We explore how all of the Neolithic advances and environmental changes affected the prehistoric peoples and cultures of Mesopotamia previous to the ancient dynastic Sumerian period.

Vol 1 Ep 21 - The origin of towns ( Eridu )

Nov 18th, 2018 36m 19s

We explore two very fundamental changes to village life in and around the rivers of the Fertile Crescent. Irrigation and the emergence of a class based society.

Vol 1 Ep 20 - Megaliths, Part Two ( Stonehenge )

Nov 11th, 2018 38m 12s

This week's podcast centres around Stonehenge, but in order to try to understand this most famous of megaliths, we discuss the Neolithic wonders of the Orkney Islands and the Carnac Stones of Brittany.

Vol 1 Ep 19 - Megaliths, Part One ( Göbekli Tepe )

Nov 4th, 2018 45m 36s

Göbekli Tepe in the Fertile Crescent appears to have marked the start of a megalithic period which ultimately spread across Europe. Clouded in mystery, we endeavour to uncover the facts.

Vol 1 Ep 18 - The origin of metallurgy

Oct 28th, 2018 45m 44s

Humans of the Fertile Crescent appear to have started mastering the ability to use metals during the Neolithic period. We meet Ötzi, who was one of the first coppersmiths of Europe.

Vol 1 Ep 17 - The origin of villages ( Çatalhöyük / Jericho )

Oct 7th, 2018 43m 3s

We talk about the emergence of sedentary lifestyles of the Mesolithic and early Neolithic with the interesting story of Tell Abu Hureyra, before tackling the hugely famous sites of Çatalhöyük and Jericho.

Vol 1 Ep 16 - The spread of agriculture

Sep 30th, 2018 38m 27s

The big question to be answered, did farming spread or emerge? We travel to Europe, the Indus Valley, the Far East and the Americas to find the answer.

Vol 1 Ep 15 - The origin of agriculture

Sep 23rd, 2018 41m 21s

We try to unravel the mystery of the human transition from the success of nomadic hunter-gathering, to the laborious risks of sedentary agriculture and farming.

Vol 1 Ep 14 - SUMMARY - The Paleolithic Age

Sep 16th, 2018 45m 1s

We look at at the previous 13 episodes and explore some of the aspects as yet undiscussed including the changing cultures of Old Europe.

Vol 1 Ep 13 - Paleolithic art and ritual

Sep 9th, 2018 40m 28s

Red ochre, shark teeth, ostrich eggs, lion men, hand stencils, cannibalism, friendly wolves, ritual burials, animal masks and big buttocks.

Vol 1 Ep 12 - Hunter-gatherers

Sep 2nd, 2018 39m 23s

A look back at our changing diet and the ways and means in which we had to evolve ourselves and our technologies to succeed in the ever changing and differing environments of the world.

Vol 1 Ep 11 - The spread of Homo sapiens, Part Two

Aug 26th, 2018 38m 1s

Modern humans expand to Japan, America and Europe, but what happened when they met the neanderthals for the final time?

Vol 1 Ep 10 - The spread of Homo sapiens, Part One

Aug 19th, 2018 39m 27s

This podcast is heading for Australia, stopping at Israel, Denisova, Flores and Wallacea. Please remember to pick up all of your belongings.

Vol 1 Ep 9 - The origin of homo sapiens

Aug 12th, 2018 42m 28s

Social media indicates that we love talking about ourselves, so let's do it. Let's talk about ourselves, the modern human, and how it all started from 300,000 years ago in Africa.

Vol 1 Ep 8 - The ice ages

Aug 5th, 2018 40m 29s

Find out about the geological science behind glaciation studies, the effect that ice ages have had on our ancestors and the story of Napi being chased across Canada by a sixteen thousand tonne quartzite rock.

Vol 1 Ep 7 - The neanderthals

Jul 29th, 2018 35m 51s

The highly anticipated neanderthals, our rugged cousin who appeared to be quite brutish but was surprisingly intelligent. Quite possibly someone who would be up for going to a pub quiz with you.

Vol 1 Ep 6 - Prehistoric speech and language

Jul 22nd, 2018 30m

How is it that we can talk? Why are we the only animal that can successfully produce audio podcasts that can be listened to and understood? And who wants to get to know Washoe the chimpanzee?

Vol 1 Ep 5 - Lower paleolithic stone tools ( Olduvai Gorge )

Jul 15th, 2018 32m 13s

Let us put some flesh on the bones of our prehistoric hominin story, and discover what our ancestors created to get carved flesh from the bones of animals. We investigate the technological advances from over three million years ago up to the la

Vol 1 Ep 4 - Homo erectus

Jul 8th, 2018 34m 18s

Homo erectus, as the name would suggest, is the first fully upright human and it was definitely a migratory species. Find out more about the journeys and advancements of human evolution in this episode.

Vol 1 Ep 3 - Homo habilis

Jul 2nd, 2018 31m 37s

Homo habilis is thought to be the first species of human to have lived. Find out who he was and who else lived around him.

Bonus

Petaluma (debrief)

10 hours ago 15m 4s

The construction of the episode about Petaluma was a new and interesting challenge for somebody who has never been to California, let alone Sonoma County. We also look ahead at what to expect from the next set of Volume Four episodes.

SPECIAL - Petaluma

11 hours ago 46m 58s

A must listen for our American listeners and beyond. The story of the city of Petaluma, Sonoma County, California is the fascinating a unique story of a northern California settlement that was the home of indigenous Miwok peoples, New Spanish C

Bonus

Roman Greece (debrief)

13 days ago 17m 8s

In this special debrief episode, we celebrate the sixth anniversary of the History of the World podcast by talking a bit about the podcast and a bit about you, the podcast listeners. Plus, our usual review of the episode just published.

Vol 4 Ep 9a - Roman Greece

14 days ago 41m 24s

146 BCE - 1204 CE - This is the story of the Balkan Peninsula from its post Classical Greek and Hellenistic period when it was conquered by the Roman Republic, through to the defeat of the Byzantine Empire by the Latins of the Fourth Crusade.