Podcasts about Stonehenge

The Notes: (5)69 dudes! Thomas the Tank Engine can party! Kool-Aid Man has a cocaine problem! Twinkie the Kid was a sicario! Stefan is stateside! Stefan knows a good burger! Blackpool is all druids and coke! Will is mushroom-curious! Puttin' rocks in places! You gotta work up to a Stonehenge! Time travelers are not a monolith! The venn diagram of time travelers and public masturbators! Glovey needs some of that nose helper! Contact Us! Follow Us! Love Us! Email: doubledeucepod@gmail.com Twitter, Instagram, Threads: @doubledeucepod Bluesky: @doubledeucepod.bsky.social Facebook: www.facebook.com/DoubleDeucePod/ Patreon: patreon.com/DoubleDeucePod Also, please subscribe/rate/review/share us! We're on Apple, Android, Libsyn, Stitcher, Google, Spotify, Amazon, Radio.com, RadioPublic, pretty much anywhere they got podcasts, you can find the Deuce! Podcast logo art by Jason Keezer! Find his art online at Keezograms! Intro & Outro featuring Rob Schulte! Check out his many podcasts! Brought to you in part by sponsorship from Courtney Shipley, Official Superfans Stefan Rider, Amber Fraley, Nate Copt, and listeners like you! Join a tier on our Patreon! Advertise with us! If you want that good, all-natural focus and energy, our DOUBLEDEUCE20 code still works at www.magicmind.com/doubledeuce for 20% off all purchases and subscriptions. Check out the Lawrence Times's 785 Collective at https://lawrencekstimes.com/785collective/ for a list of local LFK podcasts including this one!  

Monumentos como Stonehenge, Newgrange o las pirámides de Guiza, muestran asombrosos alineamientos celestes que difícilmente pueden ser una mera coincidencia. ¿Cuál era exactamente su propósito?

Non sapete cosa vedere sui canali televisivi SBS? Ecco i nostri consigli per la settimana dal 25 settembre al 1° ottobre. In Australia, potete guardare il vostro programma preferito o recuperare quello che avete perso su SBS On Demand.#sbsaudiopodcast

Gost epizode je dr. Ivan Šprajc, slovenski arheolog in arheoastronom, ki raziskuje starodavne civilizacije Mezoamerike, predvsem Maje. V epizodi: Olmeki in začetek Mezoamerike Graham Hancock in bosanske piramide Arheoastronomija, Stonehenge in Maji Propad Majev, suše in vojne Vladarji, hierarhija in moč Majevsko življenje, bogovi in narava Človeške žrtve in kozmični red Cortés, Azteki in padec Mezoamerike

THREE MORE DAYS 'TIL HALLOWEEN—AND SILVER SHAMROCK HAS A DEADLY SURPRISE! Sign up here: https://bit.ly/reel-rejects. Get a $10 bonus after completing your first offer. Get rewarded with Freecash. Play games, complete offers, and earn rewards along the way. Brands pay Freecash to connect with people who engage with their games and apps, and Freecash shares part of that value with you. Freecash is a rewards platform, not a replacement for your income. Rewards depend on the offers you complete and results vary by user. Jackie Bonsignore & Jon Maturan watch Halloween III: Season of the Witch (1982) for the first time in this full movie reaction and review! The Reel Rejects continue their Road to Halloween: The Game with the franchise's bold standalone sequel—the infamous Halloween movie without Michael Myers. Jackie & Jon react to the unforgettable Silver Shamrock jingle, the skull, witch and pumpkin masks, the horrifying mask demonstration, Conal Cochran's mysterious factory, his mechanical enforcers, and Tom Atkins' frantic “Stop it!” ending! Halloween III: Season of the Witch Full Movie Reaction Watch Along:   / thereelrejects   Directed by Tommy Lee Wallace (It, Fright Night Part 2), Halloween III stars Tom Atkins as Dr. Daniel Challis (The Fog, Escape from New York), Stacey Nelkin as Ellie Grimbridge (Yellowbeard, Get Crazy), Dan O'Herlihy as Conal Cochran (RoboCop, The Last Starfighter), Nancy Kyes as Linda Challis (Halloween, The Fog), and Dick Warlock as the Assassin (Halloween II, Escape from New York). Jackie & Jon discuss why Michael Myers wasn't included, John Carpenter and Debra Hill's anthology concept, the Carpenter and Alan Howarth score, the Stonehenge conspiracy, the film's shocking finale, and how Season of the Witch became an '80s cult-horror favorite. Follow Jackie Bonsignore: https://www.instagram.com/jackiebonsignore/ Follow Jon Maturan: https://www.instagram.com/jonmaturan/?hl=en Intense Suspense by Audionautix is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/... Support The Channel By Getting Some REEL REJECTS Apparel! https://www.rejectnationshop.com/ Follow Us On Socials:  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/reelrejects/  Tik-Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@reelrejects?lang=en Twitter: https://x.com/reelrejects Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheReelRejects/ Music Used In Ad:  Hat the Jazz by Twin Musicom is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Happy Alley by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/... POWERED BY @GFUEL Visit https://gfuel.ly/3wD5Ygo and use code REJECTNATION for 20% off select tubs!! Head Editor: https://www.instagram.com/praperhq/?hl=en Co-Editor: Greg Alba Co-Editor: John Humphrey Music In Video: Airport Lounge - Disco Ultralounge by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Ask Us A QUESTION On CAMEO: https://www.cameo.com/thereelrejects Follow TheReelRejects On FACEBOOK, TWITTER, & INSTAGRAM:  FB:  https://www.facebook.com/TheReelRejects/ INSTAGRAM:  https://www.instagram.com/reelrejects/ TWITTER:  https://twitter.com/thereelrejects Follow GREG ON INSTAGRAM & TWITTER: INSTAGRAM:  https://www.instagram.com/thegregalba/ TWITTER:  https://twitter.com/thegregalba Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Es gab viele Rätsel um das legendäre Steinzeit-Monument im Süden Englands. Heute hat die Archäologie einige Antworten: etwa, wie Menschen vor 5000 Jahren tonnenschwere Steine über weite Distanzen transportieren konnten. Ein Podcast mit Marisa Gierlinger.

How does a lifelong scientist reconcile her love of data with her fascination with ancient myths that defy explanation? And what does it take to turn a retired grandmother into a solo traveler crossing six continents in just 42 days?In this episode of Productivity Smarts, host Gerald J. Leonard sits down with Dr. Imogene Drakes, author of Around the World in 42 Days, for a fascinating conversation about curiosity, courage, planning, and the power of seeing the world with your own eyes.Dr. Drakes shares the story behind her extraordinary journey, which began not with a detailed plan, but with a lifelong fascination with ancient stories, mythology, and science. A Sunday sermon quoting Psalm 82 was the final push she needed to start planning. Within weeks, she had mapped out a whirlwind tour of iconic sites across the globe, from Machu Picchu to Easter Island, from Stonehenge to Mohenjo-daro in Pakistan.But this journey was not without its obstacles. Dr. Drakes opens up about the challenges she faced, including a visa with an incorrect passport number, canceled flights, and the disappointment of missing the glass-bottom boat tour in Japan. Yet through quick thinking, persistence, and a little bit of luck, she turned each setback into an opportunity.Gerald and Dr. Drakes explore why age is irrelevant when pursuing meaningful goals, the importance of writing down your dreams, and how building flexibility into your plans, both in time and budget, can save you when things go wrong. They also discuss the deeper lessons from her journey, including the power of humility, the importance of connecting with people across cultures, and her ongoing mission to explore the common threads between science, mythology, and religion.If you've ever dreamed of doing something extraordinary but told yourself it's too late, this episode will inspire you to put your birth certificate away and start planning.What We Discuss[02:02] Meet Imogene Drakes and Around the World in 42 Days[04:16] The inspiration behind her journey[05:51] Planning a 42-day adventure around the world[08:01] Why experiencing places firsthand matters[09:06] Discoveries in Australia and Japan[13:25] Navigating unexpected travel challenges[15:07] What the journey taught her about herself[16:59] Mohenjo-daro and the journey's defining moment[18:20] Finding common ground across cultures[20:35] Why it's never too late to pursue a dream[22:51] Journaling, reflection, and finding purpose[25:19] Turning a dream into a practical first step[27:28] Creating a roadmap for others[29:15] Where to find Around the World in 42 DaysNotable Quotes[07:19] "I didn't say anything to anyone until it was all planned." – Dr. Imogene Drakes [08:26] "I wouldn't be satisfied if I wrote a book and actually didn't go to the places to see what they look like." – Dr. Imogene Drakes [09:06] "It's really important that you don't take anyone's word for important things you need to do." – Dr. Imogene Drakes [13:25] "It's always good to build in some space in whatever you're doing, especially if you're going very far." – Dr. Imogene Drakes [14:00] "First of all, I had to stop, and I had to breathe. Then I had to think." – Imogene Drakes [15:07] "I can think on my feet." – Dr. Imogene Drakes [15:31] "I really didn't give up. I'm not somebody who gives up easily." – Dr. Imogene Drakes [20:58] "Put your birth certificate very far away. It has nothing to do with your ability." – Dr. Imogene Drakes [21:19] "I find that since I'm retired, I am busier than ever because I'm so happy with what I'm doing." – Dr. Imogene Drakes [25:47] "Write down your dream. And then write down what your first step will be." – Dr. Imogene Drakes Resource and LinksImogene Drakes Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/ImogeneaDrakes/61591723627710/Book: Around the World in 42 DaysUpcoming book: The Top of the GlobeProductivity Smarts PodcastWebsite - productivitysmartspodcast.comGerald J. LeonardWebsite - geraldjleonard.comTurnberry Premiere website - turnberrypremiere.comScheduler - vcita.com/v/geraldjleonardKiva is a loan, not a donation, allowing you to cycle your money and create a personal impact worldwide. https://www.kiva.org/lender/topmindshelpingtopmindsSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Earlier this month I had the opportunity of a lifetime and was able to visit both Ireland and Stonehenge on the same trip. My wife […]

Time to break off your search for the Great Carbuncle and adventure through New Hampshire, the "Granite State!"We start with the story of Oceanborn Mary and then discuss New Hampshire's rugged terrain and the centuries-long struggles to define its borders. From the "Presidential Range" and the now collapsed iconic 'Great Stone Face' to the state's 18-mile sea coast and northern forests, it's a pretty wild ride.Speaking of wild rides, we also debunk some of the mythology surrounding Paul Revere, explore how some of New Hampshire's most famous 'Native American' legends are not Native American at all, and do discover some New Hampshire originals, alongside some reheated stories that originated on our side of the Atlantic...We include extracts from Saturday's Local Legends interview with the wonderful Roxie Zwicker of New England Curiosities and Wicked Curious Radio, and quarry our way inside tales including The Deerfield Booms, the dubious mystique of "America's Stonehenge" and a whole tonne of cryptids, from the Devil Monkey of Danville to "Winnie" - another localized variation on the Loch Ness Monster!From the grim history of The Witch of Hampton to Odzihózo, "the giant who created himself", to The Wood Devils of Coös County and New Hampshire's intriguing interpretations of Libertarian philosophy, it's a folkloric banquet - and that's not even mentioning this week's maple syrup-infused State Dinner!About Three Ravens

Es ist das berühmteste prähistorische Monument Europas - und gibt doch immer noch Rätsel auf. Ist Stonehenge Grabstätte, Sonnenkalender oder Tempel? Wer erbaute die Steinkreise, und vor allem: wie? Archäologen haben inzwischen neue Antworten. Ein Podcast von Marisa Gierlinger.

Earlier this month I had the opportunity of a lifetime and was able to visit both Ireland and Stonehenge on the same trip. My wife attended a conference in Cork, Ireland and I was able to tag along. We spent time in Dublin before making our way down to Stonehenge, back to Dublin, over to Cork, and finally back to Dublin. What a trip! On this episode I tal about visiting the National Leprechaun Museum, the Guinness Storehouse, the Irish Rock and Roll Museum, the Irish National Museum, Blarney Castle, and of course... Stonehenge! This episode is also available on YouTube, with pictures. https://youtu.be/27VcARIlIlc Support You Don't Know Flack at Patreon.com/RobOHara iTunes | RSS | Facebook | Twitter | WWW | Patreon | Twitch

National Pecan cookie day. Entertainment from 1999. Benedict Arnold turned traitor, Yes Virginia there is a Santa Claus printed, Stonehenge sold at auction. Todyas birthdays - H.G. Wells, Chuck Clark, Larry Hagman, Stephen King, Bill Murray, Dave Coulier, Rob Murrow, Faith Hill, Luke Wilson, Alphonso Ribeiro, Liam Gallagher, Jason Derulo. Walter Brennan died.Intro - God did good - Dianna Corcoran https://www.diannacorcoran.com/Pecan cookies - Muk PuhUnpretty - TLCSomething like that - Tim McGrawBirthdays - In da club - 50 Cent https://www.50cent.com/Wild one - Faith HillWonderwall - OasisIn my head - Jason DeruloExit - Crazy - Bobby Cool      Bobby Cool webpageHistory & Factoids about today Playlist on SpotifyHistory & Factoids about today webpagecooolmedia.comcountryundergroundradio.comNational Days Puzzles - JulyGrace & Grit Christian Country Radio

On Saturday, the Maryhill Museum of Art in Goldendale will celebrate its centennial anniversary with free admission and activities honoring the museum’s unique history and identity. Perched on a bluff overlooking the Columbia Gorge, visitors can explore the museum’s many collections that include Indigenous baskets and beadwork, sculptures by Auguste Rodin and hundreds of chess sets from around the world. The museum’s sprawling grounds boast a full-scale replica of Stonehenge and sculptures made by Pacific Northwest artists.    The day's festivities also include Romanian folk dancing and music as a tribute to Queen Marie of Romania’s visit to the site 100 years ago to dedicate the museum co-founded by her friend and entrepreneur,  Sam Hill. Three current exhibits showcase the museum’s cultural ties to Romania, including new displays of Romanian pottery and embroidered textiles.    Amy Behrens is the executive director and CEO of the Maryhill Museum of Art. Michael Oros is the master of ceremonies for Saturday’s events, president of the Romanian American Society and a member of the museum’s board of trustees. They join us to preview Saturday’s program and the special exhibits celebrating the museum’s history.   

