Podcasts about Roman Britain

The wrap up of things unearthed in the second quarter of 2026 includes the potpourri category, lots of books and letters, shipwrecks, and neanderthals. Research: Addley, Esther. “Solstice-aligned 5,000-year-old monument ‘once in a lifetime find’, say archaeologists.” The Guardian. 6/17/2026. https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026/jun/18/solstice-aligned-monument-archaeology-wiltshire-stonehenge-prototype Anderson, Sonja. “These 600-Year-Old Chinese Surgical Instruments Are Coated in an Early Local Anesthetic—Carefully Extracted From a Poisonous Plant.” Smithsonian. 5/29/2026. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/these-600-year-old-chinese-surgical-instruments-are-coated-in-an-early-local-anestheticcarefully-extracted-from-a-poisonous-plant-180988865/ Archaeology Magazine. “Copper Part From Illicit 19th Century Still Discovered in Scotland.” 5/12/2026. https://archaeology.org/news/2026/05/12/copper-part-from-illicit-19th-century-still-discovered-in-scotland/ Associated Press Copenhagen. “Archaeologists discover wreck of Danish warship sunk by Nelson 225 years ago.” The Guardian. 4/2/2026. https://www.theguardian.com/science/2026/apr/02/archaeologists-discover-wreck-danish-warship-sunk-admiral-nelson Bassi, Margherita. “After Nearly 80 Years of Doubt, Scientists Say a Spear Lodged Between Elephant Ribs Offers Evidence That Neanderthals Hunted Big Game.” Smithsonian. 4/10/2026. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/after-nearly-80-years-of-doubt-scientists-say-a-spear-lodged-between-elephant-ribs-offers-evidence-that-neanderthals-hunted-big-game-180988522/ Baum, Stephanie and Robert Egan. “Bolivian mummy rewrites scarlet fever's past, suggesting killer bacterium circulated centuries before colonization.” EurekAlert. 4/15/2026. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-bolivian-mummy-rewrites-scarlet-fever.html Blackwood, Emma. “Baby fossils reveal link between human and Neanderthal development.” University of Queensland. Via EurekAlert. 6/19/2026. https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1132850 Blair, Elizabeth. “Decades-old, newly restored Smithsonian carousel reopens — to children’s delight.” WAMU. 4/25/2026. https://wamu.org/story/26/04/25/decades-old-newly-restored-smithsonian-carousel-reopens-to-childrens-delight/ Blake, Elissa. “New evidence reveals a millennium-old dingo was ritually buried, and cared for, along the Darling (Baaka) River in Australia.” University of Sydney. Via EurekAlert. 5/18/2026. https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1128408 Cerino, Marco. “Appeals court clears Trump's path to alter Philadelphia slavery exhibit at historic site.” Philadelphia Tribune. 6/18/2026. https://www.phillytrib.com/news/local_news/appeals-court-clears-trumps-path-to-alter-philadelphia-slavery-exhibit-at-historic-site/article_8ac83e65-6a6d-4db1-91c4-074f98c96a74.html?utm_medium=social&utm_source=email&utm_campaign=user-share Clark, Gaby. “Climate and competition alone cannot explain Neanderthal extinction, study finds.” Phys.org. 4/23/2026. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-climate-competition-neanderthal-extinction.html Clark, Gaby. “Did Neanderthals use rhinoceros teeth as tools?” Phys.org. 6/18/2026. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-neanderthals-rhinoceros-teeth-tools.html Clark, Gaby. “Nondestructive DNA sampling reveals 1,300 years of secrets in historic parchments.” Phys.org. 5/18/2026. https://phys.org/news/2026-05-nondestructive-dna-sampling-reveals-years.html Clark, Gaby. “Surprising diversity found among Europe's last Neanderthals.” Leiden University. Via Phys.org. 6/24/2026. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-diversity-europe-neanderthals.html Cummings, Mike. “Medici brothers' remains reveal Renaissance-era malaria strains, closing the book on a murder mystery.” Phys.org. 6/30/2026. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-medici-brothers-reveal-renaissance-era.html Defranceschi, Laura. “Ötzi and his microbiome: a 5,300-year-old relationship.” Eurac Research. Via EurekAlert. 6/2/2026. https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1129908 Dungate, Joanna. “Shakespeare’s ‘missing’ London house mapped with new discovery.” Kings College London. Via EurekAlert. 4/15/2026. https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1123989 Egan, Robert. “Neanderthal dentists used stone drills to treat cavities nearly 60,000 years ago, ancient molar suggests.” Phys.org. 5/13/2026. https://phys.org/news/2026-05-neanderthal-dentists-stone-drills-cavities.html Egan, Robert. “Stonehenge Altar Stone's epic transportation across ancient Britain detailed in new study.” Curtin University. Via Phys.org. 6/4/2026. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-stonehenge-altar-stone-epic-ancient.html Ellenby, Danielle. “Medieval Japanese poetry and buried trees help elucidate volatile space weather.” EurekAlert. 4/9/2026. https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1123008 Forbes, Ellie. “Archaeologists discover unexploded mortar shell at Culloden Battlefield.” Scottish Field. 4/14/2026. https://www.scottishfield.co.uk/news/archaeologists-discover-unexploded-mortar-shell-at-culloden-battlefield/ Harley, Sadie and Robert Egan. “Ancient chicken bones reveal human management in Korea 2,000 years ago.” Phys.org. 4/22/2026. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-ancient-chicken-bones-reveal-human.html Jones, Sam. “Hidden treasures: Spanish archaeologists discover trove of ancient shipwrecks in Bay of Gibraltar.” The Guardian. 4/15/2026. https://www.theguardian.com/science/2026/apr/15/hidden-treasures-spanish-archaeologists-discover-trove-of-ancient-shipwrecks-in-bay-of-gibraltar Kuta, Sarah. “A Shipwreck, but Make It Fashion: Researchers Transformed Wooden Fragments From a 17th-Century Shipwreck Into a Pair of Stylish Maxi Dresses.” Smithsonian. 5/26/2026. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-shipwreck-but-make-it-fashion-researchers-transformed-wooden-fragments-from-a-17th-century-shipwreck-into-a-pair-of-stylish-maxi-dresses-180988825/ Kuta, Sarah. “Archaeologists Discover Evidence That a Wooden Prototype for Stonehenge May Have Aligned With the Solstice 500 Years Before the Stone Circle.” Smithsonian. 6/19/2026. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/archaeologists-discover-evidence-a-wooden-prototype-for-stonehenge-may-have-aligned-with-the-solstice-500-years-before-the-stone-circle-180988988/ Kuta, Sarah. “Did Homo Sapiens Really Outsmart Neanderthals? Different Skull Shapes Didn’t Necessarily Mean Unequal Brain Capacity, New Research Shows.” Smithsonian. 5/13/2026. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/did-homo-sapiens-really-outsmart-neanderthals-different-skull-shapes-didnt-necessarily-mean-unequal-brain-capacity-new-research-shows-180988738/ Kuta, Sarah. “Did Homo Sapiens Really Outsmart Neanderthals? Different Skull Shapes Didn’t Necessarily Mean Unequal Brain Capacity, New Research Shows.” Smithsonian. 5/13/2026. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/did-homo-sapiens-really-outsmart-neanderthals-different-skull-shapes-didnt-necessarily-mean-unequal-brain-capacity-new-research-shows-180988738/ Kuta, Sarah. “Potatoes Didn’t Just Feed Ancient Indigenous Communities in the Andes—the Tasty Tubers Also Reshaped People’s DNA.” Smithsonain. 5/12/2026. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/potatoes-didnt-just-feed-ancient-indigenous-communities-in-the-andes-the-tasty-tubers-also-reshaped-peoples-dna-180988732/ Kuta, Sarah. “This American Submarine Lost During WWII—Along With 83 Crew Members—Has Been Discovered in the Pacific Ocean.” Smithsonian. 6/3/2026. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-american-submarine-USS-Herring-lost-during-WWII-along-with-83-crew-members-has-been-discovered-in-the-pacific-ocean-180988895/ Kuta, Sarah. “Turtles May Have Been Tasty Snacks for Neanderthals 125,000 Years Ago. But Their Shells Were Probably the Real Prize.” Smithsonian. 4/15/2026. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/turtles-may-have-been-tasty-snacks-for-neanderthals-125000-years-ago-but-their-shells-were-probably-the-real-prize-180988550/ Kuta, Sarah. “What Killed the Neanderthals? New Research Suggests a Lack of Genetic Diversity May Be Partially to Blame.” Smithsonian. 4/24/2026. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/what-killed-the-neanderthals-new-research-suggests-a-lack-of-genetic-diversity-may-be-partially-to-blame-180988612/ Lakowski, Amy. “Digging for Remnants of the Battle of Bunker Hill.” Bostonia. Boston University’s Alumni Magazine. 6/22/2026. https://www.bu.edu/articles/2026/digging-for-remnants-battle-of-bunker-hill/ Lawson-Tancred, Jo. “The Sagrada Familia Will Finally Be Completed in 2026. The Last Challenge? Demolishing the Homes of Some 3,000 Local Residents.” ArtNet. 2/13/2023. https://news.artnet.com/art-world/sagrada-familia-2026-local-residents-2254826 Lock, Lisa and Robert Egan. “Ancient curse tablet bears rare Greek inscription with binding spell intended to harm enemies.” Phys.org. 6/17/2026. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-ancient-curse-tablet-rare-greek.html Lu, Donna. “Signs of ‘feeding’ ritual at dingo burial site shed new light on bond between First Nations people and canines.” The Guardian. 5/18/2026. https://www.theguardian.com/science/2026/may/19/dingo-burial-site-first-nations-people-relationship-to-animals net. “Lost Writings of Saint Augustine Found in Medieval Manuscript.” 6/2026. https://www.medievalists.net/2026/06/lost-writings-of-saint-augustine-found-in-medieval-manuscript/ net. “Secret Letter Detailing Late Medieval Britain Fully Decoded.” https://www.medievalists.net/2026/04/secret-letter-detailing-late-medieval-britain-fully-decoded/ Mehrtens, Michelle. “A Young Black Girl Was the First to Desegregate a Maryland Carousel in the 1960s. Now, the Historic Merry-Go-Round Will Entertain Visitors on the National Mall.” Smithsonian. 4/22/2026. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smithsonian-institution/a-young-black-girl-was-the-first-to-desegregate-a-maryland-carousel-in-the-1960s-now-the-historic-merry-go-round-will-entertain-visitors-on-the-national-mall-180988596/ Mondal, Sanjukta. “Scraped from ancient Roman toilets, these crusted remains expose a pathogen found far earlier than expected.” Phys.org. 4/23/2026. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-ancient-roman-toilets-crusted-expose.html Moreau, Didier and Julie Louis. “Thirty previously unpublished verses by Empedocles discovered on a papyrus from Cairo.” University of Liege. Via EurekAlert. 4/1/2026. https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1122449 Mosquera, Pau. “Sagrada Família’s 144-year journey nears its end with the Tower of Jesus Christ.” CNN. 6/8/2026. https://www.cnn.com/2026/06/08/style/sagrada-familia-barcelona-tower-jesus-christ-intl Nicholls, Catherine and Taylor Nicioli. “Papyrus scroll burnt to a crisp during Vesuvius eruption deciphered with help of AI.” CNN. 6/26/2026. https://www.cnn.com/2026/06/26/science/papyrus-scroll-vesuvius-ai-scli-intl Oster, Sandee et al. “Rare 500-year-old freeze-dried potatoes unearthed at Inca coastal site.” Phys.org. 6/14/2026. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-rare-year-dried-potatoes-unearthed.html Oster, Sandee. “A kohl bottle from York may hint at an ancient Egyptian in Roman-Britain.” Phys.org. 5/31/2026. https://phys.org/news/2026-05-kohl-bottle-york-hint-ancient.html Oster, Sandee. “Lavatory shaft reveals the cost of 17th‑century vanity in Germany.” Phys.org. 6/23/2026. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-lavatory-shaft-reveals-17thcentury-vanity.html Oster, Sandee. “Mummified dogs reveal Tiwanaku people buried companions beside homes long before they became status symbols.” Phys.org. 6/29/2026. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-mummified-dogs-reveal-tiwanaku-people.html Randolph, Mary. “A Man and His Dog Discovered a 3,400-Year-Old Ax Head While Out for a Walk in One of England’s Ancient Forests.” Smithsonian. 4/30/2026. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-man-and-his-dog-accidentally-discovered-a-3400-year-old-ax-head-while-out-for-a-walk-in-one-of-englands-ancient-forests-180988649/ Randolph, Mary. “After a Poet’s Love Story Was Cut Short, His Letters Mysteriously Disappeared—Until Rare Book Dealers Acted on a Hunch.” Smithsonian. 4/21/2026. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/after-john-keats-love-story-was-cut-short-his-letters-mysteriously-disappeared-until-rare-book-dealers-acted-on-a-hunch-180988585/ Science in Poland. “Ancient ‘beer’ traces found in 4,500-year-old vessels in Northeastern Poland.” 5/17/2026. https://scienceinpoland.pl/en/news/news%2C112850%2Cancient-beer-traces-found-4500-year-old-vessels-northeastern-poland.html Solly, Meilan. “A 13-Year-Old Boy Found This Bronze Coin in a Field. It Turned Out to Be the First Ancient Greek Artifact Discovered in Berlin.” Smithsonian. 8/28/2026. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-13-year-old-boy-found-this-bronze-coin-in-a-field-it-turned-out-to-be-the-first-ancient-greek-artifact-discovered-in-berlin-180988627/ Solly, Meilan. “New research has identified four members of the doomed 1845 search for the Northwest Passage, including the owner of a paper-stuffed wallet that has long mystified historians.” Smithsonian. 5/8/2026. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-franklin-expedition-officer-died-in-the-arctic-in-uniform-that-didnt-belong-to-him-now-dna-has-revealed-his-identity-180988702/ Solly, Meilan. “These Italian Teenagers Stayed Overnight at Their School. They Found Ancient Roman Ruins Hidden in the Basement.” Smithsonian. 6/8/2026. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/these-italian-teenagers-stayed-overnight-at-their-school-they-found-ancient-roman-ruins-hidden-in-the-basement-180988917/ The History Blog. “1,500-year-old kitchen knife set found in Hadrianopolis.” 4/22/2026. https://www.thehistoryblog.com/archives/75890 The History Blog. “11th c. sword found in Warta River in Poland.” 6/15/2026. https://www.thehistoryblog.com/archives/76308 The History Blog. “Charred loaf of bread found at Roman military camp.” 4/24/2026. https://www.thehistoryblog.com/archives/75904 The History Blog. “First-grader on field trip finds 1,300-year-old sword.” 5/13/2026. https://www.thehistoryblog.com/archives/76055 The History Blog. “Matching fragments of Silla stele reunited.” 4/15/2026. https://www.thehistoryblog.com/archives/75837 Thorsberg, Christian. “A Hiker in Norway Found an Elite Warrior’s Golden Sword Ornament. It Was Likely a Sacrifice to the Gods Made During a Time of Turmoil.” Smithsonian. 5/8/2026. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-hiker-in-norway-found-an-elite-warriors-golden-sword-ornament-it-was-likely-a-sacrifice-to-the-gods-made-during-a-time-of-turmoil-180988707/ University of Copenhagen. "4,000-year-old tablets reveal magic spells, kings feared, and a beer receipt." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 5 May 2026. www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/05/260504023848.htm. University of Iowa Health Care. "Ancient DNA shared with Neanderthals may explain human language." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 12 June 2026. www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/06/260611024612.htm University of York. “Ancient DNA from Tuscan Wells Reveal Origins of Modern Wine.” 5/12/2026. https://www.york.ac.uk/news-and-events/news/2026/research/ancient-dna-tuscan-wells-origins-wine/ Wexler, Ellen. “Archaeologists Unearth a Papyrus Fragment From the ‘Iliad’ Tucked Inside the Wrappings of a 1,600-Year-Old Egyptian Mummy.” Smithsonian. 4/23/2026. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/archaeologists-unearth-a-papyrus-fragment-from-the-iliad-tucked-inside-the-wrappings-of-a-1600-year-old-egyptian-mummy-180988603/ Wexler, Ellen. “Divers Discover the Shipwreck of a World War I-Era Coast Guard Cutter, Which Vanished With 131 Sailors on Board in 1918.” Smithsonian. 5/7/2026. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/divers-discover-the-shipwreck-of-a-world-war-i-era-coast-guard-cutter-which-vanished-with-131-sailors-on-board-in-1918-180988676/ Wexler, Ellen. “Why Did the Handwriting in This 248-Year-Old Notebook Look Familiar? It Turned Out to Be a Forgotten Mozart Manuscript.” Smithsonian. 6/25/2026. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/why-did-the-handwriting-in-this-248-year-old-notebook-look-familiar-it-turned-out-to-be-a-forgotten-mozart-manuscript-180989017/ Whiddington, Richard. “Newly Recovered Love Letters by John Keats Could Net $2 Million at Auction.” ArtNet. 5/12/2026. https://news.artnet.com/art-world/john-keats-love-letters-sothebys-auction-2772300 Whiddington, Richard. “Rare Centuries-Old Notebook Discovered in Medieval Latrine.” ArtNet. 5/18/2026. https://news.artnet.com/art-world/notebook-medieval-latrine-2774230 Whiddington, Richard. “Shakespeare’s London Home Finally Located After Centuries of Mystery.” ArtNet. 4/17/2026. https://news.artnet.com/art-world/shakespeare-london-home-site-found-2766154 Widdington, Richard. “Lost Copy of Earliest-Known English Poem Found in Roman Library.” ArtNet. 5/10/2026. https://news.artnet.com/art-world/caedmon-hymn-copy-rome-library-trinity-college-2771600 See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Part one of the mid-year coverage of things literally and figuratively unearthed in the last quarter includes updates, more updates, animals, edibles and potables, and accidental finds. Research: Addley, Esther. “Solstice-aligned 5,000-year-old monument ‘once in a lifetime find’, say archaeologists.” The Guardian. 6/17/2026. https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026/jun/18/solstice-aligned-monument-archaeology-wiltshire-stonehenge-prototype Anderson, Sonja. “These 600-Year-Old Chinese Surgical Instruments Are Coated in an Early Local Anesthetic—Carefully Extracted From a Poisonous Plant.” Smithsonian. 5/29/2026. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/these-600-year-old-chinese-surgical-instruments-are-coated-in-an-early-local-anestheticcarefully-extracted-from-a-poisonous-plant-180988865/ Archaeology Magazine. “Copper Part From Illicit 19th Century Still Discovered in Scotland.” 5/12/2026. https://archaeology.org/news/2026/05/12/copper-part-from-illicit-19th-century-still-discovered-in-scotland/ Associated Press Copenhagen. “Archaeologists discover wreck of Danish warship sunk by Nelson 225 years ago.” The Guardian. 4/2/2026. https://www.theguardian.com/science/2026/apr/02/archaeologists-discover-wreck-danish-warship-sunk-admiral-nelson Bassi, Margherita. “After Nearly 80 Years of Doubt, Scientists Say a Spear Lodged Between Elephant Ribs Offers Evidence That Neanderthals Hunted Big Game.” Smithsonian. 