Seven Ages Audio Journal

In this episode, the team begins by discussing the fossil skull of a million-year-old human ancestor discovered in China, which may rewrite the timeline of human origins. Next, they discuss a 5000-year-old Spanish tomb that reveals ancient southwestern Europe's trade and travel routes. The team is then joined by Olive Talley, the director, producer, and writer of the new documentary film The Stones Are Speaking, which chronicles the discoveries at the famous Gault Archaeological Site in Texas. Olive Talley is an award-winning producer, writer, and journalist with a career that spans documentary filmmaking, network television, and news reporting for newspapers, an international wire service, and radio stations in Texas. Her first feature-length film, ALL RISE For the Good of the Children, premiered at the 2019 USA Film Festival in Dallas and was nominated for a Lone Star Emmy. Olive’s work in New York as a producer at Dateline NBC and ABC’s Prime Time Live! The news magazine shows won two Emmy nominations, a National Headliner Award for Outstanding Network Documentary, a DuPont Columbia Award for Hurricane Katrina team coverage, and a CINE Golden Eagle Award. Her investigative reporting in radio and newspapers earned dozens of state and national awards, most notably a citation as a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize, a George Polk Award, and two Texas Headliner Awards. A graduate of the University of Texas at Austin, Olive also attended Harvard University on a Nieman Fellowship. She lives in Dallas. News Link: Million-Year-Old Skull  News Link: 5000-Year-Old Spanish Tomb  Seven Ages Official Merchandise  Instagram  Facebook  Seven Ages Official Site  Patreon  Seven Ages YouTube  Guest Links The Stones Are Speaking   

In this episode, the Seven Ages team begins the conversation with news concerning the discovery of the Petralona skull in a cave complex in Greece. The team is then joined by returning guest James Chatters to discuss the Hoyo Negro site in Quintana Roo, Mexico. This enigmatic submerged site not only holds the remains of several new species of ground sloth but also the remains of a young girl named "Naia", the oldest (13,000 BP) complete human remains in the western hemisphere.  Dr. James Chatters earned his PhD in Anthropology from the University of Washington in 1982. He is an archaeologist and paleontologist who has discovered and investigated many of North America’s earliest human skeletons. Best known for the 1996 discovery of Kennewick Man and ongoing work at the Hoyo Negro Site in the Yucatan of Mexico, he has also done extensive work in hunter-gatherer prehistory in the western US, macroevolutionary theory, palynology, and late Pleistocene mammals, most notably ground sloths. Image Credit: Paul Nicklen / Hoyo Negro Project News Link: Petralona Skull  Music in this Episode: Scott Buckley - Sanctum Seven Ages Official Merchandise  Instagram  Facebook  Seven Ages Official Site  Patreon  Seven Ages YouTube  Guest Links Hoyo Negro Official Site 

In this episode, Micah and Jason begin the conversation with news of a recent study published in Nature concerning the oldest and most complete sequenced Egyptian genome. Next, the conversation turns to the recent southeastern meteor strike over Georgia and South Carolina. The team is then joined by Megan A. of the Town Creek Mound in North Carolina to discuss this unique and well-preserved Mississippian site.  Town Creek Indian Mound is an unusual phenomenon in the history of North American archaeology.  While most archaeological sites are investigated for a few years before archaeologists move on to new locations, Town Creek, situated on Little River (a tributary of the Great Pee Dee in central North Carolina), has been the focus of a consistent program of archaeological research for more than half a century.  This research has contributed to scientific understanding of the original inhabitants of our continent and has provided educational opportunities for many graduate and undergraduate students in anthropology. Moreover, these contributions to science and higher education were made as the site contributed directly to public education. Seven Ages Official Merchandise  Instagram  Facebook   Seven Ages Official Site  Patreon  Seven Ages YouTube  Guest Links Town Creek Indian Mound     

