Nomads and Empires

Nomads and Empires

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Charting the history of the Eurasian steppe, including the Scythians, the Gokturks, and the Mongols.

Nomads and Empires


    • Apr 1, 2024 LATEST EPISODE
    • monthly NEW EPISODES
    • 33m AVG DURATION
    • 26 EPISODES
    • 1 SEASONS


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    Latest episodes from Nomads and Empires

    Episode 25: The Öltenic of Godherja

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 1, 2024 54:26 Transcription Available


    On this special First of April, we cover the nomadic peoples of the world of Godherja: the Öltenic. Please check this great mod for Crusader Kings 3! You can download the mod on its Steam page linked here or on ModDB here. Many appreciations to the Godherja team for providing me with feedback and corrections as well! Corrections:At around 13:17, I state that the Hyartan Mountains are the highest on the continent. The largest mountains are actually the Worldspine (where the Mayikrata is built on).During the discussion of the Bayyuralar in around 47:00, I should have clarified that the event did not just target the Astilik Empire. Other, unrelated states were also targeted by Baytor and his vassals. At about 50:50, I use the term "Imperial Legate" when the correct term to denote an Aversarian general is Legon or Legan. This point was made unclear in the episode, but it should be noted that during the period of Imperial domination by Aversaria, the Öltenic peoples were considered nominal "citizens" of the empire. Social MediaPatreon: https://www.patreon.com/NomadsandEmpiresTwitter: https://twitter.com/NomadEmpiresPodSubstack: https://nomadsandempirespodcast.substack.com/  

    Episode 24: Scythians: Tomyris and Cyrus

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 23, 2024 40:00 Transcription Available


    On this episode, we explore the titanic clash between Cyrus of the Persians and Tomyris of the Massagetae. Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/NomadsandEmpiresTwitter: https://twitter.com/NomadEmpiresPodSubstack: https://nomadsandempirespodcast.substack.com/  Relevant Books:Barry Cunliffe, The Scythians: Nomad Warriors of the SteppeDavid Greene (trans.), The History of HerodotusIlya Gershevitch, The Cambridge History of Iran, Volume 2

    Episode 23: The Modern Pontic Steppe

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 23, 2023 41:03


    In this special episode, we speak to Oleksiy Vasyliuk of the Ukrainian Nature Conservation Group and Tobias Muenchmeyer, European Project Lead at Green Recovery Ukraine, about the current status of Ukraine's steppes amid the ongoing war. Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/NomadsandEmpiresTwitter: https://twitter.com/NomadEmpiresPodSubstack: https://nomadsandempirespodcast.substack.com/  Relevant Reading from Oleksiy:Restoring Ukraine's nature post-war: Hopes and risksAskania Nova Biosphere Reserve captured by invadersNew laws for the reclaim of protected areas by farmers

    Episode 22: Scythians: Endings and Beginnings

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 21, 2023 31:37 Transcription Available


    Another chapter ends, somewhat. Today, the Scythians will be pushed back to the Pontic steppe and will face those they had left behind.  Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/NomadsandEmpiresTwitter: https://twitter.com/NomadEmpiresPodSubstack: https://nomadsandempirespodcast.substack.com/  Relevant Books:Barry Cunliffe, The Scythians: Nomad Warriors of the SteppeDenis Sinor, The Cambridge History of Inner Asia, Volume 1Esther Jacobson, The Art of the Scythians: The Interpenetration of Cultures at the Edge of the Hellenic WorldHyun Jin Kim, et al., Eurasian Empires in Antiquity and the Early Middle Ages:Contact and Exchange between the Graeco-Roman World, Inner Asia and ChinaIver B. Neumann and Einar Wigen, The Steppe Tradition in International Relations: Russians, Turks, and European State Building 4000 BCE-2018 BCE

    Episode 21: Scythians: Masters of Asia

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 22, 2023 40:33


    We investigate the supposed Scythian "28-year reign" of the Near East, including their conquests of Media and Palestine.Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/NomadsandEmpiresTwitter: https://twitter.com/NomadEmpiresPodSubstack: https://nomadsandempirespodcast.substack.com/  Relevant Books:Barry Cunliffe, The Scythians: Nomad Warriors of the SteppeDenis Sinor, The Cambridge History of Inner Asia, Volume 1Hyun Jin Kim, et al., Eurasian Empires in Antiquity and the Early Middle Ages:Contact and Exchange between the Graeco-Roman World, Inner Asia and ChinaJohn Boardman, et al., The Cambridge Ancient History,  Volume 3, Part 2: The Assyrian and Babylonian Empires and Other States of the Near East, from the Eighth to the Sixth Centuries BC, 2nd edition

    Episode 20: Scythians: Back to the Caucasus

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 16, 2023 30:15 Transcription Available


    The Scythians move through the north and south Caucasus, pushing to the borders of the ancient Near East. Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/NomadsandEmpiresTwitter: https://twitter.com/NomadEmpiresPodSubstack: https://nomadsandempirespodcast.substack.com/  Relevant Books:Antonio Sagona, The Archaeology of the Caucasus: From Earliest Settlements to the Iron Age Barry Cunliffe, The Scythians: Nomad Warriors of the SteppeJohn Boardman, et al., The Cambridge Ancient History,  Volume 3, Part 2: The Assyrian and Babylonian Empires and Other States of the Near East, from the Eighth to the Sixth Centuries BC, 2nd edition

