Rowe, Rowe, Rowe Your Boat - Ep 51

In this episode, we chat with Chris Rowe, a returning guest who originally appeared in Episode 12. We begin by catching up with him on his life and his work situation through Covid. After that, we talk about the potential of an archaeology trade school while also discussing the CRM and academic divide. Chris and the cohosts delve deeply into the curation crisis, what it is, what are some contributors to this crisis and ultimately suggestions on how future archaeologists can change the status quo in regards to curation.

Chris Rowe’s literature recommendations:

The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. Le Guin

The Fifth Beginning: What Six Million Years of Human History Can Tell Us about Our Future by Robert L. Kelly

Chris Rowe’s Contact:

Chris’s Instagram: @crowemagnon.man

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Getting "in tune" with the Paleoindian with Dr. Jesse Tune - Ep 50

In this episode, we are chatting with Dr. Jesse Tune, Assistant Professor in the Department of Anthropology at Fort Lewis College. Now, this isn’t the first time Dr. Tune has been a guest on the Podcast, he first joined us on Episode 37 with Dr. Shane Miller where we talked about some recent updates on the Cerutti Mastodon Site. For this episode, Jesse tells us about his introduction to archaeology, his graduate school experiences (Carlton and Jesse talk about D.C. living), and his current research in Paleoindian archaeology.

Dr. Tune's Twitter: @jwtune

Hunter Gatherer Research Collaborative & Lab

Literature Reccomendations

  • Jesse W. Tune 2020 Hunter-Gatherer Occupation of the Central Colorado Plateau during the Pleistocene-Holocene Transition. American Antiquity. 85(3):573-590.

  • Heather L. Smith and Jesse W. Tune (editors) 2019 Fluted Point Technologies: An Interregional Perspective. PaleoAmerica 5(2):105-108.

  • Jesse W. Tune, Michael R. Waters, Kayla Schmalle, Larisa R. G. DeSantis, George D. Kamenov. 2018 Assessing the Proposed Pre-LGM Human Occupation of North America at Coats-Hines-Litchy, Tennessee, and Other Sites. Quaternary Science Reviews 186:47-59.

  • D. Shane Miller and Jesse W. Tune. 2018 When the Levee Breaks: How an Ant Hill and a Deer on a Mound Made Us Re-Think the Effect of the Younger Dryas. In The Archaeology of Everyday Matters, edited by S. E. Price and P. J. Carr, pp. 14-23. University Press of Florida.

  • Jesse W. Tune 2016 The Clovis-Cumberland-Dalton Succession: Settling into the Midsouth United States During the Pleistocene-to-Holocene Transition. PaleoAmerica 2(3):261-273.

Just the Boyz: Alexander the Great, Genghis Khan, and WWII Aircraft - Ep 49

In this episode, David, Connor, and Carlton each take a segment to talk about a topic in the past that interests them. David takes the first segment to discuss Alexander The Great and explains his greatness. Connor talks about some of Genghis Khan's policies and his brilliance (although he was still a very bad person). Carlton nerds out about WWII-era aircraft, the "Blitz", and their relationship to sampling bias.

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Our Ruined Lives with Gino Caspari - Ep 48

In this episode, we are chatting with Dr. Gino Caspari, a Postdoc in Archaeology at the University of Sydney and the University College London. Dr. Caspari also runs a very popular archaeology Instagram account @ginocaspari that currently has over 123K followers and we discuss the importance of science communication and his experiences on Instagram. We cover his wild and interesting academic career, with many changes in majors and degrees. We also discuss Dr. Caspari's ongoing research in Siberia and his collaborative work with Indigenous Siberians and the issues of language barriers in publications.

