The Ancients

The Hittites

What made the Hittites one of the great Bronze Age powers, and how did their empire survive on war, diplomacy and faith? Tristan Hughes is joined by Professor Elena Devecchi to uncover ancient royal intrigue, lavish festivals, the 'Thousand God', and the world’s oldest known peace treaty. From Hattusha’s immense lion gates to secret archives and sacking Babylon, it’s a dramatic deep dive into an empire that once stretched as far as Troy. MORE The Bronze Collapse Listen on Apple [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-bronze-age-collapse/id1520403988?i=1000641437640] Listen on Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/episode/4dEddIFS5yfamKqVZd6xAE] Tower of Babel Listen on Apple [https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/tower-of-babel/id1520403988?i=1000677916205] Listen on Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/episode/5tLy73zqIUfKz4omIz4ZvW] Presented by Tristan Hughes. Audio editor is Aidan Lonergan, the producer is Joseph Knight. The senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff. All music courtesy of Epidemic Sounds The Ancients is a History Hit podcast. Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe [https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe].  ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

Homo Sapiens vs Neanderthals

Tristan Hughes is joined by Ella Al-Shamahi, paleoanthropologist and presenter of the hit BBC series Human, to explore what interactions between early Homo sapiens and Neanderthals may have been like, from communication and cultural exchange to interbreeding and the possibility of hybrid children navigating belonging. They discuss how new research is challenging “primitive” stereotypes to reveal how Neanderthals were complex beings who used pigments, pierced shells, talons, feathers, and created cave handprints. MORE The Last Neanderthals with Chris Stringer Listen on Apple [https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/the-last-neanderthals/id1520403988?i=1000691885587] Listen on Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/episode/3d1H3PuD9NgoCFQTGKLg3p] Rise of Humans Listen on Apple [https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/rise-of-humans/id1520403988?i=1000702067254] Listen on Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/episode/1vXxIXCruQh4w90EuawE6E] Watch this episode on our NEW YouTube channel: @TheAncientsPodcast [https://www.youtube.com/@TheAncientsPodcast] Presented by Tristan Hughes. The producer is Joseph Knight. Edited & co-produced by Aidan Lonergan. The senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff. All music courtesy of Epidemic Sounds The Ancients is a History Hit podcast. Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe [https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe].  ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

The Romans and China

How did Roman silver travel from Egypt to China across monsoon seas, pirate waters, and bustling ports? Tristan Hughes is joined by legendary archaeologist Sir Barry Cunliffe for a dramatic journey through the Indian Ocean, where Roman glass, pepper, and silk linked two ancient superpowers. From Sri Lanka to the Malacca Strait, they reveal a dazzling world of traders, middlemen and maritime adventure. More Origins of the Silk Road Listen on Apple [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/origins-of-the-silk-road/id1520403988?i=1000654450640] Listen on Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/episode/5GBcXUsq6V54S2ywICDbM9] The Great Wall of China Listen on Apple [https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/great-wall-of-china/id1520403988?i=1000649739112] Listen on Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/episode/35HS18UVWfguktHgj6Q1Af] Presented by Tristan Hughes. Audio editor is Aidan Lonergan, the producer is Joseph Knight. The senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff. All music courtesy of Epidemic Sounds The Ancients is a History Hit podcast. Sign up to History Hit for hundreds to hear an exclusive chat between Tristan and Sir Barry Cunliffe, as well as see hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe [https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe].  ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

Judas Iscariot

**Warning: This episode contains graphic descriptions of violence, including suicide** What really happened to Judas Iscariot? From shifting accounts in the Gospels to the 30 pieces of silver, Tristan Hughes is joined by Professor Paul Middleton to trace the stories that made Judas Christianity’s most infamous villain. Along the way, they explore the kiss in the Garden of Gethsemane, the conflicting accounts of Judas’s death, and the long debate over whether he was a historical figure or a later invention. MORE Jesus of Nazareth Listen on Apple [https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/jesus-of-nazareth/id1520403988?i=1000638303975] Listen on Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/episode/6qFWoLLNQFgL0FmBhUoKe2] Pontius Pilate Listen on Apple [https://podcasts.apple.com/pl/podcast/pontius-pilate/id1520403988?i=1000650761331] Listen on Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/episode/6vZxK1dFIwspOoBOkpVLmA] Watch this episode on our YouTube channel: @TheAncientsPodcast [https://www.youtube.com/@TheAncientsPodcast] Presented by Tristan Hughes. Audio editor is Aidan Lonergan. The producer is Joseph Knight. The senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff. All music courtesy of Epidemic Sounds The Ancients is a History Hit podcast. Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe [https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe].  ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

Britain's First Dog

Fifteen thousand years ago, as the Ice Age loosened its grip on Northern Europe, humans returned to the previously inhospitable British Isles. But they did not come alone. Among their number was a companion once thought to be an impossibility: Britain's earliest known dog. In this episode of The Ancients, Tristan Hughes Dr. Selina Brace and Dr. William Marsh from the Natural History Museum to explore groundbreaking new research from Gough’s Cave that is reshaping our understanding of humans and dogs in Ice Age Britain. Together they uncover the story of a remarkable discovery: ancient remains once believed to belong to a wolf, now identified as Britain’s oldest known domesticated dog. How did this dog live alongside prehistoric hunter-gatherers? And how is this discovery changing what we thought we knew about the arrival of dogs in Britain? MORE The First Dogs: Listen on Apple [https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-ancients/id1520403988?i=1000643552587] Listen on Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/episode/6fpF68aiJUIbMv6AzXxfC6?si=z52vZY8vTfOkkFawZD-9ow] End of the Ice Age Britain: Listen on Apple [https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-ancients/id1520403988?i=1000694734588] Listen on Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/episode/6wYzp7wrHLqXmKMvG2okz4?si=4T90KftMQtiV86OS0c4f1w] Presented by Tristan Hughes. Audio editor is Aidan Lonergan. The producer is Joseph Knight. The senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff. All music courtesy of Epidemic Sounds The Ancients is a History Hit podcast. Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe [https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe].  ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.