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Yes We Cant: Anti-Languages and Argots - Dirt 163

Come along for an exploration of anti-languages and the qualities that make them successful in building community and maintaining safety among the people that develop them. From occupational jargon to survival as a marginalized group to being hip with the kids, we tour a few of these languages, and subject everyone to a 16th century dialogue with translation.

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Creating Petroglyph Park in Ridgecrest, CA with Olaf Dowd - Rock Art 58

Today's episode features an interview with Olaf Dowd, Rock Art Replicator. Dowd has 30 years of experience in replicating the imagery of ancient Native peoples, primarily in the western Great Basin. Additionally, he is also the sole developer of the impressive rock art features that pepper the Petroglyph Park developed by the City of Ridgecrest in association with their annual Petroglyph Festival. Tune in to learn a bit about the challenges involved in moving tons of stone and developing the monuments to the Native artistry and religious metaphors.

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Kyle Jordan - Dirt 162

Anna and Amber are joined by wonderful Special Guest, Kyle Jordan! Kyle is a disabled Egyptologist interested in themes of religion, magic and identity in the Egyptian world, with a specific focus on the appearance and interpretation of disability in Ancient Egypt and Egyptology as a discipline. We had a wonderful-- and long-- conversation with Kyle about how Egyptians viewed the embodiment of disability, how perception of disability in archaeology has changed (and how it still needs to change), and more.

Listener note, we mistakenly discuss the dialogue of a man and his ka, which was in fact between a man and his ba. This dialogue is on the subject of suicidal ideation, so please take care or skip forward at about [41:04.000].

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A Private Tour of Little Petroglyph Canyon with Dick Dickson - Rock Art 57

We will be interviewing Dick Dickson. He works on base at China Lake Naval Ordnance Testing Station and is a docent helping to lead tours to the world famous Coso Rock Art. He is also a board member of the California Rock Art Foundation. Jump in and take a listen. Learn why Ridgecrest is a world famous location and what they have as their signature thematic function.

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Let's Call It a Ritual Object - Dirt 161

Thanks to everyone who came out to our virtual live show! This is the edited audio of that event. We talk about the role of ritual in daily life, how our big round human brains have evolved the ability to think about abstract meaning and ritual significance, and the theory underpinning all of this. We also take a trip to two incredible archaeological sites to think about how the people living there might have thought about the unknown and unseen in their lives. Whoa.

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Linking the Sun and Animal Habits with Bernie Taylor - Rock Art 56

Bernie Taylor graces the 56th episode of the Rock Art Podcast. Bernie provides an amazing word picture of the journey of our ancestors with respect to religion and science. Including a discussion of rock art, archaeoastronomy, shamanism, animism, and animal habits. What Bernie and Dr. Garfinkel discuss is how the movements of the sun and animal behavior are linked and how rock art is part of the story.

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Spooktober: Fear Itself - Dirt 160

We explore the evolutionary roots of fear, and the science of how it works. Why do some people love thrills and chills, while others don't? Why does fear make us stinky? And how can we think about something as personal and ephemeral as fear in the archaeological record?

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The 405th Anniversary of Ben Johnson's Comedy 'The Devil Is An Ass' with Prof. D. Purkiss - Flipside 5

This Spooky Season episode is inspired by the 405th Anniversary of Ben Johnson's Comedy 'The Devil is an Ass', which appeared first on stage on the 1st October 1616. This play was and is rather special, as it mocks superstition and witchcraft belief, and makes The Devil himself and his lesser demons appear rather behind the times. In the Enlightened Age of the 1600s, the denizens of hell just don't know how to tempt like they once did. This discussion contains everything from the Witchcraft Trials including mention of Pendle, landscapes of superstition, the folklore of archaeology, symbolism within the persecution, and much, much more! Joining me this episode is Prof. D. Purkiss a lecturer in English Literature and History at the University of Oxford.

WARNING: This episode does discuss the witchcraft persecution and some aspects of ritual sacrifice. It goes with the topic, but some people might find these aspects a little disturbing.

Music

Intro/Outro Music - Creative Commons - "Fantasia Fantasia" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

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Spooktober: Monster Mash - Dirt 159

This week, we lift our spirits (oooOOOooo) with a round-up of monsters. We explore their origins and effects on us, with examples ranging from memories of very real things in the past to a hypothesis that doesn't quite have legs (unlike griffins).

