Category: Archaeology

THE MYSTERY The Ivory Lady

When a history-making Copper Age burial was unearthed in southern Spain in 2008, the world was stunned by the incredibly beautiful – and utterly unprecedented – artifacts found in the tomb of the so-called ‘Ivory Man.’ But fifteen years later, the archaeology world would be rocked by an even more astonishing discovery – that 5,000-year-old Ivory Man was actually an Ivory Lady! Archaeologist Marta Cintas Peña helps us dig into this remarkable ‘prehistorical mystery.’ Marta …

Ancient / Archaeology / Europe / Government / Politics / Prehistory / Religion / Spain

THE SHAMAN QUEEN Himiko

In the 3rd century, a mysterious queen ruled the Kingdom of Yamatai (modern-day Japan) with a wise and steady hand. Her reign lasted almost 70 years – but what can we really know about her, when her people never wrote anything down? Anthropologist Laura Miller introduces Olivia to this elusive ancient queen.   Read more about Queen Himiko’s continuing “rebirth” as a powerful cultural icon in Laura Miller’s fascinating articles “Searching for Charisma: Queen Himiko” …

3rd century / Ancient / Archaeology / Asia / First woman to... / Government / Indigenous Peoples / Japan / Politics / Rulers

THE PEACE WEAVER Eva Palmer Sikelianos

What if we could reopen a primordial spiritual portal, and summon peace on earth? For Eva Palmer Sikelianos in 1920s Greece, world peace wasn’t a lofty dream — it was an achievable goal. The key, Eva believed, was ancient Greek art, returned to Delphi. She had a bold plan, and if she could pull it off, she just might save the world. Join Katie on location at the Benaki Museum in Athens, with Maria Dimitriadou, …

20th century / Activists / Archaeology / Artists / Dancers / Europe / Greece / LGBTQ+ / North America / on-location / Performers / Philosophy / Theater / Travel / United States

THE CLAIRVOYANT QUEEN Seondeok

Queen Seondeok of Silla was revered for her wisdom, her compassion, and most importantly – her ability to use nature’s signs to foretell the future! And with some truly audacious international diplomacy (and a resolute refusal to bend to patriarchal bullying) she would lay the foundations for the unification of The Three Kingdoms – now known as Korea. Karen Wang Diggs, author of The Book of Awesome Asian Women, helps us uncover the life of this …

7th century / Ancient / Archaeology / Asia / First woman to... / Government / Korea / Politics / Religion / Rulers

THE WOMAN KING Hatshepsut

Hatshepsut is probably the most successful female pharaoh Egypt ever had – so why doesn’t anyone know how to say her name? Discover the 18th Dynasty’s most fascinating, enigmatic ‘woman king’ with returning guest Egyptologist Kara Cooney. Dr. Kathlyn (Kara) Cooney is a professor of Egyptian Art and Architecture at UCLA. In her latest book, The Good Kings, she turns to five ancient Egyptian pharaohs – Khufu, Senwosret III, Akenhaten, Ramses II, and Taharqa – …

Africa / Ancient / Archaeology / Egypt / Government / Politics / Religion

THE DISCOVERY Naia

In a deep dark underwater cave, Mexican divers found a mountain of prehistoric animal bones… and one human skeleton. It was Naia – the oldest skeleton ever discovered in the Americas. What can her bones tell us about our human origins? And more than that, what do they tell us about what it means to be human? Come with us on location to Dos Palmas cenote in Mexico, as Katie interviews returning guest Gabo Cemé. …

Ancient / Archaeology / First woman to... / Indigenous Peoples / Mexico / North America / on-location / Science / Travel

THE ROADBUILDER K’awiil

1400 years ago, traveling through the Maya rainforest was terrifying and deadly (think snakes, jaguars, and crocodiles). Now, new LiDAR scans have revealed a network of elevated ancient roads so sophisticated, some folks give aliens the credit. But the truth is much more interesting! K’awiil, visionary ruler of Coba, one of the great cities of the Maya Golden Age, built the first roads in the Americas. But did she do it to conquer her neighbors, …

7th century / Ancient / Archaeology / First woman to... / Government / Indigenous Peoples / Inventors / Mexico / North America / on-location / Politics / Travel

THE VIKING Coppergate Woman

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Dive into the stinky filth of everyday Viking life as Katie presents Olivia with a mystery. It’s not so much a Whodunnit as a WhoWASit: the skeleton of a woman found in a shallow grave on the banks of York’s River Foss. What can her bones, and all the other delightfully disgusting bits of evidence from Viking York, tell us about the mysterious Coppergate Woman? Katie is on location at the Jorvik Viking Center in …

10th century / Archaeology / England / Europe / Food / Norway / on-location / Travel / Vikings

THE SORCERER Gunnhild

Long ago, in the far north of Lapland, a young woman learned the secrets of sorcery from two warlocks. At least that’s what the Icelandic sagas say. The woman would become Gunnhild, infamous Viking sorcerer whose dark magic served her lifelong pursuit of vengeance and power. Viking burials have been found that contain all the trappings of magic, so we know that the Vikings believed her immense power was real. But Gunnhild never got her …

10th century / Archaeology / England / Europe / Iceland / on-location / Religion / Travel / Vikings / Witches

THE WOMAN IN THE CHALK Cranborne Woman

Evidence of human life in the Stone Age is incredibly rare, so when Martin Green uncovered a Neolithic burial site on his Dorset farm, the whole world took notice. The skeletons inside were astonishingly well-preserved: one woman and three children were nestled in together. What can these bones tell us about life in Stone-Age Britain for the mysterious “Cranborne Woman”? Our guest Professor Janet Montgomery has developed lab techniques that reveal surprising biographical details, showing …

Archaeology / England / Europe / Neolithic / Travel