Talk about making an impression: When emperor Mansa Musa went on a pilgramage from Timbuktu to Mecca, he gave away so much gold that he crashed the gold market in Cairo. Tune in and learn more about Musa and Timbuktu in this podcast.
Jan 14
Unearthed Year-end 2025, Part 2
Discussion of things literally or figuratively unearthed in the last quarter of 2025 continues. It begins with potpourri then covers tools, Neanderthals, edibles and potables, art, shipwrecks, medical finds, and repatriations. Research: Abdallah, Hanna. “Famous Easter Island stat ... Show More
40m 41s
Jan 12
Unearthed Year-end 2025, Part 1
The show's coverage of things literally or figuratively unearthed in the last quarter of 2025 begins with updates, books and letters, animals, and just one exhumation. Research: Abdallah, Hanna. “Famous Easter Island statues were created without centralized management.” PLOS. Via ... Show More
43 m
Apr 2024
12 | Drive Slow | Mansa Musa and The Mali Empire
After nearly two years, Mansa Musa finally completes his pilgrimage to Mecca. The trip is filled with tribulations, but the transformed king has prevailed. The spiritual journey may not erase the wrongdoings of his past, but it leads Musa to a peaceful self-acceptance. After his ... Show More
42m 30s
Mar 2021
Mery-Neith, First Servant of Aten
A complicated career. In the reigns of Akhenaten and Tut'ankhamun, one of Egypt's top religious officials was Mery-Neith ("Beloved of Neith"). This man served in the temples, first as a Steward, then as the High Priest of Aten in Amarna. Along the way, Meryneith had to navigate t ... Show More
28m 47s
Jul 2023
Khalid Ibn al-Walid: The Sword of Allah (Encore)
In the 7th century, the world saw the rise of one of the most important religious and political forces in history: Islam. Springing forth from the Arabian Peninsula, within a matter of years, the Islamic Caliphate had become one of the largest empires on Earth.
Much of that grow ... Show More
9m 35s