The Dirt on the Past Podcast

22/05/2025

We have a new podcast episode up! We talked with archaeologist and author, Doug MacDonald about his new book Land of Beginnings: The Archaeology of Montana’s First Peoples.

Watch here and then go out and buy a copy of the bk at the Montana Historical Society press!

Thanks to Museum of the Rockies for studio space, we love it there!

In this episode of The Dirt on the Past podcast, we sit down with archaeologist and author Doug MacDonald to discuss his fascinating new book, Land of Beginn...

09/05/2025

Have you watched our interview with Michael Fox on the myth, the man, the legend . . . John Bozeman? If not, click this link to watch!

Join us as we talk with Michael Fox, the curator of history at the Museum of the Rockies in Bozeman, MT about John Bozeman. Bozeman is the namesake for the t...

29/04/2025

Here's a link to our Dirt on the Past Podcast page if you need to catch up on an episode!
https://extremehistoryproject.org/the-dirt-on-the-past-a-podcast-of-the-extreme-history-project/

25/10/2024

We have a special podcast episode for you today! Nancy and I had the honor of talking with renowned archaeologist Ian Hodder this past week about his work at Çatalhöyük!

And . . . it's the one-year anniversary of The Dirt on the Past: Museum Edition! We love this partnership with the Museum of the Rockies, thanks for making it happen Chelsea Hogan and Ashley Hall!

We delve into Dr. Hodder's extensive work at Çatalhöyük, a 9,000-year-old Neolithic site in Turkey. We explore the burial practices that shed light on social hierarchies, the role of food in shaping community identity, and how the unique architectural layout of Çatalhöyük reflects its complex social structure. Ian Hodder discusses the symbolism and ritual life of this early society, offering insights into one of the most significant archaeological discoveries in the world.

Ian Hodder is a British archaeologist known for his pioneering work in post-processual archaeology, which emphasizes the interpretation of cultural meaning in archaeological findings. He is a professor at Koç University in Istanbul and directed the Çatalhöyük Research Project for 25 years, transforming our understanding of early human settlements.

Çatalhöyük, one of the largest and best-preserved Neolithic sites, is known for its densely packed houses, art, and evidence of early communal living. The site provides key insights into the transition from hunting and gathering to agriculture, with elaborate burial practices and rich material culture reflecting a sophisticated, interconnected society.

Click the link below to watch on YouTube!

In this episode we are joined by renowned archaeologist Ian Hodder to delve into his extensive work at Çatalhöyük, a 9,000-year-old Neolithic site in Turkey....

27/08/2024

We have a new podcast episode with historian Anthony Wood! We talk about his research on Black history in the west, but really focus in on the historical narrative and why some stories become a part of the narrative and some do not. It was a great conversation! Click this link to watch/listen.

We sat down with Anthony Wood to talk about his research focus on Black history in the west. We talk about his new research along with his book, Black Montan...

22/08/2024

We are sitting down for another conversation with Anthony today, but have a listen to the episode we did with him back in 2021!

This was such a good conversation with friend and colleague, Anthony Wood about his new book, Black Montana: Settler Colonialism and the Erosion of the Racial Frontier, 1877-1930 published by the University of Nebraska Press. Anthony talks with us about his work on the Montana African American Heritage Resources Project and how this inspired him to delve deeper into the history of Montana's Black communities. His book explores the entanglements of race, settler colonialism, and the emergence of state and regional identity in the American West during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. By producing conditions of social, cultural, and economic precarity that undermined Black Montanans’ networks of kinship, community, and financial security, the state of Montana, in its capacity as a settler colony, worked to exclude the Black community that began to form inside its borders after Reconstruction. We unpack this to better understand why Montana's Black community, and much of Montana's diverse early communities, left Montana before 1930. Anthony is a PhD candidate in the Department of History at the University of Michigan. He worked as a historian for the Montana Historical Society on Montana’s African American Heritage Places Project.
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/black-montana-with-anthony-wood/id1532514949?i=1000536176018

18/07/2024

A new episode with anthropologist and author, Sally Thompson is now available to watch! Sally discusses her new book, Disturbing the Sleeping Buffalo: A big thanks to Museum of the Rockies and Farcountry Press!

Join us as we speak with author Sally Thompson about her new book, Disturbing the Sleeping Buffalo: 23 Unexpected Stories That Awaken Montana's Past.

The past still lingers along old trails, and among the people who live here today. Some, such as anthropologist and storyteller Sally Thompson, are better equipped to notice the traces of history lurking in place names and written in cairns, carved in tree bark, etched into prairie boulders, or resting among well-knapped spear points.

In Disturbing the Sleeping Buffalo, Thompson unearths new information and startling insights into Montana's untold history in twenty-three true stories. Along the way, she shares the challenges of groundbreaking research and the joys of finding hidden treasures. These stories connect past and present, bringing into focus a common heritage among many peoples in an uncommon land.

We explore a few of the 23 stories Thompson documented in her book, along with backstories, insight and revelations about her long career as an anthropologist in Montana and the west.

You can find Disturbing the Sleeping Buffalo at your local book store or order through Farcountry Press.

Join us as we speak with author Sally Thompson about her new book, Disturbing the Sleeping Buffalo: 23 Unexpected Stories That Awaken Montana's Past. The pas...

05/06/2024

Experts debate whether Neanderthals created art. A paleoanthropologist explores the evidence and the sources of people’s skepticism.

16/05/2024

The anticipated episode on the history of POCKETS is up!!

Join Nancy and Crystal as they discuss the history of pockets! We delve deep into the fascinating history of pockets, exploring how these seemingly mundane accessories have shaped human lives and society over centuries. Drawing insights from Hannah Carlson's "Pockets: An Intimate History of How We Keep Things Close" and Barbara Burman and Ariane Fennetaux's "The Pocket: A Hidden History of Women's Lives, 1660–1900," we uncover the evolution of pockets from their humble beginnings as tie-on accessories to their symbolic significance in fashion and gender roles. From the practicality of early pouches to the complex social messages conveyed by pocket size and placement, we unravel the intimate relationship between humans and their pockets, shedding light on a hidden aspect of history that speaks volumes about culture, identity, and everyday life.

Click here to watch and listen!

Join Nancy and Crystal as they discuss the history of pockets! We delve deep into the fascinating history of pockets, exploring how these seemingly mundane a...

09/05/2024

Our next podcast episode is going to be on the history of POCKETS! Stay tuned . . . but in the meantime you can start reading up.

What role did pockets play in the lives of women throughout history? Dive into a world of secret, stolen, and sacred possessions on the Yale London Blog.

01/05/2024

On our newest episode, Nancy and Crystal, and special guest Sophie :) discuss a significant archaeological site located in southwest Montana called the Barton Gulch site. The oldest occupation at Barton Gulch is dated to 9400 BP.

Join us for this discussion and to learn more about this important archaeological site and many others, read "Six Hundred Generations: An Archaeological History of Montana" by Carl Davis. Click this link to listen/watch!

April is Archaeology Month in Montana! In honor of this, join Nancy and Crystal as they discuss a significant archaeological site located in southwest Montan...

26/04/2024

If you love The Dirt on the Past Podcast please consider supporting us during Give Big Gallatin Valley coming up May 2nd and 3rd. Your support helps us interview authors, historians and archeologists about their work and why it matters today!