattnets-hemligheter