Episodes
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It's the end of field season, so it's time to discuss field work do's and don'ts and then get safety conscious with a talk about the dangers of field archaeology. I also threw in a shorty news piece about glacier archaeology because COOLNESS.
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Hey everybody! I’m back for the 26th episode of the Struggling Archaeologist’s Guide to Getting Dirty, and this is a pretty cool one, it’s time for the “REAL Game of Thrones!” Unless you’ve been living under a rock you’ve probably noticed that it’s Game of Thrones time once again. So while you’re catching up on life in Westeros this season why not enjoy a bit of the history behind George R. R. Martin’s addictive series. While there’s lots to choose from, this episode focuses on the links between the Lannister/Stark feud and the English monarchy during the Wars of the Roses.
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Missing episodes?
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In this episode we explore two difference phases of early exploration and settlement in North America. First, the Vikings because Vikings don't need an explanation they're Vikings. Second, a recent discovery in Pensacola has revealed the location of an early Spanish settlement that has brought Spanish colonialism back into the spotlight. So sit back and enjoy, I promise I only mention Columbus once, the scoundrel!
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Hi friends! It's Episode 24 of The Struggling Archaeologist's Guide to Getting Dirty. In this podcast I open up about working throughout my pregnancy and managing family life and careers in the field. Then we cover some of the biggest news stories of 2015 and discuss the latest book club selection. Oh, and if you're perceptive you might notice that I started off the podcast pregnant and ended it with a baby. These things happen when you sit down to record at 10 months pregnant and decide to take a "break" for 2 days. C'est la vie!
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In episode 23 of the podcast we travel back in time to the coast of Scotland, where adventure archaeologists are discovering Pictish forts from the Iron Age. Then we explore childbirth in Egyptian Mythology because, wait for it... The Struggling Archaeologist is expecting a little shovelbum of her own!
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Jenny talks about the Paleo Diet in terms of the anthropological community.
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I suggest you sit back, pop open a cold one, get a little toasty, and enjoy this generally informative fun-times podcast.
So, our ancestors have been making alcoholic concoctions for thousands of years, and thanks to science and archaeology we now have the ability to reconstruct the recipes to some of these awesome drinks. I thought it would be interesting to find out about how alcohol has evolved from its early days to what we are familiar with today, so that’s what today’s podcast is about!
I had a lot of fun recording this episode because it also gave me an excuse to drink some delicious beer, so thanks Beer Gods! In the podcast you’ll learn about:
How Dogfish Head collaborated with biomolecular archaeologist Patrick McGovern, director of the archaeology project for cuisine, fermented beverages and health at the University of Pennsylvania museum, to create their line of ancient ales based on reconstructed recipes from archaeological discoveries around the world!A background on the origins of drinking and producing alcohol, and how drinking helped civilizations develop around the world!How some monks in the Middle Ages started changing the face of ale and created some of the first modern beers. Then, how Germany regulated the crap out of it!Finally, on a non-alcohol related front, I decided to start a book club for people who enjoy books about history, like me! Our first read is a historical fiction novel called All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr, a WWII story about a young blind French girl and a German boy whose lives intersect in the midst of the devastation of war. Get your hands on the book and give it a read, then we’ll discuss it on the social medias and youtubes! For more books I’m thinking about reading for the club, check out my goodreads bookshelf called struggling arch book club. Feel free to send me suggestions too, I’d love to hear them!
So that’s it, enjoy the episode and enjoy some great beer while listening. Here are some links from this podcast that you may want to visit-
Dogfish Head Ancient Ales
Pat McGovern’s Website
History of Trappist Monks and Beer Here and Here
Beer and the History of Civilization
The Archaeology of Alcohol Here and Here
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This episode also features another segment of “Back to Basics with Jenny!” This time, I wanted to do an Anthro 101 Introduction to Human Origins review.
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IT’S EPISODE 10 OF THE STRUGGLING ARCHAEOLOGIST’S GUIDE TO GETTING DIRTY- “SEXY SEX WITH ASIAN DOTHRAKIS!”
Given, those of you who share my love of Medieval era earth-like fantasy novels will get more out of this one than others- it’s still a pretty great time. We talk about genome studies revealing how surprisingly horny our ancient ancestors were, which may or may not involve a detailed Game of Thrones analogy. Then I give some advice to the newb considering how to get started with academic conferences. Number 1 priority- ignore ANY and ALL impulses to dress like Indiana Jones. Do NOT do this thing. Repeat after me: I will NOT be that guy… breathe deep, it’s going to be okay.
Oh, and if you didn’t believe me that archaeology conferences are fun- check this out. Yeah, you try eating a pizza the size of a coffee table and not having fun.
Also, all that stuff about drinking was true. I’m not saying that some people are more successful than others at conferences because they drink delicious beers at the end of the day… but it helps.
