We're Not So Different - TopPodcast.com

Latest Episodes:

April Mailbag 2: Medieval Skyscraper Apr 23, 2026

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folks, we are back with another mailbag episode to try and cutdown on the backlog of patron questions. this time, we discuss hamster-style situations, Medieval skyscrapers in Bologna, hangover cures, the Gregorian chant, the Medieval birds and the bees, state monopolies of violence, and more!
cover image: conception of what Medieval Bologna may have looked like with numerous towers shooting into the sky, engraving by Tony Pecoraro, 1958. (taken from Wikimedia Commons)

April Mailbag 1: The Pope is Weak on Crime Apr 15, 2026

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folks, it's once again time to dive into the mailbag of patron questions. this time, we answer queries about the recent fight between Trump and Pope Leo, menopause, fried chicken, books bound in human skin, historical misconceptions based on a single erroneous account, the Pope being weak on crime, and much more.
image: Antichrist seated on the back of Leviathan from the Liber Floridus encyclopedia (c. 1120), taken from Wikipedia Commons

Medieval Land Mgmt 9: Famine Apr 08, 2026

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folks, we come to the final episode of our series on Medieval Land Management by discussing famine, the very thing that all these land management practices are trying to guard against. we talk famines, how and why they happen, famine evidence across the world, the Little Ice Age, the Great Famine of 1315-17, and, thankfully, the peasant revolts that often follow in the wake of famines. enjoy!

Preview: Wolf Hall 1 - Limited Series Apr 03, 2026

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folks, this is a free preview for the limited series Dr Eleanor recorded with friend of the show Phoebe Roy (Masters of Our Domain, etc.) about season 1 of the Wolf Hall TV show. if you like this episode, you can access all 7 episodes of the limited series for just $15 at: https://www.patreon.com/collection/2087866
enjoy!

Medieval Land Mgmt 8: Livestock Apr 02, 2026

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folks, in our 8th and penultimate episode on Medieval Land Management, we finally turn to our fellow creatures, specifically those we've domesticated. we talk about the various types of livestock, their distribution around the world before colonization, the different styles of management required, the sheep of the Petro State for Wool, urban hog management, Mongol bands of horses, and the Inca (as a special treat for Luke)

Medieval Land Mgmt 7: Sailor's Delight Mar 25, 2026

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folks, there's more water to be discussed because, surprisingly, we kinda use water for everything. we discuss Medieval fishing, including stock ponds, salt harvesting, why you can't get good salt from all the oceans despite them all containing saltwater, why it was faster to travel via water than overland, and more!

Medieval Land Mgmt 6: Water Water Everywhere Mar 18, 2026

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folks, we're back with part 6 of the Medieval Land Management series and we're talking about how they dealt with water. first, we talk about Mesopotamian ghosts for a bit then get into Medieval aquaculture, including irrigation, wells, catchment in arid places, how water built civilization, and why rich people ruin everything.

Medieval Land Mgmt 5: A Coppicing We Will Go Mar 11, 2026

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folks, we're back to our series on Medieval Land Management with part 5 on forestry. we talk the Medieval obsession with beavers, coppicing, more coppicing, the staggering amount of land dedicated to producing firewood/charcoal in Eurasia, fire maintenance, controlled forest burnings, and an intensive study on forest management in Moravia. enjoy!

March Mailbag Mar 04, 2026

Show notes

folks, we had take a short break from our Medieval Land Management series due to some scheduling complications (don't worry, it will continue next week) and so we did a mailbag instead. we usually do at least one mailbag episode a month to catch up on the mountain of questions we have from patrons. if you want to ask us questions, please subscribe for just $5 a month. this time, we cover everything from cobblestone streets to cadaver synods to the Florentine Vice to Gilles de Rais, Medieval beach trips, performative masculinity maxxing, and more.

Medieval Land Mgmt 4: Rice Quest Feb 26, 2026

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folks, in our 4th episode on Medieval Land Management, we talk about more types of farming. this time, moving to Asia and the Americas to talk the 2 other great Medieval staple crops: rice and maize. we begin in China where rice was domesticated and turned from a dry and crop into a semi-aquatic one about 6,000 years ago. we talk about the spread of rice, how rice paddies work, and how the Song Dynasty used Champa rice to experience a population boom. then we turn to the Americas to talk about maize, its domestication from tiosente, the Three Sisters agricultural program and the milpa system.

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