Crime in Antiquity: Law Enforcement in Ptolemaic Egypt

With over 70% of the earth’s surface covered in water, much of the world is inaccessible to archaeologists employing traditional, land-based archaeological techniques. Employing new procedures and methodologies, the father of underwater archaeology, Dr. George Bass, revolutionized the field in the 1960's by demonstrating that rigorous scientific analysis could be conducted under water. Journey into the fascinating and unique world of underwater and nautical archaeology with our very special guest, Dr. James P. Delgado, one of the foremost experts in the field of underwater archaeology. Throughout his distinguished career, and as the host of the underwater archaeology-themed television show “The Sea Hunters,” Dr. Delgado has worked on some of the most famous shipwrecks of our time. He joins the program to provide an overview of the history of nautical archaeology, the future of the field, and its evolving relationship with conservation and heritage management.

In this episode we explore the role of archaeology in climate science, examining contemporary and ancient climate change. Our guests, Assistant Professor Dr. John Marston at Boston University’s Department of Archaeology and the Director of the BU Environmental Archaeology Laboratory, and Dr. Catherine West, Research Assistant Professor and the Director of the BU Zooarchaeology Lab, join Dr. Schuldenrein to discuss their cutting-edge research and methodologies. Pertinent and illuminating, Drs. Marston, West and Schuldenrein explore archaeology’s value to climate science and the affect contemporary climate change is having on archaeological sites, funding and research. Join in and learn more about fascinating conclusions being wrought from the study of human adaptation to climate and environmental change over time.

What do we really know about the Vikings? In this episode, Dr. Steve Ashby, Senior Lecturer in the Department of Archaeology at the University of York, discusses his fascinating research into the archaeology of everyday life in Viking-Age England, Scotland and Scandinavia. Dr. Ashby’s research on everyday hair combs found in many urban Viking-age sites illuminates details about social identity, craft, and trade heretofore poorly understood. Join in as Dr. Ashby explains his novel approach to artefact studies, using scientific and biomolecular techniques to help answer larger cultural and economic questions, including the date of the first contact between Scandinavia and the British Isles, the social drivers behind Viking raids, and the role of food culture in building identity groups. Join in as Drs. Schuldenrein and Ashby investigate the everyday objects that help to elucidate a people and a bygone age.

Archaeologist and museologist Dr. Asma Ibrahim joins the program to discuss the state of archaeology and heritage preservation in Pakistan. As one of the only female archaeologists operating in Pakistan, Dr. Ibrahim discusses her career path and the hardships she has had to overcome in pursuit of her goals. Though her work and research has spanned the globe, she has dedicated much of her professional life to advancing the preservation efforts of archaeological sites and traditional arts and crafts in Pakistan. She is the director and founding member of the Centre for Archaeological and Environmental Research and has carried out extensive research at various sites in the Indus Delta Area in Pakistan. Currently, she is serving as the Director of the State Bank Museum & Art Gallery Department in Karachi, Pakistan, a museum she helped create. Join the conversation to learn about this accomplished and inspiring archaeologist.

The prevalence of pipeline projects in CRM is bringing archaeologists into increasing contact with the material remains of industry and technology. However, as a field of inquiry, industrial archaeology is woefully understudied and underappreciated. In this episode, Dr. Timothy J. Scarlett of the Industrial Heritage and Archaeology Program at Michigan Technological University -- one of the only programs of its kind in the US – joins the program to discuss the current state of industrial archaeology. Inherently multi-disciplinary, industrial archaeology is noted for its ability to frame identity in both global and local contexts. The study and preservation of the industrial past links workers and their communities to the capitalist system, while at the same time grappling with individual adaptations largely absent from documentary record. Listen in as Drs. Schuldenrein and Scarlett discuss the necessity of industrial archaeological research to our evolving understanding of the past.

