Seven Ages Audio Journal

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Underwater Archaeology on the Great Lakes | SAAJ 062 Jan 21, 2023

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In this episode of the Seven Ages Audio Journal, the team begins with the latest news from the world of archaeology. Micah covers the story of the use of stone tools by modern monkeys. Next, Jason presents the unlikely story of a Londoner who has cracked the code of the meaning of ancient cave paintings.

The team then welcomes Dr. Ashley Lemke for an exciting discussion on her work discovering ancient underwater archaeological sites beneath the Great Lakes. Ashley Lemke is an Associate Professor at the University of Texas in Arlington and former Chair of the Advisory Council on Underwater Archaeology (www.acuaonline.org). She is a leading researcher on the archaeology of hunter-gatherers. She has worked extensively on both terrestrial and underwater archaeological projects from the Lower Paleolithic in Europe to 19th-century Nunamiut archaeological sites in the Arctic. She is an expert on submerged ancient sites in the Americas and has researched such sites in the Gulf of Mexico, Great Lakes, and Atlantic Ocean.

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Parkin Mounds: Mound Builders Series | SAAJ 061 Dec 28, 2022

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In this episode, the Seven Ages team leads off their final episode of 2022 with a discussion on a ground-breaking new report on the Cooper's Ferry archaeological site. Recent Carbon 14 dating suggests this site may pre-date Clovis occupation in North America by as much as 2,000 years. Next, the team discusses the recent geological report that indicates the Bering Land Bridge may have been a late addition to the end of the last Ice Age. The team is then joined by Nathan Odom, a park interpreter at Parkin Mounds Archaeological State Park in Arkansas.

The Parkin Mounds Archaeological State Park is a National Historic Landmark that preserves a 17-acre Mississippian Period American Indian village located on site from A.D. 1000 to 1550. Archeologists at this research station also uncovered evidence that Hernando de Soto visited this site in 1541. The site was the location of the 1920s-era Northern Ohio Lumber Cooperage Company, and the Northern Ohio School House still remains. The site is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Odom shares his knowledge of the history of the location, and the fascinating discoveries made there during excavations over the years.

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Tutankhamun: A Century of Discovery | SAAJ 060 Nov 23, 2022

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In this episode, the Seven Ages team begins the show with an in-depth discussion of some of the theories and speculations surrounding the building of the pyramids. The discussion also references the recently discovered void above the King's chamber in the pyramid of Khufu using a cosmic-ray scan. The Seven Ages team is then joined by Dr. Bob Brier "Mr. Mummy" for a celebratory discussion of the 100th Anniversary of the discovery of the tomb of Pharaoh Tutankhamun by Howard Carter.

Dr. Bob Brier is recognized as one of the world's foremost experts on mummies and Egyptology. As Senior Research Fellow at Long Island University/LIU Post in Brookville, New York, he has conducted pioneering research in mummification practices and has investigated some of the world's most famous mummies, including King Tut, Vladimir Lenin, Ramses the Great, Eva Peron (Evita), Marquise Tai (Chinese noblewoman), and the Medici family of Renaissance Italy.

In celebration of the centennial of the discovery of the famed Egyptian pharaoh's final resting place, Dr. Brier joins us to discuss his new book Tutankhamun and the Tomb that Changed the World.

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Moundville, Alabama: Moundbuilder Series | SAAJ 059 Oct 29, 2022

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In this episode, the Seven Ages team catches up for a bit of Egyptological discussion in our introduction portion of the show, before shifting our attention over to Jason Pentrail and Chase Pipes of the Chasing History Youtube channel, who continue their journey to mound-building cultural sites throughout the Southeastern United States. At their most recent stop, the team toured the stunning Mississippian site of Moundville, Alabama. Jason and Chase are joined by friend and colleague Lash LaRoux as they sit down to speak with Faculty Curator Dr. Elliot Blair.

Dr. Elliott Blair is an anthropological archaeologist whose research focuses on the early colonial and Late Mississippian periods in the American Southeast. Much of his research focuses on population aggregation and identity at Mission Santa Catalina de Guale, a 16th and 17th-century Spanish mission located on St. Catherine's Island, Georgia. Drawing upon practice-based approaches to the archaeology of colonialism and exploring identity through situated learning theory, he examines the persistence of social identities as diverse populations formed new communities under the pressures of missionization. In his work, he uses social network analysis to explore the structure of past social relationships at multiple scales.

We are also joined by Moundville Education and Outreach Coordinator Lindsey Gordon who shares all of Moundville's outstanding programs and cultural relationships with us.

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Poverty Point, Louisiana: Mound Builders Series | SAAJ 058 Oct 10, 2022

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In this episode, the Seven Ages team is joined once again by Chase Pipes of the Chasing History Radio podcast and Youtube channel in a visit to the captivating site known as Poverty Point, the third stop on our mound builders tour.

Poverty Point, Louisiana is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the oldest mound sites in North America. The archaeological record at Poverty Point shows that its story goes back at least 3000 years. While no written record of Poverty Points inhabitants remains, we know that the site was of significant ceremonial importance and was a hub for various regional activities including trade, production of goods, and the creation of site-specific artifacts such as the Poverty Point Objects (PPOs), a unique cooking stone found in great abundance at the site.