Okay my nerds, always remember to drink responsibly, tip your waiters, and listen to more of The Struggling Archaeologist Podcast!
McNiven OUT!
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Welcome to Episode 9 of The Struggling Archaeologist’s Guide to Getting Dirty: Puppy Problems!
Now first off, I’d like to apologize for the content of this episode. There’s no way around it… I’m talking about dead puppies here. I mean they’re mummified puppies which is what makes it interesting, but, yeah- still pretty sad. But since I’m a dog lover and an exasperated dog owner, I turned this one into a discussion on the history of dog/human evolution because that’s pretty cool and stuff.
If you listen to the episode you’ll notice I talk a lot about stray dogs that stalk me and try to sneak into my house, like I won’t notice I have this strange dog hanging around. Like since there’s so many in there I would, like a crazy cat lady, probably not even notice. I wasn’t lying, and you can see the evidence on the original blog post for the episode here...
Alright, well that’s it for the puppy talk. In this week’s Shorty News we talk about this jerk from Canada who sparks another convo on relic hunting and the black market. And that’s it folks, make sure to listen to previous episodes here or on iTunes, and check out our new tumblr blog here!
McNiven OUT!
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Welcome Back Listeners! Ready for another exciting episode of The Struggling Archaeologist’s Guide to Getting Dirty?
Well get ready for our newest installment “Johnny Reb Ain’t Got No Ale!” (You guessed it, it’s our Civil War episode!)
I thought I’d do a Civil War podcast in honor of the 150th Anniversary of the Battle of Gettysburg that just passed. Would have been nice to have it out July 1,2, or 3 wouldn’t it? Well, I was on vacation so deal with it (joking, love you guys!). Better late than never right?
There’s still time to learn all about what’s going on in Civil War archaeology, from underwater excavations to prison camps to the recovery of human remains from battlegrounds such as Antietam. And if you have an opinion on the controversial practice of relic hunting then I’d like to hear it (yeah brace yourself for a bit of a lecture… no offence to my hobbyists and collectors out there!), if you’d like to share your thoughts please leave a comment on our new facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/GuidetoGettingDirty) or email me at [email protected]!
Oh yeah- I told you I was drinking a Chamberlain Ale and here’s my proof! And next to my favorite General’s beer is the man himself, hopefully resting in peace as my nephew and I paid our respects… If anyone ever makes it up to Brunswick, Maine make sure to check out the little cemetery next to Bowdoin College where he and his family are buried. The Chamberlain museum is directly across the street from the entrance to campus as well. Both worth a visit (yeah, Maine’s pretty cool too I guess, you might want to stay for a bit and have some lobstah!)
For some other cool pics from my travels to Chamberlain's grave, Gettysburg, and Antietam go check out this episode's original blog post
That's all for this Yankee, peace out my nerds!
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Episode 7 already? Wow. It’s time for The Struggling Archaeologist’s Guide to Getting Dirty to introduce its newest treasure- “Holy Crackpot Theory Batman!”
I HOPE YOU’RE READY, BECAUSE THIS AMOUNT OF AWESOME-NESS COULDN’T BE CONTAINED IN A MERE HALF HOUR. THIS IS GOING TO BE A 58 MINUTE EPISODE FOLKS! THAT’S RIGHT, ONCE YOU GET ME STARTED ON ANCIENT EGYPT I JUST DO NOT SHUT UP. OF COURSE, WHEN I DON’T SHUT UP I DON’T ALWAYS THINK STRAIGHT- AS WAS CLEARLY THE CASE WHEN I STATED THAT THUTMOSE III WAS QUEEN HATSHEPSUT’S SON (WHAT AN IDIOT RIGHT?). SO DISCLAIMER: I DO REALLY KNOW THAT HE WAS ONLY A STEP-SON, BORN TO ONE OF HATSHEPSUT’S HUSBAND’S (THUTMOSE II) SECONDARY WIVES ISET. I MEAN, LIKE DUH, RIGHT?
SO I’LL LEAVE THE JABBERING FOR THE PODCAST. IF YOU HAVE ANY COOL INSIGHT INTO ANYTHING ANCIENT EGYPT SEND ME AN EMAIL AT [email protected], OR LEAVE A COMMENT ON OUR FACEBOOK PAGE! AND DON’T FORGET YOU CAN LISTEN TO OR DOWNLOAD THE PODCAST ON ITUNES, PODBEAN, OR STITCHER, HUZZAH!
AS YOU CAN PROBABLY TELL, THIS EPISODE WAS MOST LIKELY JUST ANOTHER EXCUSE FOR ME TO TALK ABOUT MUMMIES. MWAHAHAHAHAHA (EVIL LAUGH)! IF YOU'D LIKE TO SEE SOME PICTURES OF MOST OF THE MUMMIES I TALKED ABOUT ON THE PODCAST TODAY CHECK OUT ITS ORIGINAL BLOG POST HERE!
