Carlton Gover, Connor Johnen and David Howe are three friends that went to graduate school together and decided to start a podcast. Join them once a month for witty conversation, amazing guests, and a bit of profanity - all in the name of science. Join them in their lives in ruins.
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A Life In Ruins


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Just The Boyz: The Hangover Edition - Ep 108
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On this episode, we recap our recent adventures in Colorado. We start out by going nowhere and continue doing that for the rest of the episode. Highlights of the episode include Carlton talks about his new true crime podcast, the intersection of family groups and experimental archaeology. Interested in learning about how to use X-Rays and similar t…
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A Discussion with Dr. Todd Surovell - Ep 107
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On this episode of A Life In Ruins podcast, David interviews his former advisor Dr. Todd Surovell. Todd served as an advisor to David and was a committee member for David and Connor‘s MA theses. David begins interviewing Todd about what archaeology means to him, and a discussion of his early life. The conversation later turns into how Todd found hi…
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The Anthropology of Drone Warfare with Georgia Butcher - Ep 106
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For this week's episode, we are joined by a Ph.D. student in Anthropology at the University of Colorado Boulder, Georgia Butcher. Georgia is a cultural anthropologist who studies the impact of drone warfare on drone pilots. We dive into her formative years and the story that hooked her on anthropology. Carlton and Connor then really nerd out about …
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Domestication and Human Brain Size with Stefan Milo - Ep 105
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On this episode of A Life In Ruins Podcast, we have our good friend and frequent collaborator Stefan Milo on the podcast. Stefan is in the process of researching for a video on human brain size, and we talk about what he has found. Researchers have noted a decrease in brain size in humans within the last 30,000 years. We take a deep dive into how b…
In this episode, the three hosts reconvene after a month of not having recorded an episode. Carlton and Connor check in with David on how the bus refurbishing is coming along and the recent trip to Arkansas. Carlton talks about his dissertation data collection, recent environmental distress in Colorado, and his recent trip to Oklahoma City. The guy…
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Experimental Archaeology at Butser Ancient Farm with Trevor Creighton - Ep 103
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On this special 4 segment episode of A Life in Ruins Podcast, we are lucky to be joined Trevor Creighton, a project archaeologist at Butser Ancient Farm. Butser Ancient Farm is a not-for-profit Community Interest Company with a focus on education and research, located just north of Portsmouth in the UK. They have a series of buildings at the farm, …
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Indigenous Archaeology and Decolonization with Kay Mattena - Ep 102
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In this episode, we are joined by Kay Mattena, a Ph.D. student in Archaeology and Indigenous Science at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, a Descendent of the Citizen Band of Potawatomi, and first appeared on Episode 54: SAA 86th Annual Conference, and Indigneous Response. We talk about her earliest encounters with science, nature, and arc…
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Talking Dogs, Data, and Mental Health (but mostly dogs) with Dr. Angela Perri - Ep 101
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On this episode of A Life in Ruins Podcast, David and Connor talk to Dr. Angela Perri about her lengthy CV and her academic/professional career. Dr. Perri is currently the top researcher in the world in terms of understanding the relationship between humans and dogs in the ancient world. So clearly, David's ears perked up. As usual, we first dive i…
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Live Show: The War in Ukraine with Simon Radchenko - Ep 100
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For our first live show and in celebration of our 100th episode, we had originally planned for a dynamic and audience-interactive experience full of bits, challenges, and guest appearances. However, due to the recent invasion of Ukraine by Putin’s Russia, we wanted to use our platform to support the people of Ukraine. We were joined by Simon Radche…
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Mississippian Missionaries: Bundling Cahokia with Amanda Butler - Ep 99