4/10/2026. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/after-nearly-80-years-of-doubt-scientists-say-a-spear-lodged-between-elephant-ribs-offers-evidence-that-neanderthals-hunted-big-game-180988522/ Baum, Stephanie and Robert Egan. “Bolivian mummy rewrites scarlet fever's past, suggesting killer bacterium circulated centuries before colonization.” EurekAlert. 4/15/2026. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-bolivian-mummy-rewrites-scarlet-fever.html Blackwood, Emma. “Baby fossils reveal link between human and Neanderthal development.” University of Queensland. Via EurekAlert. 6/19/2026. https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1132850 Blair, Elizabeth. “Decades-old, newly restored Smithsonian carousel reopens — to children’s delight.” WAMU. 4/25/2026. https://wamu.org/story/26/04/25/decades-old-newly-restored-smithsonian-carousel-reopens-to-childrens-delight/ Blake, Elissa. “New evidence reveals a millennium-old dingo was ritually buried, and cared for, along the Darling (Baaka) River in Australia.” University of Sydney. Via EurekAlert. 5/18/2026. https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1128408 Cerino, Marco. “Appeals court clears Trump's path to alter Philadelphia slavery exhibit at historic site.” Philadelphia Tribune. 6/18/2026. https://www.phillytrib.com/news/local_news/appeals-court-clears-trumps-path-to-alter-philadelphia-slavery-exhibit-at-historic-site/article_8ac83e65-6a6d-4db1-91c4-074f98c96a74.html?utm_medium=social&utm_source=email&utm_campaign=user-share Clark, Gaby. “Climate and competition alone cannot explain Neanderthal extinction, study finds.” Phys.org. 4/23/2026. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-climate-competition-neanderthal-extinction.html Clark, Gaby. “Did Neanderthals use rhinoceros teeth as tools?” Phys.org. 6/18/2026. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-neanderthals-rhinoceros-teeth-tools.html Clark, Gaby. “Nondestructive DNA sampling reveals 1,300 years of secrets in historic parchments.” Phys.org. 5/18/2026. https://phys.org/news/2026-05-nondestructive-dna-sampling-reveals-years.html Clark, Gaby. “Surprising diversity found among Europe's last Neanderthals.” Leiden University. Via Phys.org. 6/24/2026. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-diversity-europe-neanderthals.html Cummings, Mike. “Medici brothers' remains reveal Renaissance-era malaria strains, closing the book on a murder mystery.” Phys.org. 6/30/2026. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-medici-brothers-reveal-renaissance-era.html Defranceschi, Laura. “Ötzi and his microbiome: a 5,300-year-old relationship.” Eurac Research. Via EurekAlert. 6/2/2026. https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1129908 Dungate, Joanna. “Shakespeare’s ‘missing’ London house mapped with new discovery.” Kings College London. Via EurekAlert. 4/15/2026. https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1123989 Egan, Robert. “Neanderthal dentists used stone drills to treat cavities nearly 60,000 years ago, ancient molar suggests.” Phys.org. 5/13/2026. https://phys.org/news/2026-05-neanderthal-dentists-stone-drills-cavities.html Egan, Robert. “Stonehenge Altar Stone's epic transportation across ancient Britain detailed in new study.” Curtin University. Via Phys.org. 6/4/2026. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-stonehenge-altar-stone-epic-ancient.html Ellenby, Danielle. “Medieval Japanese poetry and buried trees help elucidate volatile space weather.” EurekAlert. 4/9/2026. https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1123008 Forbes, Ellie. “Archaeologists discover unexploded mortar shell at Culloden Battlefield.” Scottish Field. 4/14/2026. https://www.scottishfield.co.uk/news/archaeologists-discover-unexploded-mortar-shell-at-culloden-battlefield/ Harley, Sadie and Robert Egan. “Ancient chicken bones reveal human management in Korea 2,000 years ago.” Phys.org. 4/22/2026. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-ancient-chicken-bones-reveal-human.html Jones, Sam. “Hidden treasures: Spanish archaeologists discover trove of ancient shipwrecks in Bay of Gibraltar.” The Guardian. 4/15/2026. https://www.theguardian.com/science/2026/apr/15/hidden-treasures-spanish-archaeologists-discover-trove-of-ancient-shipwrecks-in-bay-of-gibraltar Kuta, Sarah. “A Shipwreck, but Make It Fashion: Researchers Transformed Wooden Fragments From a 17th-Century Shipwreck Into a Pair of Stylish Maxi Dresses.” Smithsonian. 5/26/2026. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-shipwreck-but-make-it-fashion-researchers-transformed-wooden-fragments-from-a-17th-century-shipwreck-into-a-pair-of-stylish-maxi-dresses-180988825/ Kuta, Sarah. “Archaeologists Discover Evidence That a Wooden Prototype for Stonehenge May Have Aligned With the Solstice 500 Years Before the Stone Circle.” Smithsonian. 6/19/2026. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/archaeologists-discover-evidence-a-wooden-prototype-for-stonehenge-may-have-aligned-with-the-solstice-500-years-before-the-stone-circle-180988988/ Kuta, Sarah. “Did Homo Sapiens Really Outsmart Neanderthals? Different Skull Shapes Didn’t Necessarily Mean Unequal Brain Capacity, New Research Shows.” Smithsonian. 5/13/2026. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/did-homo-sapiens-really-outsmart-neanderthals-different-skull-shapes-didnt-necessarily-mean-unequal-brain-capacity-new-research-shows-180988738/ Kuta, Sarah. “Did Homo Sapiens Really Outsmart Neanderthals? Different Skull Shapes Didn’t Necessarily Mean Unequal Brain Capacity, New Research Shows.” Smithsonian. 5/13/2026. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/did-homo-sapiens-really-outsmart-neanderthals-different-skull-shapes-didnt-necessarily-mean-unequal-brain-capacity-new-research-shows-180988738/ Kuta, Sarah. “Potatoes Didn’t Just Feed Ancient Indigenous Communities in the Andes—the Tasty Tubers Also Reshaped People’s DNA.” Smithsonain. 5/12/2026. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/potatoes-didnt-just-feed-ancient-indigenous-communities-in-the-andes-the-tasty-tubers-also-reshaped-peoples-dna-180988732/ Kuta, Sarah. “This American Submarine Lost During WWII—Along With 83 Crew Members—Has Been Discovered in the Pacific Ocean.” Smithsonian. 6/3/2026. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-american-submarine-USS-Herring-lost-during-WWII-along-with-83-crew-members-has-been-discovered-in-the-pacific-ocean-180988895/ Kuta, Sarah. “Turtles May Have Been Tasty Snacks for Neanderthals 125,000 Years Ago. But Their Shells Were Probably the Real Prize.” Smithsonian. 4/15/2026. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/turtles-may-have-been-tasty-snacks-for-neanderthals-125000-years-ago-but-their-shells-were-probably-the-real-prize-180988550/ Kuta, Sarah. “What Killed the Neanderthals? New Research Suggests a Lack of Genetic Diversity May Be Partially to Blame.” Smithsonian. 4/24/2026. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/what-killed-the-neanderthals-new-research-suggests-a-lack-of-genetic-diversity-may-be-partially-to-blame-180988612/ Lakowski, Amy. “Digging for Remnants of the Battle of Bunker Hill.” Bostonia. Boston University’s Alumni Magazine. 6/22/2026. https://www.bu.edu/articles/2026/digging-for-remnants-battle-of-bunker-hill/ Lawson-Tancred, Jo. “The Sagrada Familia Will Finally Be Completed in 2026. The Last Challenge? Demolishing the Homes of Some 3,000 Local Residents.” ArtNet. 2/13/2023. https://news.artnet.com/art-world/sagrada-familia-2026-local-residents-2254826 Lock, Lisa and Robert Egan. “Ancient curse tablet bears rare Greek inscription with binding spell intended to harm enemies.” Phys.org. 6/17/2026. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-ancient-curse-tablet-rare-greek.html Lu, Donna. “Signs of ‘feeding’ ritual at dingo burial site shed new light on bond between First Nations people and canines.” The Guardian. 5/18/2026. https://www.theguardian.com/science/2026/may/19/dingo-burial-site-first-nations-people-relationship-to-animals net. “Lost Writings of Saint Augustine Found in Medieval Manuscript.” 6/2026. https://www.medievalists.net/2026/06/lost-writings-of-saint-augustine-found-in-medieval-manuscript/ net. “Secret Letter Detailing Late Medieval Britain Fully Decoded.” https://www.medievalists.net/2026/04/secret-letter-detailing-late-medieval-britain-fully-decoded/ Mehrtens, Michelle. “A Young Black Girl Was the First to Desegregate a Maryland Carousel in the 1960s. Now, the Historic Merry-Go-Round Will Entertain Visitors on the National Mall.” Smithsonian. 4/22/2026. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smithsonian-institution/a-young-black-girl-was-the-first-to-desegregate-a-maryland-carousel-in-the-1960s-now-the-historic-merry-go-round-will-entertain-visitors-on-the-national-mall-180988596/ Mondal, Sanjukta. “Scraped from ancient Roman toilets, these crusted remains expose a pathogen found far earlier than expected.” Phys.org. 4/23/2026. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-ancient-roman-toilets-crusted-expose.html Moreau, Didier and Julie Louis. “Thirty previously unpublished verses by Empedocles discovered on a papyrus from Cairo.” University of Liege. Via EurekAlert. 4/1/2026. https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1122449 Mosquera, Pau. “Sagrada Família’s 144-year journey nears its end with the Tower of Jesus Christ.” CNN. 6/8/2026. https://www.cnn.com/2026/06/08/style/sagrada-familia-barcelona-tower-jesus-christ-intl Nicholls, Catherine and Taylor Nicioli. “Papyrus scroll burnt to a crisp during Vesuvius eruption deciphered with help of AI.” CNN. 6/26/2026. https://www.cnn.com/2026/06/26/science/papyrus-scroll-vesuvius-ai-scli-intl Oster, Sandee et al. “Rare 500-year-old freeze-dried potatoes unearthed at Inca coastal site.” Phys.org. 6/14/2026. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-rare-year-dried-potatoes-unearthed.html Oster, Sandee. “A kohl bottle from York may hint at an ancient Egyptian in Roman-Britain.” Phys.org. 5/31/2026. https://phys.org/news/2026-05-kohl-bottle-york-hint-ancient.html Oster, Sandee. “Lavatory shaft reveals the cost of 17th‑century vanity in Germany.” Phys.org. 6/23/2026. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-lavatory-shaft-reveals-17thcentury-vanity.html Oster, Sandee. “Mummified dogs reveal Tiwanaku people buried companions beside homes long before they became status symbols.” Phys.org. 6/29/2026. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-mummified-dogs-reveal-tiwanaku-people.html Randolph, Mary. “A Man and His Dog Discovered a 3,400-Year-Old Ax Head While Out for a Walk in One of England’s Ancient Forests.” Smithsonian. 4/30/2026. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-man-and-his-dog-accidentally-discovered-a-3400-year-old-ax-head-while-out-for-a-walk-in-one-of-englands-ancient-forests-180988649/ Randolph, Mary. “After a Poet’s Love Story Was Cut Short, His Letters Mysteriously Disappeared—Until Rare Book Dealers Acted on a Hunch.” Smithsonian. 4/21/2026. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/after-john-keats-love-story-was-cut-short-his-letters-mysteriously-disappeared-until-rare-book-dealers-acted-on-a-hunch-180988585/ Science in Poland. “Ancient ‘beer’ traces found in 4,500-year-old vessels in Northeastern Poland.” 5/17/2026. https://scienceinpoland.pl/en/news/news%2C112850%2Cancient-beer-traces-found-4500-year-old-vessels-northeastern-poland.html Solly, Meilan. “A 13-Year-Old Boy Found This Bronze Coin in a Field. It Turned Out to Be the First Ancient Greek Artifact Discovered in Berlin.” Smithsonian. 8/28/2026. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-13-year-old-boy-found-this-bronze-coin-in-a-field-it-turned-out-to-be-the-first-ancient-greek-artifact-discovered-in-berlin-180988627/ Solly, Meilan. “New research has identified four members of the doomed 1845 search for the Northwest Passage, including the owner of a paper-stuffed wallet that has long mystified historians.” Smithsonian. 5/8/2026. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-franklin-expedition-officer-died-in-the-arctic-in-uniform-that-didnt-belong-to-him-now-dna-has-revealed-his-identity-180988702/ Solly, Meilan. “These Italian Teenagers Stayed Overnight at Their School. They Found Ancient Roman Ruins Hidden in the Basement.” Smithsonian. 6/8/2026. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/these-italian-teenagers-stayed-overnight-at-their-school-they-found-ancient-roman-ruins-hidden-in-the-basement-180988917/ The History Blog. “1,500-year-old kitchen knife set found in Hadrianopolis.” 4/22/2026. https://www.thehistoryblog.com/archives/75890 The History Blog. “11th c. sword found in Warta River in Poland.” 6/15/2026. https://www.thehistoryblog.com/archives/76308 The History Blog. “Charred loaf of bread found at Roman military camp.” 4/24/2026. https://www.thehistoryblog.com/archives/75904 The History Blog. “First-grader on field trip finds 1,300-year-old sword.” 5/13/2026. https://www.thehistoryblog.com/archives/76055 The History Blog. “Matching fragments of Silla stele reunited.” 4/15/2026. https://www.thehistoryblog.com/archives/75837 Thorsberg, Christian. “A Hiker in Norway Found an Elite Warrior’s Golden Sword Ornament. It Was Likely a Sacrifice to the Gods Made During a Time of Turmoil.” Smithsonian. 5/8/2026. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-hiker-in-norway-found-an-elite-warriors-golden-sword-ornament-it-was-likely-a-sacrifice-to-the-gods-made-during-a-time-of-turmoil-180988707/ University of Copenhagen. "4,000-year-old tablets reveal magic spells, kings feared, and a beer receipt." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 5 May 2026. www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/05/260504023848.htm. University of Iowa Health Care. "Ancient DNA shared with Neanderthals may explain human language." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 12 June 2026. www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/06/260611024612.htm University of York. “Ancient DNA from Tuscan Wells Reveal Origins of Modern Wine.” 5/12/2026. https://www.york.ac.uk/news-and-events/news/2026/research/ancient-dna-tuscan-wells-origins-wine/ Wexler, Ellen. “Archaeologists Unearth a Papyrus Fragment From the ‘Iliad’ Tucked Inside the Wrappings of a 1,600-Year-Old Egyptian Mummy.” Smithsonian. 4/23/2026. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/archaeologists-unearth-a-papyrus-fragment-from-the-iliad-tucked-inside-the-wrappings-of-a-1600-year-old-egyptian-mummy-180988603/ Wexler, Ellen. “Divers Discover the Shipwreck of a World War I-Era Coast Guard Cutter, Which Vanished With 131 Sailors on Board in 1918.” Smithsonian. 5/7/2026. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/divers-discover-the-shipwreck-of-a-world-war-i-era-coast-guard-cutter-which-vanished-with-131-sailors-on-board-in-1918-180988676/ Wexler, Ellen. “Why Did the Handwriting in This 248-Year-Old Notebook Look Familiar? It Turned Out to Be a Forgotten Mozart Manuscript.” Smithsonian. 6/25/2026. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/why-did-the-handwriting-in-this-248-year-old-notebook-look-familiar-it-turned-out-to-be-a-forgotten-mozart-manuscript-180989017/ Whiddington, Richard. “Newly Recovered Love Letters by John Keats Could Net $2 Million at Auction.” ArtNet. 5/12/2026. https://news.artnet.com/art-world/john-keats-love-letters-sothebys-auction-2772300 Whiddington, Richard. “Rare Centuries-Old Notebook Discovered in Medieval Latrine.” ArtNet. 5/18/2026. https://news.artnet.com/art-world/notebook-medieval-latrine-2774230 Whiddington, Richard. “Shakespeare’s London Home Finally Located After Centuries of Mystery.” ArtNet. 4/17/2026. https://news.artnet.com/art-world/shakespeare-london-home-site-found-2766154 Widdington, Richard. “Lost Copy of Earliest-Known English Poem Found in Roman Library.” ArtNet. 5/10/2026. https://news.artnet.com/art-world/caedmon-hymn-copy-rome-library-trinity-college-2771600 See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The battle that built Arthur's legend may never have matteredWas the Battle of Badon really the decisive moment that saved Britain from the Anglo-Saxons — or has history given it far more importance than it deserves?In this episode of History Rage, host Paul Bavill is joined by leading early medieval historian Professor Nick Higham to challenge one of the most persistent myths in British history. The popular narrative tells us that Badon was a crushing British victory that halted Anglo-Saxon expansion for generations — often linked to the legendary figure of King Arthur. But when you dig into the sources, archaeology, and timeline, that story begins to unravel.Drawing on early texts, including the writings of Gildas, Professor Higham explains how the earliest reference to Badon describes a siege rather than a dramatic battlefield clash. More importantly, the event seems to have been used mainly as a chronological marker rather than as evidence of a decisive national victory. Later writers transformed this brief reference into a heroic turning point, laying the foundations for the Arthurian tradition that still shapes popular history today.This episode explores how archaeology challenges the idea of a long pause in Anglo-Saxon expansion after Badon. Instead of retreat, the material record shows continued settlement growth and cultural spread across southern Britain. Rather than one defining battle, the fall of Roman Britain and rise of Anglo-Saxon England appears to have been a long, complex transition shaped by migration, shifting power, and cultural change.If you enjoy myth-busting history and want to understand how legends are created — and why they endure — this episode delivers a powerful rethink of one of Britain's most famous early medieval events.About the Guest — Professor Nick HighamProfessor Nick Higham is Emeritus Professor of Early Medieval History at the University of Manchester and one of the UK's leading experts on the transition from Roman Britain to Anglo-Saxon England. His research focuses on the origins of England, early medieval warfare, and the development of historical traditions.Buy the Book Featured in This Episode:How England Began: From Roman Britain to the Anglo-SaxonsSupport the podcast and the author by purchasing here:https://uk.bookshop.org/a/10120/9780300254921Find out more about Professor Nick Higham's work through his academic publications and public history contributions. Explore More History Rage EpisodesIf you enjoyed this episode, you may also like:Episode 201 — The Anglo-Saxons Were No Better Than the VikingsEpisode 148 — Vikings Are Not Just Mass SlaughterersThese episodes expand on the realities behind popular myths about early medieval Britain.Follow and Contact History RageGot a historical myth you'd like to see challenged? Get in touch:

