Our Prehistory

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The history of humanity before civilization is populated by an array of cultures throughout the millennia and across the continents. The earliest humans followed diverse customs and survival strategies, explored the unknown, adapted to exotic ecosystems,

Benjy Longworth

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    • May 16, 2025 LATEST EPISODE
    • monthly NEW EPISODES
    • 33m AVG DURATION
    • 40 EPISODES


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    Latest episodes from Our Prehistory

    40. Arrival in America

    Play Episode Listen Later May 16, 2025 55:01


    Homo sapiens, the only hominin to colonize every continent on the planet, finally reaches America. But who were the first Americans and when did they arrive? Support the show

    39. Terminal Pleistocene of Southeast Asia

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 2, 2025 34:27


    19,000 to 11,700 years ago ... In the Himalayan foothills of Thailand and the southern islands of Wallacea, the adoption of new funerary rituals, ornaments, and tools by hunter gatherer societies coincided with global warming and large human migrations.Support the show

    38. Rock Art of Southeast Asia [Preview]

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 9, 2025 3:54


    53,000 to 13,000 years ago ... Recent dating of rock paintings in Indonesia has redefined our understanding of the oldest art produced by humans and raised the possibility of an extremely old and widespread Pan-Eurasian and Sahulian style.Support the show

    37. Rainforest Adaptations in Asia

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 19, 2025 38:07


    The first Homo sapiens to reach Southeast Asia quickly learned how to survive in rainforests, overcoming the unique challenges of this rainy biome.Support the show

    36. Hoabinhian and Indian Microlithic

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 28, 2024 43:43


    Incredibly stable traditions of stone tool making remained in use for tens of thousands of years in South and Southeast Asia.Support the show

    35. Cultural Variation of the Final Paleolithic [Preview]

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 24, 2024 3:49


    19,000 to 11,700 years ago ... Stirring of future fundamental transformations in the human way of life begin in parts of northeast Asia at the end of the Paleolithic.Support the show

    34. Invention of Pottery

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 3, 2024 41:58


    20,000 to 11,700 years ago ... As the planet thawed after the Last Glacial Maximum, human life continued to evolve. A range of technologies appeared among the groups living in East Asia, one of which would eventually play a role in shaping our modern world. Support the Show.

    33. Microblades

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 4, 2024 35:17


    30,000 to 20,000 years ago ... A powerful new stone tool technology broke through longstanding cultural boundaries.Support the Show.

    32. Middle Upper Paleolithic [Preview]

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 30, 2024 4:31


    35,000 to 25,000 years ago ... The first major changes to the cultures of Siberia and Japan take place after the arrival of Homo sapiens result in peak in artistic production.Support the Show.

    31. Origin of the Late Paleolithic of East Asia

    Play Episode Listen Later May 30, 2024 54:33


    50,000 to 30,000 years ago ... The start of a new period of prehistory in China, Korea, and Japan began with the arrival of Homo sapiens and the quick development of regionally distinctive cultures.Support the Show.

    30. Colonization of Asia

    Play Episode Listen Later May 5, 2024 43:23


    60,000 to 40,000 years ago ... As Homo sapiens dispersed across Asia, they followed two different routes and these movements shaped the earliest cultures of this continent.Support the Show.

    29. Sahulian Terminal Pleistocene [Preview]

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 20, 2024 2:50


    20,000 to 12,000 years ago ... As the world warmed, humans extended their reach in Sahul, migrated away from the rising seas, developed new funerary rituals, and learned new ways to manage animal populations.Support the show

    28. Last Glacial Maximum of Sahul

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 28, 2024 32:48


    28,600 to 17,700 years ago ... Global cooling altered the ecosystems of Sahul and forced its human populations to adapt. Support the show

    27. Pleistocene Rock Art of Sahul

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 7, 2024 43:57


    50,000 to 12,000 ... Prehistoric paintings and engravings provide insights into the rituals, technology, and worldviews of Australians, tens of thousands of years ago.Support the show

    26. Early Sahulian Lifeways [Preview]

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 12, 2023 4:38


    50,000 to 30,000 years ago ... Isolated from people on other continents, the oldest traditions of Sahulians evolved along a unique cultural pathway.Support the show

    25. Arrival in Sahul

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 21, 2023 45:45


    65,000 to 40,000 years ago ... By crossing the ocean between Asia and the coasts of New Guinea and Australia, Homo sapiens dispersed to and colonized a third continent.Support the show

    24. Upper Paleolithic of Europe: Revolution and Equilibrium

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 31, 2023 30:15


    48,000 to 11,000 years ago ... Long term trends reveal dramatic changes in social complexity and the impact of climate, population size, and migration on cultural variation.Support the show

    23. Tanged-Point and Flat-Blade Cultures [Preview]

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 17, 2023 5:16


    12,850 to 11,670 years ago ... The last gasp of the Ice Age led people across northern Europe to adopt a different way of life, one that resembled the customs of long lost cultures. Cultures: Swiderian, Ahrensburgian, Desnenian, Bromme, Laborian.Support the show

    Younger Dryas of Southern Europe

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 26, 2023 42:40


    12,850 to 11,670 years ago ... In the Mediterranean Basin of Europe, the resilience of stone age societies was on display during the last gasp of the Ice Age. Support the show

    21. Bølling-Allerød of Europe

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 28, 2023 56:04


    14,700 to 12,800 years ago ... A dramatically warmer world and the proliferation of woodlands led people in Europe to a radically different way of life. Some groups thrived, other societies crumbled. Cultures: Azilian, Federmesser, Epimagdalenian, and Late Epigravettian.Support the show