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In this episode, we are joined by Dr. Amanda Butler who is an Assistant Professor in the department of anthropology and earth science at Minnesota State University Moorhead. We start off the episode by exploring her educational experiences and background in archaeology. We then delve into Cahokian archaeology and Butler's research regarding the Cah…
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An Analysis of the Hopewell Airburst Event Hypothesis with Dr. Shane Miller - Ep 98
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Dr. Shane Miller is back on the podcast to talk about a new paper that just came out. The Hopewell airbust event, published about in Nature Scientific Reports, is believed to be a series of near-Earth comets that are hypothesized to have had impacts on cultures living around 1600 years ago (252-383 CE). We dive into this paper and discuss its argum…
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Science Communicators of TikTok: Nicholas Carbone (@DigThePast) - Ep 97
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On this episode of A Life in Ruins Podcast, we chat with Tiktok personality and recent graduate Nicholas Carbone. We start off by talking about his earliest experiences with archaeology and his inspiration for pursuing the discipline. We then chat about Titanic and how some of us were not allowed to watch the second VHS (yes we are that old). Nicho…
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Science Communicators of TikTok: Lindsay Nikole (@lindsaynikole) - Ep 96
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On this episode of a Life in Ruins Podcast, we continue our series of talking with TikTok Science Communicators and talk with Lindsay Nikole. Lindsay is a zoologist with a passion for all living things in the animal kingdom, and has over 1 million followers on TikTok. We dive straight into her experiences growing up and her experiences getting her …
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Science Communicators of TikTok: Isaac Russell (@science_is_real) - Ep 95
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In this episode, we chat with Isaac Russel (@science_Is_real on TikTok), an 8th-grade science teacher and TikTok personality. We delve into his early experiences growing up in small-town Kansas. He details how community college was helpful for him and how he also lived in a very interesting situation. We then rapid-fire questions about teaching 8th…
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A Podcast Donnybrook with Tristan Boyle - Ep 94
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On this episode of A Life in Ruins Podcast, we talk to our arch-nemesis, co-founder of the Archaeology Podcast Network, and host of the Modern Myth Podcast Tristan Boyle. We start out talking about our terrible impersonations of him and talk about where he is from and where he currently lives in the UK. We then delve into his formative years and ho…
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On a Slippery Soap-stone: A Conversation with Dr. Richard Adams - Ep 93
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In this episode, we are joined by Dr. Richard Adams. Dr. Adams personally spoon-fed the archeology kool-aid to Connor at Colorado State University and he met Carlton and David through the University of Wyoming. Dr. Adam’s discusses his winding road into archaeology and how he was inspired to pursue archaeology. He details his experiences with Dr. G…
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Egyptology and Archaeology in Video Games with Megan Kumorek - Ep 92
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In this episode, we are joined by Megan Kumorek who is a writer and creative partner for the Middle East, North Africa, and Mediterranean Archaeology Publication Group and Promotional and Academic Partner for the Save Cultural Heritage Group. We start off by talking with Megan about her educational background in Archaeology, beginning with her unde…
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Bison Jumps, Public Archaeology, and the Great Plains with Chris Johnston - Ep 91
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In this episode, we are joined by Chris Johnston who is the Operations Director and Project Archaeologist for the Paleocultural Research Group. As always, we kick off the episode investigating Chris's introduction to archaeology and how he turned in his Buffalo horns for Ram horns. We delve into the Paleocultural Research Group (PCRG), what it does…
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Indigenous New England Tattooing Practices with Rebekah Lamb - Ep 90
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In this episode, Carlton does a solo interview with Rebekah Lamb. Rebekah is pursuing her Bachelor's degree in Cultural Anthropology and Developmental Sociology and minoring in Archaeology at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam-Zuidoost. Rebekah belongs to the Abenaki Tribe of the Wabanaki Confederacy as well as being a descendant of the Hauden…
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Pâripakûru’ with Zach Rice and Taylor Moore - Ep 89