THAT'S ALL MY MUMMY NERDS, SEE YOU ON THE FLIPPITY FIP!
MCNIVEN OUT!
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I hope you’re ready to break the rules as we say “piss it” to boring old news stories and go a little unscripted as we discuss my undying love for the land down under. That’s right, that mystical continent on the other side of the world was once my home- and not just me, it’s the home of the Croc Hunter (well, was…), Javert, Wolverine, The Hulk/Nero/Hector, Eomer and Galadriel, The Joker, that stupid girl that married Legolas that I will hate forever and ever, and Nicole Kidman!
But seriously, I could talk about Australia for weeks on end and never tire. And good on ya for having a listen while I have a go at it fair dinkum. So I thought since my corpus of knowledge on Aussie stuff if fairly large I would go a little crazy (or “crack a fruity”) and have an unscripted discussion about my interests in Australian anthropology. Because it’s the largest component of history on the continent, the main portion of this episode is on Aboriginal anthropology and archaeology (though I do give a short background and my thoughts on convict archaeology, squeeeeeee!)
There’s a soapbox on the use of the term “aborigine,” an explanation of the biological debate over Aboriginal ancestry, a quick trip through the Dreamtime and its theoretical implications, a story about two giant dog spirits and what that has to do with survival in the Outback, a related and totally non-random story about the worst (but most exciting) day of my life, and a quick history of colonialism and why that makes me really old…
That about sums it up, though I do have to explain a few things that I mention in the episode:
1. I have since learned how to drive a standard, thank you very much.
2. I was honestly sad when Steve Irwin died, he had two little kids for goodness’ sake, I’m not heartless!
3. When I say that the majority of Aboriginal People don’t live traditional lifestyles anymore, it doesn’t mean they are completely cut off from that way of life. Many still have relatives whom they visit, and many live in small communities outside of the mainstream (not so different from our reservations). I once took a 30 hour bus trip from Alice Springs to Melbourne which took us through the middle of the Outback, and at one point about 4 hours since we’d seen any signs of life aside from kangaroos and camels (yes, there are camels in the Outback) a lone Aboriginal man signaled for the bus driver to stop- he got off the bus and proceeded to literally walk away into the sunset… in the middle of the desert. Even though it all looked like the same endless desert to us, this man (who was fully dressed in western clothing) knew the landscape of his people, and I assume he was going to meet some tribesmen or family at their campsite. Have to admit that kind of blew my mind. Also the camel thing, I didn’t know that either.
4. Did I mention my phone booth got hit by lightening and I drove through fire?
5. No, Australians don’t have biscuits (like biscuick biscuits). If you try to describe to them what this delicious savory snack is they get very confused, because to them a cookie is a biscuit. I wouldn’t go into it if I were you.
6. My accents need some work, I know
7. In the end I basically said: Hey friends, why don’t you go down and throw some shrimp on the grill down on Bondi Beach, or eat some breakfast in the bushy desert, as long as you aren’t an idiot getting drunk in some bar until you thow up everywhere and die. That’s the truth, because there’s no room for fools in Australia, and that’s all from this girl… (don’t think too hard about this, it was just a demonstration of Aussie slang)
8. People who live in Australia do, in fact, drink lots of beer and eat lots of sausages. It’s the national pastime…
McNiven OUT!
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Welcome to Episode 5 of The Struggling Archaeologist’s Guide to Getting Dirty, “I See Dead People!”
And boy do I ever, well, at least while researching for this episode! I tried but I just couldn’t avoid more mention of mummies, but I think after our discussion of archaeological execution sites and bog bodies you won’t mind a boring old mummy or two!
The discovery of a pit full of 14th century German execution victims is why today is all about death, so I felt it necessary to delve into the world of bog bodies as well- since who doesn’t love those, am I right?! Don’t worry, in today’s shorty news I figured I should talk about something full of sunshine and rainbows to make up for the macabre first act of the podcast- so I briefly consider the merits of space archaeology…. yes, space archaeology.
Oh yeah, and if you were planning on doing a field school this summer you should get your booty on it asap! Check out shovelbums.com, archaeologyfieldwork.com, about.com, archaeological.org, digs.bib-arch.org and other similar such sites for field work opportunities around the world for this summer!
Peace of my Nerds!
McNiven OUT!
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Welcome back for Episode 4 of The Struggling Archaeologist’s Guide to Getting Dirty “Little Baby Jesus!”