Dr. Caspari’s Literature Recommendations:

  • Frozen Tombs of Siberia: The Pazyryk Burials of Iron-Age Horsemen by S. I Rudenko

  • Who We Are and How We Got Here by David Reich

  • Kon-Tiki: Across The Pacific By Raft by Thor Heyerdahl

Our Ruined Lives with Erina Baci II - Ep 47

In this edition of Our Ruined Lives, we are pleased to have Erina Baci return to the Podcast. Erina first appeared on Episode 7, way back in October 2019. We begin the show by catching up with her on what she has been up to since she first appeared on the podcast. We then delve into a discussion on the importance of geography and resources to people in the past, modern geopolitics, and how modern issues affect our current understanding of the past. This leads us to discuss an upcoming Memorandum of Understanding between the US and Albania and the potential implications of the MoU for Balkan Cultural Preservation. We close out the episode with Erina serving up some awesome advice for future and current graduate students.

Erina's Literature Recommendations:

  • Archaeological Guide of Kosova - Online PDF

  • The Illyrians by John Wilks

  • Evaluating social complexity and inequality in the Balkans between 6500 and 4200 BC by Marko Porčić (2019)

  • Archaeology as Bearing Witness By Hauser et al. (2018)

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Near Eastern Archaeology with Maria Diget Sletterød - Ep 46

In this episode, we are pleased to introduce Maria Diget Sletterød, a Danish archaeologist studying the Pre-pottery Neolithic in the Near East at the University of Copenhagen. We start off with a brief introduction as to how the hosts found Maria which was through an Archaeologists in Quarantine episode with Carlton hosted by Tash. Then we delve into her diverse archaeological research and excavation projects and how she has worked all across the Near East and Europe. David and Maria swap stories about visiting/working in Israel. We follow up with a discussion on Maria's thesis work and where the discipline of archaeology fits in the Danish educational system and what exactly is the "Pre-pottery Neolithic". We close the episode out by asking Maria about what it's like to work in the Near East, a region that is known in the American media for being geopolitically tenuous.

Contact For Guest:

  • Maria's Instagram: @maria_archaeology

  • Maria's Email: mariaconstanze@hotmail.dk

Maria's Source Recommendations:

  • The Agricultural Revolution in Prehistory: Why did Foragers become Farmers- by Graeme Barker

  • The Archaeology of Mesopotamia - By Roger Matthews

  • The Oxford History of Ancient Egypt - By Ian Shaw

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Just the Boyz: Emails, Gaming, and Columbus - Ep 45

We are now uploading video versions of the podcast to our YouTube channel thanks to Zencastr's new video podcast component. You can find the video version of this episode by going to our YouTube Channel "A Life in Ruins"

A Life In Ruins Youtube

In this episode, the guys gather around their mics and webcams to talk about a recent email they received at the beginning of the new year and the impact it had on them. In the second segment, they actually begin to talk about archaeology through a conversation about the PC game Dawn of Man. This leads the guys down a path to talking about how cultural evolution is portrayed in popular gaming and a hypothetical discussion regarding what would the Americas have looked like if Europeans hadn't arrived in the 15th and 16th centuries.

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Hoo dis? with Tash and Raven - Ep 44

In this episode, we are pleased to have Raven Todd da Silva and Natasha Billson return to the Podcast. Raven is another OG from the early episodes, appearing on episode 9 and runs a very popular Instagram and Youtube Channel called “Dig it with Raven” and Natasha aka Tash was recently on episode 29, and runs a youtube channel called Behind the Trowel. If you follow us on Social Media, then you know that both of these archaeologists are a part of the Archaeology Avengers and we are super excited to have them back on the podcast. We discuss Netflix’s new hit movie, The Dig, and discuss the archaeology of the site on which the movie is based on. We also discuss how archaeology is portrayed in the media.

Contact for Guests

Tash:

  • Instagram: @tash_archaeo

  • Twitter: @Tash_Archaeo

  • YouTube: Behind the Trowel

Raven

  • Instagram: @digitwithraven

  • Twitter: @digitwithraven

  • YouTube: Dig it With Raven

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Stefan Milo 2: This Time It's Personal #Paleolithic - Ep 43

On this episode of A Life in Ruins podcast, we have a bonfire chat with YouTuber and Neolithic advocate, Stefan Milo. If you’re not familiar with Stefan, we introduced him in Episode 20. Or you may know him from his popular YouTube channel, “Stefan Milo.” We talk about the recent growth of Stefan’s channel and how he has now become the first full-time anthropology YouTuber!