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Spooktober: Homo lepidopteris - Dirt 158

This week, we're taking a turn for the cryptid and spooking local with the legend of West Virginia native son, the Mothman. For a little over a year leading up to December 1967, sightings of a winged humanoid with glowing eyes were reported in and around Point Pleasant, WV. Since then, Mothman has evolved from evil omen to legend to meme. In this episode, we’ll explore the legend, collective memory, and the power of portents.

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Great Mural Rock Art and Travel Adventures - Rock Art 55

Trudy Angell is the principal for Saddling South a travel company that runs trips into the interior of the Baja California Peninsula in Mexico. She and her company are pioneers in this kind of adventure, off the grid, travel. This is especially relevant when it comes to some of the most spectacular and among the largest rock art images in the world. The Great Mural Rock Art of Baja is both spectacular unto itself but its landscape context makes it even more so. Take a trip with us on the back of a mule with our gear packed on donkeys to visit this remarkable country... Come along and learn about these mysterious images and the epic adventures one experiences visiting them.

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Spooktober: Feral Children - Dirt 157

SPOOKTOBER HAS BEGUN! This week, we discuss the trope in myth, legend, horror, and adjacent genres of feral children. We won't be directly discussing actual cases of trauma, neglect, or child abuse, but rather the place of the bestial feral child in the mythology of different ancient cultures all the way up to a more recent timeline. Why do these stories interest us, spook us, and who's the real monster here?

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Rock Paintings of Sierra de San Francisco - Rock Art 54

Dr. Garfinkel has been to Baja California a number of times to study the rock paintings of the area and to lead tours for the California Rock Art Foundation. On this episode, Chris interviews Dr. Garfinkel about the significance of the works, what they could mean, and about the people that made them.

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Disability in the Ancient World With Andrew Gurza - Dirt 156

This week, Anna and Amber are joined by Andrew Gurza, disabled content creator and fellow podcaster, to talk about disability and care in the ancient world. We talk with Andrew about the need for disabled voices in archaeology, his path to podcasting, and some archaeological case studies that show that humans have always taken care of one another.

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School of Rocks with Dr. Danielle Macdonald - Dirt 155

Dr. Danielle Macdonald specializes in the prehistory of Western Asia and the stone tools that people made and used in their everyday lives. That’s right, three years in, we’re finally doing an episode on lithics! We’ll also talk about Danielle’s path to anthropology and her ongoing work at the site of Kharaneh IV in what's today Jordan.

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Religion and Science with Bernie Taylor - Rock Art 53

Bernie Taylor graces the 53rd episode of the Rock Art Podcast. Bernie provides an amazing word picture of the journey of our ancestors with respect to religion and science. Including a discussion or rock art, archaeoastronomy, shamanism, animism, totemism, and animal habits. This is one wild ride you won't want to miss. Amazing discussion packed with lots of insights and remarkable reflections...

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ÖMG: Ötzi the Iceman - Dirt 154

It’s the episode title that’s been making us giggle for months! We’re FINALLY examining the famous Chalcolithic ice-mummy just in time for the 30th anniversary of hikers stumbling upon his body. We’ll explore the archaeological methods and evidence that tell us about who Ötzi was, what his life was like, and how he died. Umlauts will, no doubt, abound.

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Ethnobotanicals and Religion with Jose Botello - Rock Art 52

Today we interview Jose Botello about his ethnobotanical research. These are the plants that are used for altered states of consciousness. We're also talking about the realm of syncretism where native religion meets Christianity.

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Who's the New Guy? - Dirt 153

Remember that time we did a whole series on the human family tree and then finished talking about evolution forever because we were all done? HA! OF COURSE WE AREN'T DONE! There have been some amazing new discoveries in the human fossil record since that series dropped, so we're here to update you on what our family shrubbery looks like now. We journey to Siberia, the Philippines, China, and other places, and our story gets a whole lot more complicated! We love to see it.

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The Origins of Religion with Dr. Mukhopadhyay - Rock Art 51

Dr. Tirtha Mukhopadhyay of Guanahuato University in Mexico is the number one guest on the Rock Art podcast and has received a tremendous amount of interest in his research and scholarship. The good doctor will spend with us an hour on the origins and development of religion. Our conversation includes discussions on rock art, human paleontology, shamanism, animism, totemism, and neurotheology. Don't miss this amazing journey into the relationships of science and religion.

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