This week there’s some crazy business going on with a newly translated apocryphal text that was definitely not written by St. Cyril or based on anything resembling reality- but is cute all the same because it alleges that Jesus had super powers (aside from raising the dead and healing lepers and all that) and was best buds with the man that everybody loves to hate- Pontius Pilate! But seriously, the study of texts written in the first millennium after Jesus’ death about his life and early Christianity is little known to the public (unless they made the final cut into the Bible canon). So every text gives us an opportunity to learn more about the evolution of Christian beliefs and practices during its first couple of centuries, when it was extremely varied across the Old World, Middle East, and Northern Africa. I may also throw some knowledge out there about the influence of some other apocryphal numbers such as the Syriac Infancy Gospel- in which Jesus’ diaper does his dirty work (literally) and his circumcision creates one heck of a relic. No offense if I sound less than respectful, believe me- some of this stuff gives amazing insight into humanity and spirituality in the 1st millennium- but some of these texts are just bizarre, so let’s just say there’s a reason they aren’t included in the Bible…
Today’s Shorty News consisted of a story where I marvel at the discovery of a new strain of human Y chromosomes which doesn’t seem to have shared a common ancestor with most of the rest of humanity for 338,000 years! WOW.
The rest of the show is about a project that I worked on a couple years back in Texas which has recently become part of a new book called The Toyah Phase of Central Texas: Late Prehistoric Economic and Social Processes, edited by Nancy A. Kenmotsu and Douglas Boyd. There’s some stuff about hunter-gatherers, my personal thoughts on this newly published research, and then I talk about snails for a while. Yup, Snails.
Enjoy! McNiven OUT!
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Welcome to Episode 3 of The Struggling Archaeologist’s Guide to Getting Dirty: Not More Mummies!
In this episode we get transported back to 15th century England to explore the exciting (and terrifying) world of the Plantagenets and the Tudors, kind of like the Montagues and Capulets without the teen love gone wrong. It’s a brutal world where if you’re not too careful you could end up looking like this….
Seriously, this is the newly discovered and identified skull of King Richard III, the infamous “Hunchback of York.” I’m proud to say that my kinda sorta alma mater, the University of Leicester, led excavations that uncovered the Medieval Greyfriars friary along with the internment of the King earlier this year. I am taking total credit, of course, because they really couldn’t have done it without me… joking aside, I’m really excited for all of the Richard talk that has been going on and so I couldn’t resist boring you with a short history of the Medieval monarchy and an analysis of Richard’s remains. And yes, I did resist the urge to sing something from the Hunchback of Notre Dame, thank you. If you were paying attention then you might have heard me mention something about a ginormous hole in his head and a really bad case of the “scolies” (that’s hood talk for scoliosis), and I promised pictures- so here you go!
Photos Courtesy of the University of Leicester
Anyway, enjoy the episode folks, and leave your comments below or email them to [email protected]!
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Greetings and welcome to the first ever episode of “The Struggling Archaeologist’s Guide to Getting Dirty!”
Hey there, I’m Jenny, and I’m pretty excited to introduce people to the world of archaeology. In fact, I’m so excited that I have decided to bring joy and knowledge into the lives of people everywhere by providing them with this podcast. My podcast. Sure, you’re thinking- who is this girl and why does she think she’s so special? Well folks, I’m not really that special, I’m just a regular girl with a love of the past and a microphone. I’ve also noticed that there aren’t a lot of places that people like me can go for advice and information on getting somewhere in the field while we’re still developing our academic muscles. News programs like existing podcasts and websites can often offer a great variety of news stories from around the world, but where’s the debate behind them? And where are the stories about what students and shovelbums are doing out there right now? I think I can help provide a place where anyone can get in on the story, can get their questions about how things work out there answered, and can enjoy in not only the grandeur of the greatest finds but the overlooked ones as well. I’ll have help from friends and professionals out there, and together we should start talking about getting ahead in academia- on a thesis- on a job application- or just ahead in general. I’m pretty funny, and I sing too. So there’s that.
In this introductory episode entitled “BOOM!” I introduce myself and explain why my podcast is awesome. There’s also a discussion on several news stories making waves in the archaeology world, such as the question of neanderthal cloning (I have some major doubts on this venture, though it’s not like a decade from now there will be a new sitcom called “The Neanderthals next door” or anything, come on people- it’s not happening any time soon!). There’s also something about a Roman skeleton with a calcified ovarian tumor which I promise you is NOT gross or anything (lying), and for the history and literature lovers out there (like me!) there’s a tribute to the 200th anniversary of Jane Austen’s Pride & Prejudice. Also, from the world of CRM there’s a bit about shovelbumming and my latest job down in the incredibly stinky and prickly hills of Southern New Mexico. Then I talk about other stuff and lecture you on proper tipping. So, you know, lots of really earth shattering stuff in this episode, so I recommend you check it out! I would love to hear feedback, questions, and comments [email protected]