In this episode, the team begins with news from Colossal Biosciences concerning the de-extinction of the Dire Wolf. We are then joined by Dr. Morgan Smith for an in-depth discussion about Florida's Ryan-Harley site. This unique Suwannee site offers clues to some of the lesser-known Paleoindian technocomplexes, cultures, and habits.  Dr. Morgan Smith received his PhD in Anthropology from Texas A&M University, where he studied in the Center for the Study of the First Americans. Prior to this, he worked for the Southeast Archaeological Center of the National Park Service. He has over a decade of experience in underwater and terrestrial archaeology. His contributions to underwater archaeology include efforts to develop methods and models to more accurately and reliably locate underwater prehistoric sites, emphasizing mobile forager societies. He has conducted archaeological and anthropological research throughout the southeast and in Missouri, Texas, Nevada, Mexico, and Costa Rica. Seven Ages Official Merchandise  Instagram  Facebook  Seven Ages Official Site  Patreon  Seven Ages YouTube  Guest Links   

In this episode, Micah and Jason start the discussion with news from Egypt involving the alluring scents associated with mummified remains. The discussion then turns to news from White Sands, New Mexico. Archaeologists have discovered evidence of ancient transport technology in the Americas, suggesting that early North Americans used travois-like sleds for transport nearly 22,000 years ago. The team is then joined by Wyoming State Archaeologist Spencer Pelton to discuss the latest discoveries from the La Prele, Wyoming Mammoth kill site.  Spencer Pelton is the Wyoming State Archaeologist and an adjunct professor of anthropology at the University of Wyoming. Spencer has maintained a varied career in federal and state government, private, and academic sectors, working in Tennessee, North Carolina, California, Nevada, Colorado, and Wyoming during his 17-year career. He maintains research interests in the peopling of the Americas, but his field projects are increasingly focused on the latest prehistory and earliest history of the Wyoming High Plains and the Rocky Mountains. In addition to his academic and field research, Spencer is interested in the politics of heritage preservation and writes about that topic extensively in his Substack newsletter, Social Stigma. Seven Ages Official Merchandise  Instagram Facebook  Seven Ages Official Site  Patreon  Seven Ages YouTube  Guest Links  Early Paleoindian use of canids, felids, and hares for bone needle production at the La Prele site, Wyoming, USA  Spencer Pelton's Social Stigma 

In this episode, the team discusses a recent scientific report concerning new evidence of hominin activity 1.9 million years ago in Graunceanu, Romania, in the form of multiple cut-marked bones. The discussion continues with exciting news from Siberia, with the discovery of a Saber-Toothed Cat cub in pristine condition, shedding new scientific light on this enigmatic species. James Chatters, PhD, then joins the team to discuss his latest paper on the Western Clovis diet, which was published in Science Advances. Dr. James Chatters earned his PhD in Anthropology from the University of Washington in 1982. He is an archaeologist and paleontologist involved in discovering and investigating many of North America’s earliest human skeletons. Best known for the 1996 discovery of Kennewick Man and ongoing work at the Hoyo Negro Site in the Yucatan of Mexico, he has also done extensive work in hunter-gatherer prehistory in the western US, macroevolutionary theory, palynology, and late Pleistocene mammals, most notably ground sloths. Seven Ages Official Merchandise  Instagram  Facebook  Seven Ages Official Site  Patreon  Seven Ages YouTube  Guest Links Mammoth featured heavily in Western Clovis diet 

In this episode, the team begins with an intriguing discussion concerning a recent discovery by anthropologists from the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the University of Hawai’i, presenting research on a previously unknown—or, rather, uncategorized— introduction to the human species, H. juluensis.  The team is then joined by Southern Arkansas University archaeologist Dr. Carl Drexler to discuss the enigmatic Caddo culture. Dr. Carl G. Drexler (Station Archeologist) received his Ph.D. from the College of William and Mary in Virginia in 2013. He has been working in Arkansas since 2001 on domestic and military sites, including the battlefield of Pea Ridge. He has worked as an archeologist for the National Park Service, Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, and the United States Army. He has field experience in eight states and three foreign countries. Major research interests include conflict archeology, spatial analysis, historical archeology of the U.S. South and Midwest, Cuban archeology, terrestrial and aerial laser scanning (LiDAR), and the history and ethnography of sports in the United States, primarily baseball and hockey. His publications include articles in the SAA Archaeological Record and Arkansas Historical Quarterly, and a book chapter on spatial analysis in conflict archaeology, in addition to a number of reports.  Seven Ages Official Merchandise  Instagram  Facebook  Seven Ages Official Site  Patreon  Seven Ages YouTube  Guest Links  Trowel 'n' Transit Blog   

