And My Trowel
The realms between fantasy and reality have collided and only archaeologists can pave the way through the unknown. Ash and Tilly, armed with two trowels and a backlog of archaeological theory, navigate to new, thrilling worlds, filled with magic and mayhem to answer those burgeoning questions that only archaeologists can answer. “What do you do when you find vampire teeth in a bronze age burial?” “Can you sample ecto-plasm?” “And just how DO you study dragon bones?” With the occasional help of specialists guests they uncover a new realm of archaeology and find out if fantasy is really so far from reality.
- Update frequency
- every 13 days
- Average duration
- 33 minutes
- Episodes
- 54
- Years Active
- 2023 - 2025
The Amulet of Uncertainty (part 2) - Ep 32
It’s time for part two of Ash and Tilly’s discussion with archaeologist and jewellery historian Dr Sigrid van Roode all about magical amulets. In this episode, the three look at the archaeological ev…
The Amulet of Uncertainty (part 1) - Ep 31
There’s something glinting in the bookshelves, but what can it be? This episode Ash and Tilly are joined by archaeologist and jewellery historian Dr Sigrid van Roode to talk all about magical amulets…
The Conservation of Gorian Dray (part 2) - Ep 30
It’s part two of our quest to conserve the portrait of Gorian Dray, with special guest and professional conservation expert Jessica van Dam. But should we actually be conserving this portrait at all?…
The Conservation of Gorian Dray (part 1) - Ep 29
Ash and Tilly have discovered an old and dilapidated painting in the corner of their office, although arguably the most dilapidated part is the man pictured in it - a Mr Gorian Dray. Could it be a so…
Gods, ritual, and potted plants - Ep 28
Why have Tilly and Ash been turned into potted plants? Maybe it’s because they were trying to categorise an ancient and (apparently) wrathful god. But how does one classify a god? How can we identify…
Promo: The Archaeology Show
This episode, Ash and Tilly have been so buried in quests that they didn’t have time to record! Luckily their fellow APN hosts over on The Archaeology Show have released a very timely episode about t…
Little Ancestors and Chosen Ones - Ep 27
The Wizards have been in touch again, and so this episode Ash and Tilly have been tasked with finding the one who can save the world and bring all of humanity together - The Chosen One. The catch is,…
Pride and Prejudice and Radiocarbon dating - Ep 26
Our hosts Ash and Tilly face a tough quest this episode, because they’ve been tasking with dating zombies. Discovering how long they’ve been dead, that is! To do this, they discuss the different meth…
There Can Only Be One (Winner)! - Ep 25
It's the 25th episode of And My Trowel, and to celebrate, Ash and Tilly decided to have a battle of wits in order to see who could remember the most from the last 24 episodes. There can only be one! …
The Intangible Wand - Ep 24
Ash and Tilly are about to embark on their biggest quest yet - trying to find archaeological evidence for the origins of magic! But how can you identify magic in the archaeological record? Listen in …
Damsels in Distress - Ep 23
This episode, Ash and Tilly are on a bit of a side quest that becomes much bigger than they ever thought possible, as they try to help a student from Lothlorien University critique the concept of a “…
Two or More Objects Meet in a Hoard - Ep 22
It’s part two of a discussion all about hoards! Ash and Tilly are joined by Dr Adrián Maldonado in their quest to identify a hoard of objects recently stumbled across in the middle of the redevelopme…
Two or More Objects Meet in a Hoard - Ep 21
Deep in the heart of Khazad-dûm, changes are being made. Caverns are being restored, bridges are being rebuilt, and there’s even plans for a new shopping centre… But when a huge hoard of objects is d…
Personhood Through the Looking Glass - Ep 20
After the physical labour of episode 19, Ash and Tilly decide to put their interpretative skills to work in this episode, and discuss how to research a certain magical mirror that has been dropped in…
Of Prancing and Ponies - Ep 19
In episode nineteen, Tilly and Ash accidentally volunteer to help out the Butterbur Bree Historical Society with recording their most famous inn, the Prancing Pony. Armed with a measuring tape and a …
Another Vamp Bites the Dust (part 2) - Ep 18
It’s time for part two of our discussion with forensic anthropologist, osteoarchaeologist, and conservator Jessica van Dam, as we discuss the issue of vampire teeth. Are there archaeological examples…
Another Vamp Bites the Dust (part 1) - Ep 17
In their latest quest, Tilly and Ash have to deal with quite a delicate situation, as construction of the latest housing project by Helsing Homes uncovers the burials of possible vampire hunters, inc…
The Magnified Axe (part 2) - Ep 16
Are you ready for another use(wear)ful episode? Then listen to part two of Ash and Tilly’s chat with special guest Dr Amber Roy, as they tackle the issue of how to classify a polished stone axe from …
The Magnified Axe (part 1) - Ep 15
It’s time for an axe-tremely axe-citing episode! Ash and Tilly have to deal with a tricky situation over at the Bazkardum Society of Dwarfish History, who want to know how to classify a recently dona…
Dark Lord Walks into a Tavern... - Ep 14
Ouch! In episode 14, Tilly and Ash confront the Magisterium of Malintent, the Grand Council of Dark Lords to talk about their power dynamics and how the archaeological record isn’t always as clear cu…