Everywhere Rome fell, civilization transformed. In Britain, it stopped.That's not a myth. That's what actually happened. Everywhere else the empire fell — Gaul, Hispania, Italy, North Africa — the barbarian successor kingdoms absorbed Roman administration and kept the machine running. The Franks kept Roman law. The Visigoths kept the Christian church. The Ostrogoths kept the Senate and the aqueducts. Even the Vandals in North Africa kept Roman urban life going.In Britain, none of that happened. The Roman garrisons pulled out in 407. The emperor told the Britons to defend themselves in 410. And when the Anglo-Saxons arrived, they didn't do what every other post-Roman successor group did. They didn't inherit. They built wooden halls next to abandoned Roman villas and let the villas fall down. Latin didn't evolve into a Romance language the way it did in Gaul and Hispania — it just vanished. Christianity didn't survive the transition — Pope Gregory the Great had to send Augustine of Canterbury in 597 to start over from pagan ground. Cities didn't get built on top of the old Roman ones — they got built somewhere else while Colchester sat empty for centuries.This is Episode 4 of the "Life After the Fall of Rome" series. Britain is the comparison case for the whole thesis. Everywhere else Rome fell, it transformed. Britain is the exception that proves the rule — the one place where the Hollywood version of the fall (villas abandoned, libraries lost, languages disappeared, lights actually going out) turned out to be true. And the reason it happened is quieter and more dangerous than any invasion narrative: successors who chose not to inherit.The barbarians didn't destroy Roman Britain. Roman Britain was already failing on its own. What the Anglo-Saxons did was build something entirely different on top of it — a new culture with no interest in preserving what came before. That indifference, more than any battle, is what real collapse actually looks like.If you're new to the series, start with Episode 1 ("Rome Didn't Fall — Here's What Actually Happened") linked below.

