Curiosity Meets The Past

What can over 13,000 aerial photographs reveal about Ireland's past? Landscape archaeologist Dr. Zenobie Susanne Garrett shares her work on the AERIAL-SCAN project, a collaborative effort to digitize a largely unseen portion of the Cambridge University Collection of Aerial Photographs. In our conversation, she walks us through what these images can reveal about both the recent and deep past of the Irish landscape, as well as why these photos are worth preserving.

Mentioned on the show:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zsgarrett/

• AERIAL-SCAN Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aerial_scan/

• AERIAL-SCAN Bluesky: https://www.instagram.com/aerial_scan/

• AERIAL-SCAN Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61590773226530

• CUCAP: https://www.cambridgeairphotos.com/

📝 Full transcript: https://smitinathan.com/what-13000-photos-uncover-about-irelands-past/

🎁 Bonus content: https://patreon.com/smitinathan

✉️ Get in touch at podcast@smitinathan.com

🎙️ Curiosity Meets The Past is a podcast for curious minds who love learning about the past. Each episode features a 15-30 minute curated conversation with guests who reveal the layered stories behind objects, places, and people.

What happens when archaeologists and archaeology lovers read novels together? Archaeologist and journalist Dr. Matilda Siebrecht shares how and why she started an archaeology book club. In our conversation, we discuss fiction as a lens for thinking critically about the past, what makes for good depictions of archaeology, and which books Tilly highly recommends.

Mentioned on the show:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the_archaeologists_teacup/

• Website: https://www.thearchaeologiststeacup.com/

• Archaeo Book Club: http://Archaeobookclub.com

• Books Mentioned: https://bookshop.org/shop/smiti-nathan

📝 Full transcript: https://smitinathan.com/reading-fiction-with-an-archaeology-book-club/

🎁 Bonus content: https://patreon.com/smitinathan

✉️ Get in touch at podcast@smitinathan.com

🎙️ Curiosity Meets The Past is a podcast for curious minds who love learning about the past. Each episode features a 15-30 minute curated conversation with guests who reveal the layered stories behind objects, places, and people.

What can animal bones reveal about the daily lives of working-class communities in 19th-century New York City? Archaeologist and zooarchaeologist Dr. Pam Crabtree guides us through her research at two sites in Lower Manhattan: Five Points and Corlears Hook. In our conversation, she walks us through what working-class people ate, some surprising finds, and how these finds can change our perception of New York City in the past.

Mentioned on the show:

• Pam's Email: pc4@nyu.edu

• New York Archaeological Repository: https://archaeology.cityofnewyork.us/

📝 Full transcript: https://smitinathan.com/what-animal-bones-reveal-about-life-in-19th-century-new-york/

🎁 Bonus content: https://patreon.com/smitinathan

✉️ Get in touch at podcast@smitinathan.com

🎙️ Curiosity Meets The Past is a podcast for curious minds who love learning about the past. Each episode features a 15-30 minute curated conversation with guests who reveal the layered stories behind objects, places, and people.

This Curiosity Exchange is with The Dirt Diaries!

For the full episode of this excerpt:
YouTube: ⁠https://youtu.be/kYoTtKRIgEE?si=PtQ9Fz2ZlQ8PhU_c ⁠
Apple Podcasts: ⁠https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/cursing-the-competition-doing-anything-for-the-ancient-win/id1739162065?i=1000763043061

The Dirt Diaries podcast: https://pod1.co/thedirtdiaries

#archaeology #archaeologist #podcast

// More Resources 🔗
🎁 Bonus content: patreon.com/smitinathan
📩 Email notifications for new episodes: https://field-notes-by-smiti-nathan.kit.com/3e5792597b
✉️ Get in touch at podcast@smitinathan.com

// About The Podcast 🎙️
Curiosity Meets The Past is a podcast for curious minds who love learning about the past. Each episode features a curated conversation (30min or under) with guests who reveal the layered stories behind objects, places, and people.

// Who Am I? 🙋🏾
Hi! I’m Smiti. I've studied and traveled the world doing archaeology for the past 20+ years [yes, I have a Ph.D. in it :)]. While I still do research, I love sharing what we do beyond academic journal articles.

// Acknowledgements 🙌🏾
Thanks to Noor Hanania for creating the theme music and Laura F. Riveiro for creating the podcast cover art.