In this episode, the Seven Ages team reunites after the tragic events surrounding Hurricane Helene's impact on Asheville, North Carolina. The team then discusses the latest news from the world of archaeology, after which we are joined byTaylor Keen of the Cherokee Nation, who discusses his new book, Rediscovering Turtle Island: A First Peoples' Account of the Sacred Geography of America.  Taylor Keen is a Heider College of Business Administration senior lecturer at Creighton University. He holds a bachelor’s degree from Dartmouth College and two master’s degrees from Harvard University, where he has served as a Fellow in the Harvard Project on American Indian Economic Development. He is a citizen of the Cherokee Nation, the founder of Sacred Seed, an organization devoted to propagating tribal seed sovereignty, and a member of the Earthen Bison Clan of the Omaha Tribe where he is known by the name “Bison Mane.” He lives in Omaha, Nebraska. Seven Ages Official Merchandise  Instagram  Facebook  Seven Ages Official Site   Patreon  Seven Ages YouTube  Guest Links  Rediscovering Turtle Island   Sacred Seed

In this episode, the Seven Ages team begins with a short commentary on world events and the latest from Peruvian archaeology. The team is then joined by returning guest Aaron Deter-Wolf to discuss his latest paper Chalcolithic Tattooing: Historical and Experimental Evaluation of the Tyrolean Iceman's Body Markings. This paper captures the latest conclusions from examining the multiple sets of tattoos found in the body of Otzi, one of the most studied and fascinating sets of human remains in the world of anthropology.  Aaron Deter-Wolf is an archaeologist with the Tennessee Division of Archaeology in Nashville, Tennessee, and a leading researcher developing the archaeological study of tattooing. Aaron has published widely on ancient tattooing tools and traditions, including studies identifying tattooing artifacts from North America, experiments with professional tattoo artists recreating and testing ancient and historic implements, and efforts using digital imaging to record tattoos on mummified human remains. Aaron maintains the open-access Tattooed Human Mummies database, and shares information about the history of tattooing and body modification on Instagram @archaeologyink.  Instagram  Facebook  Seven Ages Official Site  Patreon  Seven Ages YouTube  Guest Links  Tattooed Human Mummy Database 

In this episode, the Seven Ages team starts the show by discussing the ongoing mystery of the Antikythera mechanism. This is followed by an alarming story from North Carolina concerning one of the most significant archaeological finds ever discovered in the state and the controversy surrounding the intended land development for a housing community. The team then welcomes Dr. Keith Ashley from the University of North Florida to discuss the enigmatic Mill Cove Complex in Jacksonville, Florida.  Dr. Keith Ashley is an associate professor of anthropology at the University of North Florida. His current research focuses on Indigenous peoples and histories of southeastern North America, with a focus on Florida. He has been actively involved in archaeological excavations with UNF students throughout northeastern Florida, including the Mill Cove Complex since 1999. We are also joined by Victoria Hayes. Victoria is a graduating senior in Anthropology at the University of North Florida. Her honors thesis focuses on a techno-functional analysis of pottery from the South Field area of the Mill Cove Complex. She plans to continue her research in graduate school at the University of Florida.  Instagram  Facebook  Seven Ages Official Site  Patreon  Seven Ages YouTube  UNF Archaeology Lab 

In this episode, the Seven Ages team discusses the continuing mystery surrounding the Roman Dodecahedron and the controversy of the "Wood Age". The team then welcomes Dr. Louise Steel from the University of Wales to discuss the ancient history and intriguing archaeology of Gaza.  Dr. Louise Steel is a Professor of Near Eastern Archaeology at the University of Wales. In the 1990s she directed excavations at the Late Bronze Age site of Al Moghraqa in Gaza. She has also worked extensively in Cyprus. Her recent research focuses on New Materialities, exploring people’s relationship with matter and how this has been entangled in their daily lived experiences. She is a series editor of Materialities in Anthropology and Archaeology, University of Wales Press. Louise is Associate Director of the UNESCO-MOST BRIDGES UK hub, which explores transdisciplinary approaches to sustainability science, and works with Coastal TALES which examines how cultural heritage can help foster resilience to climate change in coastal areas. Instagram  Facebook  Seven Ages Official Site  Patreon  Seven Ages YouTube  Guest Links: Dr. Louis Steel Presentation 