Claudius may have accepted all the surrenders and made his way back to Rome but there was still a lot of work to do. And it was just the beginning. Follow us on social media: Instagram, X and Bluesky: @Welshhistorypod Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/welshhistorypodcast Please consider becoming a supporter at: http://patreon.com/WelshHistory Music: Celtic Impulse - Celtic by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1100297 Artist: http://incompetech.com/ © 2026 Evergreen Podcasts Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The history of immigration in England is far older than many people realise. Immigration in Tudor England, medieval England and even Roman Britain helped shape the nation we know today. People often talk about immigration as though it is a modern issue, but England's history tells a very different story. In this video, we explore over a thousand years of migration to England, from the Romans, Anglo-Saxons, Vikings and Normans to medieval Jewish communities, Flemish weavers, Italian bankers, Tudor refugees, African residents and Muslim diplomats. You'll discover how immigrants helped shape England's economy, culture and society, and how concerns about jobs, wages and foreign competition were being debated centuries ago. We'll examine events such as the York massacre of 1190, the anti-immigrant riots of Evil May Day in 1517, the arrival of Huguenot refugees, the story of John Blanke, Henry VIII's Black royal trumpeter, and England's diplomatic links with Morocco and the Ottoman Empire. History doesn't tell us what immigration policy should be today, but it can challenge assumptions about the past. Was England ever truly isolated? What does the historical evidence actually reveal? Let me know your thoughts in the comments.   #History #EnglishHistory #TudorHistory #MedievalHistory #BritishHistory #BlackTudors #ImmigrationHistory #HistoryDocumentary #HenryVIII #ElizabethI

Boudicca had two daughters, but history records their existence and nothing more. Sunday Times bestselling author Elodie Harper joins us to discuss her latest novel, Boudicca's Daughters, which reimagines Boudicca and her daughters from the colonised side of history, and explores the inner lives of two young women caught inside a revolution they did not choose. In this episode of the podcast, Elodie will discuss the challenge of writing characters from the historical margins, the hidden Roman Britain her research uncovered, and the moral complexity at the heart of Boudicca's story. She will ask: what does it truly mean to be on the right side of history? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It has finally arrived, the Romans under Claudius begin the invasion of Britain. Follow us on social media: Instagram, Bluesky: @Welshhistorypod Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/welshhistorypodcast Please consider becoming a supporter at: http://patreon.com/WelshHistory Music: Celtic Impulse - Celtic by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1100297Artist: http://incompetech.com/ © 2026 Evergreen Podcasts Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When the Romans left Britain in the early 5th century AD, Hadrian's Wall did not simply collapse into ruin. Its forts and ramparts endured, becoming strongholds for the communities who continued to live along this ancient frontier.Tristan Hughes is joined by Professor Rob Collins to explore the fascinating story of Hadrian's Wall after the end of Roman rule. Who were the people who remained on the frontier? How did life change in post-Roman Britain? And what happened to the soldiers, families and settlements that had called the Wall home for generations?MOREThe Fall of Roman BritainListen on AppleListen on SpotifyHadrian's WallListen on AppleListen on SpotifyPresented by Tristan Hughes. Audio editor is Aidan Lonergan, the producer is Joseph Knight. The senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff.All music courtesy of Epidemic SoundsThe Ancients is a History Hit podcast.Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week, plus early access ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What if Iron Age Britain was never a land of barbarians at all, but a world of skilled farmers, powerful women, trade, ritual, and spectacle? Tristan Hughes is joined by Professor Tom Moore to reveal a far richer pre-Roman Britain, from roundhouses and hillforts to chariots, feasts, and buried offerings. Archaeology uncovers a society shaped by movement, identity, violence, and belief, where the Iron Age still echoes into Roman Britain and beyond.MOREDruidsListen on AppleListen on SpotifyBefore Rome: The Truth About Late Iron Age BritainListen on AppleListen on SpotifyThe Ancients is now on YouTube! Watch here: @TheAncientsPodcastPresented by Tristan Hughes. Audio editor is Tim Arstall. The producer is Joseph Knight. The senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff.All music courtesy of Epidemic SoundsThe Ancients is a History Hit podcast.Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week and ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode we focus in on the authors of Roman Britain's history and how they defined our understanding. Follow us on social media: Instagram, Bluesky: @Welshhistorypod Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/welshhistorypodcast Please consider becoming a supporter at: http://patreon.com/WelshHistory Music: Celtic Impulse - Celtic by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1100297Artist: http://incompetech.com/ © 2026 Evergreen Podcasts Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We were very fortunate to be joined by the delightful Dr Simon Elliot in this special episode about his latest book, The African Emperor: The Life of Septimius Severus.Dr Elliott (now forever known as Dr E) is a historian, archaeologist and broadcaster. His PhD is in Classics and Archaeology from the University of Kent. Dr E is the author of nineteen books (yes, nineteen!) on the ancient world, including Early Imperial Romans, Pertinax: The Son of a Slave Who Became Roman Emperor, and Roman Britain's Missing Legion. To find a full list of his many endeavours, check out his website.However, it is Septimius Severus, ruler of the Roman Empire from 193 to 211 CE, who we want to focus on today. You may not be particularly familiar with this emperor, but if you have seen Gladiator 2, you have met his children. Severus was the father of Caracalla and Geta who do not have the best reputation. But there is much more to his story than his disappointing children.Dr Elliott takes us through the remarkable rise of this man: from Leptis Magna to the imperial purple. In this interview, we tackle the following questions: · How did Severus emerge victorious from the chaos of The Year of Five Emperors?· What made him the most successful Severan emperor? (Aside from not being murdered with his mum) · Was Septimius Severus responsible for a genocide during his campaign in Britain?· Is there a case to be made that Septimius Severus deserves to rank alongside the likes of Augustus and Trajan?· When is Netflix going to make I, Julia – a series revolving around all of the Julias from the Severan dynasty? (Copyright, The Partial Historians, 2026)Join us for the fascinating life story of the founder of the last dynasty before the near collapse of the Empire in the third century CE. And don't forget to grab yourself a copy of the book, currently a Sunday Times bestseller.Please note: at around 39:11, when Dr E is discussing the women in the Severan dynasty, he makes reference to Julia Domna's sister as Julia Soaemias. A slip of the tongue, as Julia Domna's sister was Julia Maesa, and her daughters were Julia Soaemias (mother of Elagabalus) and Julia Mamaea (mother of Severus Alexander).Sound CreditsOur music is by Bettina Joy de GuzmanFor our full show notes and edited transcripts, head on over to https://partialhistorians.com/Support the showPatreonKo-FiRead our booksRex: The Seven Kings of RomeYour Cheeky Guide to the Roman Empire Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Samuel Pepys exposed: secrets, suppression, and the truth behind his diary. Samuel Pepys Was Not What You Think…EXPLICIT CONTENT WARNING - NOT FOR THE FAINT HEARTED!For generations, Samuel Pepys has been portrayed as a witty observer of Restoration London — a charming administrator who documented plague, fire, and naval reform.But what if that version of Pepys wasn't the full story?In this explosive Gloucester History Festival Special, historian and author Guy de la Bédoyère joins History Rage to challenge the long-standing myth that Pepys was simply “a man of his time.”Drawing on decades of research — including learning Pepys's original shorthand — Guy reveals how editors suppressed, mistranslated, and obscured disturbing passages from the diary for over 200 years. What You'll Discover in This EpisodeThis episode goes beyond familiar Pepys anecdotes and digs into the hidden layers of his diary — and the people who shaped how history remembers him.Inside this episode:Why large sections of Pepys's diary were deliberately removed or mistranslated How 19th- and 20th-century editors shaped the public image of Pepys The truth behind Pepys's secret use of foreign languages and coded shorthand Why the phrase “a man of his time” can dangerously excuse behaviour Why Pepys's record remains unique in early modern history Guy explains how Pepys deliberately buried controversial actions within routine daily entries — making them easy to overlook unless carefully decoded. Why This Episode MattersPepys's diary is one of the most important personal records in English history — documenting events like:The Great Plague of 1665 The Great Fire of London The Restoration of monarchy after the English Civil Wars But Guy argues that understanding Pepys properly means confronting the uncomfortable details — not sanitising them.This episode challenges the idea that historical figures should be excused simply because of the era in which they lived — and asks what happens when historians uncover what earlier editors chose to hide.About the Guest — Guy de la BédoyèreGuy de la Bédoyère is a bestselling historian, broadcaster, and former Time Team presenter.He is widely known for his work on Roman Britain and historical biography, and his latest research focuses on uncovering suppressed truths within Pepys's writings.