What can ancient weapons reveal about the choices people made in the past? Archaeologist and art historian, Dr. Tenninger Kellenbarger, guides us through the world of Bronze Age Aegean weaponry. In our conversation, we explore ancient choices that impacted how far these objects traveled, the curious places we do and don't find them, as well as what it means for a weapon to die.

Mentioned on the show:

• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@the.Dirt.Diaries

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dirtdiaries_/

• TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@dirtdiaries_?lang=en

• More Ways to Connect: https://beacons.ai/dirtdiaries.tenn

📝 Full transcript: https://smitinathan.com/the-careful-choices-behind-bronze-age-aegean-weapons/

🎁 Bonus content: https://patreon.com/smitinathan

✉️ Get in touch at podcast@smitinathan.com

🎙️ Curiosity Meets The Past is a podcast for curious minds who love learning about the past. Each episode features a 15-30 minute curated conversation with guests who reveal the layered stories behind objects, places, and people.

How can we learn about people who lived centuries ago, but were not included in typical written records? Biocultural anthropologist, Alex McDougle, guides us through her work on free and enslaved Black communities in Maryland during the 1700s and 1800s. In our conversation, she shares how she approaches bioarchaeology, her collaborations with descendant communities, and the present-day implications of her work.

Mentioned on the show:
• Alex's Website: https://alexandramcdougle.com/
• Goshen Farm: https://goshenfarm.org/about-goshen-farm/african-american-heritage/
• 50x50 Science Across America Project: https://5050science.com/

📝 Full transcript: https://smitinathan.com/how-this-bioarchaeologist-connects-marylands-past-to-its-present/
🎁 Bonus content: https://patreon.com/smitinathan
✉️ Get in touch at podcast@smitinathan.com

🎙️ Curiosity Meets The Past is a podcast for curious minds who love learning about the past. Each episode features a 15-30 minute curated conversation with guests who reveal the layered stories behind objects, places, and people.

⭐ In this episode, I’m representing the state of Maryland in 50x50: Science Across America. This is a national series, with 50 creators meeting 50 scientists, one pair in each state, to discuss science happening in communities all across the country. It is a production of the Independent Media Initiative in collaboration with HHMI Tangled Bank Studios, Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, and the Winn Family Foundation.

We've been around for 1 year! Sharing some highlights and updates in this bonus episode.

Mentioned in the episode:

• Video on podcasting challenges: https://youtu.be/COOhPl9eEJg?si=gNCIPaVDbARIiTHJ
• Curiosity Meets the Past Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/curiositymeetsthepast

🎁 Bonus content: https://patreon.com/smitinathan

✉️ Get in touch at podcast@smitinathan.com

🎙️ Curiosity Meets The Past is a podcast for curious minds who love learning about the past. Each episode features a 15-30 minute curated conversation with guests who reveal the layered stories behind objects, places, and people.

Mentioned on the show:

• Full episode (website): https://sowingtheseed.org/podcast/episode-21-gender-violence-in-late-antiquity-with-dr-jennifer-barry/
• Full episode (Apple Podcasts): https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/broadcast-seeding-ep21-with-dr-jennifer-barry/id1096448667?i=1000734336759
• Broadcast Seeding Podcast website: https://sowingtheseed.org/podcast/

🎁 Bonus content: ⁠https://patreon.com/smitinathan⁠

✉️ Get in touch at ⁠podcast@smitinathan.com⁠

🎙️ Curiosity Meets The Past is a podcast for curious minds who love learning about the past. Each episode features a 15-30 minute curated conversation with guests who reveal the layered stories behind objects, places, and people.

What can a crumbling family scrapbook reveal about history and the way diasporic communities make meaning? Religious scholar, Dr. Richard Newton, guides us through the surprising story of how a scrapbook handed to him by his mother became the catalyst for an entire research project. In our conversation, he walks us through what he found when he opened the book and how he's making this project accessible to anyone who's curious.

Mentioned on the show:

• Scrapbook Website: https://decodingdiaspora.org/decoding-diaspora/index

• Richard's Website: https://sowingtheseed.org/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/seedpods

• Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/seedpods.bsky.social

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/seedpods/

• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/seedpods

📝 Full transcript: https://smitinathan.com/decoding-diaspora-through-a-family-scrapbook/

🎁 Bonus content: https://patreon.com/smitinathan

✉️ Get in touch at podcast@smitinathan.com

🎙️ Curiosity Meets The Past is a podcast for curious minds who love learning about the past. Each episode features a 15-30 minute curated conversation with guests who reveal the layered stories behind objects, places, and people.

