The legend of the Minotaur and its labyrinth has captivated us for centuries, but is there any evidence of it really existing?

In this episode, Tristan visits the Ashmolean museum in Oxford to interview Dr. Andrew Shapland, the curator of a new exhibition exploring the Bronze Age settlement of Knossos in Crete - the home of the mythical King Minos, the Minotaur and the labyrinth.

Together they explore ancient artefacts that hint at human sacrifices being carried out, and find out through archaeological evidence if there is any truth behind the myths.

The Senior Producer was Elena Guthrie

The Assistant Producer was Annie Coloe

Mixed & edited by Stuart Beckwith

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Invention and innovation are two concepts that have propelled humankind forward for as long as people can remember - but who were the first, original tool makers, and what can we learn from them? Travelling back nearly 3 million years ago to the African continent, in modern Kenya, recent archaeological discoveries have altered long standing opinions about who the first tool makers were - so which hominin species deserves the title 'the first toolmakers', and just how related to them are we?

In this episode Tristan welcomes the Professor Fred Spoor back to the podcast to help answer some of these questions. Together they look at some of these recent archaeological discoveries and how they change our understanding of human history. Examining, and questioning, some long-held assumptions about our distant ancestors, they journey through the mid-pliocene to help piece together this murky moment of history.

The Senior Producer was Elena Guthrie

The Assistant Producer was Annie Coloe

Mixed & edited by Aidan Lonergan

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Across northern Scotland, you can still see the skeletal remains of prehistoric skyscrapers known as brochs. These enigmatic drystone towers dominated the landscape 2,500 years ago - yet so much of their story remains shrouded in mystery. One of the most incredible structures still visible today is Clachtoll Broch, home to a family of Iron Age farmers before tragedy struck. With a fire ravaging the country side and home, it's a site of incredible devastation. So what can we learn about it today?

In this episode, Tristan travels to northern Scotland to meet archaeologists Gordon Sleight and Dawn McLaren, whose incredible discoveries at Clachtoll have shed new light on the brochs and the people who built these extraordinary ancient skyscrapers. Looking at the archaeology, architecture, and the landscape - they help build a picture of what life was like over two millennia ago.

The Senior Producer was Elena Guthrie

The Assistant Producer was Annie Coloe

Mixed & edited by Aidan Lonergan

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In July 64AD, the Great Fire of Rome tore across the city, and ultimately burnt two thirds of Rome to ashes before it could be bought under control. A devastating event that can still be seen in the archaeology today, it ultimately led to the first persecution against the early Roman Christians. With legends of the narcissistic Nero playing the fiddle as his city burnt around him, and conspiracy theories as to who actually started this catastrophic blaze - what actually happened in July 64AD?

In this episode Tristan welcomes Professor Ginna Closs to the podcast to help shine a light on this murky day in Roman history. Looking at the ancient fire brigade that eventually helped to quell the blaze, the legacy that Nero left, and ultimately how the city was rebuilt - it's fair to say the Great Fire of Rome was a defining moment in history. So what really happened, and what can we learn from the new evidence coming to light?

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This episode contains graphic references of a sexual nature.

Athena is the goddess of wisdom, tactical war and skilled craft in Greek mythology.

She is the favourite daughter of Zeus and Metis, and is actually born from Zeus himself. She is one of the most recognisable Greek divinities, often depicted with her signature peaked helmet, spear, breast plate and shield, often with Medusa’s head it. One of the most important myths of Athena is the contest between herself and her uncle, Poseidon, for the patronage of Athens. Spoiler alert: Athena wins. To continue our immersion into the deities of the Greek Gods, this week Tristan Hughes is joined by Rachel Kousser, Professor of Art History at the City University of New York. Together they discuss Athena’s most iconic representations in both art and literature, and how she has become one of the must enduring figures of antiquity. 

The Senior Producer was Elena Guthrie

Script written by Andrew Hulse

Voice over performed by Nicola Woolley

The Assistant Producer was Annie Coloe

Edited by Aidan Lonergan

If you enjoyed this episode, you might also enjoy other episodes in the series: Zeus: King of the Gods, Hera: Queen of the Gods, Hephaestus: God of Fire, Aphrodite: Goddess of Love, and Ares: God of War.

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If you'd like to learn even more, we have hundreds of history documentaries, ad free podcasts and audiobooks at History Hit - enter promo code ANCIENTS for a free trial, plus 50% off your first three months' subscription.

To download, go to the Android or Apple store.

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At its pinnacle, the kingdom of Assyria stretched from the Mediterranean Sea to the Persian Gulf, a feat few could compare with in 660BCE. With Assyria's conquests documented by contemporary Greek historians, and even in the Hebrew Bible, nearly two millennia of studies have revealed a rich picture of the Assyrian world. With it's size and power undisputed, is it fair to call it the first empire the world had ever seen?