In this episode, Micah and James lead off the discussion with an update on earthquakes, odd weather, the 2024 full solar eclipse, Mediterranean archaeology during our open segment. We are then joined by Dr. Metin Eren of Kent State University, who returns to discuss the publication of a new, highly detailed paper involving experimental archaeology. The new paper titled "Experimental bison butchery using replica hafted Clovis fluted points and large handheld flakes" is available now in the Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports at ScienceDirect.com.  Dr. Metin Eren is a Professor of Anthropology at Kent State University. He is the founder and co-director of the Kent State University Experimental Archaeology Laboratory and a research associate at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History. He has appeared on the SAAJ episode.054 The Clovis Projectile Point, and has also appeared on two of our Patreon podcasts, the Cross-Tyme Pub and the Digging Deeper podcast.  Instagram  Facebook  Seven Ages Official Site  Patreon  Seven Ages YouTube  Guest Links: Science Direct  Meat Eater Documentary 

In this episode, the Seven Ages team gathers at the Cross-Tyme Pub to discuss the latest stories from the world of history and archaeology. We begin with the recent paper concerning the Younger Dryas Impact and its ability to help date artifacts from various paleo sites across the United States. Next, we discuss a discovery from a Wyoming Clovis site of a small but significant bead and an underwater megalithic structure discovered in the Baltic Sea.  Then we are joined by journalist Roger Atwood to discuss his incredible book Stealing History: Tomb Raiders, Smugglers, and the Looting of the Ancient World. Roger Atwood is a regular contributor to ARTnews and Archaeology magazines, and his articles on culture and politics have appeared in The New Republic, Mother Jones, The Nation, The Miami Herald, and The Boston Globe. Atwood was a journalist for Reuters for over fifteen years, reporting from Peru, Argentina, Brazil, and Chile, and a senior editor at their Washington, D.C. bureau. He is currently a fellow at the Alicia Patterson Foundation. Instagram  Facebook  Seven Ages Official Site  Patreon  YouTube  News and Guest Links:  Prehistoric blast helps date stone artifacts  Archaeologists discover oldest known bead in the Americas  Baltic Sea megastructure  Roger Atwood 

In this episode, the team begins with the latest news from the world of archaeology concerning the controversial dating of the Gunung Padang complex in Indonesia. This enigmatic site has been at the center of international discussion for several years with clear lines of delineation being drawn between supporters of its extreme antiquity and those who dispute its authenticity as a 20 thousand-plus-year-old site.  Next, we are joined by renowned cultural anthropologist Anthony Kail for an in-depth discussion about his new book Fieldwork with the Saints: An Ethnographic Journey into Santeria in the American South. Anthony Kail serves as President of AnthroFolk Research Associates. Anthony Kail is a cultural anthropologist and writer. Kail has researched magico-religious cultures for more than thirty years. His work has taken him from Santeria ceremonies in Cuba to Haitian Botanicas in Harlem and Spiritual Churches in East Africa. He has lectured at hundreds of universities, conferences, and public safety agencies. Kail has been featured on CNN Online, the History Channel, and numerous radio, television, and print outlets. He is the author of several books including A Secret History of Memphis Hoodoo from The History Press and Magico-Religious Groups and Ritualistic Activities: A Guide for First-Responders from CRC Press. Kail is an anthropology instructor at Southern New Hampshire University. Instagram  Facebook  Seven Ages Official Site  Patreon  YouTube  News and Guest Links:  Gunung Padang Smithsonian Article  Anthro Folk Website  Fieldwork with the Saints: Purchase Link (Amazon) 

