Nomads and Empires

Charting the history of the Eurasian steppe, including the Scythians, the Gokturks, and the Mongols.

Episode 1: The Eternal Blue Sky

Introducing the Nomads and Empires podcast. Here, we talk about the structure, major themes, and important considerations of this show.

11-02
21:30

Episode 2: The Eastern Steppe

In this episode, we explore the geography of the eastern Eurasian steppe, an area encompassing modern day Mongolia and southeastern Siberia.

11-02
36:25

Episode 3: The Western and Central Steppes

We examine the geography of the western and central Eurasian steppes and assess major trends and summarize historical developments.

11-02
50:12

Episode 4: The Historiographical Context

Today, we look at the historiography of the Eurasian steppe and address the complexities, problems, and major historical trends of academic research in this part of the world.

11-02
22:07

Episode 5: The Prehistoric Steppe

We explore the prehistoric Eurasian steppe and assess the changes emerging after the global Ice Age.

12-09
32:27

Episode 6: The Indo-European Migrations

Today, we chart the emergence of the proto-Indo-Europeans and their subsequent migrations across Eurasia, including groups like the Indo-Iranians and proto-Tocharians.

01-08
38:47

Episode 7: The Khan of Arzhan 1

We assess environmental and sociocultural changes of the 1000s BCE and track how these changes would culminate in the kurgan of Arzhan 1.

01-24
36:26

Episode 8: Kimmerians: Through the Caucasus

We finally start the narrative and introduce our first named historical group: the Kimmerians.

02-19
33:33

Episode 9: Kimmerians: The Ancient Near Eastern Cold War

Today, we explore the years 720-714 BCE as the Near Eastern states of Assyria and Urartu duke it out in a grand geopolitical struggle. All the while, the Kimmerians are making their way further and further into the region.

03-28
42:58

Episode 10: Kimmerians: To Phrygia and Beyond

We examine the Kimmerian migration to Anatolia in the aftermath of Urartian and Assyrian invasions. We then chart the emergence of conflict between the Kimmerians and the Phrygians.

05-22
34:46

Episode 11: Kimmerians: The Beginning of the End

We chart the Kimmerians as they launched attacks against the Kingdom of Lydia, placing us closer to the eventual end of the Kimmerians.

08-02
32:03

Episode 12: Kimmerians: Sundered and Scattered

On today's episode, we track the movements of the Medes, the Scythians, the Lydians, and the Kimmerians, as we finally end this leg of our journey.

10-15
33:29

Tales from the Steppe: Boktu-Kirish, A Tuvan Tale

In this side episode, part of the Tales from the Steppe bonus episodes, we dive into the tale of Boktu-Kirish, a story that derives from the Tuvan people. Come listen as we hear about the exploits of a young woman on a quest to bring her dead brother back to life.

10-23
26:44

Episode 13: Scythians: An Introduction

Today, we introduce the Scythians. This episode provides a brief overview and dives a little into the historiographical development of Scythian studies. Twitter: https://twitter.com/NomadEmpiresPod Substack: https://nomadsandempirespodcast.substack.com/

02-11
21:01

Episode 14: Scythians: The Scythian World

In this episode, we broadly examine the different Scythian groups from the grasses of Ukraine to the highlands of the Sayan-Altai. We meet peoples like the Pazyryk, the Massagetae, and the Saka. Twitter: https://twitter.com/NomadEmpiresPod Substack: https://nomadsandempirespodcast.substack.com/

02-25
23:02

Episode 15: Scythians: Warfare

We look into the weapons, armor, and tactics of Scythian warfare. Twitter: https://twitter.com/NomadEmpiresPod Substack: https://nomadsandempirespodcast.substack.com/

03-11
28:32

Episode 16: Rhûn: The Wainriders and Balchoth

On today, April 1, we assess the nomads of Middle Earth, the peoples who reside in far eastern Rhûn. Twitter: https://twitter.com/NomadEmpiresPod Substack: https://nomadsandempirespodcast.substack.com/

04-01
29:49

Episode 17: Scythians: Religion

We examine the religious beliefs of the Scythians, as well as thoughts of the afterlife. Twitter: https://twitter.com/NomadEmpiresPod Substack: https://nomadsandempirespodcast.substack.com/

04-22
34:23

Episode 18: Scythians: Arts

We analyze the artistic and material culture of the Scythians, and put a critical eye on the term "Scytho-Siberian Culture." Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/NomadsandEmpires Twitter: https://twitter.com/NomadEmpiresPod Substack: https://nomadsandempirespodcast.substack.com/

05-06
21:50

Episode 19: Scythians: Legendary and Humble Beginnings

We continue the narrative by assessing the mythological and historical origins of the Scythians. Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/NomadsandEmpires Twitter: https://twitter.com/NomadEmpiresPod Substack: https://nomadsandempirespodcast.substack.com/ Relevant Books: Barry Cunliffe, The Scythians: Nomad Warriors of the SteppeClaudia Chang, Rethinking Prehistoric Central Asia: Shepherds, Farmers, and NomadsRenate Rolle, The World of the ScythiansYulia Ustanova, The Supreme ...

05-22
34:38

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