Where did the English alphabet come from, and how do we know? Linguist and writer, Dr. Danny Bate, guides us through the archaeology and linguistic history behind the letters many of us use every day. In our conversation, we explore what various archaeological artifacts reveal about the alphabet's past and what that means about our relationship to the English language today.

Mentioned on the show:

• Danny's Book: https://bookshop.org/a/115409/9781785307430

• Danny's Website: https://dannybate.com/

• Substack: https://dannylbate.substack.com/

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dannylbate/

• Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:i4oicfdtysshyfxjmvpx2xza

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danny-bate-b3ba02277/

📝 Full transcript: https://smitinathan.com/the-archaeology-behind-the-english-alphabet/

🎁 Bonus content: https://patreon.com/smitinathan

✉️ Get in touch at podcast@smitinathan.com

🎙️ Curiosity Meets The Past is a podcast for curious minds who love learning about the past. Each episode features a 15-30 minute curated conversation with guests who reveal the layered stories behind objects, places, and people.

What can water systems tell us about people in the past and present? Landscape archaeologist, Dr. Mehrnoush Soroush, guides us through the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Shushtar in Iran and how her work is challenging dominant water history narratives. In our conversation, she shares the surprising challenges that come with studying ancient water systems, her somewhat nontraditional approach, and what we can learn about humanity along the way.

Mentioned on the show:

• Academia Page: https://chicago.academia.edu/mehrnoushsoroush

📝 Full transcript: https://smitinathan.com/rethinking-water-history-at-shushtar-in-iran/

🎁 Bonus content: https://patreon.com/smitinathan

✉️ Get in touch at podcast@smitinathan.com

🎙️ Curiosity Meets The Past is a podcast for curious minds who love learning about the past. Each episode features a 15-30 minute curated conversation with guests who reveal the layered stories behind objects, places, and people.

Where did blimps come from, and why are we fascinated by them? Geneticist and blimp enthusiast, Dr. Alex Dainis, guides us through the history of these sky vessels, the science behind their design, and what it feels like to ride inside one. In our conversation, she shares what blimps reveal about the way we see the world around us and why they are still around today.

Mentioned on the show:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alexdainis

• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@AlexDainisPhD/

• TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@alexdainis

📝 Full transcript: https://smitinathan.com/the-curious-history-and-science-of-blimps/

🎁 Bonus content: https://patreon.com/smitinathan

✉️ Get in touch at podcast@smitinathan.com

🎙️ Curiosity Meets The Past is a podcast for curious minds who love learning about the past. Each episode features a 15-30 minute curated conversation with guests who reveal the layered stories behind objects, places, and people.

What can archaeology bring to the classroom and beyond? Archaeologist and filmmaker, Marc Barkman-Astles, guides us through the workshops he runs across England and Wales, the challenges he's encountered, and some of the delightful moments along the way. In our conversation, we explore how public archaeology can help us connect with the world around us.

Mentioned on the show:

• Website: https://archaeosouptowers.wordpress.com/
• YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@Archaeos0up
• Tik Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@archaeos0up

📝 Full transcript: https://smitinathan.com/what-archaeology-can-bring-to-the-classroom-and-beyond/🎁 Bonus content: https://patreon.com/smitinathan✉️ Get in touch at podcast@smitinathan.com

🎙️ Curiosity Meets The Past is a podcast for curious minds who love learning about the past. Each episode features a 15-30 minute curated conversation with guests who reveal the layered stories behind objects, places, and people.

Which deities did ancient people call upon when they needed help? Assyriologist and public educator, Megan Lewis, guides us through some of the surprising sources scholars use to understand the gods and goddesses people turned to in the past. In our conversation, she shares what these sources reveal about how both people and deities have changed over time and why their stories still feel surprisingly familiar today.

Mentioned on the show:

• Website: https://www.digitalhammurabi.com/
• YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@DigitalHammurabi

📝 Full transcript: https://smitinathan.com/the-ancient-deities-people-called-upon

🎁 Bonus content: https://patreon.com/smitinathan

✉️ Get in touch at podcast@smitinathan.com

🎙️ Curiosity Meets The Past is a podcast for curious minds who love learning about the past. Each episode features a 15-30 minute curated conversation with guests who reveal the layered stories behind objects, places, and people.

What can ancient astrological handbooks tell us about the lives of women around 2000 years ago? Egyptologist, Dr. Lingxin Zhang, guides us through fragmented papyri, recycled temple documents, and what one woman did when she learned her family's fate. In our conversation, she shares what these texts reveal not only about the inner workings of the zodiac and astrosciences in Roman Egypt, but also aspects of our humanity.

