Curiosity Meets The Past

Latest Episodes:

When Egyptian and Canaanite Temples Met Feb 24, 2026

Show notes

What can we learn when we look closely at temples that deviate from the “norm?" Archaeologist and Egyptologist Dr. Brooke Norton guides us through certain sacred spaces where we see a spectrum of ancient Egyptian and Canaanite traditions. In our conversation, we explore what these temples reveal not only about architecture and ritual, but also about the people behind them.

Mentioned on the show:

Brooke’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thebookofbrooke
Brooke’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brooke-norton-54b2a73b/

📝 Full transcript: https://smitinathan.com/when-egyptian-and-canaanite-temples-met

🎁 Bonus content: https://patreon.com/smitinathan

✉️ Get in touch at podcast@smitinathan.com

🎙️ Curiosity Meets The Past is a podcast for curious minds who love learning about the past. Each episode features a 15-30 minute curated conversation with guests who reveal the layered stories behind objects, places, and people.

Inside the Physics of Past Textile Techniques Feb 10, 2026

Show notes

What can we learn when we look at the physics of past textile techniques? Physicist, Dr. Sabetta Matsumoto, takes us inside the inner workings of an Egyptian knitted sock and other historical textile techniques, including embroidery and smocking. In our conversation, we explore what physics can reveal not only about the fabrics we create, but about the people behind them.

Mentioned on the show:

Sabetta Talks Math: https://www.youtube.com/@sabettatalksmath/
Research group website: https://research.gatech.edu/people/sabetta-matsumoto

📝 Full transcript: https://smitinathan.com/inside-the-physics-of-past-textile-techniques

🎁 Bonus content: https://patreon.com/smitinathan

✉️ Get in touch at podcast@smitinathan.com

Curiosity Exchange x History Daily: The Pirate Trial of 1720 Dec 27, 2025

Show notes

Mentioned on the show:

https://www.historydaily.com/

🎁 Bonus content: https://patreon.com/smitinathan

✉️ Get in touch at podcast@smitinathan.com

Curiosity Exchange x Legends and Lectures: Artifacts & Us Dec 23, 2025

Show notes

Mentioned on the show:

Legends and Lectures full episode: https://youtu.be/3BNMMNliFiw?si=_H9eKZo3LlUW5at8
Legends and Lectures podcast: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLhxPuNyz2_A9PvhtZ6y7w2EO9vSRVw5pU&si=qKOIIYNV6tpvrQVk

🎁 Bonus content: https://patreon.com/smitinathan

✉️ Get in touch at podcast@smitinathan.com

2025 Year-End Updates for Curiosity Meets the Past Dec 22, 2025

Show notes

Sharing some quick year-end updates as we close out 2025!

🎁 Bonus content: https://patreon.com/smitinathan

✉️ Get in touch at podcast@smitinathan.com

Unsealing the Past Dec 17, 2025

Show notes

What can small lumps of clay reveal about the past? Archaeologist Dr. Siobhan Shinn takes us inside her work on clay sealings from sites in Egypt and Sudan. These unassuming objects once secured letters, containers, and buildings, but they also preserve subtle traces that help us understand ancient administrative practices and the people behind them. In our conversation, we explore how careful observation and giving things a second glance can open up new ways of seeing the past.

Mentioned on the show:

📝 Full transcript: https://smitinathan.com/unsealing-the-past/

🎁 Bonus content: https://patreon.com/smitinathan

✉️ Get in touch at podcast@smitinathan.com

The Sound of Living Heritage Dec 03, 2025

Show notes

What can the sounds of everyday life reveal about the past? Podcast producer and host of ReCurrent, Jaime, brings us inside his storytelling process that connects sound and living heritage. Through examples from the field and from his own life, Jaime shows us how sound can bridge memory, identity, and place in ways we often overlook. Along the way, we explore how documenting the present, listening closely, and meeting people where they are allows us to keep the past present in meaningful and unexpected ways.

Mentioned on the show:

ReCurrent podcast: https://www.getty.edu/podcasts/recurrent/

📝 Full transcript: https://smitinathan.com/the-sound-of-living-heritage/

🎁 Bonus content: https://patreon.com/smitinathan

✉️ Get in touch at podcast@smitinathan.com

How Archaeologists Are Rethinking 5,200 Andean Holes Nov 18, 2025

Show notes

What can over 5,200 holes carved into an Andean hillside reveal about ancient life? Digital archaeologist, Dr. Jacob Bongers, takes us inside his team’s new research at Monte Sierpe in Peru, including how their emerging hypothesis reshapes long-held ideas about the site’s purpose. And along the way, we talk about how archaeologists follow curiosity through evidence, collaboration, and community engagement.

Mentioned on the show:

Jacob and his team’s publication: https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/antiquity/article/indigenous-accounting-and-exchange-at-monte-sierpe-band-of-holes-in-the-pisco-valley-peru/41D83389D230D99CFF18194CF274A9A3
Jacob’s website: https://jacobbongers.weebly.com/

📝 Full transcript: https://smitinathan.com/how-archaeologists-are-rethinking-5200-andean-holes/

🎁 Bonus content: https://patreon.com/smitinathan

✉️ Get in touch at podcast@smitinathan.com

Reconnecting with Archaeology Through Giving Back Nov 04, 2025

Show notes

How can volunteering become a way back into archaeology? Archaeologist and research analyst, Dr. Sneh Patel, shares how volunteering in her hometown of Nashville helped her reconnect with teaching, community engagement, and the practice of archaeology itself. From guiding students through hands-on programs to navigating questions about science and ethics, we explore how public service can spark new connections between people and the past and why representation and curiosity matter just as much as discovery.

Mentioned on the show:

https://youtu.be/tknGiqtlB_I?si=yp8z_uYLgDlieX9s

📝 Full transcript: https://smitinathan.com/reconnecting-with-archaeology-through-giving-back/

🎁 Bonus content: https://patreon.com/smitinathan

✉️ Get in touch at podcast@smitinathan.com

What Tiny, Overlooked Bones Reveal About the Paleolithic Oct 21, 2025

Show notes

What can tiny, overlooked bones tell us about Paleolithic life, technology, and art? Archaeologist and paleoanthropologist, Dr. Giulia Gallo, reveals how these fragile fragments hold clues to both our past and that of our ancient relatives. From evidence of fire use to the burning of specific animal bones, we explore why these materials were once disregarded and how new techniques like ZooMS proteomics are transforming what we know.

Mentioned on the show:

Giulia’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/giuliatgallo/
Giulia’s Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/giuliagallo.bsky.social
More about ZooMS: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=loAgeUuK08g

*At 16:34 & 16:54 we mistakenly showed an XRD on-screen when we should have displayed a mass spectrometer and then a MALDI plate. This was Smiti's mistake, apologies!*

📝 Full transcript: https://smitinathan.com/what-tiny-overlooked-bones-reveal-about-the-paleolithic/

🎁 Bonus content: https://patreon.com/smitinathan

✉️ Get in touch at podcast@smitinathan.com

🎙️ Curiosity Meets The Past is a podcast for curious minds who love learning about the past. Each episode features a 20–30 minute curated conversation with guests who reveal the layered stories behind objects, places, and people.

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