Show Notes
Join the APN crew for a monthly discussion of recent news articles. This month we look into two very different questions about archaeology and how we interpret the past. First, we dig into the growing role of AI and large language models in archaeological research, discussing hallucinations, data ownership, consent, open access, and why critical thinking is more important than ever. Then, we examine the case of a man who survived a severe facial injury roughly 100,000 years ago—and ask whether the more interesting story is really ancient violence, or the care and community that allowed him to survive.
More from The Archaeology Show
Chris interviews archaeologist and author Todd Braje about his upcoming book, “Mammoths and Empires” from Pegasus Books. We discuss some of the bigger themes in the book and his motivation for writing it.
This week we are back to the news with three recent archaeology stories! First up, we discuss a National Geographic report on Turkey’s rapidly shrinking lakes, noting that receding water is exposing submerged archaeological sites like the Basilica of St. Neophytos in Lake Iznik while creating preservation and excavation challenges. We then critique a BBC Science Focus story that compares a mile-long stone alignment in Lake Michigan to Stonehenge. Archaeologists actuallysay that hunting drive lines are plausible explanations, and that simplified claims about lake history and age are misleading. And finally, we review an IFLScience article debunking more claims that Noah’s Ark was found in the Urartu region, emphasizing that the Durupinar formation is widely regarded as a geological feature.
Is this what archaeology needs? We think so! On November 23, 2026 Peacock and NBC Universal will release a new comedy based on Kate Myers book, Excavations, released in 2023. It will star Amy Poehler and Hugh Laurie. In this episode, Chris talks with the author about the book and the making of the TV show.
This week we have the latest installment of the journal Club! Ash and Tilly from the And My Trowel podcast join us for a lively discussion about two recent news articles. Join us to learn about ghost DNA, turtle figurines (or not?), and all the ways Americans eat and drink tea and scones incorrectly!
In this episode of The Archaeology Show, we follow three discoveries that reveal how much ancient meaning can survive—and how much can still elude us. First, we look at rare Neolithic obsidian arrowheads from central Anatolia, etched with one-of-a-kind geometric designs that took real effort to carve, yet remain impossible to interpret. Then we head deep into Spain’s Cova de les Dones, where a hidden chamber holds 120 Latin inscriptions—evidence of an organized Roman cult centered on a mysterious “Lady,” Domina, and the name “MALACI.” Finally, we travel to Wetar Island in eastern Indonesia, where a 4,000-year-old painted stone plaque provides the first portable example of Austronesian Painting Tradition art, suggesting seafarers carried shared symbols and identities across the ocean long before pottery arrived.