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In this special four-part episode we are joined by Zach Rice and Taylor to talk about how they are working on the reawakening of the Pawnee language. Both Zach and Taylor are citizens of the Pawnee Nation of Oklahoma and grew up in Pawnee, Oklahoma. We talk about growing up in Pawnee, where they went to school, what inspired them to pursue M.A.'s i…
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Annual Performance Review with Chris Webster - Ep 88
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It's that time of the year again, Archaeology Podcast Network Director Chris Webster joins the lads for their annual "Performance Review". This episode doesn't cover much archaeology content but how the ongoing pandemic has affected the APN, what 2022 holds for the network, and how this podcast has been performing over the past year. Now, the annua…
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Battlefield Archaeology with Ray Sumner - Ep 87
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In this episode we are joined by Ray Sumner, a Ph.D. candidate in Anthropology at Colorado State University. Ray was a career U.S. Army officer prior to pursuing his Ph.D. in Anthropology, he reflects on his military experience and how it has shaped his research on Plains Indian Warfare during the late 19th century. Ray and Carlton find out they sh…
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Nor'eastern PaleoIndian Archaeology with Dr. Heather Rockwell - Ep 86
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In this episode, we are joined by Dr. Heather Rockwell, who is an Assistant Professor at Salve Regina University. Big surprise, she is another fellow University of Wyoming alum. We begin by asking about her developing years in archaeology and then delve into her choice of undergraduate and graduate programs. She explains how having a diverse commit…
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A Conversation with Matt Reed: THPO for the Pawnee Nation of Oklahoma - Ep 85
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On this episode of A Life in Ruins Podcast, we interview Matt Reed. Matt is the Tribal Historic Preservation Officer for the Pawnee Nation of Oklahoma, We talk about how his families military service factored into his fascination with history and ultimately pushing him to study history as an undergraduate. We then talk about his academic career and…
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The Anthropology of Castration with Dr. Kathryn Reusch - Ep 84
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In this episode, we are joined by Dr. Kathryn Reusch, who is a Conservation Technician in the Museum Conservation Department at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science. We talk about her experiences in school in the UK, her graduate research, and then we take a deep dive into the painful topic of castration (and yes we mean human castration). Conno…
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Microfauna, Langmahdhalde, and being a Military Spouse with Dr. Gillian Wong - Ep 83
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In this episode, we are joined by Dr. Gillian Wong, who is an Adjunct Professor of Anthropology at Metropolitan Community College in Kansas City, Missouri, and a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Tuebingen. Dr. Wong chats with us about her early outdoor days, experiences at UC Davis, and how learning French has been useful for her in arc…
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Bioarchaeology Across the World with Dr. Alex Garcia-Putnam - Ruins 82
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In this episode, we are chatting with Dr. Alex Garcia-Putnam who is the Assistant State Physical Anthropologist for the Department of Archaeology and History Preservation in Washington State. And how did we come across Dr. Garcia-Putnam? Well he is a UW graduate of course! We start out by recapping how we know each other and talk about Alex's aweso…
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Covid 19 Ruck Luck - With Lana Ruck - Ep 81
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In this episode, we are joined again by Duel Ph.D. candidate in Anthropology and Cognitive Science, Lana Ruck. Lana first appeared on Episode 16, then Episode 41, and recently appeared on Episode 79. But on this episode, rather than talk about pseudoscientists or nerd out over paleo-anth with Ella, we’re going to catch up with Lana about her disser…
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The "Mane" Event with Dr. William Taylor - Ep 80
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For this episode, we are joined again by Dr. William Taylor, who first appeared on the podcast in episode 25. We start out by discussing Dr. Taylor's COVID experience as a new professor and how his museum projects had to change to adapt to the new COVID landscape. We then delve into the research surrounding the Lehi horse. Dr. Taylor explains his m…
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"Seeing Red" Episode 14 Review with Emily Van Alst and Lana Ruck - Ep 79
