The Archaeology of...

The Archaeology of… Neanderthals (World Cup Edition)

A bumper final episode for the series sees Jim and Brenna joined by returning guest hosts Dr Jennifer Jones and Dr Rick Peterson. Never ones to miss a bandwagon, the team embrace a World Cup theme pitching Spain’s Neanderthals against Wales while proving, along the way, why this is definitely an archaeology podcast and not a football one. Listeners are also treated to our brand-new theme song by the excellent band STEAL [https://stealmusic.bandcamp.com]. Stick around to the end for the full track, along with some Season 1 outtakes for those watching the visualised edition. After introducing the origins of Neanderthals, with Jen representing Spain and Rick championing Wales, the team compare archaeological evidence from across Europe. This raises a key question: were all Neanderthals the same? Rick highlights how Welsh Neanderthal finds are among the earliest in Europe and of international significance, while Jen explores the flexibility of Spanish Neanderthal hunting techniques, including the surprisingly sophisticated capture of rabbits. The discussion then turns to recent research on Neanderthal cognitive flexibility, including debates about language. This gives Jim the perfect excuse to attempt his best Neanderthal voice. Rick reflects on shifting academic trends with reference to an excellent 1980s cartoon (Little Noise), while Brenna draws connections between “Ned” a famous Neanderthal reconstruction and a well-known Scottish actor. Finally, in keeping with the football theme, one of Jen’s team gets dramatically “sent off… for cannibalism. Thank you to everyone for supporting Season 1, we’ll be back after the summer with Season 2. Our new theme tune... The Archaeology of... Everything [https://stealmusic.bandcamp.com/track/the-archaeology-of-everything] Find out more on Ricks work on Neanderthal’s in Pontnewydd and the Elwy Valley Caves Wales [ ⁠https://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctt1f5g4qb⁠] Jens work on Neanderthals in Spain [https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/quaternary-research/article/late-pleistocene-neanderthal-exploitation-of-stable-and-mosaic-ecosystems-in-northern-iberia-shown-by-multiisotope-evidence/2CBF949F18D1AD797A45E12598AE15EA] The BBCs reconstruction of a Neanderthal’s sound [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o589CAu73UM⁠], almost as good as Jims. A classic Jackanory Little Nose [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-eYnY3-u-uE]from 1983 The Archaeology of.. is produced by the ⁠⁠Archaeology team⁠⁠ [https://www.lancashire.ac.uk/subjects/archaeology] from the University of Lancashire. It is presented by Drs James Morris and Brenna Hassett. Filming and editing by Mariusz Kuczaj.

The Archaeology of… Childhood part 2

Human childhood is so unusually long Jim and guest host Dr Jennifer Jones decide a second episode is needed to dive deeper and explore its later stages such as the teenage years. After a book advertising power move, Brenna shocks Jim and Jennifer with orangutangs parenting habits, before moving into the importance of later childhood in knowledge transition. Ranging from ancient Sumerian tablets to Iron Age salt miners, via Gorilla K-pop boy bands and hot tubbing Brenna discusses how archaeologists are trying to identify childhood and children on archaeological sites. With toys, dolls and footprints all in the mix. Jim and Jennifer are surprised at the jobs children do in ancient Egypt… it involves baboons, and together they discuss the cultural choices we make in children’s education. Brenna’s book [https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/growing-up-human-9781472975720/] is available from all good and bad booksellers. The Archaeology of.. is produced by the ⁠⁠Archaeology team⁠⁠ [https://www.lancashire.ac.uk/subjects/archaeology] from the University of Lancashire. It is presented by Drs James Morris and Brenna Hassett. Filming and editing by Mariusz Kuczaj.

The Archaeology of… Childhood part 1

Friend of the show and original listener Dr Jennifer Jones joins Jim as co-host as Brenna moves across the table to discuss why humans are so weird and outliers in terms of childhood when compared with other mammals. Starting off by thinking about the biology of childhood allows Brenna to explore how humans ended up with such a long childhood. Along with some excellent puns and some sad stories about animals being abandoned, Brenna asks why human childhood is untethered from how long we live as a species, pointing out it’s all about being a better monkey. This leads to a big research project Brenna is running using a host of scientific methods exploring how humans started to extend childhood. We return to teeth which Brenna has been thin sectioning to look in depth at individual life events like birth, weaning and disease. Much to Jen’s joy, isotope analysis of these teeth allows archaeologists to investigate even more detail into these events, allowing social practices to be explored. With a digression into the calorific value of Mars bars and how much knowledge of female biology male archaeologists have, Brenna questions if the Neolithic was all about cereals and carbs or did something else push us towards a longer childhood.  Brenna’s book [https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/growing-up-human-9781472975720/] is available from all good and bad booksellers. You can find out more about Brennas project here [https://www.lancashire.ac.uk/news/grant-to-better-understand-how-people-got-sick] The Archaeology of.. is produced by the ⁠⁠Archaeology team⁠⁠ [https://www.lancashire.ac.uk/subjects/archaeology] from the University of Lancashire. It is presented by Drs James Morris and Brenna Hassett. Filming and editing by Mariusz Kuczaj.

The Archaeology of… Norman Castles part 2

In this second part, Brenna and guest host Dr Rick Peterson widen the trench and turn their attention to Jim’s excavations of the Norman ringwork castle and associated village at Lowther, Cumbria. Jim explores the idea that the castle and settlement may have been a plantation site, raising the possibility that people were forcibly relocated to Cumbria. This prompts a wider discussion ranging from the simple pleasure of finding pottery, to the strategic importance of controlling the Eden Valley south of Penrith, an important event in AD927, and the significance of Viking hogback tombs. After a brief digression into castles built beside fast‑food restaurants, the episode also underlines the value of archaeologists investigating so‑called ‘failed’ sites. The Excavations are Lowther are supported by the Lowther Castle and Gardens Trust [https://lowthercastle.org/], the Castle Studies Trust  [https://castlestudiestrust.org/]and Cumberland and Westmorland Antiquarian and Archaeological Society  [https://cumbriapast.com/cgi-bin/cumbriapast/cp_main.pl] Watch the Digging for Britain visit to the first season of Lowther excavations here [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XNvnzqH3HAQ&t=2s].  The Archaeology of.. is produced by the ⁠⁠Archaeology team⁠⁠ [https://www.lancashire.ac.uk/subjects/archaeology] from the University of Lancashire. It is presented by Drs James Morris and Brenna Hassett. Filming and editing by Mariusz Kuczaj.

The Archaeology of… Norman Castles part 1

Brenna is joined by guest host Dr Rick Peterson, as Jim takes a turn in the expert chair to discuss the Archaeology of… Norman Castles. It turns out Brenna knows next to nothing about castles, so this conversation turned into our first two-parter. Jim ruins Brenna’s preconceptions about castles by discussing their origins as earth and wooden structures that come in a variety of shapes and sizes. Leading to a discussion of the history and archaeology of the Norman conquest, how castles fulfilled several functions, and why Feudalism is a dirty word. After digressing into the Harrying of the North, via a survey of pigs, Jim talks about his excavations at a Norman ringwork castle in Lowther, Cumbria. The Archaeology of.. is produced by the ⁠⁠Archaeology team⁠⁠ [https://www.lancashire.ac.uk/subjects/archaeology] from the University of Lancashire. It is presented by Drs James Morris and Brenna Hassett. Filming and editing by Mariusz Kuczaj. You can read more on Jims research on Lowther Castle ⁠here⁠. [https://castlestudiestrust.org/blog/2024/05/11/lowther-castle-excavation-season-one-results-and-what-to-look-forward-to-in-season-two/]