My guest today is Dr. Colleen Darnell, who will speak to us about New Kingdom literature (featuring rulers like Ramesses, Thutmose III, Seqenenra, and more). It’s a fun discussion, ranging from the calamitous death of Seqenenra Tao, to the triumphs of Thutmose III and Ramesses II, to the divine glamour of chariots, and how pharaohs became literary "heroes."
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Oct 3
217: The Art of Kadesh (Livestream)
Our final part of the Kadesh story is Ramesses' art. Wall carvings, on major temples, present the pharaohs' summary of Kadesh and the conflict. They include many fun details, including enemy combatants, and comparing some scenes with artefacts allows us to imagine aspects of the ... Show More
1h 14m
Sep 12
216: Kadesh, The Musical!
The war of the words. Following his strategic defeat at Kadesh, Ramesses set about putting his version of the story into wide circulation. Today, art and texts of this conflict survive at the temples of Abu Simbel, Karnak, Luxor, Abydos, and the Ramesseum. Among those texts, we h ... Show More
36m 28s
Oct 2024
Nefertiti: The Greatest Ancient Egyptian Queen?
Ancient Egyptian rulers, incest, the Nazis and female empowerment, all in one episode! 'But how?' You say. 'What story could possibly bring all of these things together?'
This is the story of Queen Nefertiti and her bust. Kate is joined by Joyce Tyldesley and Monica Hanna to find ... Show More
1 h
Sep 18
Tutankhamun (Archive Episode)
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the discovery in 1922 of Tutankhamun's 3000 year old tomb and its impact on the understanding of ancient Egypt, both academic and popular. The riches, such as the death mask above, were spectacular and made the reputation of Howard Carter who led t ... Show More
53m 28s
Nov 2024
Ancient Egyptian warfare: everything you wanted to know
Ancient Egypt conjures up images of pharaohs, pyramids and hieroglyphics – but what about soldiers, generals and military campaigns? In today's episode, Jon Bauckham talks to Egyptologist Nicky Nielsen about the evolution of ancient Egyptian warfare – from the conquests of Thutmo ... Show More
48m 34s
Aug 2024
Ptolemy XIII: The Forgotten Pharaoh
Antony and Cleopatra. Julius Caesar and Pompey the Great. These are household names thanks to Shakespeare’s plays, big budget TV shows and films, and histories written about them since antiquity. But Ptolemy XIII is an afterthought, if anyone bothers to think about him at all.
To ... Show More
46m 17s
Sep 25
Inanna: Mesopotamian Sex Goddess
Tristan Hughes is joined by Dr. Kate Lister to take us on a journey through the fascinating history of Innana, an ancient goddess of love, war, fertility, and political power. They delve into her evolution from a humble agricultural deity to one of the most powerful and complex f ... Show More
41m 43s