“Cinco viajes al misterio: de las tumbas del antiguo Egipto al enigma de Stonehenge, el 'Hombre Pez de Liérganes', el edificio 'Tiro Pichón y los Jardines de Versalles”. Una tumba bajo las arenas de Egipto, un hombre que regresó del mar, los secretos de Versalles, las piedras de Stonehenge y las historias de Tiro Pichón. Cinco viajes diferentes para una noche dedicada al misterio. Reposición del programa Nº 17 de “Voces del Misterio”, emitido el 14 de Diciembre de 2007, que trató sobre Egiptología, 'El Hombre Pez de Liérganes', Los Jardines de Versalles, Stonehenge, El edificio 'Tiro Pichón', etc. Audio perteneciente a la primera etapa, en “Radio Betis”. RECORDAROS que este PODCAST NO es el OFICIAL del programa “Voces del Misterio”. Para comentarios sobre los temas tratados y/o las opiniones de los colaboradores, podeís contactar directamente con el programa a través de su web (https://www.vocesdelmisterio.com) o el correo electrónico: "vocesdelmisterio@gmail.com". PARANORMALIA: https://paranormaliaweb.github.io/ (WEB), https://www.facebook.com/paranormaliaweb/ (Facebook) y https://x.com/paranormaliaweb (X).

Kinstone is a modern megalithic sculpture park that features massive stones and hand crafted buildings amongst the natural beauty the state has to offer.

This Is Spinal Tap Review takes Born to Watch somewhere few podcasts dare to go: backstage with Britain's loudest band, where amplifiers go to eleven, drummers have an alarming mortality rate, Stonehenge has serious measurement issues, and a beautiful piano composition can somehow be called “Lick My Love Pump”.Whitey, Damo and Dan are back to revisit Rob Reiner's 1984 mockumentary masterpiece, This Is Spinal Tap, a movie that barely made a ripple when it first arrived but went on to become one of the most influential comedies ever made. More than four decades later, the question is simple: is Spinal Tap still funny, or has the volume finally been turned down?For Whitey, the film has grown with every viewing. Watching it as a teenager meant missing half the jokes, but coming back to it years later reveals just how clever the movie really is. Damo is firmly aboard the Tap train, while Dan comes into this one having seen plenty of famous scenes over the years without previously sitting through the whole film from start to finish.That gives us the perfect mix for a Born to Watch review.The boys dive into what made This Is Spinal Tap so revolutionary. Rob Reiner, Christopher Guest, Michael McKean and Harry Shearer created something that looks and sounds so much like a genuine rock documentary that audiences could be forgiven for wondering whether Spinal Tap was actually real.And that is where the genius lives.There are no desperate punchlines or actors screaming at the audience to tell them where the joke is. The characters play everything completely straight. The stupidity is delivered with total sincerity, whether Nigel Tufnel is protecting a guitar that cannot even be looked at, Derek Smalls is calmly navigating another band catastrophe, or David St. Hubbins is watching his musical empire slowly fall apart.Then there are the moments that have become comedy folklore.Stonehenge.The amps that go to eleven.“Lick My Love Pump”.Smell the Glove.The constantly changing drummers.Getting hopelessly lost backstage.And some very questionable objects stuffed inside some extremely tight trousers.The boys pick apart their favourite scenes, with Dan loving the absurd brilliance of "Lick My Love Pump", Damo championing Nigel's priceless guitar collection scene, and Whitey finding himself laughing harder at the film than he ever has before.But this episode goes well beyond simply quoting the classics.The crew ask whether This Is Spinal Tap became the blueprint for the mockumentary format that followed. Would shows such as The Office and countless other mockumentary films and television series have existed in quite the same way without Reiner and the Tap boys showing everyone how it could be done?There is also plenty of love for the supporting cast and cameos. Billy Crystal, Dana Carvey, Fran Drescher, Fred Willard, Bruno Kirby, Paul Shaffer and Anjelica Huston all enter the conversation as the boys realise just how much talent is scattered throughout the film.Naturally, the episode also explores Spinal Tap's extraordinary musical history. The band's fictional back catalogue might contain some of the greatest album titles never released by a real band, from Intravenous DeMilo and Shark Sandwich to Smell the Glove, Silent but Deadly and the magnificent Bent for the Rent.Then it is time for all the regular Born to Watch madness.The Good, the Bad and the Ugly digs into what still works, what might require multiple watches to truly appreciate, and whether there is actually much "ugly" to complain about. The boys agree this movie is packed with jokes that are incredibly easy to miss the first time around, making repeat viewings almost essential.There is also Question Time, Quick Fire, Film School for F-Wits, plenty of musical detours and, naturally, another Kick Arse Credit Song from Dan.More than 40 years after its release, This Is Spinal Tap remains one of those rare comedies whose influence has become almost bigger than the movie itself. Its jokes have entered everyday language, its characters feel strangely believable, and its commitment to playing absolute stupidity completely straight remains almost impossible to replicate.So grab your guitar, prepare the miniature Stonehenge, sniff the feedbag and make sure your amplifier has that all-important extra number.Because Born to Watch is turning this episode up to eleven.Join the Born to Watch crew If you love movies but don't believe they need to be treated like sacred works of art, you've found your people. Follow the podcast, share the episode with a mate, jump onto the socials and tell us which movie deserves the Born to Watch treatment next.#ThisIsSpinalTap #ThisIsSpinalTapReview #BornToWatch #MovieReviewPodcast #SpinalTap #RobReiner #ChristopherGuest #80sMovies #ComedyMovies #Mockumentary

Stonehenge nás dokáže neustále prekvapovať, napríklad svojim pôvodom. Zdá sa totiž, že jeden z kameňov dávni ľudia zachránili z potápajúceho sa ostrova. Tento týždeň sa v podcaste Zoom vyberieme do Británie za kameňmi zo Stonehenge a dozvieme sa, že lieky na obezitu by mohli fungovať aj na čosi ďalšie. V tejto epizóde sa nachádza politická reklama umiestnená v minúte: 14:37. Oznámenie o transparentnosti nájdete na platca.sk/hojsik1. – Všetky Podcasty SME si môžete vypočuť na jednom mieste na podcasty.sme.sk. – Ak máte pre nás spätnú väzbu, odkaz alebo nápad, napíšte nám na podcasty@sme.sk – Odoberajte aj (Ne)vedecký newsletter Tomáša Prokopčáka na sme.sk/nevedecky – Ďakujeme, že počúvate podcast Zoom.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Stonehenge has been a mystery for centuries, but scientists may have just cracked the code! New research suggests that this ancient stone circle wasn't just a random monument—it was actually used as a giant solar calendar. The arrangement of the stones aligns perfectly with the solstices, helping early people track the passage of time. This means Stonehenge may have been an advanced tool for marking seasons, guiding agriculture, and even planning festivals. It's incredible to think that people over 4,000 years ago built something so precise without modern technology! So, was Stonehenge just a clock, or did it have an even deeper meaning? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

More than a million people visit Stonehenge in England each year. It's a popular tourist destination, but what if I told you there's something similar right here in Wisconsin? While it's not prehistoric like Stonehenge, Kinstone is a sculpture park that also features massive stones arranged in different circles and patterns. Kinstone is in the far western part of the state. To help you plan a trip there to see it, Lake Effect's Becky Mortensen is joined by its founder Kristine Beck and Amanda Weibel from Travel Wisconsin. 

Una tumba bajo las arenas de Egipto, un hombre que regresó del mar, los secretos de Versalles, las piedras de Stonehenge y las historias de Tiro Pichón. Cinco viajes diferentes para una noche dedicada al misterio. Voces del Misterio: Cinco viajes al misterio, de las tumbas del antiguo Egipto al enigma de Stonehenge y el Hombre Pez.

A local high school teacher shares how education was changed by 911. A new Capitol Notes dives into the race for state attorney general. A Wisconsin sculpture park filled with massive stones.

JAKE SAMPSON, MONSTER HUNTER: The Gods of War, Ep 5 In the action-packed conclusion to The Gods of War, Texas Holdum, Lucy Carter, Edgar Rice Burroughs, Tars Tarkas, Clan Warlord Reh, and his mercenaries all find themselves outnumbered by the vile, one eyed, Blue Plant-Men of Mars. While back on Earth, our intrepid hero Jake Sampson has been double crossed by the beautiful Dejah Thoris, wife to John Carter (hero of Edgar Rice Burroughs Mars novels), and now finds himself again the prisoner of the diabolical Fu Manchu; trapped in his laboratory under the Bora Bora Islands in a volcano! Across the globe in England, Hartford leads Lord of the Admiralty, Winston Churchill, to the secret enclave of the Knights Templar located under Stonehenge! And in Germany… The Nazi evil begins to spread with continental Europe in its vile sight! While Hitler awaits the delivery of Jake Sampson from the diabolical Manchu! Can our heroes both on Earth and on Mars survive? Join us now… And find out! Written and Produced by Bill Hollweg Starring: JAKE SAMPSON: Mark Kalita LUCY CARTER: Natasha Lathrop HARTFORD: David Sobkowiak TEXAS HOLDUM: Bill Hollweg ANNOUCER: Elie Hirschman TARS TARKAS: Chris Williams EDGAR RICE BURROUGHS: Matt Weller JOHN CARTER: Joe Stofko DEJAH THORIS: Gwendolyn Jensen-Woodard WINSTON CHURCHILL: Gareth Preston ELDER 1:  Chris Barnes CLANLORD REH:  Perry Whittle FU MANCHU: Glen Witco Scheetz BROKENSEA AUDIO

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for September 6, 2026 is: inexorable • i-NEK-suh-ruh-bul • adjective Inexorable is a formal word used to describe something that cannot be stopped or changed. // For some, the changing autumn foliage is a beautiful yet bittersweet reminder of the inexorable march of time. See the entry > Examples: “At the summer solstice, the Sun ‘stands still'—the meaning of the Latin solstice—and begins its progression back toward the south. Days shorten, shadows lengthen, and the cold and dreariness of winter return. Europeans across the entire continent have noted this simple and inexorable cycle for millennia. Neolithic monuments such as Ireland's Newgrange and England's Stonehenge, both of which date from around 5,000 years ago, were built to mark solstices.” — Thomas A. DuBois, The Conversation, 17 June 2026 Did you know? You can beseech and implore until you're blue in the face, but that won't have any effect on something that's inexorable. Inexorable, which has been part of the English language since the 1500s, was originally often applied to people, desires, or actions held to be particularly resistant to persuasion (or dissuasion). In Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, for example, Romeo declares that his “intents” are “more fierce and more inexorable far / Than empty tigers or the roaring sea.” These days, it is usually used to describe the progression of something through time, or toward an end result, commonly modifying nouns like drift, pull, rise, march, decline, or tide. Inexorable comes from the Latin adjective inexorabilis, which is itself a combination of the prefix in-, meaning “not,” plus exorabilis, meaning “pliant.” If you're wondering whether English has an exorable meaning “capable of being moved by entreaty,” indeed it does, though exorable is far less common than its antonym.