In this episode, Tristan is joined by Yale Professor Eckart Frahm to learn why he believes Assyria marked the first real empire of human history, and why this civilisation is essential to understanding the ancient world. With Assyria’s legacy enduring from the Babylonian and Persian empires to Rome and beyond, what can we learn about this remarkable civilisation?

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If you'd like to learn even more, we have hundreds of history documentaries, ad free podcasts and audiobooks at History Hit - enter promo code ANCIENTS for a free trial, plus 50% off your first three months' subscription. To download, go to Android > or Apple store >

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The Egyptian city of Alexandria was one of the greatest cities of the ancient Mediterranean world. Founded by Alexander the Great himself in 323BC, the metropolis was nurtured by his successors in Egypt, the Ptolemies, and flourished throughout the Late Hellenistic and Roman Imperial periods. Its famed lighthouse was one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, and the lost tombs of Alexander and even Cleopatra are believed to be there. The legacy endures to this day, but a significant portion of the ancient city is now underwater, lying beneath the eastern harbour of modern Alexandria.

In this episode, Tristan is joined by leading expert on the sunken city of Alexandria, Franck Goddio to discuss this dramatic period of history. As an underwater archaeologist who has excavated the submerged city for many years, Franck shares his immense knowledge of the site. Revealing what some of his team’s incredible finds have shown about this underwater metropolis, and trying to separate fact from fiction, just what do we know about this sunken city?

The Senior Producer was Elena Guthrie

The Assistant Producer was Annie Coloe

Mixed & edited by Aidan Lonergan

For more Ancients content, subscribe to our Ancients newsletter here. 

If you'd like to learn even more, we have hundreds of history documentaries, ad free podcasts and audiobooks at History Hit - enter promo code ANCIENTS for a free trial, plus 50% off your first three months' subscription. To download, go to Android > or Apple store >

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Often thought of as an ancient, mythical idea, immortalised in the works of Homer, it's hard to imagine Troy as real place. But when Heinrich Schliemann started excavations of the city in the late 19th Century, our understanding of the ancient world would change forever. Troy stood for over millennia, and in that period was destroyed and rebuilt time and time again. So what do we know about the real people who lived there, and what does the modern archaeology tell us?

In today's episode Tristan is joined by Professor C. Brian Rose, the James B. Pritchard Professor of Archaeology at the University of Pennsylvania, to take us through this city's magnificent past. Looking at the people who first occupied the settlement, through to the modern age beauty contests that still take place on the surrounding slopes, there's a wide breadth of history to be covered. So what really happened during the Trojan War, if it actually happened at all?

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*Trigger Warning*

This episode contains graphic descriptions of violence and cruelty against animals.

The Romans were - and still are - infamous for the brutal gladiatorial contests they held in their ancient amphitheatres. But often what made their games so spectacular were the exotic animals they put on show. Viciously hunted on an industrial scale, elephants, lions, crocodiles and even rhinos were thrust onto the arena floor and slaughtered, all for the pleasure of the Roman crowds.

In today’s episode of The Ancients, Tristan talks to Caroline Freeman-Cuerdan to explore these beast hunts and the massive industry that lay behind them. Together they discover how the animals acted as both ‘hunter and hunted’ and why Roman statesmen were so obsessed with beasts from far-away lands. 

The Senior Producer was Elena Guthrie.

The Assistant Producer was Annie Coloe.

Edited by Joseph Knight.

For more Ancients content, subscribe to our Ancients newsletter here. 

If you'd like to learn even more, we have hundreds of history documentaries, ad free podcasts and audiobooks at History Hit - subscribe today! To download, go to Android or Apple store 

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Shrouded in mystery, the Nuragic culture was an enigmatic Bronze Age Civilisation that lived on the Mediterranean island of Sardinia. With their name deriving from the Island's iconic fortress-like Nuraghe monument - they have not only defined Bronze Age history, but even the very land from which they originated. But why were the Nuragic so obsessed with building these fortresses, and what can we learn from them?

In this episode, Tristan is joined by Fitzwilliam Museum curator, Dr Anastasia Christophilopoulou, to unravel the mysteries of ancient Sardinia. The builders of the nuraghes left no written records, but new discoveries have shed light on the civilisation and its people. So who what can we learn from the archaeology, and is it possible to find out where they went?

Anastasia is the curator of the new Fitzwilliam Museum exhibit Islanders: The Making of the Mediterranean.

Senior Producer was Elena Guthrie. The Assistant Producer was Annie Coloe. Edited by Aidan Lonergan.

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