Seven Ages host Jason Pentrail welcomes Poverty Point site manager and expert interpreter Mark Brink to the show. Mark discusses the history, progression, and eventual decline of Poverty Point.

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The Gault Site: A Clovis Case Study | SAAJ 057 Aug 21, 2022

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In this episode of the Seven Ages Audio Journal, the team welcomes Dr. Clark Werneke. Dr. Wernecke is the Executive Director for the Gault School of Archaeological Research and brings a unique blend of scholarship and experience to the school with degrees in history, business, and anthropology. He has considerable experience in business and has specialized in the management of large archaeological projects. Dr. Wernecke has worked in the Middle East, Mesoamerica, the American Southeast, and the Southwest. In addition to his work with the GSAR, he is currently working on archaeological data from the Mexican War and early Texas architecture.

The Gault Site has been known by archaeologists for at least 78 years. In 1929, the first anthropologist at the University of Texas, J.E. Pearce, had a crew excavating at the site for eight weeks. Though primarily interested in the Archaic burnt-rock midden showing on the surface Pearce's crew managed to excavate a handful of Paleoindian artifacts including Clovis cultural materials more than 2 years before the discoveries at Blackwater Draw. Since that time the Gault site has proven to be a significant archaeological zone spanning all twenty-two known indigenous cultures and time periods from Texas.

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Mound Builders Series: Spiro Mounds, Oklahoma | SAAJ 56 Jul 08, 2022

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In this episode, the Seven Ages team is joined by Chase Pipes of the Chasing History Youtube channel and podcast, as they continue the spring road trip and record live from the Spiro Mounds site in Oklahoma. Jason Pentrail, James Waldo, and Chase Pipes are joined by archaeologist and Spiro Archaeological Park Director Dennis Peterson. Dennis provides the team with a detailed explanation of the history of the Mississippian culture and excavations that have taken place over the years at the famed Spiro Mounds site.

Dennis Peterson has been the manager at Spiro Mounds Archaeological Center for 30 years. In May of 1985, he came to the site when it was still a part of the State Park system under the Oklahoma Tourism and Recreation Department (transferred over to the Oklahoma Historical Society in 1991) and started interpreting the site to the public. He was involved in the excavations under the Oklahoma Archeological Survey and Oklahoma University from 1979 to 1982 and worked with the site and other locations in Oklahoma through the Survey from 1982 to 1985.

Spiro Mounds is one of the most important cultural and economic centers in the Mississippian world. It boasts one of the richest art and artifact collections in North America and is considered an international cultural treasure. Spiro Mounds Archaeological Center preserves 150 acres of the site along the Arkansas River. The center offers interpretive exhibits, an introductory slide program, and a small gift shop. Visitors can explore nearly two miles of interpreted trails, including a one-half-mile nature trail.

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Mound Builders Series: Pinson Mounds, Tennessee | SAAJ 55 Jun 15, 2022

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In this episode, the Seven Ages team is joined by Chase Pipes of the Chasing History Youtube channel and podcast, as they travel and record live from the Pinson Mounds site in Eastern Tennessee. Jason Pentrail and Chase Pipes are joined by Tennessee State Park Ranger Dedra Irwin, who explains all the details of this truly unique woodland-era mound complex.

Pinson Mounds State Archaeological Park covers over 1,200 acres and contains at least 15 Native American mounds. In addition to Sauls Mound, the group includes Oxier Mound, the Twin Mounds, and Mound 31. Archaeological evidence suggests the mounds were both burial and ceremonial in purpose. Pinson Mounds is a national historic landmark and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

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The Clovis Projectile Point and Experimental Archaeology | SAAJ 54 May 09, 2022

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This edition of the Seven Ages Audio Journal Podcast begins with a discussion of the latest research concerning the peopling of the Americas. Next, the team catches up from all over North and South America as the Seven Ages and Chasing History Spring road trip wraps up.

We are then joined by Kent State University professor Dr. Metin Eren for an in-depth discussion on the efficacy of the Clovis projectile point in killing proboscideans. Eren, who holds a Ph.D. in Anthropology from Southern Methodist University, as well as an M.A. inExperimental Archaeology from the University of Exeter, an M.A. in Anthropology, from Southern Methodist University, and an A.B. in Anthropology from Harvard College, shares an academic perspective with the team about the world of experimental archaeology, and what we can learn from this ever-advancing discipline.

How can modern science be applied toward a deeper understanding not only of the Clovis projectile point, but also of the many other practices held by ancient Americans, and early people elsewhere around the world? The Seven Ages Research Associates dig into these, and many other questions with Dr. Eren on this special edition of the Seven Ages Audio Journal.

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Hunter-Gatherer Behavior: Human Response During the Younger Dryas (Edited by Metin Eren)

The Mystery of Florida's Key Marco Cat | SAAJ 53 Apr 05, 2022

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In this edition of the Seven Ages Audio Journal, we discuss the latest news from the world of archaeology including the future of space archaeology as well as the discovery of the famed Shackelton ship The Endurance.

We are then joined by Austin J. Bell for an in-depth discussion on the famous and mysterious Key Marco Cat. Bell is the curator of collections for the Marco Island Historical Society and a consulting scholar at the Penn Museum. Austin discusses the details of this enigmatic artifact in his newest book The Nine Lives of Florida's Famous Key Marco Cat, available at the University Press of Florida.

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Below are links to stories covered on this edition of the podcast