In 41 CE, Rome did something unexpected. It made an emperor out of a man who had spent most of his life being ignored. That man was Claudius. Photos in this episode Proclaiming Claudius Emperor by Lawrence Alma-Tadema http://www.artrenewal.org/asp/database/image.asp?id=13471, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=2254930 Bust of Emperor Claudius By Marie-Lan Nguyen (2011), CC BY 2.5, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=23198004 1:10 model reconstruction of a quadrireme By Carole Raddato from Frankfurt, Germany - (four-banked galley) according to a graffito from Alba Fucens in Italy, mid-1st century AD, Museum für Antike Schiffahrt, Mainz, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=65155984 Follow us on social media: Instagram, Bluesky: @Welshhistorypod Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/welshhistorypodcast Please consider becoming a supporter at: http://patreon.com/WelshHistory Music: Celtic Impulse - Celtic by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1100297Artist: http://incompetech.com/ © 2026 Evergreen Podcasts Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What were the secrets of Roman warfare?What is the best way to defeat an enemy… and what does all this have to do with aqueducts?Today Anya is joined by George Thomas to discuss the life of Frontinus, an ancient Roman general and governor of Roman Britain. In particular, they're looking at Stratagems, his manual for war, which looked to ancient history to distil key lessons in military strategy and leadership. George Thomas, also known by his pen name, Quintus Curtius, is an acclaimed translator of ancient texts, including those by Cicero, Sallust, and Cornelius Nepos.He is an MIT graduate, a former officer in the US Marine Corps, a founding partner of the law firm, Phillips and Thomas.His most recent work is a translation Frontius' Stratagems, of which we speak about today.You can buy it HERE: https://www.amazon.com/Stratagems-Translation-Sextus-Julius-Frontinus/dp/B0FPBTNCY5Hosted by Anya Leonard of Classical Wisdom. To learn more about Classical Wisdom, and sign up for our free newsletter, please go to https://classicalwisdom.substack.com/ An extended version of this podcast is available to Members of Classical Wisdom. Become a Member HERE: https://classicalwisdom.substack.com/subscribeAnd access the extended version HERE: https://classicalwisdom.substack.com/p/a-forgotten-roman-masterclass-in

On this month's episode of the Three Ravens Bestiary we're talking all about Leprechauns, hot on the heels of St Patrick's Day!We begin by setting some context, particularly around the cultural changes that took place across the 19th century in Ireland, from the sensational success of Thomas Moore's Irish Melodies in 1808 via the "Great Hunger" of the mid-century up to the birth of the Gaelic League.During this Celtic Revival, and spurred on by the success of Sir Walter Scott, this period in Irish life saw the Leprechaun reborn - though not as the cutesy, bright green gnome we're familiar with today, but as a "solitary fairy" famous for mending shoes and being, at best, amoral.Yet, is this new conception of the Leprechaun really all that Irish? Might they have more in common with the Scottish Redcap or the Welsh and Cornish 'Coblyn' and 'Knocker' fairies than the Lucky Charms marshmallow-hoarding cereal mascot?To find out, we leap back to the very start of the Leprechaun's story, from the water sprites known as "little people" in 8th century legends via a raft of Medieval sagas which give Leprechauns an all-new origin story.Could they in fact really be the withered remnants of Celtic gods, also written of in Wales and Gaul and Roman Britain, reshaped by the shame of defeat?As usual, expect deep dives into obscure places, monsters so terrible they fix your face into a mask of terror, and a bunch of linguistics as well. So if you can't hear one tapping away, mending shoes in your nearest hedgerow, we're offering the next best thing.Without the risk of your wishes crumbling to leaves or dust right before your eyes...Speak to you again on Saturday for Eleanor's Local Legends interview about Carmarthenshire with author Francesca Simon MBE!Three Ravens is an English Myth and Folklore podcast hosted by award-winning writers Martin Vaux and Eleanor Conlon.Released on Mondays, each weekly episode focuses on one of England's 39 historic counties, exploring the history, folklore and traditions of the area, from ghosts and mermaids to mythical monsters, half-forgotten heroes, bloody legends, and much, much more. Then, and most importantly, the pair take turns to tell a new version of an ancient story from that county - all before discussing what that tale might mean, where it might have come from, and the truths it reveals about England's hidden past...Bonus Episodes are released on Thursdays plus Local Legends episodes on Saturdays - interviews with acclaimed authors, folklorists, podcasters and historians with unique perspectives on that week's county.With a range of exclusive content on Patreon, too, including audio ghost tours, the Three Ravens Newsletter, and monthly Three Ravens Film Club episodes about folk horror films from across the decades, why not join us around the campfire and listen in?Learn more at www.threeravenspodcast.com, join our Patreon at www.patreon.com/threeravenspodcast, and find links to our social media channels here: https://linktr.ee/threeravenspodcastREGISTER FOR THE TALES OF SOUTHERN ENGLAND TOURVisit our website Join our Patreon Social media channels and sponsors Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For many people, Saint Patrick’s Day is associated with green clothing, shamrocks, and festive celebrations. Yet behind the cultural traditions is the powerful story of a man whose life was transformed by God and used to share the gospel with an entire nation. Patrick was born in the late fourth century in Roman Britain. As a teenager, he was kidnapped by Irish raiders and taken to Ireland as a slave. During his years of captivity, Patrick turned to God in prayer and grew deeply in his faith. Eventually, he escaped and returned home—but his story didn’t end there. Years later, Patrick experienced a powerful sense of calling from God to return to Ireland, the very place where he had once suffered. Despite feeling unqualified and uncertain, he chose to obey. Instead of holding onto bitterness toward the people who enslaved him, Patrick returned with compassion and a desire to share the message of Jesus. Through his ministry, many people in Ireland heard the gospel and came to faith in Christ. Patrick traveled widely, taught about God, and helped establish Christian communities. One well-known tradition says he used the three-leaf shamrock to explain the concept of the Trinity—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Patrick’s life reminds us that God can redeem even the most painful experiences. What once caused suffering in Patrick’s life became the very place where God used him most powerfully. His example also challenges us to forgive those who have wronged us and to respond with grace instead of resentment. Just as Patrick returned to Ireland with a heart transformed by God’s love, we are called to extend that same love to others and share the hope of the gospel wherever God sends us. Main Takeaways Saint Patrick’s story is one of redemption, forgiveness, and obedience to God. After being enslaved in Ireland, Patrick returned as a missionary to share the gospel. God can use painful experiences to fulfill His greater purposes. Patrick’s life reminds believers to forgive those who have wronged them. Christians are called to share the message of Christ with compassion and courage. Today’s Bible Verse James 5:20 Your Daily Prayer Prayer excerpt for listeners: “Lord, help me follow the example of faithful believers who courageously shared Your truth.” Listen to the full prayer here. To view the prayer in written format, visit the links below. Want More? Relevant Links & Resources Continue growing in faith and encouragement: LifeAudio.com – Christian podcasts and devotionals Crosswalk.com – Daily prayers, articles, and Bible study resources This episode is sponsored by Trinity Debt Management. If you are struggling with debt call Trinity today. Trinity's counselors have the knowledge and resources to make a difference. Our intention is to help people become debt-free, and most importantly, remain debt-free for keeps!" If your debt has you down, we should talk. Call us at 1-800-793-8548 | https://trinitycredit.orgTrinityCredit – Call us at 1-800-793-8548. Whether we're helping people pay off their unsecured debt or offering assistance to those behind in their mortgage payments, Trinity has the knowledge and resources to make a difference. https://trinitycredit.org Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Tuesday of the Fourth Week of Lent Commemoration of St. Patrick; born in 387 in Roman Britain; kidnapped and forced into slavery at age 16; he escaped Ireland and returned to Scotland, but soon became aware that he longed to minister to the Irish people; he returned to his old master, paid his own ransom, and began preaching the word of God; he is said to have baptized thousands, converted wealthy women and their sons, as well as ordained priests to carry on his work; over fifteen hundred years later, his legacy remains Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 3/17/26 Gospel: John 5:1-16

In light of St. Patrick's Day tomorrow, Nate Shannon is joined by Westminster professor of Church History Todd Rester to reflect on the life and witness of St. Patrick. Moving beyond popular legends, the conversation traces Patrick's remarkable story from his upbringing in fifth-century Roman Britain, to his capture and enslavement in Ireland as a teenager, to his eventual return to the very land of his enslavement as a missionary of Christ. Drawing from Patrick's own Confession, Dr. Rester highlights the humility, Trinitarian orthodoxy, and deep sense of divine providence that shaped Patrick's life and ministry. They also consider why Patrick remains such an important figure for the church today. Rather than treating him merely as a subject of historical curiosity, the discussion explores how Patrick was remembered, read, and spiritually imitated in the centuries that followed. His example of self-denial, gospel conviction, and sacrificial love for a hostile people becomes a testimony to the grace of God at work in history.

Because we have so little written history it might seem that Britain was relatively static in the Iron Age. Britain, however, was not frozen in time. It was dynamic. And that dynamism, that competition between kingdoms and elites, created the conditions that made Roman intervention possible. Follow us on social media: Instagram, Bluesky: @Welshhistorypod Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/welshhistorypodcast Please consider becoming a supporter at: http://patreon.com/WelshHistory Music: Celtic Impulse - Celtic by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1100297 Artist: http://incompetech.com/ © 2026 Evergreen Podcasts Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

6. Queens of Britain: Cooperation and Resistance (11)Southon compares two female leaders in Roman Britain: Cartimandua and Boudica. Cartimandua, Queen of the Brigantes, chose to collaborate with Rome, maintaining power for decades by bringing Roman luxuries like wine and spices to her people. Conversely, Boudicaled a violent but short-lived rebellionagainst Roman tyranny. While the historian Tacitus portrayed Boudica as a stoic figure of honor who died by her own hand, modern British schools often view her as a symbol of national resistanceto continental rule and Britishexceptionalism. (12)

Boudica (formerly known as Boadicea ) was a first‑century Celtic queen of the Iceni tribe in what's now eastern England. After the Roman Empire seized her late husband's kingdom and brutalized her family, she rallied a massive coalition of tribes and led one of the most famous uprisings in Roman Britain. Her forces burned several Roman towns, including Londinium, and for a brief moment in history she shook the empire's confidence. Boudicca's fame endures as a symbol of resistance, leadership, and fierce defiance against oppression. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Before Rome ever landed soldiers on British shores in 43 CE, Britain had already been measured, judged, and classified. Not morally, but administratively. Follow us on social media:Instagram, Bluesky: @Welshhistorypod Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/welshhistorypodcast Please consider becoming a supporter at: http://patreon.com/WelshHistory Music: Celtic Impulse - Celtic by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1100297 Artist: http://incompetech.com/ © 2026 Evergreen Podcasts Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Was King Arthur real?What can his story tells us about British history and identity? And what exactly happened to Britain after the Romans left? Today Anya is joined by Murray Dahm, an independent academic researcher and freelance historian based in Sydney, Australia. Discover how the era of post-Roman Britain is both a beginning and an ending, the thin line between history and myth, and how the dark age was MUCH shorter than commonly thought. Murray Dahm is the author of several books, including Finis Britanniae: A Military History of Late Roman Britain and the Saxon Conquest. You can buy it HERE: https://www.amazon.com/Finis-Britanniae-Military-History-Conquest/dp/1398118273 Hosted by Anya Leonard of Classical Wisdom. To learn more about Classical Wisdom, and sign up for our free newsletter, please go to https://classicalwisdom.substack.com/ An extended version of this podcast is available to Members of Classical Wisdom. This can be found here: https://classicalwisdom.substack.com/p/roman-britain-origin-or-decline 