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In this episode of A Life in Ruins (originally recorded in the summer of 2020), Carlton chats with Rock Art Specialist Emily Van Alst and Lana Ruck, who teaches a course in Pseudoarchaeology. The three take a deep dive into Episode 14 - Our Ruined Lives with Bernie Taylor, to deconstruct Mr. Taylor's arguments and claims he made on the show. We rev…
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The Life of Bryon: An Interview with Dr. Bryon Schroeder and Connor Johnen - Ep 78
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In this episode of A Life in Ruins, Connor does a solo interview with Dr. Bryon Schroeder. Dr. Schroeder was originally on Episode 15, where he discussed his career in archaeology and regaled us with tales about Texas archaeology that were sometimes, quite disturbing. Connor wanted to continue to talk with him about his research because it is very …
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The Gault in Our Stars: A Conversation with Dr. Robert Lassen - Ep 77
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In this episode, we are chatting with Dr. Robert Lassen, a Principal Investigator for AmaTerra Environmental. Robert received his Ph.D. from the University of Tennessee where he specialized in lithic technology and studied Clovis and Folsom archaeological cultures. He has worked at a multitude of sites throughout the Republic of Texas, including Ga…
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Something A-foot in White Sands National Monument with Dr. Shane Miller and Dr. Jesse Tune - Ep 76
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Something's afoot. There is, yet again, another controversial preclovis find. This time, away from the West Coast and in New Mexico. The controversy surrounds human footprints found in White Sands National Park that are dated between 23 and 21 kya. To discuss these possible pre-Clovis footprints, we invited Dr. Jesse Tune and Dr. Shane Miller on th…
Dr. Devin Pettigrew comes back on the show to talk about his doctoral dissertation on atlatl and bow weapon system ballistics. Devin first appeared on the show as a guest host back in episode 18.2 and then again as a guest for episode 19. You may also recognize him if you've checked out our YouTube channel. We start off by talking about the dissert…
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Tips, Tricks, and Dance Moves for Anthropology Undergrad and Grad Programs - Ep 74
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In this episode of A Life in Ruins, we provide information about undergraduate and graduate school. We start off joking about our favorite episodes (all of them are our favorite) and then dive into things to consider when applying to undergraduate and graduate programs. We talk about our differing experiences in undergrad and the positives and nega…
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Ancient Civ: Central America with Dr. David S. Anderson - Ep 73
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On this episode of A Life In Ruins Podcast, we are joined by an early A Life in Ruins guest, Dr. David S. Anderson, to talk about the Origins of early states in Mesoamerica. Dr. Anderson first appeared on our show in episode 11 to talk about pseudoscience in archaeology, and we are excited to have him back on the show to discuss with us the real pe…
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Arrrgh Ruined Lives with Maddy McAllister and Jamie Goodall - Ep 72
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In this episode of we have the pleasure of hosting the most fan-requested crossover: The Shipwreck Mermaid and the Pirate Historian. Dr. Maddy McAllister, aka the Shipwreck Mermaid, is a Maritime archaeology Curator based out of Australia. Dr. Jamie Goodall is a staff historian with the US government. They are both popular social media personalitie…
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Of Mammoths and Hand Sprays with Dr. Madeline Mackie - Ep 71
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On this episode of ALiRP, we interview our friend and colleague, Dr. Madeline Mackie. Dr. Mackie just began her position as an assistant professor at Weber State University in Ogden, Utah. Dr. Mackie studies Paleoindian lifeways and big game hunting, as well as ochre hand sprays. We met Dr. Mackie at the University of Wyoming, where she dealt with …
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Ancient Civ - Indus Valley with Stefan Milo - Ep 70
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On this episode of A Life in Ruins, we continue our series on ancient civilization and discuss Indus Valley Civilizations and their precursors. We have Stefan Milo join us to discuss this region. Stefan Milo is a popular Youtuber who has appeared on episodes 20 and 43. He made a video on an Indus Valley Civilization where he discusses the interesti…
We celebrate our 69th episode by investigating the rise of early state civilizations in South America. The four early states that we cover are Norte Chico, Chavin, Nazca, and of course, Moche. This episode is a wild ride of pyramids, ceremonial complexes, severed heads, and Moche sex pots. Sprinkled throughout the episode are references to Star War…