In this episode the team welcomes a roundtable panel to discuss the 2022 scientific paper The Hopewell airburst event 1699-1567 years ago (252-383 CE). This controversial paper has since been refuted by our panel members. In this interview the panel will present all of the information surrounding the 2022 paper and present their evidence for refuting the claim that the Hopewell culture was greatly affected or even destroyed by a cosmic event. Our panel consists of lead author Dr. Kevin Nolan. Dr. Nolan is the Director and Senior Archaeologist in the Applied Anthropology Laboratories (AAL), an institute within the College of Sciences and Humanities at Ball State University. His research specializations include: Prehistoric Archaeology, CRM, GIS, Ohio River Valley, Paleoenvironments, Soil geochemistry, and Geophysics. Next, we welcome Dr. Tony Krus. Dr. Krus is an Assistant Professor at the University of South Dakota in the Department of Anthropology and Sociology. His current research focuses on chronological modeling, human-environmental relationships, and archaeological fieldwork of late-Holocene communities, primarily in the Eastern Woodlands and the Plains. We also welcome, Dr. Tim McCoy: Dr. McCoy is a Curator of Meteorites at the Smithsonian Institution. His work primarily focuses on using meteorites to understand the differentiation of asteroids in the early Solar System and he has worked on 6 robotic spacecraft missions. Relative to this project, he has studied artifacts made from iron meteorites, including Hopewell beads from Havana, IL. Finally, we round out the panel with Dr. Laura Murphy is an Associate Professor of Anthropology at Washburn University in Topeka, Kansas, where she teaches many archaeology courses, including the popular "Archaeological Myths, Frauds, and Controversies" course. She is a geoarchaeologist specializing in paleoenvironmental reconstruction using soils. Dr. Murphy holds her Bachelor's degree from The Ohio State University, and her MA and PhD from the University of Kansas. She is also a former National Park Ranger who worked at Hopewell Culture National Historical Park in Chillicothe, Ohio. X (Formerly Twitter)  Instagram  Facebook  Seven Ages Official Site  Patreon  YouTube  News and Guest Links:  The Hopewell airburst event, 1699-1567 years ago  Refuting the sensational claim of a Hopewell-ending cosmic airburst 

In this episode of the Seven Ages Audio Journal, the team discusses the latest news out of China concerning recently discovered remains of a possible third human lineage. Next, the team discusses the upcoming Arkhaios Film Festival for cultural heritage and archaeology.  The Seven Ages team is happy to welcome the world-renowned paleoanthropologist Dr. Lee Berger to the show for his first appearance. Dr. Berger joins us to discuss his new book Cave of Bones: A True Story of Discovery, Adventure, and Human Origins. We also go in-depth on the new Netflix documentary Unknown: Cave of Bones.  Lee Berger is an award-winning paleoanthropologist whose explorations into human origins on the African continent, Asia, and Micronesia for the past three decades have resulted in many new discoveries, including the discovery of two new species of early human relatives – Australopithecus sediba and Homo naledi. These discoveries were recognized by the Smithsonian as among the ten most important scientific discoveries of the decade in 2020. A current National Geographic Explorer in Residence, Berger won the first National Geographic Society Research and Exploration Prize in 1997. He was also named the Rolex National Geographic Explorer of the Year in 2016 and two years later, became an Explorer at Large. In 2016 he was named one of TIME magazine’s 100 Most Influential People in the World. Berger has held positions at the University of the Witwatersrand, in South Africa since 1991, where until recently he served as the Phillip Tobias Chair in Human Evolution. He has also served in a number of advisory roles, including the Global Young Academy, the Jane Goodall Institute South Africa, and has chaired the Fulbright Commission. As an Explorer in Residence, Berger leads National Geographic’s “Rising Star” project, named for the cave system and fossil site in southern Africa where he conducts his research. Teams under his leadership have recovered more individual hominid remains in sub-equatorial Africa over the last decade than were recovered in the previous 90 years. The 2015 PBS Nova National Geographic documentary "Dawn of Humanity" about Berger’s discovery of Homo naledi and the Rising Star expedition was nominated for an Emmy. Berger’s curiosity and passion for understanding the roots of humanity powers his work to advance knowledge about the origins of our species. X (Formerly Twitter)  Instagram  Facebook  Seven Ages Official Site  Patreon  Youtube  News and Guest Links:  Remains found in China may belong to third human lineage  Cave of Bones: A True Story of Discovery, Adventure, and Human Origins Arkhaios Film Festival  