The year London was founded will always be disputed, but the most recent archaeological evidence suggests the Romans had created the first settlement on the north bank of the Thames by 48 AD, five years after their invasion. That early military encampment expanded to become a busy, cosmopolitan supply base until it was burned down in the Boudican revolt of 60 AD. In the first episode of her series tracing the history of London, Rosemary Hill is joined by Dominic Perring, archaeologist and author of London in the Roman World, to examine the development of Londinium over its tumultuous first century, during which it grew to a population of 30,000 and it acquired all the recognisable Roman landmarks – forum, basilica, baths, amphitheatre – before facing its second great destructive event around 125 AD. In their next episode, Rosemary and Dominic consider Roman London's second revival and the emergence of new belief systems and monuments before its eventual abandonment by Rome at the start of the fifth century. Read more in the LRB: Christopher Kelly on Roman London: ⁠https://lrb.me/londonep1roman2⁠ Tom Shippey on Roman Britain: ⁠https://lrb.me/londonep1roman1⁠

00:00 Introduction00:07 Merlin, from the Nuremberg Chronicle00:20 Merlin by Aubrey Beardsley00:24 Prince Arthur Educated by Thomas Pennant01:03 The Mad Prophet01:18 Fresco "Iwein" by Hartmann von Aue, photo Thomas Wozniak, Creative Commons01:37 Alauda arvensis Nest, photo Beentree, Creative Commons01:48 Battle of Crécy by Loyset Liédet01:59 Geoffrey of Monmouth, The Life of Merlin02:57 Zum Wilden Mann, Passau, photo Andreas Praefcke, Creative Commons03:05 The Wild Man by Conrad Meyer03:25 Carrion Crow, photo Marie-Lan Taÿ Pamart, Creative Commons03:28 Phoenix by Friedrich Justin Bertuch03:37 Virtuous Lady Tames Woodwose04:48 Page from the Black Book of Carmarthen05:21 Map of Roman Britain by William and Alexander Keith Johnston05:32 Stonehenge from the Roman De Brut05:43 Myrddin Being Converted to Christianity by Saint Kentigern05:50 Wild Man by Hans Holbein the Younger06:06 The Supernatural Sorcerer06:42 Christ in Limbo by Fra Angelico06:48 Story of Merlin by Jean Colombe07:23 Conception of Merlin by Antoine Vérard08:00 Merlin Reads His Prophesies to King Vortigern08:19 Vortigern and the Dragons by the Master of Edward IV08:57 Red Dragon Sculpture, photo Rickfive, Creative Commons09:22 Uther Pendragon, Aethelbert, Arthur, and Oswald by Matthew Paris09:34 The Holy Grail and the Round Table by Évrard d'Espinques09:52 Uther and Igraine by Wladislaw T Benda10:00 Pelleas and Igraine by Wladislaw T Benda10:06 Gorlois, Uther, and Igraine by Wladislaw T Benda10:30 Uther Pendragon by Howard Pyle10:39 Arthur's Conception10:55 So The Child Was Delivered Unto Merlin by Arthur Rackham11:21 Idylls of the King by Gustave Doré11:58 So The Child Was Delivered Unto Merlin by N C Wyeth12:05 Merlin Dictating Prophesies to His Scribe, Blaise12:18 Young Arthur Retrieving the Sword Excalibur12:36 Gargoyle12:55 Sack of Aquileia, from the Chronicon Pictum12:59 The Achievement of the Grail by Edward Burne-Jones, William Morris, and John Henry Durle13:04 Excalibur, from Ballads of Bravery by George Melville Baker13:39 The Fate of Merlin13:43 Vivian and Merlin by Julia Margaret Cameron14:08 Idylls of the King by Gustave Doré14:18 Diana of the Chase by Anna Hyatt Huntington14:37 Diana Hunting, Via Livenza, Rome, Italy14:45 Secondary Basins of Brittany by Marie-Nicolas Bouillet14:55 The Golden Bough by Joseph Mallord William Turner15:12 Myth of Actaeon, photo Carole Raddato, Creative Commons15:26 Idylls of the King by Gustave Doré15:44 Robert De Boron, Prose Merlin16:17 Idylls of the King by Gustave Doré16:32 Merlin and Vivienne by W Otway Cannell16:42 April by the Brothers of Limbourg16:48 Musician With Tambourine, Man and Maiden Playing Chess, Bodleian Library, Oxford, England16:52 Maidens Dance to the Music of a Citoler Playing, Bodleian Library, Oxford, England16:59 Walther von Klingen by the Master of the Codex Manesse17:04 Duke and Ladies in a Garden by Christine de Pisan17:18 Vivien Bewitches Merlin by Arthur Pyle17:33 Merlin and Nimue by Edward Burne-Jones18:06 Vivien and Merlin by Julia Margaret Cameron18:17 Idylls of the King by Eleanor Fortescue-Brickdale18:23 Merlin and Vivien by George Housman Thomas18:40 The Beguiling of Merlin by Edward Burne-Jones18:53 Witches' Tree by Edward Burne-Jones19:12 Merlin and Vivien, from Tales of the Round Table by Andrew Lang19:18 Idylls of the King by Eleanor Fortescue-Brickdale20:02 Bradamante at Merlin's Tomb by Alexandre-Evariste Fragonard20:30 Conclusion20:51 Awarding the Artists Coat of Arms to Albrecht Dürer by Eugene Napoleon Neureuther20:55 Idylls of the King by Gustave Doré21:13 The Story of Tom Thumb, from The Heart of Oak Books by Charles Eliot Norton21:43 Sleeping Merlin Sculpture at Merlin's Cave, Tintagel, England, photo by Nathan Russell-Raby, Creative CommonsAll works of art are in the public domain unless otherwise noted.Ambiment - The Ambient by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license.

This episode looks at why Britain was left alone, how Roman civil wars reshaped imperial priorities, and why the invasion of Britain under Claudius was as much about survival in Rome as it was about power overseas. Follow us on social media: Instagram, Bluesky and Twitter: Welshhistorypod Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/welshhistorypodcast Please consider becoming a supporter at: http://patreon.com/WelshHistory Music: Celtic Impulse - Celtic by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1100297 Artist: http://incompetech.com/ © 2025 Evergreen Podcasts Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This episode we are going to talk about the structures and configuration of the Roman Army that was about to invade Britain in 43 CE. Follow us on social media: Instagram, Bluesky and Twitter: Welshhistorypod Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/welshhistorypodcast Please consider becoming a supporter at: http://patreon.com/WelshHistory Music: Celtic Impulse - Celtic by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1100297 Artist: http://incompetech.com/ © 2025 Evergreen Podcasts Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

He came, he saw, he left... but what did Caesars arrival and departure actually influence iron age Britain. Did the Britons actually know about them and how much would this change their lives over the 90 years before Claudius. Follow us on social media: Instagram, Bluesky and Twitter: Welshhistorypod Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/welshhistorypodcast Please consider becoming a supporter at: http://patreon.com/WelshHistory Music: Celtic Impulse - Celtic by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1100297 Artist: http://incompetech.com/ © 2025 Evergreen Podcasts Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the late summer of 55 BCE, Julius Caesar stood on the northern shores of Gaul, watching the restless waters of the Channel. Beyond those shifting waves rose the pale chalk cliffs of Britain, gleaming like a frontier to another world. Follow us on social media: Instagram, Bluesky and Twitter: Welshhistorypod Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/welshhistorypodcast Please consider becoming a supporter at: http://patreon.com/WelshHistory Music: Celtic Impulse - Celtic by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1100297 Artist: http://incompetech.com/ © 2025 Evergreen Podcasts Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The British tribes lived their Iron Age lifestyle watching with growing concern what was happening across the water and they hoped to keep out of the coming conflict with the new force in their world Rome. It did not work out. Follow us on social media: Instagram, Bluesky and Twitter: Welshhistorypod Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/welshhistorypodcast Please consider becoming a supporter at: http://patreon.com/WelshHistory Music: Celtic Impulse - Celtic by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1100297 Artist: http://incompetech.com/ © 2025 Evergreen Podcasts Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We've made this full episode freely available to give a taster of what's available on the Patreon, enjoy! The gang are trying out a new format - Phoebe and Milo ask Pat all the things they've ever wanted to know about barbarians and how the Romans (and Greeks) thought about them. They also get a good riff going about a Scythian Au Pair. You can get the second question time episode, about Roman Britain, on the Patreon here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/dr-wymans-time-137782106 Milo is on tour in the UK, you can find all the cities and dates here: https://www.miloedwards.co.uk/liveshows

Much modern scholarship on King Arthur has revolved around the question of his historicity and origins, the recent greatest example being Higham's magisterial 2018 survey of all the major theories—except the one that I advance here: Arthur was only one of many legendary chivalric heroes with whom continental Crusader and Reconquistador storytellers populated the North Atlantic archipelago, in their imaginations the spiritual homeland of a fictional Europe innocent of Semitic influences (both Muslim and Jewish). First, we run through all the major Arthurian theories—including the all-time banger whereby Arthur was a Croatian-Roman general who led nomadic Iranian horse-rider recruits to fight off the Angles and Saxons in the last days of Roman Britain—as exhaustively investigated by Higham. Then I state the obvious: that all the most distinctive features of the Arthur story appear for the first time in French chivalric romance (with many parallels in Spanish, Italian, and Catalonian stories featuring other characters) in the twelfth and thirteenth centuries, as the new Crusader concept of taking territory “back” from Muslims became the conceit of knightly adventure and conquest of “islands that the Emperor of Rome could not hold”, and the phenomenon of Crusaders bringing back relics from the holy land grew into legends like that of the Holy Grail. Finally, we explore one of foundational Japanese novelist Natsume Sōseki's very first literary ventures, the Arthurian story “Kairokō” (“A Dirge”, 1905) and the modern, pseudo-modern, or hyper-modern twists and turns that it imposes on earlier Arthurian stories by Malory (1485) and Tennyson (1833), while trying to steer clear of allegedly un-civilized and un-modern predecessors in Edo-period kabuki and puppet theatre—which were perhaps in fact more authentically modern because rooted in Afro-Asiatic silk road capitalism. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Milo and Phoebe are back asking Pat questions about ancient history, this week: Roman Britain. How Roman was it? Did the geezer archetype always exist? Let's find out. Get this full episode on Patreon (and much more) here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/dr-wymans-time-137782106 See Milo on tour in the UK here (September shows in Maidenhead, Cambridge, London, Oxford and Cardiff): https://www.miloedwards.co.uk/liveshows

On the Ocean West of Gaul lied the secretive land of the Britons. And this is the story of how new conquerors brought the Island to heel. Before leaving it all 350 years later. Follow us on social media: Instagram, Bluesky and Twitter: Welshhistorypod Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/welshhistorypodcast Please consider becoming a supporter at: http://patreon.com/WelshHistory Music: Celtic Impulse - Celtic by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1100297 Artist: http://incompetech.com/ © 2025 Evergreen Podcasts Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Manda Scott is a bestselling author and former veterinary surgeon. She is the author of 16 books including the international bestselling Boudica: Dreaming series which depicts life in pre-Roman Britain and has been translated into over twenty languages. Her 2024 novel, Any Human Power, is an example of Thrutopian fiction, stories that show possible routes to a better future, and is a call to action for us to contribute to a different, generative, equitable and just way forward. She is the host of the Accidental Gods Podcast which explores ways through the metacrisis that we are currently living through. Today we discuss the metacrisis and thrutopian fiction.