As You Wish Talk Radio with James Gilliland Psionics, UFO Contact, and the ECETI Ranch Phenomena with Peter Maxwell Slattery and Troy Gavin James Gilliland is joined by Peter Maxwell Slattery of Jaya Sanctuary and Troy Gavin of WhiteHawk Psionics to talk about field research into UFO and orb activity in Australia and at Gilliland's Mount Adams ranch, blending scientific instrumentation with a heart-centered approach to contact. Two Guests Join From Down Under James Gilliland opens the broadcast from ECETI Stargate, urging listeners to share the show because, he says, platforms are shadow banning it even as outside creators pull huge numbers with the same clips. He welcomes two guests from Australia, Peter Maxwell Slattery of Jaya Sanctuary and Troy Gavin, a former member of the Australian Defence Force who now leads WhiteHawk Psionics. Troy explains that the year-old company studies the relationship between human consciousness and UAP activity, combining trained psionic practice with field observation at Slattery's sanctuary using thermal and low-light cameras, flight and satellite tracking, and environmental monitoring. Rather than asking audiences to simply believe, he says the goal is to let people experience the phenomena directly so it can be documented and evaluated. Gilliland responds enthusiastically, noting his own decades of trying to marry higher-dimensional activity with hard instrumentation, including infrared and ultraviolet imaging that can reveal what he calls fifth-dimensional craft. Instruments Bring Science To The Phenomena Peter Maxwell Slattery describes technology used at Jaya Sanctuary, including work with Matt Shields on PIP equipment that registered color changes in real time as different beings and energies appeared, and Dr. Jim Segala's MUPAS device, which the pair say simultaneously tracks roughly sixteen readings similar to Geiger counters, K2 meters, and trifield meters. He says microwave radiation readings jump from a baseline of about four to over twenty when beings or lights appear in a home. Gilliland adds that his own trifield meter reacts the moment he approaches it, though he admits he does not fully understand the mechanism. Slattery frames the equipment as confirmation of what experiencers already sense, tying instrumentation to consciousness research that Troy Gavin has pursued. Troy says WhiteHawk is fielding growing interest across Australia from people asking how to refine their own observation protocols, and that the team wants to compare field methodology and behavioral patterns of the phenomenon with what Gilliland has documented for decades at Mount Adams. Multidimensional Beings At Mount Adams Gilliland describes Mount Adams as a wilderness of glaciers, cliffs, and fire-scarred terrain where lights move faster than anything human, once crossing a field at what he calculates was nearly 200 miles an hour in front of several witnesses. He says a huge door opens on the mountainside from which ships emerge, footage Slattery says he has captured himself, and that remote viewers arriving with no prior knowledge have independently described feline and elven beings, advanced technology, and what Gilliland calls a galactic airport inside the mountain. He insists these are not simple gray aliens but ancient, multidimensional beings testing how humanity handles their presence, and that anyone unclear in themselves will find old fears surfacing before them. He credits witnesses including engineers, military pilots, and air traffic controllers who cannot identify the craft but describe them as intelligent and interactive. Slattery agrees the pair work from a heart-based, peace-oriented approach, distancing their research from covert programs he claims exist elsewhere involving captured psychic operatives. Troy's Path From A Silent Craft To The Field Troy Gavin recounts the sighting that started his search: a silent craft with a beam of light seen while camping with friends in a national park during his last years of high school, an event with no comparison to anything he knew. He joined the Australian Air Force soon after and had further experiences in uniform, then spent years visiting roughly fifty countries' ancient sites, from the Pyramids and Machu Picchu to Stonehenge and Uluru, meditating and studying archaeology to understand what he believes humanity has forgotten. He describes a recent sky watch in Texas where his group tracked bright orange orbs for an extended period until a fast jet circled the objects a dozen times; pulling its registration from flight-tracking software traced the aircraft to a private aerospace company testing radar equipment. For Troy, the incident raises questions about why military-linked technology was active at exactly that time and place, adding another data point to the team's growing record. Attacks, Healing, And Vanishing Footage The conversation turns darker as Gilliland describes years of alleged intimidation, including cut brake lines and being shot at, and an episode in which his arm appeared covered in blisters, as if microwaved, only to heal completely overnight; Slattery says he witnessed the injury and considered calling for emergency care before it vanished by morning. Both men describe cameras and recording equipment repeatedly failing to capture the most dramatic moments, from an orb the size of a house near Slattery's cabin to a ship exploding into light near a family campfire at Gilliland's ranch, footage that later shows nothing despite audible reactions on the audio track. They frame this as evidence of a heart-based, non-abusive relationship with the phenomenon rather than proof against it, arguing that ego-driven bragging, as with an unnamed cameraman at the International UFO Congress in Laughlin, Nevada, causes recordings to disappear entirely, while humble, loving intent tends to be rewarded with clear results instead. A Closing Call To Fund The Real Work As the hour closes, Gilliland argues that decades of official UFO investigation, which he calls an eighty-year failure costing billions, has produced nothing beyond blurry Tic Tac footage while heart-centered researchers like Slattery and Gavin struggle to keep their utilities paid. He urges listeners to redirect support away from what he describes as corrupt, ego-driven figures in the field and toward people he sees as genuinely dedicated to humanity's awakening. Troy directs listeners to the newly launched WhiteHawk Psionics website and Instagram for footage, newsletter sign-ups, and future research updates, while Slattery points to Jaya Sanctuary's website and thanks Gilliland for years of support. Gilliland closes by quoting a line attributed to Mary that universal peace will come through the hearts and minds of people rather than governments or religions, telling listeners that contact requires the same rise in collective consciousness, approached with an open mind, a loving heart, and pure intent before signing off for the night.

Imagina un lugar más antiguo que las pirámides y Stonehenge—construido hace 11,000 años con imponentes pilares de piedra tallados a mano. Ese lugar es Göbekli Tepe, y durante décadas dejó a los científicos completamente desconcertados. ¿Quién lo construyó? ¿Por qué? ¿Y cómo lograron mover piedras tan grandes sin ruedas ni herramientas de metal? Ahora, los investigadores creen que finalmente podrían tener respuestas—y son más sorprendentes de lo que esperarías. No es solo un montón de piedras—podría reescribir la historia de la civilización humana. Si te interesan los misterios antiguos y los descubrimientos asombrosos, este es uno que no te querrás perder. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hard News on Friday with Tara Green and Rama Arjuna and guests Solar Energies, Spiritual Transition, World Conflict and the Call for Peace Summary Opening Meditation and the Week's Calendar Energies Rainbird opens with guided breathing, a heart-space meditation, a ceremonial calling of directions, and a Mayan-style calendar reading for the current day and the week ahead. The reading emphasizes purification, universal water, unconditional love, play, healing, enlightenment, service, and right action. Labor Day is associated with the Human/healer energy, while the approaching 25th anniversary of September 11 is framed as a time of remembrance. Rainbird repeatedly encourages listeners to release fear, anger, control, hesitation, and attachment while cultivating spiritual awareness. Several ceremonial and calendar terms are difficult to hear clearly and remain flagged for verification. The opening closes with listener-support information and a handoff to Tara and Rama. Solar Activity, World Conflict and Staying Centered Rama describes the current period as unusually intense and connects solar flares, electromagnetic activity, earthquakes, major Pacific storms, and geopolitical tension with a larger energetic transition. He recounts meditating and walking in circles with deer, crows, and foxes while using the Adi Shakti mantra, saying he received guidance to lay low, stay centered, and work with the living land and an emerald-green ray. The conversation then turns to Russia and Ukraine, Israel and Palestinians, and the U.S. political situation, all interpreted through the speakers' spiritual framework. Rama distinguishes Zionism from Judaism and argues that all people are God's chosen people. He also describes glowing orbs and beings of light that he says communicate by pulsing in rhythm with their words. Throughout the segment, the recurring practical message is to send love, remain neutral, and respond with compassion rather than fear. Nature Mysticism, Zozobra, Orbs and Cultural Metaphors Rama describes Santa Fe's Zozobra tradition as a symbolic release of worries and sorrows through the burning of Old Man Gloom. He also recounts seeing sparkling particles and golden spheres in the quantum field, describing them as living light or pure love and saying animals interact with them. FernGully, Avatar, Star Trek: The Next Generation, and The Matrix are used as metaphors for enchanted nature, telepathic connection, galactic civilizations, and the risks of technological domination. Rama discusses the Na'vi, Eywa, Pandora, Alpha and Beta Centauri, and a society he imagines without war, hunger, or disease. He contrasts that vision with concern about artificial intelligence and the Borg idea, while citing Gregg Braden, Nassim Haramein, Bruce Lipton, and Mr. Keshe in related discussion. The segment remains rooted in the speakers' personal spiritual experiences and beliefs rather than independent scientific verification. Kryon on Closure, Dreams, Change and Trying Again A prerecorded Kryon segment presents 2026 as a year of unusual change centered on closure and resolution. Long-running international conflict is used as an example of unresolved issues coming to a head, and the same pattern is applied to family, workplace, and personal relationships. Unpleasant dreams are described as possible expressions of unresolved material surfacing for release. Listeners are encouraged to leave familiar routines, say yes to experiences they would normally decline, and create opportunities for unexpected synchronicities and new relationships. The recording also recommends revisiting ideas or projects that failed in the past because the surrounding conditions may now be different. Its central message is that the current period may feel difficult but can also open paths that were previously unavailable. The Mother Dialogue, NESARA and a Metaphysical View of Society After the Kryon recording, Tara leads an invocation and a dialogue with a voice addressed as Mother. The discussion presents divine love, Kundalini, bodily balance, the elements, meditation, movement practices, and care of the body as central to spiritual transformation. Political grievances involving Donald Trump, Congress, the Justice Department, war, climate disruption, and social division are folded into a metaphysical narrative involving an anticipated NESARA announcement. The speakers make extraordinary claims about death, aging, breatharianism, galactic beings, planetary ascension, higher-dimensional life, and a universe populated by spiritual hierarchies. At the same time, the segment strongly emphasizes opposition to racism and discrimination and describes humanity as one planetary family or rainbow nation. It closes with reflections on sacred sound, vowel tones, Stonehenge, the Schumann resonance, and honoring Mother Earth and other forms of life. Weekly Progress Reports and the Repeated Call for Peace Rama finishes with dated reports from August 28 through September 3 describing visits to Sun Mountain, the area near Abiquiu, the I AM Sanctuary, Runa Mu's office, and Overlook Mountain. In these reports he sits with deer, crows, hawks, a bobcat, cows, and a coyote, walks in circles, and uses the Adi Shakti or Gayatri mantras. He recounts messages he says he receives from the Crew, Darby O'Dell, the King of Swords, Lady Nada, and others, involving spacecraft, standing stones, plasma, planetary magnetics, Gaza, Scotland, the United Nations, and a coming message of peace. Nikola Tesla and alternative-energy ideas are invoked as part of a belief that humanity could meet its needs without conventional fossil-fuel systems. The reports repeatedly call for the Violet Flame, the emerald-green ray, an end to war, and a shift from material wealth toward love as a higher value. The episode closes with another donation appeal, a preview of the next program, a handoff to Rainbird, and mutual thanks and Namaste.

Welcome back to Behind Greatness. We sit with June Currivan today as she joins us from her home, coincidentally near Stonehenge . Jude was a proud daughter of coal miners in England who decided to study science to find a language for what she was experiencing as a child. She eventually had a successful 25 year corporate career that she shed – being aware of something bigger on the move. We discuss intuition as a superpower, being non locally entangled, breaking rules to break through, separation vs wholeness, re-enchanting the universe and her discarnate teachers and the importance of always asking yourself: what if and what then?   Others mentioned from the podcast: Dr. Iya Whiteley – ep 185 Cat Criger – ep 95   Super Tramp: The Logical Song - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kln_bIndDJg   Jude, Bio - https://www.clubofrome.org/member/currivan-jude/ Discussion Paper – The Unitive Science of a Living Universe: https://www.clubofrome.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/2603_The-Fifth-Element_Discussion-Paper-2-digital-low-res.pdf Whole World View website - https://www.wholeworld-view.org/ To give to the Behind Greatness podcast, please visit here: https://behindgreatness.org . As a charity, tax receipts are issued to donor.

Join RNIB Connect Radio's Toby Davey for a tour of one of the world's most famous prehistoric monuments, Stonehenge in Wiltshire.English Heritage guides, Stonehenge Deputy Operations Manager Scarlott Rolfe and site Supervisor and Historian Liz Purves give Toby an insight into the history of this world heritage site.During the tour with Scarlot and Liz, Toby found out how the site had developed and evolved over the years through exploring some of the tactile models of Stonehenge that can be found in the visitor centre exhibition, touching the replica stones gave him a real sense of the size and texture of the stones, stepping into one of the replica neolithic houses opening up a window into the lives of the people who constructed Stonehenge and going around the monument itself he learnt more about the Heel Stone, the Station Stones and the Albury Holes too. Throughout the tour you will also hear extracts from the recorded audio described guide for Stonehenge that can be pre-downloaded to your smartphone before your visit.To find out more about Stonehenge and the recorded audio described guide do visit - https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/stonehengeImage shows Toby and guide dog Boston with the Sarsen stone circle of Stonehenge behind and a clear blue sky overhead.

"Easy Day Away: Ohio's Mounds" This summer, the "Sound of Ideas" team has been bringing you suggestions for trips to take outside of Northeast Ohio, through the "Easy Day Away" series, which you can travel to within a short car ride. This time, we head south to visit sites that are thousands of years old, and the significance of which puts them in the same category as the Acropolis in Greece, Stonehenge and the Great Wall of China. The Hopewell Ceremonial Earthworks are earthen mounds built by ancient indigenous cultures around 2000 years ago and in 2023 they were designated as UNESCO World Heritage sites. Tuesday on the "Sound of Ideas," hosted by Stephanie Haney, we learn more about these massive earthworks, why they're important and what to learn from them. WOSU Public Media in Columbus has also been focusing on these mounds in a documentary series - "Hopewell Earthworks - Stories Written on the Land" which you can watch here. Guests: - Brad Lepper, Ph.D., Senior World Heritage Archaeologist, Ohio History Connection - Susan Knisley, Director of Interpretation & Education - Hopewell Culture National Historic Park; National Park Service - Logan York, Historic Preservation Director, Miami Tribe of Oklahoma; Host, "Hopewell Earthworks - Stories Written on the Land" James Renner's New Book Then, we hear from longtime Akron-based author James Renner, who has been covering true crime for years and has published books about some of the region's most infamous unsolved cases, including the murders of Amy Mihaljavic in Bay Village and Lisa Pruett in Shaker Heights. In his latest book, “A Cruise to Nowhere: My Search for Amy Lynn Bradley,” he goes farther afield — to the disappearance of a young Virginian woman from a cruise ship in the Caribbean in 1998. Ideastream Public Media's Deputy Editor of Engaged Journalism, Justin Glanville, spoke with Renner about the unresolved case and why it's maintained such a high profile for nearly 30 years. Guests: - James Renner, Author, "A Cruise to Nowhere: My Search for Amy Lynn Bradley" - Justin Glanville, Deputy Editor - Engaged Journalism, Ideastream Public Media

En esta edición de Chequia en 30': El músico mexicano Omar Rojas, que vive y trabaja en Ostrava, recibe el reconocimiento de su ciudad natal | Si las palomas se convirtieran en oro va por el Oscar |Sorprendente descubrimiento arqueológico: un santuario hallado en Chequia sería más antiguo que Stonehenge.