We then quickly get into the Great Paleolithic-Neolithic War of 2020. This began as a meme and took off. It was fun for both our followers to follow and share along with.

We later have a serious discussion about the differences between the two periods and what it means for human history.

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Our Ruined Lives with Ash Boydston-Schmidt - Ep 42

For this edition of Our Ruined Lives we chat with Ash Boydston-Schmidt. Ash is a descendant of the Crow Nation and shares with us her families history, growing up in Oklahoma, her experiences with the Tiger King, and her academic journey at the University of Oklahoma double-majoring in Anthropology and Indigenous Studies. She is currently pursuing her Masters in Museums Studies at the University of New Mexico, where she started this past fall during the COVID-19 Pandemic. We finish up the episode with a conversation about Ash's work with the Diversity and Inclusion Council for the Boy Scouts of America.

*Disclaimer: Ash's views regarding the topics discussed in the third segment of this episode are solely her own and not representative of the Diversity and Inclusion Council.

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Tools of Future’s Past: Lomekwi with Lana and Ella - Ep 41

In this episode, we are pleased to have both Lana Ruck and Ella Beaudoin back on our show. Ella was on Episode 2 and Lana was on Episode 16. Since Episode 37 Settlers of Cerutti with Dr. Shane Miller and Dr. Jesse Tune was such a hit, we wanted to have Ella and Lana return to the show to talk about some controversial topics within paleoanthropology. Lana and Ella discuss the site Lomekwi, which is an archaeological site in Kenya where ancient stone tools have been discovered dating to 3.3 million years ago, which make them the oldest ever found. They deconstruct the tools, the context of the site, and the dating of the artifacts.

Guest Contact

  • Lana's Twitter: @LanaRuck

  • Lana's Instagram: @LanaLately

  • ScIU's Instagram: @sciublog

  • Ella's Twitter: @ella_beaudoin

  • Ella's Instagram: @simple_homo_slaypien

  • Human Origins Twitter: @HumanOrigins

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Down Unda’ the Sea with Dr. Maddy McAllister - Ep 40

On this episode of A Life in Ruins Podcast, we interview Dr. Maddy McAllister, a maritime archaeologist with the Museum of Tropical Queensland. Dr. McAllister is known for her educational Instagram account, @shipwreckmermaid. As Dr. McAllister is an Aussie, we naturally first have a conversation about the differences between our endemic wildlife and the hazards of working in the wild. This is followed by a discussion of how Dr. McAllister, and other underwater archaeologists, plan out their projects, record data, and conduct their research. We also have some salty discussions of sailing stories, shipwrecks, and other things that blow Connors and Carlton's minds. David was literally born on an island -he gets it.

Dr. McAllister's Book Recommendations:

• 2005 ‘Beneath the Seven Seas’ (edited by George Bass)

• 1980 Archaeology underwater – Keith Muckleroy

• 2004 Maritime Archaeology: a technical handbook, Jeremy Green

• 1986 Maritime Archaeology in Australia – Graeme Henderson

• 2008 Unfinished Voyages – Graeme Henderson

• 2007 Shipwreck Archaeology in Australia – Mike Nash

Dr. McAllister's Instagram: @shipwreckmermaid

Dr. McAllister's Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/maddy.mcallister.10 and https://www.facebook.com/shipwreckmermaid/

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The Current State of Indigenous Archaeologies with Emily Van Alst - Ep 39

In this episode, Emily Van Alst, Ph.D. candidate at the Indiana University Bloomington, has returned to deliver some exciting news and to fill us in on the current state of Indigenous Archaeologies in the field. Emily was one of our first guests on the podcast, appearing in Episode 3: Rock Artin’ and Rollin’ with Emily Van Alst. Carlton originally wanted to title that episode: Painting with all the colors of the Rock Art. Emily fills us in on what she has been up to since she was last on the show, how pandemic life has been for her, her feedback on the podcast, and some helpful tips and advice for anyone wishing to collaborate with Indigenous folks in academia as well as on social media. Finally, Carlton and Emily talk about their upcoming edited volume on Indigenous Archaeology Methodologies that is scheduled for release in the Spring of 2022. So please join us in welcoming Emily back to our show.