Why was London transformed from a bustling Roman metropolis into a ghost town by the fifth century?Tristan Hughes is joined by Dr Dominic Perring to explore the rich archaeological findings that reveal the city's final chapters, including the building of defensive walls, the influence of key figures like Magnus Maximus, and the economic shifts impacting the Roman Empire. They discuss the cosmopolitan makeup of Roman London and the significant rise and fall cycles it experienced before its eventual disappearance beneath the rubble.MOREThe Roman Invasion of Britainhttps://open.spotify.com/episode/1lTa6DyKYntcPdkRrvwCncThe Fall of Roman Britainhttps://open.spotify.com/episode/6vMwL1dueziXVNOwloY9xnPresented by Tristan Hughes. Audio editor is Aidan Lonergan and the producer is Joseph Knight. The senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff.All music courtesy of Epidemic SoundsThe Ancients is a History Hit podcast.LIVE SHOW: Buy tickets for The Ancients at the London Podcast Festival here: https://www.kingsplace.co.uk/whats-on/words/the-ancients-2/Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week and ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe. You can take part in our listener survey here: https://insights.historyhit.com/history-hit-podcast-always-on

(via Claude A.I.) Hadrian as a Cultural Hybrid https://chatgpt.com/share/68710106-e7c0-8006-8adb-bfc975a3caf6 @romanhistory Died today 138AD Hadrian, Roman emperor (117-138), dies at 62. He rebuilt the Pantheon & constructed the Temple of Venus & Roma, & is perhaps best known for building Hadrian's Wall, which marked the northern limit of Roman Britain. He is regarded as one of ... Read more The post a luz que vem da Grécia, abaixo o super-homem, somos bons ou maus? appeared first on radinho de pilha.

Saxon mercenaries, collapsing Roman order, and a new chapter for Britain. Tristan Hughes is joined by Dr Peter Heather to explore the mysterious Saxon migrations, their Germanic roots, and how they shaped early medieval Britain. A gripping dive into post-Roman chaos and emerging kingdoms.MOREThe Fall of Roman Britainhttps://open.spotify.com/episode/6vMwL1dueziXVNOwloY9xnThe Origins of Londonhttps://open.spotify.com/episode/0vE8PGKJ858AY1bhwd4D0rPresented by Tristan Hughes. Audio editor is Nick Thomson, the producer is Joseph Knight. The senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff.Theme music from Motion Array, all other music from Epidemic SoundsThe Ancients is a History Hit podcast.Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week and ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe. You can take part in our listener survey here:https://uk.surveymonkey.com/r/6FFT7MK

En 2000-årig rebell som skakade om ett av världshistoriens mäktigaste imperier - och som kämpade ända in i döden för sitt folks frihet. Nya avsnitt från P3 Historia hittar du först i Sveriges Radio Play. Redaktionen för detta avsnitt består av:Elina Perdahl – programledare och manusMårten Andersson – manus, research och producentZardasht Rad – scenuppläsareViktor Bergdahl – ljuddesign och slutmixMedverkar gör också Allan Klynne, författare och doktor i antikens kultur och samhällsliv.Vill du veta mer om Boudicca? Här är några av böckerna som legat till grund för avsnittet:Boudica : warrior woman of Roman Britain av Caitlin C. GillespieBoudica av Vanessa Collingridge

News items read by Laura Kennedy include: New study reveals that social inequality isn't inevitable (details) (details) Human remains in Texas show evidence of ancient cultural practices (details) Research indicates domestic cats originated in Tunisia (details) (details) (details) Tree ring study indicates drought led to barbarians attacking Roman Britain (details) (details)

Alexandra Morton-Hayward is using cutting-edge methods to crack the secrets of ancient brains – even as hers betrays her There are more Audio Long Reads here, or search Audio Long Read wherever you listen to your podcasts

News items read by Laura Kennedy include: New evidence from Basur Höyük reveals egalitarian funerary practices in Bronze Age Mesopotamia (details) (details) Starch granules and the cultural significance of geophytes in Western North America during Prehistoric times (details) (details) Devastating wildfires threaten South Korea's cultural heritage and historic sites (details) Ritual and care: analyzing the dog remains from the Nescot shaft in Roman Britain (details) (details)

Using cutting-edge methods, Alexandra Morton-Hayward is cracking the secrets of ancient brains – even as hers betrays her. By Kermit Pattison. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

This week we talk about peat, pig iron, and sulphuric acid.We also discuss the Industrial Revolution, natural gas, and offshore wind turbines.Recommended Book: Deep Utopia by Nick BostromTranscriptThis episode is going live on election day here in the US; and this has been quite a remarkable election season for many reasons, among them that there's been just a boggling amount of money spent on advertisements and events and other efforts to claim attention and mindshare, and in part because the vitriol and tribalism of the past several elections—an evolved, intensified version of those things—has almost completely dominated all those messages.And as someone who's based in a swing-state, Wisconsin, I can tell you that it's been a lot. It's been a lot everywhere, as US elections also claim more than their fair-share of news reportage in other countries, but in the US, and in the relatively few states that are assumed to be the kingmakers in this election, it's been just overwhelming for months, for basically a year, actually. So instead of doing anything on the election, or anything overtly political—there'll no doubt be time for that in the coming weeks, once the dust has settled on all this—let's talk about coal. And more specifically, British coal.Coal has been used throughout the British Isles for a long time, with early groups burning unrefined lumps of the substance to heat their homes, though generally only when their local, close-enough-to-the-surface-to-be-gathered source for the stuff was pure enough to beat-out other options, like peat and wood, which was seldom the case in most of these areas.It was also used to create lime from limestone, the lime used for construction purposes, to make mortar, and it was used for metal-shaping purposes by blacksmiths.Beyond that, though, it was generally avoided in favor of cleaner-burning options, as coal is often accompanied by sulphur and other such substances, which means when burned in its natural form, it absolutely reeks, and it can make anyone unlucky enough to be caught in the smoke it creates tear-up, because the resulting sulfurous gas would react with their eye-moisture to create sulphuric acid; not pleasant, and even though it was generally better than peat and wood in terms of the energy it contained, it was worse in basically every other way.Earlier groups of people had figured out the same: there were folks in China as early as 1000 BC, for instance, who used these rocks as fuel for copper smelting, and people in these same early-use areas, where coal veins were exploitable, were really leaning into the stuff by the 13th century AD, when Marco Polo visited and remarked that the locals were burning these weird black stones, which granted them wild luxuries, like being able to take “three hot baths a week.”Groups in Roman Britain were also surface mining, using, and trading coal at a fairly reasonable level by around 200 AD, though it was still primarily used to process things like grain, which needed to be dried, and to work with iron—as with those Chinese groups, coal has long been appreciated for its smelting capabilities, because of its high energy density compared to other options.In the British Isles, though, coal was largely imported to major cities by sea, until around the 13th century when the easily accessed deposits were used up, and shaft mining, which granted access to deeper deposits via at times long tunnels that had to be dug and reinforced, was developed and became common, including in areas that hadn't previously had surface sources that could be exploited.In the 16th century, this and similar innovations led to a reliable enough supply of coal that folks living in the city of London were able to largely replace their wood- and peat-burning infrastructure with coal-burning versions of the same.It's thought that this transition was partly the consequence of widespread deforestation that resulted from a population boom in the city—more lumber was needed to build more buildings, but they also required more burnable wood fuel—though some historians have argued that what actually pushed coal to the forefront, despite its many downsides compared to wood and peat, is the expansion of iron smelting and the increasing necessity of iron for Britain's many wars during this period, alongside England's burgeoning glass-making industry.Both of these manufacturing processes, making iron and glass, required just a silly amount of fuel—making just one ton of the lowest-grade cast iron, so-called pig iron, consumed something like 28 tons of seasoned wood, and glass was similarly wood-hungry.What's more, that combination of city expansion and the King's desire to massively build-out his Navy meant timber resources were continuously being strained anywhere industry popped up and flourished, so those industries would then expand to areas where wood was still cheap, over time making wood it more expensive there, too. Eventually, wood was costly pretty much everywhere, and coal thus became comparably cheap in these regions, and you could use a lot less of it to achieve the same ends.Even if that subbing-in led to bad smells and burning eyes and clouds of dense, black smoke wherever it was burned, then, the cost differential was substantial enough to make using coal the better option in many such cases and areas.This boom in coal usage was amplified still further by the rapid clearing of forests due to the expansion of farm- and pastureland.It was determined, by the late 17th century, that an acre of farm- or pastureland was worth a lot more than woodland used for timber or other purposes—around three-times as valuable—so there was a large-scale deforestation effort to basically claim as much value from these forested lands as possible, dramatically changing the landscape of the British Isles over the course of just a few decades; this transition in part enabled and powered by coal.Around the year 1700, about five-sixths of all coal that was mined, globally, was mined in Britain, and that helped power the empire's industrial revolution later that century, beginning in something like 1760, as the majority of clever devices that arose during that period were powered by coal, and the global industrial revolution that eventually created what we might consider technological modernity arose, initially—at least in this manifestation of the concept—from coal-powered Britain.What I'd like to talk about today is a remarkable coal-related milestone, considering that history, that Britain recently marked, and what it might mean for this and other fuel-types, moving forward.—In 1882, the first-ever coal-fired power station opened in London—a thermal power station that uses coal as its fuel, which basically means you refine the stuff, break it into tiny, semi-uniform pieces, and then feed those pieces into a coal-fired boiler. In that boiler the coal is burned to generate heat, and that heat boils water, the resulting steam spinning turbines which turn generators that produce electricity.Coal-fired power stations are massively inefficient, with modern versions of the model only boasting a 34-ish% efficiency, meaning about 34% of the total energy contained in the fuel source is ultimately converted into electricity—the rest, about 66% of the energy contained in the coal that's burned, is lost along the way.That's not uncommon for power plants, though other fossil fuel-burning plants are somewhat more efficient on average, with oil-powered plants weighing in at about 37% efficiency, and gas-powered versions managing something like 50-60% at their most modern and sophisticated, though simpler variations of the design only achieve about the same as coal.All fossil fuel-powered power stations emit greenhouse gases into the atmosphere as a byproduct of their operation, which has been shown to stoke climate change, and they all have pollutant-related byproducts, as well, though there's a spectrum: gas is relatively clean-burning compared to its kin, while coal is the absolute worst, releasing all sorts of pollutants into the air with at times severe health consequences for anyone in the general vicinity; oil plants are somewhere in between those two extremes, depending on the type of oil used and the nature of the plant.Those downsides are part of why newer technologies like large-scale wind turbines and solar panel arrays have been replacing fossil fuel-based power plants in many locales, and quite rapidly, though the infrastructure in many areas is optimized for these older-school options, which means there are the plants themselves, which are often quite large and real-estate-spanning, but there's also all the mines, there's the shipping facilities, the processing capacity for the coal or oil or whatnot—it's a nation-spanning network of buildings and machinery and businesses, not to mention all the people who work jobs related to these vital, energy-creating industries.Coal was already beginning to decline in the UK 100 years after that first plant was built, so by the 1990s, as gas, often called natural gas as a sort of branding effort by gas companies to make it sound cleaner and more desirable, was at that point already beginning to replace coal in many electricity-generating facilities.Gas has done the same in many countries—especially those with vast natural sources of it, and the US has opened up a lot of new markets for this fuel type in recent decades, and in the past decade in particular, as it mastered the means of compressing gas into a liquid, often called LNG, and shipping it to ports in Europe around the same time Russia's invasion of Ukraine was fundamentally rewiring the energy mix on the continent.So gas has played a role in disrupting coal's hold in many previously coal-happy areas, including the US. But it was renewables that really turned the tide against coal in the UK, with a combination of solar and wind making up about 6% of Britain's electricity in 2012—compared to 40% for coal, at the time—but just over a decade later, in 2023, renewables were making up a whopping 34% of the UK's energy mix, mostly due to the widescale deployment and success of offshore wind farms.This, paired with the emergence of increasingly efficient appliances and lighting, which sip energy compared to previous-generation bulbs and kettles and refrigerators, meant the UK was able to deplete its coal-usage, even as energy demand increased—because that demand was less than anticipated, due to those efficiencies, and enough new renewables and gas facilities were coming online to meet that reduced demand.At the tail-end of September this year, 2024, the UK witnessed the shut-down of its last remaining coal power plant, which was built 57 years ago.This was a meaningful moment, as it marked the first time in about 142 years that coal wasn't contributing to the UK's electrical grid, and it has global significance, as while 23 European countries have announced that they will phase out coal in the relatively near-future, and while Belgium was the first previously coal-burning European nation to go fully coal-free, back in 2016, the UK is the first G7 nation to do so—the rest of the G7 having committed to accomplishing the same by 2035.Decommissioning the plant will take about two years, and that will include the task of reallocating the plant's 170-or-so employees to other positions within the power network, and going through the many steps required to clean up the area after decades of voluminous pollution, while also getting the area ready for other types of development.In many cases right now, globally, that means swapping in some other piece of energy infrastructure; in some cases coal-fired plants can be replaced with gas-fired plants, which is still not ideal in terms of emissions, but much better than coal, and in some cases it's a more significant change, like building-out grid-scale battery arrays, which allow nearby wind turbines and solar panels to store the excess energy they generate when the wind is blowing and sun is shining, so that none of that energy goes to waste, and so it can be used when the wind and sun aren't cooperating.The British government is also planning to expand its nuclear power capacity, quadrupling its currently five-strong nuclear power plant holdings by 2050, which is a choice that comes with a lot of its own consequences, including, often, very high price tags on building and operating such facilities. But because of the nature of nuclear power plants—specifically, that they produce high levels of consistent, reliable, emissions-free electricity—that additional expense is often okay, because that steady consistency nicely blends with the inconsistent output of solar and wind.It's worth noting that coal-heavy nations elsewhere around the world, like Russia, are currently having trouble with the stuff, Russia's coal industry reportedly experiencing its worst crisis in 30 years due in part to sanctions, in part to a lack of demand from previous customers that're transitioning away from coal, and in part due to issues within the industry, itself.Coal production in Russia dropped by 6.7% year on year in July of 2024, marking the lowest output since the height of the covid pandemic, and it's estimated that they've lost around 27% of monthly output compared to recent peaks.There are different types and grades of coal, so those numbers are averages, and not all coal-exporting nations are having as much trouble as Russia right now. Australia is the world's foremost exporter of coal, for instance, and while China is going through some economic complications right now—which is an issue for Australia, because they shipped the majority of their coal to China until just recently—India has been stepping in to pick up the majority of that slack. Australia has still cut its coal export outlook by 6% because of those and other geopolitical ripples, and there's a chance their sales could continue to drop due to the transition to renewables on one hand, and the move toward gas-powered plants on the other.But some types of coal remain the cheapest form of energy production in some countries, so there's a good chance that rising stars like India, and possibly Indonesia and other Southeast Asian booming economies, as well, could step in and grab what they can, despite all the downsides of coal, because they can get it at a discount; which won't be great for coal companies that are used to higher prices, but it likely will allow them to keep operating at something close to their previous capacity for longer than would otherwise be the case, lacking these rising nations that need cheap fuel, whatever the consequences of using it.In the UK, though, coal is gone, and the remnants of its use are slowly being wiped away: the land cleaned up and repurposed, more of the grid being optimized for cleaner production types.We'll probably see a few other big nations accomplish the same over the next decade, but because of all that aforementioned geopolitical turmoil, there's also a chance those planned end-dates will be pushed: the cheap, dirty needs of the present overshadowing these nations' cleaner, healthier next-step ambitions.Show Noteshttps://www.eia.gov/tools/faqs/faq.php?id=107&t=3https://e360.yale.edu/digest/uk-last-coal-planthttps://ourworldindata.org/grapher/electricity-mix-uk?stackMode=absolute&facet=nonehttps://www.wsj.com/us-news/coal-ash-cancer-epa-north-carolina-b39ddf6ahttps://beyondfossilfuels.org/europes-coal-exit/https://www.npr.org/2024/09/30/nx-s1-5133426/uk-quits-coal-climate-changehttps://www.theguardian.com/business/2024/sep/30/end-of-an-era-as-britains-last-coal-fired-power-plant-shuts-downhttps://www.epa.gov/sites/default/files/2016-06/documents/4783_plant_decommissioning_remediation_and_redevelopment_508.pdfhttps://www.gisreportsonline.com/r/peak-coal/https://www.moscowtimes.ru/2024/10/07/samii-tyazhelii-krizis-za30-let-vrossii-nachala-rushitsya-dobicha-uglya-a144209https://interactive.carbonbrief.org/coal-phaseout-UK/index.htmlhttps://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c5y35qz73n8ohttps://www.nytimes.com/2024/09/30/climate/britain-last-coal-power-plant.htmlhttps://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/interactive/2024/uk-coal-power-exit/https://www.theguardian.com/business/2024/sep/30/the-deep-history-of-british-coal-from-the-romans-to-the-ratcliffe-shutdownhttps://www.reuters.com/markets/commodities/uks-last-coal-plant-shutdown-bodes-well-us-lng-exports-maguire-2024-10-01/https://www.wired.com/story/uk-no-coal-fired-power-plants-first-time-in-142-years/https://www.statista.com/statistics/371069/employment-in-coal-mining-industry-in-the-united-kingdom-uk/https://apnews.com/article/high-court-rejects-uk-coal-mine-whitehaven-83b9b7ceedebee1b70927667987b4dd7https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20240927-how-coal-fired-power-stations-are-being-turned-into-batterieshttps://www.reuters.com/sustainability/climate-energy/britain-become-first-g7-country-end-coal-power-last-plant-closes-2024-09-29/https://www.nytimes.com/2024/09/30/opinion/england-coal-wind-power.htmlhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coal-fired_power_stationhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coal_in_Australiahttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Industrial_Revolutionhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coal This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit letsknowthings.substack.com/subscribe