Mentioned on the show:

• https://www.instagram.com/guancientegypt/

📝 Full transcript: https://smitinathan.com/the-making-and-remaking-of-the-zodiac-in-roman-egypt

🎁 Bonus content: https://patreon.com/smitinathan

✉️ Get in touch at podcast@smitinathan.com

🎙️ Curiosity Meets The Past is a podcast for curious minds who love learning about the past. Each episode features a 15-30 minute curated conversation with guests who reveal the layered stories behind objects, places, and people.

What can we uncover about the past when we look at it in three dimensions? Archaeologist, Madeline Robinson, guides us through a shipwreck, ancient temples in Malta, and very tiny stone tools she has studied through 3D modelling. In our conversation, we explore what these methods reveal not only about the past, but also about who gets to access and engage with it.

Mentioned on the show:

• Malta Article: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2212054818300523
• Photogrammetry Book: https://sydneyuniversitypress.com/products/9781761540431
• Madeline’s Website: https://madeline7850.wixsite.com/madelinegprobinson

If you’re having any issue accessing Maddie’s publications, you can contact her directly - https://madeline7850.wixsite.com/madelinegprobinson/contact

📝 Full transcript: https://smitinathan.com/what-3d-modelling-reveals-about-the-past/

🎁 Bonus content: https://patreon.com/smitinathan

✉️ Get in touch at podcast@smitinathan.com

🎙️ Curiosity Meets The Past is a podcast for curious minds who love learning about the past. Each episode features a 15-30 minute curated conversation with guests who reveal the layered stories behind objects, places, and people.

What can we learn when we look closely at temples that deviate from the “norm?" Archaeologist and Egyptologist Dr. Brooke Norton guides us through certain sacred spaces where we see a spectrum of ancient Egyptian and Canaanite traditions. In our conversation, we explore what these temples reveal not only about architecture and ritual, but also about the people behind them.

Mentioned on the show:

• Brooke’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thebookofbrooke
• Brooke’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brooke-norton-54b2a73b/

📝 Full transcript: https://smitinathan.com/when-egyptian-and-canaanite-temples-met

🎁 Bonus content: https://patreon.com/smitinathan

✉️ Get in touch at podcast@smitinathan.com

🎙️ Curiosity Meets The Past is a podcast for curious minds who love learning about the past. Each episode features a 15-30 minute curated conversation with guests who reveal the layered stories behind objects, places, and people.

What can we learn when we look at the physics of past textile techniques? Physicist, Dr. Sabetta Matsumoto, takes us inside the inner workings of an Egyptian knitted sock and other historical textile techniques, including embroidery and smocking. In our conversation, we explore what physics can reveal not only about the fabrics we create, but about the people behind them.

Mentioned on the show:

• Sabetta Talks Math: https://www.youtube.com/@sabettatalksmath/
• Research group website: https://research.gatech.edu/people/sabetta-matsumoto

📝 Full transcript: https://smitinathan.com/inside-the-physics-of-past-textile-techniques

🎁 Bonus content: https://patreon.com/smitinathan

✉️ Get in touch at podcast@smitinathan.com

🎙️ Curiosity Meets The Past is a podcast for curious minds who love learning about the past. Each episode features a 15-30 minute curated conversation with guests who reveal the layered stories behind objects, places, and people.

Mentioned on the show:

• https://www.historydaily.com/

🎁 Bonus content: https://patreon.com/smitinathan

✉️ Get in touch at podcast@smitinathan.com

🎙️ Curiosity Meets The Past is a podcast for curious minds who love learning about the past. Each episode features a 15-30 minute curated conversation with guests who reveal the layered stories behind objects, places, and people.

Mentioned on the show:

• Legends and Lectures full episode: https://youtu.be/3BNMMNliFiw?si=_H9eKZo3LlUW5at8
• Legends and Lectures podcast: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLhxPuNyz2_A9PvhtZ6y7w2EO9vSRVw5pU&si=qKOIIYNV6tpvrQVk

🎁 Bonus content: https://patreon.com/smitinathan

✉️ Get in touch at podcast@smitinathan.com

🎙️ Curiosity Meets The Past is a podcast for curious minds who love learning about the past. Each episode features a 15-30 minute curated conversation with guests who reveal the layered stories behind objects, places, and people.