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Curiosity Meets The Past

Dr. Smiti Nathan

Curiosity Meets The Past is a podcast for curious minds who love learning about the past. Hosted by archaeologist Dr. Smiti Nathan, each episode features conversations with researchers, artists, and folx from diverse backgrounds who uncover unexpected stories behind objects, places, and people. No background in history or archaeology needed - just your curiosity.

Learn more at smitinathan.com/podcast

Follow us on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/curiositymeetsthepast/

Cover art by Laura Fajín Riveiro & theme music by Noor Hanania

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25 episodes
fortnightly
Avg 23 min
English

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Tuesday · 27 min
Reading Fiction With An Archaeology Book Club
What happens when archaeologists and archaeology lovers read novels together? Archaeologist and journalist Dr. Matilda Siebrecht shares how and why...
October 20 · 18 min
What Animal Bones Reveal About Life in 19th-Century New York
What can animal bones reveal about the daily lives of working-class communities in 19th-century New York City? Archaeologist and zooarchaeologist D...
October 16 · 28 min
Curiosity Exchange x The Dirt Diaries: Cursing the Competition
This Curiosity Exchange is with The Dirt Diaries! For the full episode of this excerpt:YouTube: ⁠https://youtu.be/kYoTtKRIgEE?si=PtQ9Fz2ZlQ8PhU_c ⁠...
October 13 · 26 min
The Careful Choices Behind Bronze Age Aegean Weapons
What can ancient weapons reveal about the choices people made in the past? Archaeologist and art historian, Dr. Tenninger Kellenbarger, guides us t...
October 6 · 28 min
How This Bioarchaeologist Connects Maryland's Past to Its Present
How can we learn about people who lived centuries ago, but were not included in typical written records? Biocultural anthropologist, Alex McDougle,...
June 24 · 7 min
One Year Anniversary Update for Curiosity Meets the Past
We've been around for 1 year! Sharing some highlights and updates in this bonus episode.Mentioned in the episode:Video on podcasting challenges: ht...
June 19 · 26 min
Curiosity Exchange x Broadcast Seeding: Gender Violence in Late Antiquity
Mentioned on the show:Full episode (website): https://sowingtheseed.org/podcast/episode-21-gender-violence-in-late-antiquity-with-dr-jennifer-barry...
#27
June 16 · 24 min
Decoding Diaspora Through a Family Scrapbook
What can a crumbling family scrapbook reveal about history and the way diasporic communities make meaning? Religious scholar, Dr. Richard Newton, g...
#26
June 2 · 29 min
The Archaeology Behind the English Alphabet
Where did the English alphabet come from, and how do we know? Linguist and writer, Dr. Danny Bate, guides us through the archaeology and linguistic...
#25
May 20 · 29 min
Rethinking Water History at Shushtar in Iran
What can water systems tell us about people in the past and present? Landscape archaeologist, Dr. Mehrnoush Soroush, guides us through the UNESCO W...
#24
May 6 · 21 min
The Curious History and Science of Blimps
Where did blimps come from, and why are we fascinated by them? Geneticist and blimp enthusiast, Dr. Alex Dainis, guides us through the history of t...
#23
April 21 · 20 min
What Archaeology Can Bring to the Classroom (and Beyond)
What can archaeology bring to the classroom and beyond? Archaeologist and filmmaker, Marc Barkman-Astles, guides us through the workshops he runs a...
#22
April 8 · 20 min
The Ancient Deities People Called Upon
Which deities did ancient people call upon when they needed help? Assyriologist and public educator, Megan Lewis, guides us through some of the sur...
#21
March 25 · 28 min
The Making and Remaking of the Zodiac in Roman Egypt
What can ancient astrological handbooks tell us about the lives of women around 2000 years ago? Egyptologist, Dr. Lingxin Zhang, guides us through ...
#20
March 10 · 27 min
What 3D Modelling Reveals About the Past
What can we uncover about the past when we look at it in three dimensions? Archaeologist, Madeline Robinson, guides us through a shipwreck, ancient...
#19
February 24 · 28 min
When Egyptian and Canaanite Temples Met
What can we learn when we look closely at temples that deviate from the “norm?" Archaeologist and Egyptologist Dr. Brooke Norton guides us through ...
#18
February 10 · 29 min
Inside the Physics of Past Textile Techniques
What can we learn when we look at the physics of past textile techniques? Physicist, Dr. Sabetta Matsumoto, takes us inside the inner workings of a...
Dec 27, 2025 · 16 min
Curiosity Exchange x History Daily: The Pirate Trial of 1720
Mentioned on the show:https://www.historydaily.com/ 🎁 Bonus content: https://patreon.com/smitinathan✉️ Get in touch at podcast@smitinathan.com🎙️ Cu...
Dec 23, 2025 · 26 min
Curiosity Exchange x Legends and Lectures: Artifacts & Us
Mentioned on the show:Legends and Lectures full episode: https://youtu.be/3BNMMNliFiw?si=_H9eKZo3LlUW5at8Legends and Lectures podcast: https://yout...
Dec 22, 2025 · 5 min
2025 Year-End Updates for Curiosity Meets the Past
Sharing some quick year-end updates as we close out 2025!🎁 Bonus content: https://patreon.com/smitinathan✉️ Get in touch at podcast@smitinathan.com...

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