The Wyrm That Stole Yule (part 1) - Ep 33

In arguably their most important quest yet, Ash and Tilly have to prevent Ragnarok! Yggdrasil, the world tree, is missing, and the Asgard Yuletide Committee needs a replacement to decorate for their upcoming Yule celebrations. Luckily, they are joined by return guest Genoveva Dimova, archaeobotanist and fantasy author. Together, they discuss the symbolism of trees in fantasy fiction and mythology and attempt to answer the ultimate question: which is the greatest tree of all?

Books Mentioned

  • The Great Tree of Avalon (T.A Barron)

  • Wheel of Time series (Robert Jordan)

  • Lord of the Rings (J.R.R Tolkien)

  • The Shadow of the Gods (John Gwynne)

  • Briar’s Book (Tamora Pierce)

  • The Magic Faraway Tree (Enid Blyton)

  • The Witch’s Heart (Genevieve Gornichec)

  • Can’t Spell Treason Without Tea / A Pirates Life for Tea (Rebecca Thorne)

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  • For rough transcripts of this episode, go to: https://www.archpodnet.com/trowel/33

  • For a transcript of this episode, tap the Zencastr icon on in the upper left corner of the Podcast image.

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The Amulet of Uncertainty (part 2) - Ep 32

It’s time for part two of Ash and Tilly’s discussion with archaeologist and jewellery historian Dr Sigrid van Roode all about magical amulets. In this episode, the three look at the archaeological evidence for magic, and how exactly you go about studying ancient jewellery. But how much can we really interpret when it comes to magic? And is it just a relic of the past, or is it still around today?

Books Mentioned

  • Wyrd Sisters (Terry Pratchett)

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Transcripts

  • For a transcript of this episode, tap the Zencastr icon on in the upper left corner of the Podcast image.

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The Amulet of Uncertainty (part 1) - Ep 31

There’s something glinting in the bookshelves, but what can it be? This episode Ash and Tilly are joined by archaeologist and jewellery historian Dr Sigrid van Roode to talk all about magical amulets. Together they discuss the importance of ancient jewellery and dive into the world of fantasy to see how the concept of magical amulets has developed over time, and ask that age-old question: why would you need a ring that creates even more rings? (Looking at you Odin…)

Books Mentioned

  • Pyramids (Terry Pratchett)

  • The Lord of the Rings (J.R.R. Tolkien)

  • The Amulet of Samarkand (Johnathan Stroud)

  • The Enchanted Castle (E. Nesbit)

  • The Silmarillion (J.R.R. Tolkien)

  • The Witcher Series (Andrzej Sapkowski)

Links

Transcripts

  • For a transcript of this episode, tap the Zencastr icon on in the upper left corner of the Podcast image.

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The Conservation of Gorian Dray (part 2) - Trowel 30

It’s part two of our quest to conserve the portrait of Gorian Dray, with special guest and professional conservation expert Jessica van Dam. But should we actually be conserving this portrait at all? After all, you could argue that it is itself a person. So what are the ethics around working with human remains in archaeology? How would we approach this particular fantastical example? And where in this world is Gorian Dray? Tune in to find out!

Books Mentioned

  • Strange Practice (Vivian Shaw)

  • The Truth (Terry Pratchett)

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The Conservation of Gorian Dray (part 1) - Trowel 29

Ash and Tilly have discovered an old and dilapidated painting in the corner of their office, although arguably the most dilapidated part is the man pictured in it - a Mr Gorian Dray. Could it be a soul-bound object? And if so, how can they possibly go about conserving it? Luckily, they are joined by professional art conservator Jessica van Dam, and together they look at the world of fantasy and back in time through archaeology to see just what they are dealing with!

Books Mentioned

  • Prince Caspian films

  • Lord of the Rings (J.R.R.Tolkien)

  • Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell (Susanna Clarke)

  • Harry Potter (J.K.Rowling)

  • Witches Abroad (Terry Pratchett)

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