The Near Eastern History Podcast

Introduction

Introduction to The Near Eastern History Podcast, including the scope, goals, and technical aspects.

Episode 1 - Before the Beginning

An overview of the evolutionary, environmental, and geographic background leading up to our ancestor's first entry into the Near East. Plenty to talk about, but don't expect much of it take place in the Near East itself.

Episode 2 - The First Near Easterners

Take a deep dive into the (so far) earliest known hominin site outside Africa, and what is arguably the most important archaeological find from the Early Paleolithic: the Georgian site of Dmanisi. Here, around 1.8 million years ago, hominins left us with more than enough evidence to get Near Eastern prehistory started: their food, their tools, and even their skulls. With these remains we learn more about daily life for early Homo, and get even more confused about who early Homo might have been.

Episode 3 - Invention and Retention

Humans and their ancestors are notoriously messy, but of all the things they leave on the ground, what survives the longest is rocks. In this episode, we take a look at the origins and development of (arguably) the first technology in history, stone tools, and what the Near Eastern archaeological record can tell us about them. From that specific example though, we also take a look at how hominins gain and hold onto knowledge generally, and how that knowledge builds on itself into something entirely new.

Episode 4 - A Paleolithic Swiss Army Knife

In this episode, we take a look at the most important site from the core region of the Early Paleolithic Near East: the Levantine site of ‘Ubeidiya. From its 400,000 years of occupation, we get a look at one of the most critical technological revolutions in hominin history, and foreshadowing of what Near Eastern humans will later achieve.