Buckle up for an episode on the theory of the rise of early states and ancient civilizations. Episode 68 sets the stage for a series investigating early civilizations across the globe. We break down Elman Service and Lewis Henry Morgan's theories on cultural complexity and go through a couple of definitions for "civilization". Think that's going to…
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Days of AR-CHIVES with Kelly Brown - Ep 67
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In this episode of the A Life in Ruins Podcast, we interview Kelly Brown, the Archives Lab Manager at the Augusta Veterans Curation Program. Her main job component is managing archives, her secondary responsibility is being David's workplace babysitter. She recently graduated with a Master's Degree in Library and Information science (MLIS) and has …
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Fantastic Domesticates and Where to Find Them - New World - Ep 66
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We wrap up our animal domestication series with a discussion about animals that were domesticated in North and South America. We cover llamas, guinea pigs (so startled), turkey's and a few other domesticates that the three hosts didn't know about. Of course, there are plenty of South Park and Disney Movie references throughout the episode. Literatu…
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Fantastic Domesticates and Where to Find them - Old World - Ep 65
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In this episode of A Life in Ruins podcast, The hosts have another off the rails discussion about domesticates. This time however, talking llamas, guinea pigs, camels, horses, goats, and dogs. You might notice that not all of them are Old World Domesticates. Honestly, you’ll just have to listen to the episode understand. It is actually a very thoug…
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Folsom Game Drive Blues with Kelton Meyer - Ep 64
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In this episode, we delve back into the Paleoindian period. We interview Kelton Meyer, a graduate student in anthropology at Colorado State University about his research on game drives in the Rocky Mountains and the techniques he utilizes to analyze spatial relationships. The three hosts also chat with Kelton about his recent publications and resea…
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Fantastic Domesticates and Where to Find Them - Dogs - Ep 63
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For this episode of Just the Boyz, we kick off our series on animal domesticates, starting with the oldest known domesticated animal: the dog. We are fortunate to have David as a one of the hosts as he is one of the leading public scholars when it comes to the relationship between dogs and humans throughout human history. We chat about the earliest…
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Back in Black: Primate Microbiomes with Carson Black - Ep 62
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In this episode, we are pleased to have Carson Black return to the show. Carson joined us way back on Episode 17 to talk about Primatology and the beginnings of her Master’s thesis research. We are excited to announce that Carson recently graduated with her Master’s degree and are happy to have her back on to talk about her thesis research. We disc…
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Just the Boyz But It’s Revolutionary Part II (Do not operate heavy machinery or drive while listening to this episode) - Ep 61
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In this episode, we continue talking about the Revolutionary War, aka the War for American Freedom, aka ‘Merica War’. We hope this one is more factual and just as hilarious as Episode 57. We recount the events following the Crossing of the Delaware River, highlight Burgoyne's surrender at Saratoga, the winter at Valley Forge, the alliance between F…
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University of Sheffield Shutdown of the Archaeology Department - Ep 60
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In this special episode, we discuss the potential closing of the Archaeology Department at Sheffield University with Dr. Umberto Albarella and Helen Thompson. Dr. Albarella is faculty in the Archaeology Department and Helen is a Ph.D. student in the program. They fill us in on what's going at the University of Sheffield, the events leading up to th…
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Ethnomusicology and Archaeomusicology with Dr. Mason Brown - Ep 59
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In this episode, we chat with Dr. Mason Brown, a guest assistant professor for Kathmandu University Department of Music and Affiliate Scholar for the University of Colorado Boulder’s Center for Asian Studies. We delve into his early interests in ethnomusicology / Tibetan culture and get into the details of what ethnomusicology is. Dr. Brown talks a…