Throughout history, people have got tattooed for a huge range of reasons, whether religious devotion, artistic expression, or to demonstrate cultural belonging – or cultural difference. Dr Matt Lodder talks to Charlotte Hodgman about 5,000 years of tattooing history, exploring everything from the punishment tattoos of ancient China to the pilgrim tattoos ado ... Show More
Yesterday
Inside the Maya storyworld
The Maya have a rich and varied storyworld shaped by diverse traditions and communities. In this episode, Mallory E Matsumoto tells Emily Briffett about her recent book, The Maya Myths, which explores tales of destruction and rebirth, people made of maize dough, and journeys into ... Show More
44m 16s
Aug 3
Zheng Yi Sao: life of the week
Few pirates in history wielded as much power as Zheng Yi Sao, the woman who rose from obscurity to command one of the largest pirate fleets the world has ever seen, challenging the Qing empire's control of the South China Sea. Yet despite her extraordinary achievements, surprisin ... Show More
48m 16s
Aug 2
The Fifth Crusade: triumph, disaster and the battle for Egypt
In 1217, crusaders launched an ambitious campaign to conquer Egypt, believing it held the key to reclaiming Jerusalem and securing the Holy Land. Historian and author Thomas Smith tells Emily Briffett why the crusaders targeted Egypt, charts the dramatic naval assault that preced ... Show More
45m 9s
Mar 2023
John Miller, "The Philosophy of Tattoos" (British Library, 2021)
The Philosophy of Tattoos (British Library, 2021) by Dr. John Miller presents an impressively broad yet personal account, exploring tattooing as a unique expression of individual, cultural and national identity.
Dr. Miller explores tattooing as an innate human impulse throughout ... Show More
52m 25s