    Episode 19: Scythians: Legendary and Humble Beginnings

    Play Episode Listen Later May 22, 2023 34:38 Transcription Available


    We continue the narrative by assessing the mythological and historical origins of the Scythians. Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/NomadsandEmpiresTwitter: https://twitter.com/NomadEmpiresPodSubstack: https://nomadsandempirespodcast.substack.com/      Relevant Books:Barry Cunliffe, The Scythians: Nomad Warriors of the SteppeClaudia Chang, Rethinking Prehistoric Central Asia: Shepherds, Farmers, and NomadsRenate Rolle, The World of the ScythiansYulia Ustanova, The Supreme God of the Bosporan Kingdom: Celestial Aphrodite and the Most High God 

    Episode 18: Scythians: Arts

    Play Episode Listen Later May 6, 2023 21:50 Transcription Available


    We analyze the artistic and material culture of the Scythians, and put a critical eye on the term "Scytho-Siberian Culture."Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/NomadsandEmpiresTwitter: https://twitter.com/NomadEmpiresPodSubstack: https://nomadsandempirespodcast.substack.com/     

    Episode 17: Scythians: Religion

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 22, 2023 34:23 Transcription Available


    We examine the religious beliefs of the Scythians, as well as thoughts of the afterlife.Twitter: https://twitter.com/NomadEmpiresPodSubstack: https://nomadsandempirespodcast.substack.com/    

    Episode 16: Rhûn: The Wainriders and Balchoth

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 1, 2023 29:49 Transcription Available


    On today, April 1, we assess the nomads of Middle Earth, the peoples who reside in far eastern Rhûn.Twitter: https://twitter.com/NomadEmpiresPodSubstack: https://nomadsandempirespodcast.substack.com/   

    Episode 15: Scythians: Warfare

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 11, 2023 28:32 Transcription Available


    We look into the weapons, armor, and tactics of Scythian warfare.  Twitter: https://twitter.com/NomadEmpiresPodSubstack: https://nomadsandempirespodcast.substack.com/  

    Episode 14: Scythians: The Scythian World

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 25, 2023 23:02 Transcription Available


    In this episode, we broadly examine the different Scythian groups from the grasses of Ukraine to the highlands of the Sayan-Altai. We meet peoples like the Pazyryk, the Massagetae, and the Saka. Twitter: https://twitter.com/NomadEmpiresPodSubstack: https://nomadsandempirespodcast.substack.com/ 

    Episode 13: Scythians: An Introduction

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 11, 2023 21:01 Transcription Available


    Today, we introduce the Scythians. This episode provides a brief overview and dives a little into the historiographical development of Scythian studies.Twitter: https://twitter.com/NomadEmpiresPodSubstack: https://nomadsandempirespodcast.substack.com/

    Tales from the Steppe: Boktu-Kirish, A Tuvan Tale

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 23, 2022 26:44 Transcription Available


    In this side episode, part of the Tales from the Steppe bonus episodes, we dive into the tale of Boktu-Kirish, a story that derives from the Tuvan people. Come listen as we hear about the exploits of a young woman on a quest to bring her dead brother back to life. 

    Episode 12: Kimmerians: Sundered and Scattered

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 15, 2022 33:29 Transcription Available


    On today's episode, we track the movements of the Medes, the Scythians, the Lydians, and the Kimmerians, as we finally end this leg of our journey. 

    Episode 11: Kimmerians: The Beginning of the End

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 2, 2022 32:03 Transcription Available


    We chart the Kimmerians as they launched attacks against the Kingdom of Lydia, placing us closer to the eventual end of the Kimmerians. 

    Episode 10: Kimmerians: To Phrygia and Beyond

    Play Episode Listen Later May 22, 2022 34:46 Transcription Available


    We examine the Kimmerian migration to Anatolia in the aftermath of Urartian and Assyrian invasions. We then chart the emergence of conflict between the Kimmerians and the Phrygians. 

    Episode 9: Kimmerians: The Ancient Near Eastern Cold War

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 28, 2022 42:58 Transcription Available


    Today, we explore the years 720-714 BCE as the Near Eastern states of Assyria and Urartu duke it out in a grand geopolitical struggle. All the while, the Kimmerians are making their way further and further into the region.

    Episode 8: Kimmerians: Through the Caucasus

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 19, 2022 33:33 Transcription Available


     We finally start the narrative and introduce our first named historical group: the Kimmerians.  

    Episode 7: The Khan of Arzhan 1

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 24, 2022 36:26 Transcription Available


    We assess environmental and sociocultural changes of the 1000s BCE and track how these changes would culminate in the kurgan of Arzhan 1. 

    Episode 6: The Indo-European Migrations

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 8, 2022 38:47 Transcription Available


    Today, we chart the emergence of the proto-Indo-Europeans and their subsequent migrations across Eurasia, including groups like the Indo-Iranians and proto-Tocharians. 

    Episode 5: The Prehistoric Steppe

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 9, 2021 32:27 Transcription Available


    We explore the prehistoric Eurasian steppe and assess the changes emerging after the global Ice Age. 

    Episode 4: The Historiographical Context

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 2, 2021 22:07


    Today, we look at the historiography of the Eurasian steppe and address the complexities, problems, and major historical trends of academic research in this part of the world.  

    Episode 3: The Western and Central Steppes

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 2, 2021 50:12 Transcription Available


    We examine the geography of the western and central Eurasian steppes and assess major trends and summarize historical developments. 

    Episode 2: The Eastern Steppe

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 2, 2021 36:25 Transcription Available


    In this episode, we explore the geography of the eastern Eurasian steppe, an area encompassing modern day Mongolia and southeastern Siberia.  

    Episode 1: The Eternal Blue Sky

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 2, 2021 21:30 Transcription Available


    Introducing the Nomads and Empires podcast. Here, we talk about the structure, major themes, and important considerations of this show.   

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