Peopling the Past
Join hosts Dr. Chelsea Gardner and Dr. Melissa Funke for a journey through under-explored aspects of archaeology, history, and everyday life in the ancient Mediterranean. Every week we feature an expert whose cutting-edge research sheds light on the real people who lived in ancient Greece, Rome, Egypt, and beyond. Follow us on Twitter @peoplingthepast with the #peoplingpodcast, on Instagram and Facebook @peoplingthepast, and on our website peoplingthepast.com.
- Update frequency
- every 9 days
- Average duration
- 31 minutes
- Episodes
- 50
- Years Active
- 2020 - 2025
Portrait of a Lady: Discovering Seianti with Judith Swaddling
Countless faces of real people survive in ancient portraiture, but how often do we know their names, or anything about their lives? In this episode, Dr. Judith Swaddling joins Melissa and Chelsea to …
Nevertheless, She Persisted: Boudicca and Imperial Resistance with Caitlin Gillespie
What can we say about Boudicca, one of the most famous women from the ancient world? Who was she, and was she even real? Why is she still so important to us today? Listen in as Dr. Caitlin Gillespie…
Sisters are Doing it for Themselves: Mesopotamian Free Women with Stephanie Budin
What does it mean to be a "free woman" in the ancient Mediterranean world? Listen in as our guest, Dr. Stephanie Budin, joins Chelsea and Melissa to discuss women who lived outside of the traditional…
Call the (Roman) Midwife: Ancient Delivery and Childbirth with Tara Mulder
In today's episode, our featured guest Dr. Tara Mulder tells us all about the oldest profession in the world: midwifery! Listen in on a discussion between Dr. Mulder and hosts Dr. Chelsea Gardner and…
So Long as There is Hope: Wonder Women in Classics and Comics with Natalie Swain
Welcome to the first ever LIVE episode of Peopling the Past! Join our featured expert, Dr. Natalie Swain, and hosts Drs. Chelsea Gardner and Melissa Funke, for the premiere of our season on Women in …
Season Three Trailer!
Peopling the Past Podcast is BACK for a third season on a very exciting topic: Women in the Ancient Mediterranean!
Join your hosts Dr. Chelsea Gardner and Dr. Melissa Funke for an introduction to S…
Breaking the Bond: Forced Marriage and Cursed Freedom in Ancient Rome with Katharine Huemoeller
What does it mean to be free? In our Season 2 finale episode, archaeologist and historian Dr. Katharine Huemoeller joins the podcast to tell us all about her research on the female, forced, and repro…
Seize the Clay: Pottery Workshops in Sagalassos with Elizabeth Murphy
You might call ceramics the "plastics" of the ancient world...ubiquitous, indestructible, and incredibly useful! But how do we identify the spaces where ancient potters once made these everyday objec…
There's Something about Mary: Early Cult and Veneration of the Virgin with Sabrina Higgins
It's all about Mary this week on the podcast! We are joined by archaeologist and PtP webmaster Dr. Sabrina Higgins, who takes us through catacombs, churches, and monasteries in Egypt, Syria, and Rome…
Rolling in the Dough: Bread-Making and Roman Bakeries with Jared Benton
The sights, smells, and sounds of an ancient Roman bakery might surprise you...in this episode, historian and archaeologist Dr. Jared Benton joins the show to tell us all about the economics of ancie…
Breaking the Mold: Quasi-Official Coinage in Roman Egypt with Irene Soto Marín
Money makes the ancient Mediterranean world go round...but what happens when there's not enough metal to make official coinage? In this episode, archaeologist Dr. Irene Soto Marín shares her research…
Practical Magic: Ancient Roman Smells and Spells with Britta Ager
Today's episode is simply magical! Join us as we welcome Dr. Britta Ager - an expert in ancient Mediterranean magic, spells, and curses - to the show and hear about her experimental work re-creating …
Using Olive It: Sustainable Fuel Production in the Ancient Mediterranean with Erica Rowan
Waste not, want not! In this episode, learn all about ancient Mediterranean olive oil production and how real people producing this delicious food used the manufacturing byproducts to create a closed…
In Living Colour: Painting and Pigments with Hilary Becker
Ever wonder how ancient artists created the vividly-coloured frescoes that adorned the houses of Pompeii and Herculaneum? Dr. Hilary Becker joins Chelsea and Melissa to tell us all about nature's pal…
Going with the Flow: Water Systems in North Africa with Mark Locicero
Water, water, everywhere...but how much of it can we drink? In this episode, Chelsea and Melissa chat with Dr. Mark Locicero about Roman drainage systems in the ancient North African town of Volubil…
Portrait of a Palmyran Man: Ancient Syrian Identity with Blair Fowlkes Childs
What do our choices say about who we are? In this episode, Dr. Blair Fowlkes Childs joins Chelsea and Melissa to talk about clothing, status, dress, identity, preservation, commemoration, and cultura…
Grave Matters: Resting Places for Regular People with Liana Brent
In this episode, Dr. Liana Brent joins Chelsea and Melissa to talk about the archaeological remains of burials in Roman Italy at the ancient cemetery of Vagnari. Find out how archaeologists and anthr…
If the (Roman) Shoe Fits: Elizabeth Greene and Footwear from Vindolanda
In the Season 2 premiere episode, Dr. Elizabeth Greene joins Chelsea and Melissa to talk about the archaeological remains of Roman shoes from the site of Vindolanda on Hadrian's Wall in present-day E…
Season Two Trailer!
Join your Season 1 host, Dr. Chelsea Gardner, as she welcomes new co-host Dr. Melissa Funke for an introduction to the second season of the Peopling the Past podcast!
This season, we'll take listener…
Thrown Together: Potters, Painters, and Ceramic Production with Sanchita Balachandran
In this episode, Sanchita Balachandran joins us to speak about the sensory experience of ancient potters and painters, her experimental archaeology project at Johns Hopkins, and the underdrawings on …