That's Old News

Jun 02 2024 29 ep. 44 mins 813
That's Old News Podcast artwork

It's the latest news on the oldest stories. Join three (slightly clueless) fans of history and archaeology for a comical take on the latest news about the past from historical, archaeological and scientific research.

See some fake reviews below!

"There must be someone who likes stuff like this, surely" - Supportive friends and family

"It does a great job of keeping the cats calm when there's fireworks." - Barbara from number 32

"This is the trouble with using shuffle in store, you get stuff like this coming on" - Alan from PC World

  History  Comedy  Science
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An ancient egg that’s no yoke, roman flatpack furniture and Stone Age inventions in China

Jun 02 2024 30 mins  
Join the That’s Old News team in this episode as they discuss one of the worlds oldest persevered eggs found in the UK, a recently discovered roman flatpack bed (watch out IKEA), and the 45,000 year old stone age technology at one of the oldest archaeological sites in China. Enjoy this cracking episode! References Ben’s Story - Roman Egg https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-

A 3000 year old failed drug test, what makes a Denisovan and an extinct mammoth meatball

May 17 2023 35 mins  
We’re back with a bang (and a new co-host!) Join Ben, Laurie and Taryn as they embark on a new series of That’s Old News exploring the latest research into the human past. This week they’ll be discussing the earliest evidence of psychoactive drug use in Europe, the unique story behind the discovery of a potential of a Denisovan skull in 2021 and the science behind a mammoth

Where blue eyes come from? What makes a UNESCO world heritage site? and 170,000 year old giant snails.

Jul 02 2023 36 mins  
Join Laurie, Taryn and Ben this week, as they discuss the origins of blue eyes, what it takes to become a UNESCO world heritage site, and origins of ancient snail consumption – a real feast (if you like snails). Enjoy!

A 6,000 Year Old Salt Factory, Sheepish Medieval Fraudsters and What Computers Can Teach Us About Rock Art

Apr 05 2021 37 mins  
Join Laurie and Ben this week as they discuss, the discovery of the oldest salt factory in western Europe, which is nearly 6,000 years old, why sheepskin was the material of choice for making parchment to prevent medieval fraudsters, and how machine learning was applied to australia rock art to see how good computers are at identifying when they were painted. Enjoy! Links 6000 Y

What Are The Dead Sea Scrolls? The life of a Mayan Ambassador and Introducing The Plain of Jars

Mar 22 2021 49 mins  
Join Laurie and Ben this week when they discuss the newest fragments found of the dead sea scrolls along with what the dead sea scrolls are and why they’re important.They also discuss the the life of a Mayan ambassador and how his bones show why living as a mayan elite wasn’t all it was cracked up to be. Finally if you’ve never heard of the site called the plain of jars in La

Neanderthal Speech, A 2,000 Year Old Computer and A WW2 Airman Laid to Rest

Mar 14 2021 44 mins  
Join Laurie and Ben this week as they discuss new evidence suggesting neanderthals could speak, the latest research on the world's oldest analog computer, the antikythera mechanism, an ancient greek device used to predict planetary movements, and finally, a story of how ancient DNA provided closer for family members of a WW2 New Zealand bomber gunner who was missing in action. Li

The Oldest Dog in America, A 17,000 Year Old Sound, And How Much Did Ancient Egyptians Love Their Pets?

Mar 07 2021 33 mins  
Join Laurie and Ben this week as they chat through the earliest dog remains found in the americas and its implications on how the humans first made it to america, a rediscovered conch horn played for the first time in 17,000 years, and the oldest pet cemetery ever found, which cements the importance of our feline friends in our history. Enjoy! links 17,000 Year Old Conch https:

Sentimental Sapiens: With Special Guest Taryn Bell

Feb 28 2021 52 mins  
In this weeks special Ben and Laurie are joined by Taryn Bell a researcher from the university of York. Taryn's research focuses on trying to understand the uniquely human trait of having significant emotional connections with objects. Everyone has item which is precious to them for sentimental reasons, but when did this human trait develop, and how can we find these objects in the

Stonehenge Special: the henge before Stonehenge

Feb 21 2021 39 mins  
Join Laurie and Ben this week, as they discuss the recent revelations at Stonehenge which revealed that the blue stones found at Stonehenge were actually part of another stone circle 300 years earlier in wales. Enjoy! Links https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2021/feb/16/stonehenge-archaeology-documentary

Bronze Age Jiggling, A Cursus on Arran and Things You Learn When You Don’t Brush Your Teeth

Feb 14 2021 41 mins  
Join Laurie and Ben this week as they speak about humans ability to judge weigh and it’s impact on early bronze age trade, the discovery of a new cursus on the Isle of Arran that’s reshaping neolithic Scotland, and what we can learn from dental plaque about the earliest milk consumption in Africa. Enjoy! Hungry for more? Don’t forget Stay up to date on the past, with new