In this episode of the Seven Ages Audio Journal, the team discusses the latest news from the world of archeology including the destruction of a famous French megalithic site and the surprising DNA results from Machu Picchu in Peru.  Next, we welcome the return of Christopher R. Moore to discuss his newly published paper on immunological residue analysis on Paleoindian lithic projectile points and tools. This fascinating discussion takes the listener through the various steps and outcomes of a truly cutting-edge and forward-thinking approach to archaeology.  Christopher R. Moore received a B.S. in Anthropology from Appalachian State University in 1997, an M.A. in Anthropology from East Carolina University in 2000, and a Ph.D. in Coastal Resources Management (with a focus in geoscience) from East Carolina University in 2009. Chris's research interests include geoarchaeology, early hunter-gatherers, Late Quarternary climate and human adaptation, and blood residue analysis.  Twitter   Instagram  Facebook  Seven Ages Official Site  Patreon  Youtube  Guest Links:   Paleoamerican exploitation of extinct megafauna 

In this episode of the Seven Ages Audio Journal, the team welcomes Dr. Jannie Loubser from Stratum Unlimited. Dr. Loubser discusses his work and the mythology of the enigmatic sites of Judaculla Rock, North Carolina, and Track Rock Gap in Northern Georgia. In the second half of the program, Dr. Loubser presents a special slideshow presentation of the detailed petroglyphs from both sites.  Johannes (Jannie) Loubser, Ph.D. and RPA, is the archaeologist and rock art specialist at Stratum Unlimited, LLC.   In 1989 Johannes Loubser received a Ph.D. in archaeology from the University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa. In the same year, he also received a post-graduate diploma in rock art conservation and management from the University of Canberra, Australia.  Loubser is a Research Associate at the Rock Art Research Institute (RARI) at the University of the Witwatersrand and the LAMAR Research Institiute in Georgia.  He is also a Getty Conservation Institute’s Rock Art Network (RAN) member. He has worked on numerous archaeological and rock art projects in southern and eastern Africa, North and South America, Australia, Hawaii, and the Caribbean islands.   Twitter  Instagram  Facebook  Seven Ages Official Site  Patreon  Youtube  Guest Links: Stratum Unlimited 

In this installment of the Seven Ages Audio Journal, hosts Micah Hanks and Jason Pentrail lead off the show with a discussion on the newest discoveries in the world of DNA and cultural studies. This is followed by an update on artificial intelligence and the possibilities for its use in archaeology in the years ahead, and how AI is already leading to new innovations in the field of anthropology. Then, the team is joined by the Professor of Anthropology at Ball State University Mark Hill to discuss the enigmatic Hopewell culture.  In his first appearance on the show, Dr. Hill discusses his research on the long-distance trade networks of the Woodland culture known as the Hopewell, including the copper culture from Michigan and using various other long-distance trade materials within the realm of the Hopewell sphere. Professor Mark Hill's research interests include prehistoric exchange systems among the Hopewell, as well as social networks, and gift economies; development of regional systems of interaction; hunter-gatherers and early horticulturalists of the upper Midwest, Great Lakes, and northern Great Plains; lithic analysis; archaeological chemistry; heritage resource management. We discuss all of this, and much more with Dr. Hill in this special installment of the program.  Twitter  Instagram  Facebook  Seven Ages Official Site  Patreon  Youtube  Guest Links:  Dr. Mark Hill 

In this special extended edition of the Seven Ages Audio Journal, the team welcomes Dr. Nicholas Hellmuth, who shares his fascinating story of conquering the jungles of South America to find one of the most significant and awe-inspiring tombs at the Mayan site of Tikal in the 1960s at the age of nineteen (a YouTube video and slide presentation appearing on the Seven Ages YouTube Channel will accompany this special edition). Dr. Nicholas Hellmuth has an undergraduate degree, from Harvard; a Master’s degree from Brown University, and three different post-graduate research positions at Yale University. With his Ph.D. from the University of Gratz, Hellmuth is a previous research professor in digital photography at Rollins College and at Brevard Community College both in Florida. He was a Visiting Research Professor of (digital imaging and digital printing) simultaneously at BGSU (in Ohio) and Universidad Francisco Marrokeen (Guatemala) from 2000-2005. He now works full-time on the flora and fauna of Mayan areas of Mesoamerica and also works with the foundation for Latin American Anthropological Research. (FLAAR) Twitter  Instagram  Facebook  Seven Ages Official Site  Patreon  Seven Ages Youtube  Guest Links: FLAAR Mesoamerica