Zazar is an omnidimensional galactic being channeled by Dr. Marilyn Gewacke — a clinical psychologist and two-time award-winning author of "The ZaZar Transmissions." In this Portal To Ascension transmission, Zazar delivers what he calls "big news": the fifth-dimensional cities of Telos, beneath Mount Shasta, and Shambala, in the Himalayas, are merging with inner earth into one unified 5D civilization — pouring the higher blueprint of the new human into everyone on Earth. He says the ancient ones of Atlantis, Egypt, Lemuria, Stonehenge and Newgrange stored their lost wisdom as light codes for this exact moment, that the recent "Atlas" was a galactic craft carrying those codes, and that you hold dormant landing fields and star-seed DNA ready to activate. And the part nobody expects: as you ascend, your lowest parallel lives simply dissolve — you will pass people you once knew and have no memory of them at all.

In this engaging temple Q&A session, host Rick Bennett fields questions from a Community of Christ group following a presentation on restoration temples inside and outside the LDS Church. The discussion spans a wide range of captivating topics in Mormon history, theology, and architecture: https://youtu.be/vn7odpxo7Kc Don't miss our other conversations on temples: https://gospeltangents.com/mormon_history/lds-temples/ Copyright © 2026 Gospel Tangents All Rights Reserved What you will discover in this presentation: Temple Q&A: Mormon Pentecostalism & Speaking in Tongues The group discusses how early Latter-day Saints in Kirtland rolled on the ground like “holy rollers” and how Mormon Pentecostalism actually predates modern Pentecostalism by about 70 years. They examine how the Book of Mormon’s unique doctrinal connection between the baptism of fire and “speaking in the tongues of angels” laid this early groundwork. LDS Fundamentalism & Temple Practices: The discussion explores why fundamentalist Mormon offshoots (like the Remnant Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints or the Neielson Naylor group) are often seen as having preserved original Nauvoo temple components more closely than the mainstream LDS Church has. Stonehenge as a Jaredite Temple?: In a fascinating segment on international restoration branches, Bennett shares the beliefs of Philip Gill’s group in England, which claims Stonehenge was actually built by Jaredites who traveled through Russia. The group also discusses temple traditions in Mexican and Brazilian restoration offshoots. Nemenha Records & Heavenly Mother: The Q&A highlights a highly obscure set of records from Manti, Utah, known as the “Mantino archives” or “Nemenha record” translated by Philip Landis. The records contain an entire temple endowment ceremony that is almost identical to the LDS ceremony, with one major twist: it refers to a Heavenly Mother. Where Does God Dwell?: Members debate whether physical structures or individual human bodies are the true temples. Drawing from the Book of Mormon’s teaching that the Lord “dwelleth not in unholy temples” but in the hearts of the righteous, they discuss the personal spiritual temple versus the physical buildings that eventually “get torn down”. Future of Kirtland & Salt Lake Temples: Bennett answers questions regarding the LDS Church’s purchase of the Kirtland Temple and the 15-year agreement to keep it as-is. He also expresses deep heartbreak over the seismic upgrades of the Salt Lake Temple, where historic pioneer murals were gutted so the structure could be placed on ball bearings and reinforced with steel rods. Chapters 0:00 Introduction/Welcome 0:41 Community of Christ Temple Clarification (1984-1994 timeline) 2:08 Glossolalia & Speaking in Tongues in Kirtland 5:09 Fundamentalist Mormons & Nauvoo Temple Understanding 6:05 Remnant Church of Jesus Christ Discussion 9:02 International Mormonism & Temple Traditions 17:52 Nemenha Group / Manti Archives 19:58 RLDS Auditorium Temple Question 23:17 Emma Smith & Baptism for Health 23:56 Hagoth & Polynesian Temples 25:04 Kirtland Temple Future & LDS Church Plans 29:26 Structural Issues of Historic Temples (Ogden, Provo) 32:47 Kirtland Temple Restoration Discussion 35:57 Manti Temple & Recent Renovations 37:30 Cardston Temple Don't miss our other conversations on temples: https://gospeltangents.com/mormon_history/lds-temples/ Copyright © 2026 Gospel Tangents All Rights Reserved What you will discover in this presentation:  

This week's text is a review of Stonehenge, a 10,000 year old prehistoric megalithic monument and mystery. it's also about Zakia Sewell's book, Finding Albion. read it here: thewhitepube.co.uk/stonehengethanks for listening! see u next time!!!

Humanity’s story from 10,000 BC to 3,000 BC (from the end of the ice age to the beginning of civilizations) follows this pattern: primitive hunter-gatherers slowly progressed to farmers, then to village-builders, then to city-dwellers and kings. With enough food surplus to free up everyone from having to farm, religion, medicine, and art developed. But a revolution in archaeological science has completely rewritten the human past. Tools like ancient DNA sequencing, isotope analysis, LiDAR scanning, ground-penetrating radar, and high-precision radiocarbon dating are completely rewriting what we know about the ancient past. For example, the Natufians of the Levant, living between roughly 14,500 and 11,500 years ago, built permanent stone villages, stored food, buried their dead with elaborate grave goods, and developed complex social hierarchies — all before farming a single crop. We’re going to look at other recent discoveries that have changed what we know about the Ice Age and Neolithic periods, and we’re joined by is Patrick Wyman, author of Lost Worlds: How Humans Tried, Failed, Succeeded, and Built Our World. We cover the Copper Age megacity beneath modern Spain that was abandoned so completely it wasn’t rediscovered until the 1990s. We talk about Ukraine’s Trypillia culture, which built cities of tens of thousands of people, with no kings, no temples, and no walls. We look at the Neolithic mass graves of central Europe that shattered the myth of the peaceful early farmer, a single Polish burial site where DNA, isotopes, and radiocarbon dating together revealed a family massacre tied to the very moment steppe migrants were pushing into the region. All of this leads to mysteries of the ancient world that still haven’t been answered. Why were the Great Pyramid and Stonehenge only built once? Why does half the world speak languages descended from a single prehistoric tongue that left no writing and no monuments? Why does collapse keep winning, and what does that tell us about our own moment?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I numeri che certificano il successo editoriale di Ken Follett sono veramente da capogiro: oltre 198 milioni di copie vendute in più di 80 paesi, 37 romanzi tradotti in oltre 40 lingue, una serie di best-seller arrivati dal 1978 in poi. Il primo era stato "La cruna dell'ago", poi c'era stato un passaggio dalle spy story ai romanzi storici, come il famosissimo "I pilastri della terra" pubblicato nell'89. Il nuovo romanzo è "Il cerchio dei giorni" (Mondadori - traduz. Anna Maria Raffo). In qualche modo ricorda vagamente "I pilastri della terra" perché se in quel caso si seguiva la costruzione di una cattedrale durante il Medioevo, in questo romanzo si segue la costruzione di uno dei siti archeologici più famosi al mondo, il sito di Stonehenge. Ci sono state molte teorie a questo proposito, anche fantasiose, per esempio che siano stati gli alieni a costruirlo, ma che Follett rimane con i piedi per terra e immagina una storia ambientata nel 2500 a.C. con una serie di personaggi. Ci sono diversi clan, spesso in lotta fra loro. C'è il personaggio di Seft che fa parte della tribù dei cavatori, ha un padre dispotico e dei fratelli che lo vessano quotidianamente. Quando incontra Neen se ne innamora e decide così di fuggire dalla sua famiglia. Nella nuova comunità un monumento sacro in legno viene distrutto dal fuoco e la sacerdotessa Joia, sorella di Neen, decide di ricostruirlo in pietra. L'esperienza di Seft sarà fondamentale perché lui sa dove trovare pietre così grandi.

Stonehenge just got even more mysterious. In this episode, we explore the remarkable evidence that its massive Altar Stone originated hundreds of miles away in Scotland, raising new questions about how ancient builders transported it across Britain. We also dive into Stonehenge's enduring mysteries—from its extraordinary engineering and astronomical alignments to its unusual acoustics, resonance, and theories surrounding the ancient knowledge and technology behind one of the world's most enigmatic monuments.JOIN ME ON A TOUR

We're on our annual two-week summer break, but don't worry! Please enjoy these subscriber episodes from last summer while we're away!From September 2025, this is..Following Chris' trip to Stonehenge over the summer we thought the time was right to finally dedicate a whole episode to those neolithic stones that have blown minds for thousands of years.And if you want more Oh What A Time and both parts at once, you should sign up for our Patreon! On there you'll now find:•The full archive of bonus episodes•Brand new bonus episodes each month•OWAT subscriber group chats•Loads of extra perks for supporters of the show•PLUS ad-free episodes earlier than everyone elseJoin us at