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Indigenizing (Gover)nment, Law, and Football: A Conversation with Kevin Gover, Director of NMAI - Ep 38

For this episode, we have the utmost pleasure in interviewing Kevin Gover. Kevin is currently the director of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian, a position he has held since 2007. He is also the Acting Under Secretary for Museums and Culture. Mr. Gover is a Tribal Citizen of the Pawnee Nation of Oklahoma and Descendant of the Comanche Nation. If you are guessing that Kevin and Carlton are related due to the similarity in our last names, you are correct! Mr. Kevin Gover is Carlton's elder first cousin.

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Settlers of Cerutti: Evaluating Claims About the Cerutti Mastodon Site - Ep 37

UPDATE!

ALiRP is now releasing 4 episodes a month!

To kick off the new year, the boys invite Dr. Shane Miller (Mississippi State University; Ep. #21) and his friend Dr. Jesse Tune (Fort Lewis College) to investigate the controversy surrounding the Cerutti Mastodon Site.

The conversation is a holistic discussion from different perspectives about evidence, ethics, Indigenous Sovereignty, and good science.

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Our Ruined Lives with Our Overlords - Ep 36

Happy almost New Year listeners! We kick off the ending 2020 and beginning of 2021 with an interview of our overlord’s, Chris Webster and Rachel Roden. Chris is the co-founder of the Archaeology Podcast Network which started back in December of 2014, and Rachel is the lead editor of our Podcast. So please join us in welcoming the Cat Herders to the clowder we know as A Life in Ruins Podcast: Chris Webster and Rachel Roden!

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Denizen of the World: A discussion with Megan Dennison - Ep 35

On this episode of ALiRP, we interview a Ph.D. candidate in Anthropology at the University of Tennessee-Knoxville, Meagan Dennison. We talk about Meagan's academic journey and her research in Zooarchaeology. We then talk about Meagan's experience in moving to Greece with her family to pursue an academic research opportunity and then being stuck in Europe due to COVID.

Email: Meagan.E.Dennison@gmail.com

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Our Ruined Lives with Simon Radchenko - Ep 34

For this episode of Our Ruined Lives, we are interviewing Mr. Simon Radchenko. Simon is a Ukrainian archaeologist pursuing his Ph.D in Archaeology at the University of Turin in Italy. Most importantly, Simon is the reason that Carlton had such a wonderful experience in Ukraine, during the pre-covid summer of 2019. We chat with him about his first interaction with Carlton and then delve into post-communism archaeology in Ukraine. We finish up talking about the New Archaeological School.

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10,000-year-old Rock Art in the Desert: A Conversation with Dr. Marissa Molinar - Ep 33

On this episode of A Life in Ruins podcast, we interview Dr. Marissa Molinar. She studies the practices, and products of prehistoric art, through an evolutionary, social, and aesthetic lens. She gave an excellent talk at the APN Educational Expo (APN AEX 2020) about her work and she also had a pretty sweet zoom background. We get deep into her research on rock art and her methods of comparing different rock art panels. She details the complicated process of getting permission to survey on military lands and also how she got into anthropology and archaeology. We also have a discussion about representation in archaeology and the effects of colonialism in public education.

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Our Ruined Lives with World Wide Wallace - Ep 32

In the episode of Our Ruined Lives, we talk with Trevor Wallace, a documentary filmmaker and Vice President of Research and Education at the Explorers Club. He tells us a harrowing story of an where he traveled to Tanzania for a project in association with Jane Goodall #TriggerWarning4David. We talk about the filmmaking process, the Explorer’s Club, Trevor’s social media content, and his passion for archaeology.

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Find this show on the educational podcast app, Lyceum.fm!