In the early 5th century AD, after almost four centuries of iron-fisted Roman rule, the empire in Britain was beginning to fade. Franks, Saxons and Roman usurpers were running rampant. Britannia was on its last legs and in 410 AD, the Britons were told to ‘look to their own defences'.However the story of the fall of Roman Britain is far more complex than the traditional tale of swift Roman withdrawal. In today's episode of The Ancients, Tristan Hughes is joined by Dr Rob Collins and Dr James to journey from Londinium to Hadrians Wall and unpick the ultimate fate of Roman Britannia.Presented by Tristan Hughes. Edited by Aidan Lonergan. The producer is Joseph Knight, the senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff.The Ancients is a History Hit podcast.Enjoy unlimited access to award-winning original TV documentaries that are released weekly and AD-FREE podcasts. Sign up HERE for 50% off your first 3 months using code ‘ANCIENTS'. https://historyhit.com/subscriptionYou can take part in our listener survey here.

In 61 CE, Boudica of the Iceni led a bloody revolt to end Roman rule in Britain. Roman historians tell us with great drama and flair that the grand finale is a huge battle between Boudica and the Roman governor, Suetonius. Tens of thousands of Celtic warriors went head-to-head with a small force of veteran legionaries to decide the fate of Roman Britain.Today we're joined by Caitlin Gillespie, a historian and author of Boudica: Warrior Woman of Roman Britain. She tells us the story of this revolt, the famed warrior queen who led it, and how it all ended.Produced by James Hickmann and edited by Dougal Patmore.Enjoy unlimited access to award-winning original documentaries that are released weekly and AD-FREE podcasts. Sign up HERE for 50% off for 3 months using code ‘DANSNOW'.We'd love to hear from you - what do you want to hear an episode on? You can email the podcast at ds.hh@historyhit.com.You can take part in our listener survey here.

By 410 AD, over 450 years after Julius Caesar first landed on its shores, the Romans had formally withdrawn from Britain. Burdened by military threats and political upheaval on the continent, the empire began to contract in on itself. The Romano-Britons were left to fend for themselves, facing internal strife and the growing influence of Saxon settlers.This is the second of a two-part series that tells the story of Roman Britain, from Julius Caesar's first expeditions through to its fall. For this, we're joined by Patrick Wyman, host of the Tides of History and The Fall of Rome podcasts.If you want to learn more about Roman Britain, you may like episode 1 of our Story of England series, 'Stone Age to Roman Days' - https://shows.acast.com/dansnowshistoryhit/episodes/story-of-england-stone-age-to-roman-daysProduced by James Hickmann and edited by Dougal Patmore.Enjoy unlimited access to award-winning original documentaries that are released weekly and AD-FREE podcasts. Sign up HERE for 50% off for 3 months using code ‘DANSNOW'.We'd love to hear from you - what do you want to hear an episode on? You can email the podcast at ds.hh@historyhit.com.You can take part in our listener survey here.

On August 26th, 55 BC, Julius Caesar and his legionaries waded ashore just north of the White Cliffs of Dover. Right there in the surf, they were met by Celtic warriors, who charged them on foot and on horseback. The fighting was fierce, but Caesar's legions prevailed. A few months later, having extracted tribute and pledges of allegiance from local tribes, Caesar returned to Gaul. But this was just the beginning - a hundred years later the Romans would return, beginning a period of Roman rule that lasted for over 350 years.This is the first of a two-part series that tells the story of Roman Britain, from Julius Caesar's first expeditions through to the collapse of the Roman Empire. For this, we're joined by Patrick Wyman, host of the Tides of History and The Fall of Rome podcasts.If you'd like to hear more about the history of Rome, you can listen to:The Roman Navy in Britain - https://shows.acast.com/dansnowshistoryhit/episodes/theromannavyinbritainStone Age to Roman Days - https://shows.acast.com/dansnowshistoryhit/episodes/story-of-england-stone-age-to-roman-daysRoman Emperors with Mary Beard - https://shows.acast.com/dansnowshistoryhit/episodes/roman-emperors-with-mary-beardProduced by James Hickmann and edited by Dougal Patmore.Enjoy unlimited access to award-winning original documentaries that are released weekly and AD-FREE podcasts. Sign up HERE for 50% off for 3 months using code ‘DANSNOW'.We'd love to hear from you - what do you want to hear an episode on? You can email the podcast at ds.hh@historyhit.com.You can take part in our listener survey here.

It's the most famous Roman frontier in the world. A massive c.13-foot high wall that spanned the length of northern Britain, dividing the empire between Roman and 'barbarian' land. But how was it built? Who lived along it? And why was it named after Emperor Hadrian?In this episode of The Ancients, Tristan Hughes is joined by Dr. Frances McIntosh to tell the story of this iconic monument of Roman Britain and explore the forts, milecastles and turrets that made it far more than just a wall. Along the way they'll discover how Hadrian's Wall fit into the wider Roman frontier and how it has helped countless authors when creating fictional worlds (yes George R.R. Martin we're looking at you...).This episode was produced and edited by Joseph Knight. Senior Producer was Anne-Marie Luff.Enjoy unlimited access to award-winning original documentaries that are released weekly and AD-FREE podcasts. Get a subscription for £1 per month for 3 months with code ANCIENTS - sign up here.You can take part in our listener survey here.