This is a special episode talking about the newest UNESCO World Heritage cultural site: The Asuka and Fujiwara Ancient Capitals. This is particularly relevant as it is directly related to the history we are currently examining in this podcast. For more information, check out the blogpost at: https://sengokudaimyo.com/podcast/episode-unesco  Rough Transcript: Welcome to Sengoku Daimyo's Chronicles of Japan.  My name is Joshua, and this is a special episode on Japan's newest UNESCO world heritage site: the Ancient Capitals of Asuka and Fujiwara. Rarely do I focus too much on current events in this podcast.  After all, we are still dealing with the events of the 7th century, and that is hardly "current" in any sense.  However, just last month, at the end of July 2026, the UNESCO World Heritage Convention met and made a ruling on inducting the Ancient Capitals of Asuka and Fujiwara as one of the newest World Heritage sites. Given the obvious relevance of this to this podcast, I thought it was worth talking about. As such we'll go into a little history of the UNESCO world heritage convention, what it means, and how sites get added—or even removed—from the list.  And then we'll talk about the addition of the Ancient Capitals of Asuka and Fujiwara, what is included in that description, and what part those various locations play in the story of Japan's history, which we've been laying out for the past several years.  Warning up front:  This is probably going to be a longer episode than usual, as there is a lot to cover, but it still didn't seem to make sense to break it up into two parts. Before we get into the background of UNESCO more generally, let's talk briefly about the news.  The Ancient Capitals of Asuka and Fuijwara had been on UNESCO's tentative list since 2007, and following an on-site evaluation in September of 2025, the International Council on Monuments and Sites, or ICOMOS, made a recommendation in June 2026 that the property be inscribed on the World Heritage list. On 26 July, 2026, the UNESCO World Heritage Committee met in Busan, South Korea and accepted the recommendation.  This becomes Japan's 22nd cultural World Heritage site, and the 27th World Heritage property in Japan, since the World Heritage program is also inclusive of natural heritage sites, such as Yakushima, Amami-Ohoshima, the Ogasawara islands, and the mountainous regions of Shirakami-Sanchi, and Shiretoko, in Hokkaido. The recommendation for Asuka and Fujiwara was not just for a single site, but includes 19 individual sites and over 1,100 hectares of "buffer zone".  The individual sites are listed on the UNSECO World Heritage website as follows: •             Asuka Palace Site •             Asuka Pond Garden Site •             Asuka Water Clock Site •             Sakafuneishi Ritual Site •             Asuka-dera Temple Site •             Tachibana-dera Temple Site •             Yamada-dera Temple Site •             Kawara-dera Temple Site •             Hinokuma-dera Temple Site •             Ishibutai Mounded Tomb •             Shobuike Mounded Tomb •             Kengoshizuka Mounded Tomb •             Fujiwara Palace Site •             Daikandaiji Temple Site •             Motoyakushiji Temple Site •             Mounded Tomb of Emperor Temmu and Empress Jito •             Nakaoyama Mounded Tomb •             Kitora Mounded Tomb •             Takamatsuzuka Mounded Tomb So these are the specific locations, that were included in the single designation.   And these are how they are officially listed on the UNESCO World Heritage site in English, so for anyone who is going to comment that saying Asuka-dera Temple is redundant, because "Tera" already means "Temple", let's just not, shall we?  They are all in the Asuka and Kashihara area, and easily accessible, one from the other, so you can go and visit them if you would like.  I suspect that there is going to be a bit of push for that area in the coming tourist season as they now put up official UNESCO world heritage site markers.  And you may have noticed that a lot of these site names may sound very familiar, because the majority of them are places we've already mentioned on the podcast – but more on that later. But first, what does it mean to be a UNESCO World Heritage Site? UNESCO is the "United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization".  It was founded in 1945, with the stand-up of the UN itself, as a successor to the League of Nations' International Committee on Intellectual Cooperation.  That said, the idea of a "World Heritage Site" didn't come about until 1975, with the Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage, with the first sites being designated in 1978. Prior to this, UNESCO had been involved in various attempts to help preserve various monuments of historical significance.  They begin working with various museums and other organizations, and in 1965 UNESCO created ICOMOS, an international professional association to work towards the conservation and protection of cultural heritage.  A site designated as a World Heritage Site must be considered to be of "outstanding universal value" and can fall under one of two categories.  The first, and perhaps the one that most often comes to mind, are the cultural sites.  The second are natural sites considered of outstanding value.   With the 1975 convention, UNESCO had leaned heavily on ICOMOS as an advisory body regarding sites of particular cultural significance.  A similar body, the World Conservation Union, provides input on sites of natural significance. To be determined a World Heritage site, there is a set of ten criteria, and a site must meet at least one of the ten.  This means that a site must: i.            Represent a masterpiece of human creative genius ii.           Exhibit an important interchange of human values iii.          Bear a unique or at least exceptional testimony to a cultural tradition or to a civilization iv.           Illustrate a significant stage in human history v.            Be an outstanding example of a traditional human settlement, land-use, or sea-use vi.          Be directly or tangibly associated with events or living traditions, with ideas, or with beliefs, with artistic and literary works of outstanding universal significance; or it must vii.         Contain superlative natural phenomena viii.        Be an outstanding example representing major stages of earth's history ix.          Be an outstanding example representing significant on-going ecological and biological processes in the evolution and development of ecosystems and communities of plants and animals; or it must x.           Contain the most important and significant natural habitats for conservation of biological diversity. I abbreviated that list, but it gives you an idea of what the committee is looking for. To be placed on the list, a site must first be nominated.  Nominations are made by UN member countries and placed on a Tentative List.  From there, they can be selected into a Nomination File, which is then evaluated by the advisory organizations as appropriate.  The World Heritage committee meets once a year, at which time they may determine whether a nominated site will be added to the World Heritage list or if more information is needed. Having a site listed as an UNESCO world heritage site carries prestige and can drive tourism and revenue to help protect the site.  Members can request financial assistance with some conservation projects, and signatory nations are expected to contribute to the conservation of world heritage sites.  At the same time, the host country is expected to provide regular reports on the conditions of the site and efforts being undertaken to conserve it.  Should the situation change so that key aspects of the site's intrinsic value are lost, the World Heritage Committee may choose to revoke a designation.  This has only been done a few times, but it is always a possibility. All of this means that the Asuka and Fujiwara capital sites are now eligible for certain types of financial assistance and international aid to help further preserve and even restore certain aspects, such as the tomb murals in the Takamatsuzuka and Kitora kofun.  But let's talk about the sites that have actually been included, and to do that, we'll go through in roughly chronological order, based on the timeline that was given by Japan in the nomination documents, and what makes the most sense for narrative cohesion.   That said, it is important to note that the dates on the timeline in the UNESCO nominating document are where we first see mentions of the monuments, not necessarily when the temples were first constructed or anything like that.  If you want to learn more, check out the documentation submitted on the UNESCO world heritage website. And speaking of learning more, many of the sites we are about to discuss we have covered in previous episodes—though some more than others.  We'll call out relevant episodes as we can, but you can also find out more by searching on our website, sengokudaimyo.com, for more information about any of these topics. Let's start with Asukadera, or Asuka Temple.  The nominating document notes that it was completed in 596, though it had been started quite a bit earlier.  We discussed Askua-dera and many of the other temples back in episode 142, though Asuka-dera itself has been a part of the story since at least Episode 92, with the rise of Soga no Umako.  Asuka-dera, as you may recall, started off as a private temple for the Soga family, though they were so intertwined with the royal family that it almost didn't make a difference.  For the longest time it was the primary temple site at least in the Asuka region, and defined what Buddhism looked like early on.  Later it would be included as one of the Four Great Temples, and it would eventually move to Nara, though a temple would continue to operate on the site until the modern day.  That said, through fires and reduced patronage, the current temple is much reduced from its former glory.  Still, archeologies have found indications at the site demonstrating the true extent of the temple at the height of its power and influence, and how it truly played a key role in numerous events surrounding the building of a continental style state government. Speaking of the Soga family, the next site on the list, dated to 626, is Ishibutai kofun.  Ishibutai kofun was originally a square kofun, or Houfun, thought to be the resting place of Soga no Umako, the Grand Minister and head of the Soga family who led it to prominence in the age of Kashikiya Hime, aka Suiko Tenno.  We talked about his passing in episode 103.  Excavations have suggested that the tomb took up an area about 85 meters to a side.  This included an outer moat and an inner, platform, about 50 meters square.  The burial chamber is a horizontal stone chamber created with impressive megaliths—a fancy word that just means "big stones".  In this case we are talking about stones that rival or even dwarf those at monuments like the famous Stonehenge, in England.  The stones are part of what give it its name, Ishibutai, or Stone Stage, because unlike in other kofun, these ones are exposed.  There is a theory that after the fall of the Soga family, and the deaths of Soga no Iruka and Soga no Emishi, the tomb was deliberately uncovered as a form of posthumous punishment. Because it is not a tomb under the care of the Imperial Household Agency, Ishibutai kofun has seen extensive excavation from 1933 to 1975.  That said, most of the funerary goods were likely stolen a long time ago.  There were some various bits and pieces found here and there—gilt and bronze implements and earthenware shards, but otherwise nothing truly significant.  They did find evidence of other tombs, nearby.  Perhaps ironically it seems that these other tombs were leveled to make room for Ishibutai kofun, making its own uncovering feel somewhat karmic, in a way. The next site, if we were to follow the timeline, is the Asuka Palace site.  This actually encompasses the site of at least four different palaces, which we discussed back in episode 134, with a blogpost showing the various palace remains, if you want to compare them.  In 630 we have the construction of the Okamoto Palace of Kashikiya Hime.  Then, in 643, we have the Itabuki Palace built for Takara Hime during her first reign as Kogyoku Tenno.  This was the location of the famous Isshi Incident, when Takara Hime's son, Naka no Oe, instituted the coup against Soga no Iruka and his father, killing Iruka in court in front of his mother.  For more on that, check out episode 106.  It was later used when she and Naka no Oe left the Toyosaki Naniwa Palace and returned to Asuka.  It may be during the time of the Itabuki Palace that another one of the monuments was built.  This is the Shobuike Kofun.  The nomination document doesn't give a precise date for this one, and we really only know for certain that it was built in the 7th century, but they place it on the timeline shortly after the events of 643.  Like Ishibutai kofun, it is a hofun, or square kofun, surrounded by a moat with a horizontal burial chamber.  At only 30 meters long, it is not as large or as prominent as Ishibutai Kofun, possibly indicating that the occupants were not as prominent or that kofun building as a whole was falling out of fashion.  Inside, there were two stone coffins, in the "house shape", meaning the lid had a peaked roof appearance.  In addition, the interior of the coffins was lacquered, making these unique in the archipelago.  Finally, perhaps as is the case with Ishibutai kofun, the mound appears to have been deliberately dismantled at some point in the early 8th century, when Fujiwara-kyo was still the capital. We do not know who was buried at Shobuike Kofun, but there are two theories.  One theory proposes that, given the unique features, it may have been a member of the royal family.  Another theory suggests that it may be a tomb for members of the Soga family.  This theory is connected to the idea that Ishibutai is the tomb of Soga no Umako.  Given its shape and similarities, perhaps this tomb is for a relative?  In addition, though not part of the World Heritage Site nomination, there is a nearby square kofun known as Koyamada Kofun.  There is a theory that this other tomb might also have been a royal tomb—perhaps even a first burial for Tamura no Ohokimi, aka Jomei Tenno.  However, there is another theory that these two tombs, together, make up the tombs of Soga no Emishi and Soga no Iruka.  That would explain them both being of similar shapes, and similar to the kofun thought to be that of Soga no Umako.  It could also explain why Shobuike kofun was later destroyed, like with Ishibutai Kofun. Shortly after Shobuike Kofun was thought to have been built, the court moved to Naniwa for a time, before eventually returning to the Itabuki Palace.  Then, in 656, we have the Nochi-no-Okamoto Palace, aka the Later Okamoto Palace, built after the Itabuki palace burned down.  It was repurposed by Ohoama when he brought the court back from Ohotsu, and then expanded with the Ebinoko Enclosure, among other changes, turning it into the Kiyomihara palace, where Ohoama and then Uno no Sarara ruled until the completion of the Fujiwara Palace around 694. Around the same time as the Later Okamoto Palace was the construction of the Sakafuneishi Ritual Site.  This site is located on a hill on the east side of the Asuka valley, overlooking the Asuka palace site.  There they have found stone walls, a strange carved stone with channels for what appears to be water or liquid for some kind of ritual purpose, and, towards the bottom of the hill, a stone turtle basin and water spout that appears to have once been connected to a spring.  Of all of the included sites, this is perhaps the most enigmatic in terms of how it was used and what was going on there.  It is likely that this is what is referred to in the Chronicle as the Tou no Mine site, where it is said that they built an enclosure encircling two tsuki trees, calling the site the Futatsuki Palace.  That said, today the name "tou-no-mine" is applied to a peak some distance further up the valley and into the mountains, and I do not believe that any concrete evidence of a "palace" has been found at either location.  Still, it demonstrates that there was something going on that was important enough to build walls and create intricate stone carvings—not something we necessarily find everywhere, though they are particularly prolific in the Asuka region once you consider all the various stone carvings that have been located there.  Current thinking seems to suggest that it was a site where sovereigns from Kashikiya Hime through Uno no Sarara conducted rites associated with ascension to the throne.  The walls show evidence of being built earlier in the 7th century, which we discussed in Episode 118, and then damaged during the incredibly powerful Nankai earthquake during the Hakuho era.  We talked about this earthquake back in episode 139, along with other natural disasters.  This was an earthquake of immense power, known as a Nankai Megathrust Earthquake, that caused destruction across the archipelago, from Shikoku up through the Kanto region.  Walls show evidence of being repaired in Temmu's time and the site appears to have been in use up through the 9th century.  This means it was still being used in some capacity even after the court had moved up to Heian-kyo, in modern Kyoto, but who knows by whom. By the way, I feel like I should address something here.  Often times there is a bit of an archaeological joke that if you don't know what something is it gets termed a "ritual site" or a "ritual implement".  And, granted, "ritual" does not necessarily mean "religious".  Brushing your teeth each day could be considered a ritual.  So is the inauguration of a new president or prime minister.  It just refers to something that we do regularly, usually as part of a societal tradition.  Often it is symbolic, though sometimes it can have a greater function.  So in all likelihood whatever was happening at the Sakafuneishi site probably was a kind of "ritual", whether it was religious or not, but we just don't have enough info to know what that might have looked like.  The physical evidence does not conform to any other well known practice, so we are left guessing. Compare this to another "ritual" site, the next on our list:  The Mizuochi site.  When it was first discovered in 1972, it was clear that it was important.  There was a large building foundation, in the shape of a square podium, faced with paving stones.  It was also near to Asukadera and the location where various stone figures had been found at the turn of the century.  It would take several more years to discern enough features to come to the realization of what it was for.  This was due to the discovery of highly unusual features and artifacts. For instance, there is the central building, designated SB200.  It had pillars set on base stones, forming a grid pattern in a square—four spans long on each side.  This is unusual compared to other buildings on the site, which had more conventional pillars embedded in the ground.  Each span of the pillars at SB200 was a uniform distance.  The podium on which the building was placed was just under 11 meters on each side, and a little more than a meter in height.  The pillar bases were further strengthened under the floor level, meaning that the resulting structure would have been remarkably sturdy.  In the center of the building was a stone platform, set about a meter below the surface, where they found the remains of a large and small lacquered wooden boxes.  Around the platform were buried wooden culverts and copper pipes, which would have been able to carry water to and from the site. There was nothing else like this discovered anywhere else, but given the nature of everything, it seemed to make sense that this was the site of the clepsydra, the water clock, which Naka no Oe is said to have built.  Pottery shards from around the 650s and 660s seem to back up this identification, and simulations have demonstrated how the water clock may have actually worked.  As such, the site seems to have been fairly well identified, which is really remarkable, and provides an incredible link to that era.  Not only that, but the technology demonstrated was incredibly advanced for its time.  As such, it truly is a remarkable site.  For more, check out Episode 127, where we talked more in depth about the importance of time and direction in Ancient Yamato. The next site on the list is the Kengoshizuka Kofun.  This mounded tomb is said to have been built around 667 CE—around the time that Yamato was supporting Baekje in a failed attempt to stave off that country's destruction at the hands of the Silla-Tang alliance.  This is an octagonal shaped kofun—a shape which is thought to have only been used by members of the royal family.  The academic position is that this is the tomb of Takara Hime—aka Saimei Tennou—who had died just as Yamato was starting to send troops to the Korean peninsula.  This theory is at odds with the Imperial Household Agency, which has designated a different tomb—Kurumaki-Kenno Kofun—as Saimei Tennou's mausoleum The story as it is recounted in the Nihon Shoki goes something like this.  As Yamato was gathering forces to defend Baekje—see episodes 123 and 124 for what happened—Takara Hime passed away at the temporary court set up in Asakura, in modern Kyushu.   With Yamato just about to launch a military campaign, they couldn't also hold a royal funeral, so they had her body taken back to the Nara basin..  Takara Hime's remains were temporarily interred at the plain of the Asuka River—Asuka-gawara.  It wouldn't be until after the conflict was over—a little more than 5 years later—that she would be buried.  At that time, we are told that she was buried together with Royal Princess Hashibito, her sister-in-law, at Wochi Hill—little market hill—and that the royal granddaughter, Princess Ohota, was buried in front.  And indeed, the layout of Kengoshizuka Kofun  has space for two coffins, and the archeologists found evidence of another burial in "front" of the kofun.  So in all ways this  seems to accord with the Chronicles, though the Imperial Household Agency has not chosen to change its designation.  I suspect that if they did it might cause some issues due to the limits of what archaeologists are allowed to do with tombs designated as royal mausoleums. Kengoshizuka Kofun has been remarkably reconstructed, so that you can go and see what it probably looked like when it was first built.  Since it was not designated as an imperial mausoleum by the Imperial Household Agency, archaeologists were able to excavate Kengoshizuka, and they found some remarkable finds, including a particularly spectacular coffin fitting made of cloisonne hexagonal plates with images of flowers that were connected to each other.  There also appears to have been a coffin made with lacquered linen, rather than the stone or tuff coffins found elsewhere.  So that's Kengoshizuka Kofun.  That's #7 on our list.  Moving on to #8, on the timeline at 673, it is Kawara-dera, and I'm going to lump this in with Tachibana-dera, which is noted on the timeline at 680.  In fact, the nominating document proposes a much earlier timeline for the start of Tachibana-dera, starting in the 640s, with Kawara-dera in the 660s, about two decades later. These two temples sit across from one another, and at one time they appear to have been coupled together as a monastery and a nunnery.  In fact, the nominating documents call out Tachibana-dera as Japan's oldest nunnery. The actual founding of these two temples is somewhat in dispute.  Let me start with Tachibana-dera.  Tachibana-dera claims to have been founded by none other than the legendary Shotoku Taishi.  It is said that the land of Tachibana-dera was the area of the palace where Prince Umayado, aka Shotoku Taishi, was born, and that in 606 he had the property turned into a temple.  As such, it claims to be one of seven major temples built by the Prince.  However, we don't have any actual documentation for the temple until it shows up in 680, due to the report of a fire.  We do see it in numerous poems in the Man'yoshu, which is one of the ways we can also tell that it was a nunnery. More information can be gleaned from the archaeological excavations at the site.  The original temple was clearly built on the same Baekje designs as others of that period.  In an interesting twist, it appears as though the temple was not oriented north to south, as others were, but rather it was oriented west to east.  This would have had it facing the royal palace, initially, in a configuration very similar to that of Shitennoji, in Osaka, or Yamadadera, which is also one of the sites included in UNESCO World Heritage designation. The original temple had a middle gate, a pagoda, a main hall—or kondo—and a lecture hall (Koudou).  It was surrounded by a walled corridor.  Some of the roof tiles that have been found appear to be from the first quarter of the 7th century, but there are many more from the mid-7th century, suggesting that full-scale construction wasn't carried out until that period.  None of the original buildings appear to have survived, though there is an Asuka era stone statue, as well as various important cultural properties that have been preserved, and excavations have given us an idea of what it looked like, originally. Compare that to Kawara-dera, which sits to the north of Tachibana-dera.  We've talked about Kawara-dera before, as it was eventually designated one of the four national temples.  It was clearly built at a later date than Tachibana-dera, though when, exactly, is still unclear. There is mention of a Kawara-dera in an entry for 653, but even then, the Chronicles note that may have actually been at Yamada-dera, on the other side of Asuka, indicating that even the Chroniclers weren't entirely sure.  That leaves the first clean mention of the temple at 673, in the reign of Ohoama, aka Temmu Tenno.  There is a note, prior to this, in about 656, which talks about "Kawara no Miya", or the Kawara Palace. This is where Takara Hime briefly moved after the fires damaged the Itabuki Palace, which was rebuilt into the Later Okamoto Palace.  It is thought that Kawara-dera is on the site of that temporary palace, and it is possible that the building of that palace lent something to the eventual creation of Kawara-dera. Kawara-dera has a unique layout, known specifically as the Kawara-dera style temple layout.  Although the overall temple is built on a north-south axis, the west main hall faces east, towards the pagoda, in the southern courtyard.  There was then a central main hall, and then the northern courtyard, with the koudou, or lecture hall, facing south.  There is also evidence that the east gate was sizeable—possibly larger than the south gate.  If so, it may be that this temple, like Tachibana-dera, was also facing east—facing the palace—but it was, at the same time, also on the same north-south access as other buildings and facilities.  This almost seems like they were perhaps compromising between facing the palace and utilizing the continental idea of a north-south alignment.  I almost wonder if the pagoda and western kondou weren't first built and then someone decided to change the orientation mid-way through the building process.  Either way, it is definitely unique. Although Kawara-dera was designated as one of the four national temples, it is the only temple that was not eventually moved up to Heijo-kyo, or Nara, when the capital eventually moved up there.  There are numerous theories as to why, but regardless of that, it stayed in Asuka and was no longer considered a national temple.  Over time it declined, and repairs could not be maintained across the entire complex.  