The Archaeology of...

Centre for Field Archaeology and Forensic Taphonomy, University of Lancashire
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The Archaeology of... is your detailed deep dive into the fascinating, surprising, and sometimes downright quirky corners of our past. From Anglo-Saxons teeth to Zooarchaeology, British archaeologist Dr Jim Morris and American Bioarchaeologist Dr Brenna Hassett with a host of friends bring you lively conversations uncovering the material traces of human life, revealing stories that connect us across centuries and continents. Grab your metaphorical trowel (yes we are that cheesy) and come along for the ride. Subscribe now and discover the archaeology of… well, everything.

Episodes

  1. 2D AGO

    The Archaeology of… the earliest northerner

    Jim and Brenna are joined by Dr Rick Peterson to discuss the Archaeology of... the earliest northerner, ‘Ossick Lass’ a 11,000 year old early Mesolithic burial.  Rick discusses his detailed work with local archaeologist Martin Stables at a cave in Great Urswick on the Furness peninsula, Cumbria, UK. Including the discovery of a series of prehistoric burials along with tiny early Mesolithic jewellery. Ancient DNA and osteological work shows ‘Ossick Lass’ is a female child between 2.5 and 3.5 years old, buried between 9290 and 8925 cal BC, making her the 3rd oldest Mesolithic burial in northwestern Europe and the oldest burial from Northern Britain. This allows Jim and Brenna to dive down into why Mesolithic hunter-gathers would be burying people in caves, with Rick highlighting a possible European wide Mesolithic burial rite. The Archaeology of.. is produced by the ⁠⁠Archaeology team⁠⁠ from the University of Lancashire. It is presented by Drs James Morris and Brenna Hassett. Filming and editing by Mariusz Kuczaj. You can read more on Ricks research on Ossick lass ⁠here⁠.

    30 min

  2. FEB 4

    The Archaeology of… Dental Biographies

    Jim and Brenna are joined by Dr Allie Stewart to discuss the Archaeology of... Dental Biographies, which is a fancy way of saying… teeth, little treasure troves of information. Whilst giving a good excuse for anyone who doesn’t want to floss, Allie explains how dental biographies can inform on familial connections and individual stories.  Using the example of two early medieval burials (apologies to ep1 guest Duncan for not using Anglo-Saxon), Allie tells us how teeth can help us think about micromobility – people moving shorter distances between places within their lifetime, for a variety of personal reasons. This allows Brenna to rant about Risk, Jim to get excited about a cow and all to think about women moving for childbirth and care, connecting the early medieval to the modern day.   The Archaeology of.. is produced by the ⁠Archaeology team⁠ from the University of Lancashire. It is presented by Drs James Morris and Brenna Hassett. Filming and editing by Mariusz Kuczaj. You can read more on Allie’s research here.

    29 min

  3. JAN 20

    The Archaeology of… Drugs

    Jim and Brenna are joined by Prof Dave Robinson to discuss the Archaeology of... drugs, yes we’ve gone for sensationalism in only the 2nd episode.   Dave discuses one of the first confirmed archaeological findings of hallucinogens with rock art, in California. Jim and Brenna learn some cool new words, including entheogen, why they really shouldn’t take datura and get shocked by drugged hawkmoths! We delve into the deep appreciation of hallucinogenic plants, for many purposes including medicine, and hear how Indigenous American people discuss how these might have been used at rock art sites, along with the link between a rock art site, drugs, midsummer solstice and even those intriguing hawkmoths.   The Archaeology of.. is produced by the ⁠Archaeology team⁠ from the University of Lancashire. It is presented by Drs James Morris and Brenna Hassett. Filming and editing by Mariusz Kuczaj. You can read more on Dave’s research into datura here

    34 min

  4. JAN 19

    The Archaeology of... Anglo-Saxon Cemeteries

    In the first episode of the series Jim and Brenna are joined by Prof Duncan Sayer to discuss the Archaeology of... Anglo-Saxon Cemeteries.  Duncan explains why Brenna should care about Anglo-Saxon burials and how she might even get her own chair at a funeral. Jim gets excited about modifying Anglo-Saxon swords and we delve into the detail of Oakington early Anglo-Saxon (6th-7th Century AD) cemetery to explore how they were a community affair.  The Archaeology of.. is produced by the ⁠Archaeology team⁠ from the University of Lancashire. It is presented by Drs James Morris and Brenna Hassett. Filming and editing by Mariusz Kuczaj. Duncan's current excavation in Kent features on 2026 Digging for Britain. Those in the UK can view it at ⁠this link⁠ S3:EP3 from 13min23sec You can read Duncan's book ⁠online⁠

    30 min
  • 4 Episodes

Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
2 Ratings

About

The Archaeology of... is your detailed deep dive into the fascinating, surprising, and sometimes downright quirky corners of our past. From Anglo-Saxons teeth to Zooarchaeology, British archaeologist Dr Jim Morris and American Bioarchaeologist Dr Brenna Hassett with a host of friends bring you lively conversations uncovering the material traces of human life, revealing stories that connect us across centuries and continents. Grab your metaphorical trowel (yes we are that cheesy) and come along for the ride. Subscribe now and discover the archaeology of… well, everything.

Information

  • Creator
    Centre for Field Archaeology and Forensic Taphonomy, University of Lancashire
  • Years Active
    2K
  • Episodes
    4
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Centre for Field Archaeology and Forensic Taphonomy, University of Lancashire
  • Show Website
    The Archaeology of...