    20. Late Epigravettian [Preview]

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 28, 2023 5:25


    19,000 to 15,000 years ago ... Among the cultures of eastern and southern Europe that came after the Last Glacial Maximum, the Mezinian of the Dnieper River basin left behind the most diverse set of remains. Also, a new genetic lineage appeared in Italy.Support the show

    Magdalenian Expansion

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 20, 2023 51:48


    The final 2,000 years of the Magdalenian culture witnessed a major geographic expansion of hunter gatherer society in western and central Europe. Simultaneously, a new type of hunting weapon was invented and an old artistic theme made a reappearance. Support the show

    europe expansion magdalenian
    18. Magdalenian Origin

    Play Episode Listen Later May 26, 2023 57:02


    The greatest heights of Upper Paleolithic cave paintings and engraved portable art were reached after the Last Glacial Maximum ended and human populations grew.Support the show

    17. Solutrean [Preview]

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 18, 2023 4:12


    As the hunter gatherers of southwestern Europe endured the Last Glacial Maximum, a unique culture arose, characterized by fine stone points and a rich artistic repertoire.Support the show

    16. Last Glacial Maximum

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 22, 2023 45:29


    The peak of the Last Ice Age drastically altered the course of European prehistory. Around 25,000 years ago, as the glaciers reached their maximum extent, the Gravettian ended and was replaced with a variety of local cultures. In central and eastern Europe this period is called the Epigravettian.Support the show

    15. Gravettian Art

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 2, 2023 51:09


    The Gravettian saw a flourishing of hunter gatherer art.  Engravings of bison, Venus figurines, and rich burials hint at a shifting Ice Age ideology and social organization.Support the show

    14. Gravettian Technology [Preview]

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 12, 2023 3:13


    The Aurignacian culture of Europe ended 33,000 years ago and was replaced by the Gravettian. Sometimes overlooked, this period of prehistory saw an intriguing peak in Ice Age culture and the precocious development of technologies not often associated with hunter gatherers.Support the show

    13. Aurignacian Art

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 20, 2022 47:30


    The oldest European sculptures, paintings, and musical instruments appeared around 40,000 years ago. What does Aurignacian art reveal about the worldview of ancient hunter gatherers?Support the show

    12. Aurignacian Technology

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 1, 2022 38:54


    In the absence of Neanderthals, Homo sapiens developed the Aurignacian culture, which spanned Europe. These people continued the trend toward technological complexity that had begun during the out of Africa migrations.Support the show

    11. Neanderthal Extinction [Preview]

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 1, 2022 4:36


    Our most detailed insight into a prehistoric encounter and coexistence of two intelligent hominin species comes from the 8,000 year period before the eradication of the Neanderthals, when Homo sapiens migrated into Europe.Support the show

    10. Out of Africa Part 3

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 18, 2022 49:48


    One branch of Homo sapiens expanding out of Africa migrated through southern Asia and adapted to tropical environments. Bows and arrows, microlithic tools, and seafaring were some of their technological innovations.Support the show

    9. Out of Africa Part 2

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 4, 2022 45:32


    The permanent expansion of Homo sapiens out of Africa began about 60,000 years ago. After intimate encounters with Neanderthals in Southwest Asia, some of them moved into Europe and Northern Asia. How did these Eurasian migrants adapt to foreign climates and ecosystems?Support the show

    8. Neanderthals

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 13, 2022 3:33


    Eagle talons around their necks, painted faces, and stone-tipped spears in hand, Neanderthals were not dumb brutes. Join me on this crash course and learn about the species with whom we share the most in common.Support the show

    7. Out of Africa Part 1

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 7, 2022 54:07


    Footprints on lake margins, contact between hominin species, and changing fortunes in arid landscapes characterize the earliest attempts of Homo sapiens to leave Africa.Support the show

    6. Middle Stone Age of North Africa

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 2, 2022 54:11


    Despite the relatively harsh and fluctuating environmental conditions of North Africa, Middle Stone Age people there developed aspects of modern human behavior earlier than anywhere else.Support the show

    5. Middle Stone Age of Tropical Africa

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 19, 2021 57:36


    The crossroads of human evolution, tropical Africa supported several different populations of Homo sapiens between 130,000 and 40,000 years ago. They expanded, contracted, migrated, and eventually revealed their growing capacity for innovation.Support the show

    4. Middle Stone Age of Southern Africa

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 5, 2021 53:40


    Before our species left Africa for good, human creativity began to emerge along the southern tip of the continent in the form of new technology, symbolic objects, and greater social organization. Distinct cultures were finally appearing.Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/ourprehistorySupport the show

    3. Dawn of the Middle Stone Age

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 21, 2021 46:04


    The very first members of our species adopted innovative stone tools, hunted a variety of large animals, sat around campfires and used pigments. But were they as smart as we are today?Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/ourprehistorySupport the show

    2. Origins of Homo Sapiens

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 8, 2021 49:23


    The earliest members of our species appeared around 300,000 years ago in Africa. As they spread across the continent and split into different genetic lineages, they encountered other hominin species and weathered millennia of fluctuating climates.Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/ourprehistorySupport the show

    1. Introduction

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 7, 2021 12:42


    Welcome to Our Prehistory. Why is the earliest history of our species worth learning about? Find out in this introductory episode where I lay out the plan for this podcast.Support the show

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