Today, a successor temple, Gufuku-ji, sits on the site, but it is much reduced.  Fortunately, you can still see many of the exposed footings and get an idea for just what this temple was like back in its heyday. Now since we've mentioned it, it is probably worth talking about Yamada-dera, which is also on the list.  Like the others, there is a small successor temple to the north, but most of the ancient Yamada-dera grounds are visible, and if you go out there you can clearly see where all the buildings were.  There are signs and raised platforms depicting where the various buildings were at, so you can easily see what was there.  Furthermore, if you check out the Asuka Historical Museum, they have a remarkably well-preserved section of one of the walls of the gallery from the temple, including some roof elements.  It appears to have fallen down during a fire, and other material must have fallen on top of it so that the fire could not consume that section, leaving it in incredible shape. Yamada-dera is part of the Hosso sect—that is the sect following the teachings of the monk Xuanzang.  We talked about Xuanzang, and the monks who studied with him, back in episodes 120 to 122.  It is said to have been founded by Soga no Kurayamada no Ishikawa no Maro.  He was a relative of Soga no Emishi who supported Prince Naka no Oe in his coup in 645.  Soga no Kurayamada eventually became Udaijin, or Minister of the Right, and he was essential in implementing the Taika reforms.  Long story short, he was slandered, and fled to Yamada-dera, which was still under construction.  Rather than being taken by government forces, he took his own life, as well as that of his wife and eight children.  You can listen to the whole story back in Episode 112.  All of that is said to have happened here at that temple, in the year 649.  Perhaps because of the stain of that incident, the temple construction appears to have been halted for a time.  It wouldn't be completed until 685, when Ohoama and his wife, Uno no Sarara, a direct descendant of Soga no Kurayamada, were on the throne. Finally, there is one more temple from this early period that is mentioned, and that is Hinokuma-dera.  Of all of the temples so far, this one we probably have mentioned the least in the main podcast.  Hinokuma-dera is located to the southwest of the main Asuka valley, south of the famous Takamatsuzuka kofun.  It is first mentioned in a record dated to 686.  That indicates it must have been built some time prior, and archaeological excavations seem to place it at the second half of the 7th century, with the pagoda and main hall being completed in the late 7th century.   The temple continued to be maintained through the 8th century, but declined after the Heian period when the pagoda and lecture hall collapsed.  In the early 20th century a local Shinto shrine was relocated here, and remains, today. Hinokuma-dera was built as a private temple by the Yamato no Aya.  The Yamato no Aya are an intriguing group of people.  The name "Aya" implies a group that was originally employed as weavers, a technology brought over from the continent.  Indeed, they are said to have been largely immigrants who came and brought the technology with them.  The Aya were broken into different groups, with the Yamato no Aya being one of the more powerful.  The name appears again and again in the Chronicles, though in the time of Ohoama they were put on notice as a clan.  We aren't told what they did, exactly.  They seem to have made their way back into the court's good graces over time, however. Hinokuma-dera is interesting in that it is much smaller than the other temples we have discussed, and the form is quite different.  It isn't organized along cardinal directions, but rather with the koudou, or lecture hall, in the northwest and the kondou, or main hall, in the southeast.  The pagoda was between the two, slightly off-center to the northeast, directly across from the main gate, which faced southwest.  This means that you would enter from the southwest into a large, rectangular courtyard.  You could be facing a pagoda near the rear wall, with a lecture hall to your left and the main image hall to your right.  This is compared to Baekje temples that were on the periphery of the Baekje capital, and this may have been in a similar situation.  Based on the surrounding geography, it appears that some of the choices may have been made to conform with local geologic features, such as the ridge that it is on. It is interesting, however, for its uniqueness, especially as a private temple that did not have the resources of the court.  There were probably quite a few of these kinds of temples that we just don't see or hear about in the record.  When the court moved, first up to Heijo-kyo, but later on to Heian-kyo, in modern Kyoto, the head of the Yamato no Aya no doubt moved as well, and that probably led to the temple's decline, over time. Speaking of the court, there is one more part of the Asuka court that we should touch on before we leave the era of the Asuka palace.  At some point, probably related to the Later Okamoto Palace, the court created a pond and garden.  This Asuka Pond Garden site is first mentioned in 685, though it likely existed for some time.  Evidence suggests that it was built around the same time as the later Okamoto Palace, so sometime around 656, and based on excavations, we know that there was a south and north pond, divided by a middle bank.  Water flowed from the south pond to the north pond through a wooden pipe in that middle bank.  The south pond had a pentagonal shape, about 65 meters long, east to west, and 55 meters wide, north to south.  It was only 30 cm at its deepest point, with two islands in the pond itself.  The north pond was 36 meters east to west and 52 meters north to south, and it was up to 4 meters deep.  There was a stone overflow channel that was built for water to flow back into the Asuka river.  There was also a stone fountain, like that found at the Sakafuneishi site, and evidence of buildings and a wall around the site.  There has also been analysis of seed pollen, indicating what kinds of vegetation might have been grown in the garden. This was a lavish area that was purpose-built for entertainments of various kinds.  This is the area that the royal family and various nobles likely adjourned to at the end of the day for relaxation and for various banquets and other such gatherings. Of course, not all the court proceedings were so joyful.  In 686, Ohoama died, and for the next couple of years the court business was taken up with eulogies and memorials.  This is also when they built the next site included in the list: The mounded tomb of Temmu Tennou and, eventually, Jitou Tennou.  The tomb is an octagonal kofun, similar to the Kengoshizuka kofun for Takara Hime.  It is built to the southwest of the Asuka basin, a fair distance from the palace.  However, this positioning also puts it directly south of the site of the new Fujiwara Palace.  As the Fujiwara capital and palace site had already been selected, they would have been able to build this tomb in relation to the future palace, creating a direct north-south link between the two.  It is also along the same ridgeline as the tomb of Kengoshizuka and the tomb attributed to Kinmei Tennou and Princess Kibi no Himemiko. The octagonal tomb was built in five tiers.  It is about 42 meters on a side, built with rammed earth and then covered, originally, with dressed stones, while the surrounding area was paved.  Ohoama was buried in a sealed stone burial chamber in a dry-lacquered linen-made coffin, similar to what was found, again, at Kengoshizuka.  Later, when Uno no Sarara passed away, her urn was added to the tomb. Speaking of that, I cannot believe I didn't mention this in the last episode on Queen Uno no Sarara, but yes, she was cremated.  In fact, she is the first Yamato sovereign to have been cremated in the Buddhist style, rather than to have her body buried intact.  Today, almost cremation is the default in Japan—to the point that it actually has caused some issues with people who, for religious reasons, request a different type of burial.  However, at this point, it was still somewhat new.   Prior to Buddhism, all indications are that bodies were simply buried.  Buddhism brought in the concept of at least four different types of funerary rites.  There is dosou, or earth burial, but there was also suisou, water burial; fuusou, wind—or "air"—burial; and then kasou, fire burial.  Suisou would be committing a body to water, and fuusou generally means leaving the body on a stand, out in the open, to allow the body to decompose while birds, ideally vultures, come and do their work.  Of these, "kasou", fire burial or cremation, is linked to the historical Buddha, whose physical body is said to have been cremated, with the bones and teeth left behind considered holy relics.  That Uno no Sarara requested cremation would seem to indicate her own support of Buddhism and Buddhist institutions. The tomb of Temmu and Jitou has remained largely intact—at least compared to some that we have discussed this episode-- but not inviolate.  Over time, the site was allowed to become overgrown with trees and other vegetation.  In 1235 the tomb was robbed and in 1881 it was officially designated as an Imperial Mausoleum by the Imperial Household Agency, which now manages the site.  You can approach up to a point, but the tomb itself is largely off-limits to the public. Speaking of Uno no Sarara's support of Buddhism, we've already talked about her connections to Yakushi-ji, the next site on our list.  This temple was commissioned by Ohoama when his wife, Uno no Sarara, grew unexpectedly ill in 680.  She did recover, and the temple would eventually be considered one of the four National temples of the Yamato state.  It appears to have been built—possibly shifted slightly—specifically in line with the new avenues being laid out for Fujiwara-kyo, the new capital, and it fits neatly into place, taking up an entire city block.  When the capital moved, the temple was also moved.  The new temple sits up near modern Nara, in the area known as Nishi-no-kyou—the West (side of the) capital.  For the new site, the court may have used some of the materials from the original temple, though there does seem to have been a continued presence at the Fujiwara capital site until the 11th century.  To avoid confusion, the temple in the old Fujiwara capital site is referred to as "Moto-Yakushiji", meaning the Real or Original Yakushi Temple. Yakushiji was commissioned in 680, but work on the temple wasn't completed until 698, four years after the move to the new Fujiwara Palace.  Key features at this time were its size and its double pagodas, rather than just the single pagoda common in earlier temples.  This mimicked temple innovations happening on the continent, and was later adopted by several temples in the new capital of Heijo-kyo. Another national temple from around this time, also included in the nomination letter, is Daikandaiji.  Like Yakushiji, this temple was a grand statement of the Yamato state's ambitions.  Both were large temples that would have stood out, and as national temples they were symbols of state power and authority in matters both secular and spiritual. We discussed all of this in a previous episode, Episode 142, where we covered the four national temples, so I don't want to belabor it too much other than to give a brief overview.  In summary, what we know as Daikandaiji today is very likely the old Kudara Ohodera,  Kudara, in this instance, being spelled with the same kanji as for "Baekje".  Kudara Ohodera was the largest of the Asuka and Fujiwara era temples.  Its pagoda was over 80 meters tall, one of the tallest in Yamato at that time, and the main hall rivaled that of the Daigokuden, the main hall of the Fujiwara palace.   It also appears to have been moved twice.  First it was moved from its original location closer to the Asuka palace.  And then it appears to have been shifted to align with the avenues of the new Fujiwara capital.  The name was also changed.  "Kudara Ohodera" likely referred to the location where the temple was first founded by Tamura, aka Jomei Tennou.  It was then moved to Asuka and took on the name "Takechi Ohodera", given its new location, but then was renamed to Ohotsukasa no Ohodera, the Great Temple of the High Officials, or something like that.  This same name, read with the on'yomi reading, becomes "Daikandaiji". The temple was later moved to Heijo-kyo, where it was renamed to "Daianji", which means something like the Temple of Great Safety or Protection.   There is another story that says that the temple actually originated in the Kumagori dojo created by the legendary Shotoku Taishi, but, like so many such stories, that may have been added later to increase the temple's prestige.  As with so many of these temples, when the move was made to Heijo-kyo, the temple lost its national status, but remained active.  Without the upkeep by the court, it eventually declined, finally disappearing almost entirely.  Remains were rediscovered in the Edo and Meiji period, with major excavations in the 1970s and 80s.  From this, there is evidence of fire, even before construction was completed.  Indeed, there is a record of fire in 711.  The temple was likely under construction for much of the period of the Fujiwara capital's existence. This is probably as good a point as any to talk about the Fujiwara Palace itself.  I would note that the World Heritage site designation only includes the palace site, and not the entire capital city of Fujiwara-kyo.  That is probably for the best, as findings have suggested that the ancient capital was built on a plan far grander that previously thought. Initially, it was believed that the Fujiwara capital was built similar to Heijo-kyo and Heian-kyo, which is to say that it was modeled after the Tang capital of Chang'an.  This model creates a rectangular city with the main palace complex at the far north of the city.  Lower classes are typically housed in the southern regions while upper classes and nobility are provided land in the northern areas of the city.  Part of the reason to believe that the city was laid out like this has to do with the three mountains:  Mt. Unebi, Mt. Miminashi, and Mt. Kagu.  If the palace were located at the northern end of the city, then the city would fit rather nicely in the plains between these three mountains.  However, it appears that the plans for Fujiwara-kyo were much grander, and it appears that the Fujiwara palace sat not at the northern top of the capital, but instead it was in the middle.  This more closely approximates the ideal Confucian model, which created a square city divided into nine districts with the palace in the center.  However, it also means that the city grid is interrupted by the mountains, particularly by Mt. Miminashi, in the north.  To cover all of that land would be untenable, and much of it has been built up or under cultivation for centuries.  Furthermore, it is unclear how built up Fujiwara-kyo ever was.  Imagine trying to just create a city from scratch.  Not only was it about building the temples and the palace, but about all of the other houses, which would have been organized by the individual owners.  One also has to wonder just how many workers there were, and materials, to do all of this.  If much of this was done as traditional wooden buildings, then many of the blocks may not have left any significant remains, though new construction in the area does perform exploratory archaeology just in case.  There are a lot of interesting features that have been found. However, let's focus just on the Fujiwara Palace.  As I've previously pointed out—just back in Episode 152, for example, the Fujiwara Palace was, in many ways, getting back to the type of palace that the Toyosaki Naniwa Palace had tried to be.  This was a massive State complex.  The overall property appears to have been a square, with nine gates—once again, mimicking the geometric perfection suggested in ancient sources.  That wall, which was defined by post-holes in the ground, was also surrounded by a moat.  The south central gate was known as the Suzaku-mon, or Suzaku gate, named for Suzaku, the crimson bird of the south.  This was at the north end of Suzaku Oji, or Suzaku Avenue, the central road of the Fujiwara capital. This road was 24 meters wide, with 4 meter ditches on either side.  The ditches would have carried water throughout the city, while also allowing the city to drain water during large rains.  From the Suzaku gate to the north the palace opened up to the first courtyard, with two building where officials could prepare for the day.  Originally this would have been the place for officials to change into their formal robes, though later they were commanded to show up to work already dressed.  From there, once it opened, they would pass through another gate into the Choudouin, or State Hall.  Here, the 8 bureaus, or ministries, each had a Choudou, or court hall, where they would perform their work.  There were also four other halls for other governmental work. Besides the southern gate, there were gates on the east and west, which led to further government offices to the west and east of the court.  A fourth gate, at the north end of the Choudouin enclosure, would lead to the Daigokuden, the Great Audience Hall.  This was part of a reduced enclosure.  Two buildings have been discovered to the east and west of the enclosure, and north of the enclosure would have led to the private quarters of the sovereign and their family. The government buildings are more obvious than some others—many of the buildings were built in the continental style, meaning with stone footings, leaving a lot of evidence of their existence.  Meanwhile, the buildings of the sovereign's private residence were likely still in the indigenous style—plain wood with posts sunk directly into the ground, and thatched roof.  That would all leave a lot fewer traces, not to say that they haven't ever found anything. Today, the Fujiwara Palace site is a large open area where many of the features that have been found are indicated with modern crimson colored pillars, demonstrating where the various pillars were found.  At the same time, any above-ground reconstructions would have be conjectural, as we don't have enough remaining to know exactly what the palace looked like beyond the pillar locations. This palace and the city was ambitious.  It was huge and clearly meant as a permanent capital.  The fact that it was only occupied until about 710, when the capital moved north, to Heijou-kyou, is something we'll talk about in a later episode.  But still, it was absolutely an incredible move.  Think of how much labor this took and what kind of costs were involved?  This was truly a flex of the state's ability to mobilize labor to be able to do all of this, and generally marks the moment where the Yamato government really came into its own.  It also marks the period where the name "Yamato" is thought to have been officially changed to refer to "Nihon", the "Origin of the Sun", the name by which Japan would be known ever since.  It really is a symbol of Japan's changing state. There are only three more monuments included in the World Heritage Site designation, and they are all tombs. The first is Nakaoyama Kofun.  This is another octagonal kofun, approximately 19.5 meters from one side to the other.  It is only three tiers, as opposed to the five tiers of the tomb of Temmu and Jitou, and similarly covered in stone and surrounded by stone pavement.  The sealed burial chamber is narrow—designed for an urn rather than for a full-body coffin.  This is the first such mound clearly built to accommodate Buddhist style cremation, rather than a coffin.  While the keyhole shaped kofun had stopped being utilized for some time, this appears to put the final seal on the coffin, as it were, of the kofun building period, which had started back in the mid-3rd century.  Certainly, royal tombs continued to be built in the form of mountains, but they would stop having the same kind of artificial mound. It is unclear who was buried in the mound.  It was plundered around the 13th century, and there was considerable damage noted in the Edo period.  However, given Kengoshizuka Kofun and the kofun of Temmu and Jitou Tennou, it seems hard to deny the general consensus that this is the tomb of none other than Karu—that is to say Monmu Tennou.  However, as with Kengoshizuka Kofun, the Imperial Household Agency has named a different kofun, that of Kurihara-tsuka'ana Kofun, slightly to the south of Nakaoyama.  I would note that while this is an octagonal kofun, similar to the others we have seen, the Kurihara kofun, aka the Hinokuma Anko Misasagi, is a round kofun, which, in the consideration of modern scholarship, is not generally thought to have been a shape used for a royal tomb. There are two other tombs on the world heritage list that are round tombs, however—though they are not thought to have been royal tombs.  These are the Takamatsuzuka and Kitora kofun, and both of them have incredible features that are considered of particular importance to the indication of the development of the state.  This is because in both tombs elaborate tomb mural paintings were discovered. The murals of the Kitora kofun are perhaps the simpler between the two.  The Kitora murals have the four directional guardians on the walls of the tomb.  Again, we talked about this back in episode 127.  It was the idea that there was a directional guardian for each of the four cardinal directions.  This includes Genbu, the black tortoise of the north; Byakkou, the White Tiger of the West; Seiryuu, the Blue (or green) Dragon of the East; and Suzaku, the Red Bird of the South.  These descriptions were heavily tied in with various continental ideas of what would be known as "feng shui", including different ideas of color, direction, and concepts of yin and yang.  The Kitora kofun clearly shows these four guardians.  Based on the style of the tomb and the paintings, it is assumed that this tomb was built in the very beginning of the 8th century.  Combined with tomb goods found, while we don't know who was buried there it is very likely that it was either a royal prince or high ranking noble.  It has been suggested that this could have been the tomb for the Minister of the Right, others have suggested that it could be Royal Prince Takechi, who died in the late 7th century, or possibly even a high ranking member of the Baekje nobility living in the archipelago since the fall of their country, given some of the continental features of the tomb and its murals. In addition to the spectacular directional guardians, on the ceiling of Kitora Kofun is a depiction of the stars.  This star chart has been the focus of considerable study, as it depicts the stars in the sky as they might have been seen from the ground.  Though there are some errors, it is remarkably accurate, and it has been heralded as the oldest such star chart in the world.  There are earlier depictions of the sky, like the Nebra Sky Disc, from modern Nebra, in Germany, which dates to about 1800-1600 BCE, but those are more like an astronomical rule, rather than a chart.  It is also interesting that the positions of the stars don't exactly correspond with the sky over the Fujiwara capital: instead, it seems that the latitude better fits with the capital of Pyongyang in Goguryeo.  This opens up lots of intriguing possibilities about how this star chart came to be, and who created it.  It may be that some of the errors we see in the star positions come from taking a star chart possibly from the Tang court, and then localizing it to the Goguryeo capital in Pyongyang.  That chart then appears to have made its way to Japan where it was used in the Kitora kofun.  That means that the artist  wasn't necessarily directly looking at the sky at the time, but rather looking at a depiction, probably drawn on paper which has since been lost.  All of this points to the availability of, and importance placed on, astronomical information at the time.  In the Takamatsuzuka Kofun we similarly have directional animals, although in that case Suzaku, in the south, has been lost.  There is also a depiction of the stars, though it is more based on the zodiac, with constellations depicted in the various "houses" of the sky, rather than a true chart of the sky.  Most significantly in this tomb, however, are depictions of courtiers – groups of male and female attendance - in what appears to be court clothing, and indeed this is the best depiction we have of what court clothing may have looked like at this time.  It very much is in keeping with the clothing we see on the continent.  It is possible that the clothing depicted is not actually what was in use in the court, but possibly clothing from the continent as it was depicted in drawings and the like.   However, the style of clothing does seem to match the continental style clothing we see later in the Nara period, and so it does seem to be our best source for the clothing of the time barring us finding actual garments or further depictions. Both of these tombs are stunning, and have greatly increased our knowledge of the world of the court of 8th century Japan.  However, they are also both extremely fragile and in need of conservation.  Since being opened, humidity levels in the tombs have risen, which has led to the deterioration of the paintings themselves.  Japanese historians and conservators have gone to great lengths to preserve what they could before any more was lost, and there are depictions of what they looked like when they were originally found.  One of the goals of the World Heritage determination appears to be the conservation of these incredible paintings for future generations to be able to see. And there you have it.  Those are the sites  that were recently listed together on the UNESCO World Heritage list as the Ancient Capitals of Asuka and Fujiwara.  I hope that everyone gets a chance to go see them in person some day—it really is a beautiful and rather bucolic area with history strewn all about.  It isn't difficult to walk most of it, either, though to see everything you probably want at least a couple of days, not including various museums and other institutions.  And, of course, the rest of the Nara basin is full of even more treasures, such as Horyuji temple, the Makimuku Palace site, Mt. Miwa, and then the ancient capital of Nara, just to name a few. But that will have to be for another day.  For now, I think I've gone on long enough.  This has been a bit longer than most episodes, so I hope that you enjoyed it.  We'll be back with our regularly scheduled episodes in a couple of weeks. Until then if you like what we are doing, please tell your friends and feel free to rate us wherever you listen to podcasts.  If you feel the need to do more, and want to help us keep this going, we have information about how you can donate on Patreon or through either our Ko-Fi or BuyMeACoffee sites—just look up SengokuDaimyo. For all of that, you can also find the links over at our main website,  SengokuDaimyo.com/Podcast, where we will have some more discussion on topics from this episode. Also, you may have noticed that there are advertisements running on the podcast—that is so that we can keep this free to everyone, but if you want an ad-free version, we have uploaded our entire back-catalog to Patreon, where we will be releasing early and ad-free episodes for anyone who wants to sign up. Finally, feel free to reach out to our Sengoku Daimyo Facebook page.  You can also email us at the.sengoku.daimyo@gmail.com.  Thank you, also, to Ellen for their work editing the podcast. And that's all for now.  Thank you again, and I'll see you next episode on Sengoku Daimyo's Chronicles of Japan.

