Monuments Woman

Follow Monuments Woman
Share on
Copy link to clipboard

Indiana Jones was a woman. Join host George Gavrilis as American archaeologist Laura Tedesco takes us on her 11-year journey to help save Afghanistan's cultural treasures from looters, earthquakes, and the Taliban.

George Gavrilis and Laura Tedesco


    • Feb 22, 2022 LATEST EPISODE
    • infrequent NEW EPISODES
    • 26m AVG DURATION
    • 31 EPISODES


    Search for episodes from Monuments Woman with a specific topic:

    Latest episodes from Monuments Woman

    Q&A with Laura Tedesco and George Gavrilis

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 22, 2022 38:17 Transcription Available


    Laura and George answer questions submitted by our listeners.

    Ep 28: Kabul, Je T'Aime

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 8, 2022 38:51 Transcription Available


    In this candid finale, Laura and George talk about the highs and lows of her decade in Afghanistan and an uncertain future. A mystery lover is revealed.

    Ep 27: Like It or Not

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 1, 2022 27:01 Transcription Available


    Laura shares a memory about a media appearance and George talks about his time as an election monitor in Kabul.

    Ep 26: Matt Damon @ aol.com

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 25, 2022 35:17 Transcription Available


    Before her first trip to Afghanistan, Laura "Jason Bournes" her way through a barricade of cars. Years later, she corners Matt Damon in a conversation about Kabul.

    Ep 25: An Act of Defiance

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 18, 2022 35:55 Transcription Available


    Laura investigates a loud crash on her roof and visits a close friend from Afghanistan, triggering memories of a project that aimed to fix what the Taliban destroyed.

    Ep 24: Raggedy Ann Doll

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 11, 2022 27:17 Transcription Available


    Continuing their discussion about Herat, George and Laura talk about a frightening day that marked Laura's last visit to Afghanistan's cultural capital.

    Ep 23: I Heart Herat

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 4, 2022 26:40 Transcription Available


    After unleashing a pent-up rant, George and Laura talk about Herat and the restoration of its legendary citadel.

    Ep 22: He Loves Soup. I Love Soup.

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 14, 2021 18:52 Transcription Available


    Laura and George discuss the work of a team of University of Chicago archaeologists who use satellite photos to track looting in Afghanistan and catch up on Laura's French husband.

    Ep 21: Trust Fall

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 7, 2021 19:54 Transcription Available


    If you had to leave your home with one suitcase, what would you take? That's a question that became real for many Afghans as the Taliban swept over the country.

    Ep 20: The Architect

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 30, 2021 29:06 Transcription Available


    The saga of the National Museum of Afghanistan continues as Laura and George talk with Toño Foraster Mariscal, the Spanish architect who in 2013 won the competition to design a new museum and who believes that architecture cannot be the protagonist of the story.

    Ep 19: Zabul, not Kabul

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 16, 2021 28:47 Transcription Available


    After channeling Redd Foxx while nearly choking to death, George talks to Laura about her jaunt to Zabul province and her quest to find historic sites to preserve.

    Ep 18: It's All about the Paper

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 9, 2021 34:52 Transcription Available


    Laura hires an intrepid and seasoned photographer to shoot Afghanistan's heritage sites. As it turns out, this is no easy mission, as Robert Nickelsberg tells us in his own words.

    Ep 17: Punch in the D*ck

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 2, 2021 30:09 Transcription Available


    After Armenia, Laura heads to a dig in Syria. In between stories of wild dogs and being detained by police, she teaches us a thing or two about Mesopotamian civilizations.

    Ep 16: Not the Kardashians' Armenia

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 26, 2021 28:40 Transcription Available


    After her cat survives a fight with a venomous snake in her front yard, Laura reminisces about an Urartian archaeological dig in Armenia in the 1990s and an unexpected marriage proposal.

    Ep 15: Sift This

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 19, 2021 21:49 Transcription Available


    So how does one exactly become an archaeologist? Laura's answer transports us to the 1990s to graduate school in a gritty New York and digs in broiling Cyprus and a newly independent Armenia.