The Town of New Philadelphia, Illinois was founded by ex-slave Frank McWorter in 1836, making it the first town legally registered by an African American in the US. Frank and his wife Lucy bought, worked and sold acres of land to help raise the enormous sums needed to purchase the freedom of family members. Since 2002, excavations and public archaeology programs have helped to resurrect the story of New Philadelphia, implicating America’s fraught racial past and giving voice to African American actors largely absent from official histories. Currently, The National Park Service is conducting a special resource study to evaluate the site’s national significance and the feasibility of adding it a national park system slim on African American sites. Dr. Schuldenrein is joined in conversation by Dr. Christopher Fennell, Tara Pettit and Tokey Boswell to discuss the site and the NPS special resource study.

Joining Dr. Schuldenrein in this week's episode is award-winning author and George Washington University Classics and Anthropology professor Eric H. Cline. Specializing in biblical archaeology and the Mediterranean world of the Late Bronze Age (1700-1100 BC), Dr. Cline discusses his recent book, “1177: The Year Civilization Collapsed” and his current research as co-director of the Tel Kabri project in Israel. Drs. Schuldenrein and Cline journey back into the world of the Late Bronze Age in the Eastern Mediterranean, resurrecting the Egyptian, Minoan, Mycenaean and Babylonian civilizations, among others, to provide the context for one of the world’s first catastrophic collapses. Improving upon the prevailing Sea People invasion theory popularized in the late-19th century, Dr. Cline provides ample archaeological and textual evidence for a multi-causal explanation. Listen in to discover what events lead to the collapse and what happened to the Mediterranean world in the ensuing centuries.

Everything you have ever wanted to know about Southeastern archaeology, but were too afraid to ask. Dr. David G. Anderson, a practitioner and academic with decades of experience in the Southeastern US and Caribbean, talks with Dr. Joe Schuldenrein about current research, new methodologies, and recent advances in the archaeology of the southeastern United States. Using synergistic approaches to archaeological research and collaborative digital resources, Dr. Anderson explores the development of cultural complexity in Eastern North America, climate change and its effect on human society, and other important topics. Importantly, the application of Dr. Anderson’s methodologies to the broader discipline allows practitioners to synthesize data in real time, enhancing the construction of regional archaeological timelines and our understanding of North America’s past. Listen in as Drs. Schuldenrein and Anderson discuss the fascinating history of the Southeastern US and its archaeology.

In 2016, the Buffalo Trace Distillery hired Kentucky archaeologist Nicolas Laracuente to lead an excavation of the remains of a late-19th century production facility buried and long forgotten underneath the floor of the active distillery. Dubbed the “Bourbon Pompeii,” these largely intact structural remains offer a unique glimpse into the heritage and history of bourbon production in Kentucky. Laracuente, in addition to his official job with the Kentucky Heritage Council, volunteers much of his time to the Jack Jouett Archaeology Project-a public archaeology and oral history program- and to excavations of farm and abandoned distilleries around the state. Emphasizing the importance of tailoring research to regional interests and history, Laracuente’s work provides a template for the efficacy of archaeology to local communities. Listen in as Dr. Schuldenrein and Laracuente discuss Bourbon Pompeii and Laracuente’s extracurricular work as the self-styled Bourbon Archaeologist.

The world’s largest organization dedicated to the archaeology of the modern world turns 50 in 2017. Join us as Dr. Schuldenrein talks with Society for Historical Archaeology President Dr. JW Joseph about the importance, history and future of the SHA. In a reflection of the value of professional organizations like the SHA to the discipline, Dr. Joseph provides a necessary critique of archaeology’s relationship with African-American history, research and descendant communities. In particular, he offers a mandate for practitioners to uphold our unique position as stewards of all American pasts and to reaffirm our commitment to protect and herald histories of the disenfranchised. Listen in as Dr. Schuldenrein and Dr. Joseph discuss African-American archaeology as well as public interest in African-American sites and the issues involved in trying to create a new NPS park.