Welcome to Science Quest!

Good morning. I've lived in Wales for the best part of two decades and slowly felt less of an outsider. But last week I found myself in deepest Cymru, at the Eisteddfod: the annual festival of Welsh language, music and literature, which this year took place near Cardigan framed by the Preseli hills. The Eisteddfod is a cultural celebration but it draws on druidic ceremonies. My friend became a member of the Gorsedd: imagine a combination of getting an MBE and a druid initiation. She swore on a sword to uphold Welsh culture, and received a kind of blessing from the Archdruid, the First Minister looking on in his druid robes. It was a moment of pride in Welsh identity but sometimes nationalist narratives make me uneasy. I can't help but wonder who it excludes. My discomfort no doubt stems from being the son of a Jewish refugee from Nazism. The universality of Buddhist teachings was always part of its draw — but even that can be co-opted by nationalist politics. And yet, as a Jewish Buddhist from Croydon, I respond to the powerful rootedness that's so palpable at the Eisteddfod. My friend runs a small meeting space in the festival, and I crowded in with a few dozen others for a performance featuring a storyteller and Catrin Finch, the harpist – a celebration of awen: of the land and its tales. I don't speak Welsh, but I could roughly follow the stories, which came from the Mabinogion, the compendium of Welsh myths, many about this part of Wales. One featured Rhiannon, a queen wrongly accused of killing her child. As a penance she must sit at the castle gates, tell visitors her story and offer to carry them across the threshold. In the performance, Rhiannon's passionate cry declared the love and hope still burning within her. But she sets her fury aside, carries strangers on her back, and becomes larger than the pattern of blame and revenge. Buddhism calls this the deepest freedom — not escaping suffering but refusing to be imprisoned by it. The awen I respond to transcends borders. The Preseli rocks were taken east to build Stonehenge — raised partly to track the sun's movements. This week, as the sky darkened over the whole of Britain, it struck me that this magic was never only Wales's to possess. It belongs to anyone willing to receive it.