    Ep 14: In the End, Love Wins

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 12, 2021 28:19 Transcription Available


    With Kabul's internet at a slow drip and telecom companies losing staff and clients left and right, Laura and George manage somehow to connect with an Afghan colleague and friend. Jamal stayed in Kabul after the Taliban took over, and has a story to tell.

    Ep 13: Troubletown II

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 5, 2021 20:37 Transcription Available


    The Taliban are racing towards the gates of Kabul. Everyone is heading for the exits, even Afghan friends Laura and George thought would never leave. They reminisce about Laura's life in the confines of the US Embassy and the city just beyond the compound.

    Ep 12: Silverback Gorillas

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 28, 2021 25:53 Transcription Available


    The discussion of the atmospheric Afghan north continues as Laura takes us on a sweep of its archaeological history. She uses words like "silverback" and "tumuli" that George had to look up and has now added to his everyday vocabulary.

    Ep 11: Balkh or Bust

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 21, 2021 28:43 Transcription Available


    Laura and George head to the north of Afghanistan, where archaeological riches abound and challenges mount as the once rebellious north comes under Taliban control.

    Ep 10: People, People, People

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 14, 2021 33:46 Transcription Available


    Laura had an idea: a book on heritage work across Afghanistan, that tells the stories of how Afghans live and observe the archaeology and history around them. This book has become a document of what might be lost in the years ahead, now that the Taliban have taken over the country.

    Ep 9: Folks Are Scared

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 7, 2021 27:50 Transcription Available


    In this 3rd part of the story of Mes Aynak, Laura and George talk about past and present, and the stunning exhibit of artifacts at the National Museum in 2011. But the conversation turns dark as they face the reality of the Taliban's takeover in 2021.

    Ep 8: It's Not Either / Or

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 31, 2021 23:22 Transcription Available


    The story of Mes Aynak continues as George and Laura ask: does Afghanistan have to eliminate a chapter of its history to become less poor? And Laura gets personal and talks about how she avoided becoming a cat lady.

    Ep 7: Caravan of Kuchis

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 24, 2021 31:23 Transcription Available


    Laura makes a surreal journey to Mes Aynak, Afghanistan's largest Buddhist archaeological site not far from Kabul. George suggests a motto for Afghanistan's tourism industry.

    Special Message: We Will Not Look Away

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 17, 2021 1:40 Transcription Available


    A message from the host of Monuments Woman to our Afghan friends and colleagues.

    Ep 6: Digging Up Rocks

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 10, 2021 22:48 Transcription Available


    Back in South Carolina, George, our host, asks Laura's daughter what she thought about mom spending so much time in Afghanistan.

    Ep 5: The Once and Future Museum

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 3, 2021 19:26 Transcription Available


    Laura and George discuss the competition to design a new national museum in Afghanistan. But will the winner become the loser?

    Ep 4: What Would You Save?

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 27, 2021 24:33 Transcription Available


    Laura shows up at the national museum in Kabul. What she finds inside the building moves her and begins a saga to set the stage for building a new museum for the nation.

    Ep 3: A Seat at the Table

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 20, 2021 27:32 Transcription Available


    Laura takes another swipe at the dreaded podcast title before she continues the story of Ghazni and why the work to preserve culture and history mattered.

    Ep 2: Two Lone Minarets

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 13, 2021 31:36 Transcription Available


    Laura, in flak jacket and helmet, heads to Ghazni, a city whose rich history is matched by crushing poverty. Two ancient minarets just outside the city become the focus of her attention. Rocket attacks and punishing heat prove challenging, but not insurmountable.

    Ep 1: Troubletown

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 6, 2021 22:49 Transcription Available


    Laura, our archaeologist, arrives in Kabul jet-lagged and without a plan. Her job is to help preserve Afghanistan's vast archaeological and historical treasures. Money is no object. But where do you even start?

    Intro: The Reluctant Monuments Woman

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 6, 2021 2:12 Transcription Available


    Host and oral historian George Gavrilis introduces the podcast featuring American archaeologist Laura Tedesco's 11-year journey to help protect and preserve Afghanistan's cultural heritage.

    Claim Monuments Woman

    In order to claim this podcast we'll send an email to with a verification link. Simply click the link and you will be able to edit tags, request a refresh, and other features to take control of your podcast page!

    Claim Cancel