I first met Reuben Wu when I was Director of Exhibitions at FACT in Liverpool, and he was one of the coolest musicians in the city, co-founding the band Ladytron and shaping a distinctive sound that travelled around the world. Years on, he's one of the most singular photographers working anywhere - his images are held in the permanent collections of the Guggenheim, MoMA and the Met, and commissioned by Apple and National Geographic, for whom he reimagined Stonehenge as if you were seeing it for the first time. In this episode, we explore his extraordinary journey from a Liverpool kid who dreamed of becoming an artist, to an industrial designer, successful musician, and then to one of the most distinctive visual artists working today. Reuben rigs lights to drones and walks into deserts and snowstorms at night to make work no machine could ever fake - because, as he says, AI can simulate the result but never the process. And he is fierce about something most artists are frightened of: that the artist, not the gallery or the auction house, is the best person to sell and speak for their own work. If you've ever wished someone else would do the talking for you, this one's for you. Follow the show so you never miss an episode. I hope you find this as inspiring as I did. KEY TAKEAWAYS Reuben's story gleefully dismantles the myth of the straight-line creative career. Proving no experience is wasted, everything you do can and does feed into the artist you are, today. Artists are often uniquely qualified to sell their own work because nobody understands the story, the labour, the intention and the meaning behind it better than the person who made it. Breakthroughs happen when you are prepared for them - when you're ready. Luck is preparation when it meets opportunity. Being able to respond to that instinctively to those moments, creates the magic. Tap into the power of portfolio reviews. BEST MOMENTS “No experience is wasted. The industrial designer, the musician, the photographer and the artist all exist inside the work Reuben makes today.” “I call it ecstasy - it's like an ecstatic moment where you are suddenly not within yourself anymore. You are suddenly outside yourself.” “It's like a paintbrush, but with light.” “Creativity is not a destination but a practice of paying attention.” EPISODE RESOURCES https://reubenwu.com https://www.instagram.com/reuben - sign up for Reuben´s newsletter via his bio here. HOST BIO With over 35 years in the art world, Ceri has worked closely with leading artists and arts professionals, managed public and private galleries and charities, and curated more than 250 exhibitions and events. She has sold artworks to major museums and private collectors and commissioned thousands of works across diverse media, from renowned artists such as John Akomfrah, Pipilotti Rist, Rafael Lozano-Hemmer and Vito Acconci. Now, she wants to share her extensive knowledge with you, so you can excel and achieve your goals. ** Ceri Hand Coaching Membership: Group coaching, live art surgeries, exclusive masterclasses, portfolio reviews, weekly challenges. Access our library of content and resource hub anytime and enjoy special discounts within a vibrant community of peers and professionals. Ready to transform your art career? Join today! https://cerihand.com/membership/ ** Unlock Your Artworld Network Self Study Course Our self-study video course, "Unlock Your Artworld Network," offers a straightforward 5-step framework to help you build valuable relationships effortlessly. Gain the tools and confidence you need to create new opportunities and thrive in the art world today. https://cerihand.com/courses/unlock_your_artworld_network/ ** Book a Discovery Call Today To schedule a personalised 1-2-1 coaching session with Ceri or explore our group coaching options, simply email us at hello@cerihand.com ** Discover Your Extraordinary Creativity Visit www.cerihand.com to learn how we can help you become an extraordinary creative. This Podcast has been brought to you by Disruptive Media. https://disruptivemedia.co.uk/

Send us Fan MailWendy Stonehenge of the Candy Whips returns to the show to discuss his cover of the classic Heaven 17 song, "(We Don't Need This) Fascist Groove Thang', Tour Life, Fatherhood and much more.****"After the doo-wop covers EP Moonlight that I released last year, I wasn't planning on doing more covers for a while. But I was listening to Heaven 17, the pertinence of the lyrics really jumped out at me,” says Wendy Stonehenge, mastermind behind the electro/New Wave-inspired project CANDY WHIPS, about their new single “(We Don't Need This) Fascist Groove Thang.” "This song was originally released 45 years ago, and it's more relevant than ever. I decided it needed to be given a new life."Candy Whips interpretation of the classic percolating ‘80s hit slows down the tempo slightly but amplifies the dance groove, allowing the very timely lyrics to breathe. "I knew I had to really reinvent this song in order to pull it off,” explains Stonehenge. “I mean, I couldn't do a faithful cover even if I wanted to. The basslines of Heaven 17's John Wilson are insane. My version is much more stripped down but also even more danceable..this is the first time I've made a straight up dance track. It was a fun challenge to work outside of my usual comfort zone."“(We Don't Need This) Fascist Groove Thang” follows Candy Whip's cover EP Moonlight, which features doo wop versions of The Flamingos' “I Only Have Eyes For You,” Marvin and Johnny's “Cherry Pie,” and the Chordettes/Pat Ballard's girl group classic "Mr. Sandman." Moonlight was my way of connecting with those roots of yore,” Stonehenge explains. “Modernizing these songs helped me to be a stronger writer.” Ripe with vocal effects, drum machines, and synths, he breathed new life into the songs by dusting them off and polishing them with modern flourishes. "If I could turn young people on to this older music, that would be amazing," he adds. Known as an established member of the well-known Northern California glam rock band Glitter Wizard, Stonehenge formed Candy Whips as a side project during the pandemic. Using this project as an outlet for music that didn't fit his other band's glamrock mold, he explored synthpop in a more focused way, fusing punk and electronic.Candy Whips is the solo project of Wendy Stonehenge. The new single "(We Don't Need This) Fascist Groove Thang" is out now and is available via Kitten Robot.Website: https://kittenrobot.com/artist/candy-whips/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/glitterwizardwagon/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/candy.whips/?hl=enYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPgCq_P0e-xj84tFAiTXI3A****If you would like to contact the show Dauna@betertopodcast.comFollow us on Social MediaYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCX0ETs2wpOHbCuhUNr0XFTw?view_as=subscriberInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/author_d.m.needom/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bettertopodcastwithdmneedomSupport the podcast here: https://www.patreon.com/bettertopodcastwithdmneedom©2026 Better To...Podcast with D. M.NeedomSupport the show

If you're sick of normal summer road trips, this episode is for you. City Cast Nashville contributor and travel writer Margaret Littman joins creative producer Marie Cecile Anderson to give us her guide to the best nearby roadside oddities, including not one but two Stonehenge replicas, a chicken wire Minnie Pearl, and the world's largest cedar bucket. Learn more about the sponsors of this Aug. 4th episode: Brooklyn Bowl VOTE FOR US in the Nashville Scene's Best of Nashville 2026 Awards! Election Day is Thursday, Aug. 6! Here's everything you need to know to go vote. Get more from City Cast Nashville when you become a City Cast Nashville Neighbor. You'll enjoy perks like ad-free listening, invitations to members only events and more. Join now at membership.citycast.fm/nashville Want some more City Cast Nashville news? Then make sure to sign up for our City Cast Nashville newsletter.  Follow us @citycastnashville You can also text us or leave a voicemail at: 615-200-6392 Interested in advertising with City Cast? Find more info HERE.

What are the links between the Druids and Stonehenge? Why did Romans massacre Druids in Anglesey, Wales? What is the Pagan Calendar and how is modern Halloween derived from it? What can we learn from the mysterious ‘bog bodies'? In Episode 1 of this new series, William Dalrymple and Anita Anand are joined by Professor Ronald Hutton, author of Pagan Britain, The Druids, and Blood and Mistletoe, to discuss the ancient spiritual practices of the British Isles.  Sign up and get 10% off at BetterHelp.com/EMPIRE. Summer sale is here: get an annual Empire Club membership for an extra 20% off with code SUMMER26. That's ad-free listening, early-access, every bonus episode, and full access to our exclusive members' series. Sale ends August 31st, so grab it before summer's over.   For more Goalhanger Podcasts, head to www.goalhanger.com. Email: empire@goalhanger.com Instagram: @empirepoduk Blue Sky: @empirepoduk X: @empirepoduk Assistant Producer: Imogen Marriott Editor: Charlie Rodwell Social Producer: Charlie Johnson Producer: Anouska Lewis Executive Producer: Dom Johnson Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Donald Trump suggests introducing controls on artificial intelligence following OpenAI's admission that it lost control of systems under test. But the US president said any restrictions should not allow China to win the AI race. Also: Germany says deportations to Afghanistan are no longer limited to criminals. A special report from a train journey across Iran. A mystery illness kills elephants in Kenya. BTS decides not to compete in the Grammys - we find out why. And fancy a private tour of Stonehenge? It could be yours.The Global News Podcast brings you the breaking news you need to hear, as it happens. Listen for the latest headlines and current affairs from around the world. Politics, economics, climate, business, technology, health – we cover it all with expert analysis and insight. Get the news that matters, delivered twice a day on weekdays and daily at weekends, plus special bonus episodes reacting to urgent breaking stories. Follow or subscribe now and never miss a moment. Get in touch: globalpodcast@bbc.co.uk Photo: A mobile phone display showing the icons of artificial intelligence (AI) apps Deepseek, Chatgpt and Gemini. Credit: Hannibal Hanschke/EPA/Shutterstock

From a 7,000-year-old stone circle that predates Stonehenge, to a lost Egyptian city connected to the biblical Exodus account, an impossible gold shipwreck, Pompeii's stunning restored masterpiece, and a mysterious Roman military camp where soldiers were buried in wells—these are the discoveries making headlines right now. Which story do you think is the most incredible? JOIN ME ON A TOURSources: one, two, three, four, five

Happy Tuesday! We open the show honoring Sam Neill since we forgot to yesterday. The World Cup Semifinals were today with Spain beating France on Bastille Day. We discuss how Michigan is ready to review Warde Manuel's fate. The Seahawks selling for 9.6 billion, and we discuss where it would put other franchises. Timmy takes us Inside the Buckeyes, and we chat with Jen Winters. KFC is bringing back popcorn chicken, and we didn't know they took them away. Man thinks we should try chicken cutlets instead of chicken tenders. We do Rapid Fire with Rhymetime. Timmy has a bone to pick with Stonehenge. And we do Timmy Time on Jurassic Park.

Welcome to New England Legends From the Vault – FtV Episode 177 –  Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger explore a mysterious hill in Salem, New Hampshire, called America's Stonehenge. This stone site seems to be a celestial calendar that marks solstices, equinoxes, but also half-holidays. It's a sacred site that may be up to 4,000 years old. But who built it? Were human sacrifices practiced here? Stone sites like this one shake the foundation of our history books. This episode first aired January 10, 2019. Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends  Buy Jeff Belanger's new book Wicked Strange New England on Amazon: https://amzn.to/4lMkM3G  Check out Jeff's new underground publication Shadow Zine! https://shadowzine.com  Listen to Ray's Local Raydio! https://localraydio.com/ 

Stonehenge is a place that has always mystified scholars, travelers, and storytellers, inspiring legends that it was built by giants, or conjured by Merlin using ancient magic to move the massive stones. And while its true construction remains a mystery, theories persist of lost civilizations and even extraterrestrial involvement. Some even think the site could be a portal to another world.   For a full list of sources, please visit: sosupernaturalpodcast.com/the-unknown-stonehenge   Did you know you can listen to So Supernatural ad-free? Join the Crime Junkie Fan Club! Visit https://crimejunkiepodcast.com/fanclub/ to view the current membership options and policies. So Supernatural is an Audiochuck and Crime House production. Find us on social! Instagram: @sosupernaturalpod Twitter: @_sosupernatural Facebook: /sosupernaturalpod Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

For centuries, farmers have awakened to find large, elaborate geometric patterns pressed silently into their fields overnight—no footprints, no witnesses, no explanation. The phenomenon spans more than 50 countries, with some of the most striking formations appearing in the shadow of ancient, mysterious sites like Stonehenge. While skeptics point to hoaxers, others say aliens or even fairies might be to blame. Yet, to this day, no one has been able to solve the mystery of crop circles. For a full list of sources, please visit: sosupernaturalpodcast.com/alien-crop-circles Did you know you can listen to So Supernatural ad-free? Join the Crime Junkie Fan Club! Visit https://crimejunkiepodcast.com/fanclub/ to view the current membership options and policies.   So Supernatural is an Audiochuck and Crime House production. Find us on social! Instagram: @sosupernaturalpod Twitter: @_sosupernatural Facebook: /sosupernaturalpod Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.