For most of their history, High Heels were resolutely masculine. The most manly of manly footwear. How did they turn into burning icons of femininity? And now that the heydays of women's high heels are waning, what lies ahead for them?

Dallas's guest today is Elizabeth Semmelhack, Director and S...

The Harappan civilisation, also known as the Indus Valley civilisation, was an ancient urban civilisation that thrived in the Indus River valley in South Asia around 4000 years ago. Known for its well-planned cities, advanced drainage systems, and incredible culture - it played an integral role i...

From tip-off letters about the gun powder plot to village quarrels that lead to jail time - today we’re going Betwixt the Sheets to find out about the history of hate mail. 

Joining Kate is Dr. Emily Cockayne, author of Penning Poison and consultant on the forthcoming film Wicked Little Letters,...

When you picture Ancient Roman Soldiers, an image of golden greaves, red tunics, and mighty helmets will no doubt come to mind. Immortalised in cinematic classics like 'Gladiator' or HBO Period Dramas - the depictions of Roman Legionary's tend to all look the same on the surface. But how accurate...

In an age when literature was dominated by men, Margaret Cavendish wrote passionately about gender, science and philosophy. She published under her own name, and advocated for women in work. Her 1666 novel The Blazing World was one of the earliest works of science fiction.

In this episode of Not...

In some portraits of Henry VIII there appears another, striking figure. This is Will Somer, the king’s fool, a celebrated wit who could raise Henry’s spirits and spent many hours alone with him. But was Somer an “artificial fool” - a comedian who spoke truth to power - or a “natural fool,” someon...

In the spring of 1782, it wasn't the American Revolutionary War that had Londoners worried. The city and nearby countryside had been covered in ominous, mysterious webs, filled with untold numbers of caterpillars and their eggs. The city responded with panic, and rumours of plague and pestilence ...

What do all incredibly cool people have in common? They wear Sunglasses. Whether you're Miles Davis or Audrey Hepburn, James Dean or Bob Dylan, your sunglasses are never far away.

Who invented sunglasses and who made them so cool? Was there a moment when sunglasses went from being just an instru...

Where do you begin to understand the origins of Chinese civilization? Located near the Yangtze River, the treasures of the Liangzhu culture can be found, a civilisation that dates back to the Neolithic.

Today, Tristan Hughes is joined by Dr. Yijie Zhuang from University College London to uneart...

One of Early Modern Europe’s most powerful families, the Hapsburgs shared a physical trait so distinctive that it came to be regarded as a badge of honour - the large, jutting jaw that was a result of family inbreeding. But that was only part of their physiological challenges.

In this episode of...

Where is the grave of King Arthur? What was the worst year in human history? Who were the most fractious royal siblings? What were the origins of humble pie? Which monsters pre-occupied Medieval minds?

In this episode, Gone Medieval’s co-hosts Matt Lewis and Dr. Eleanor Janega delve into some of...

New York was a city of 8 million people in 2001. A city that would be changed forever by the events of 9/11.

In this episode, we will not recount the day itself. Instead, we're looking at the after effects of the attack on New York city. What dangers remained after the buildings collapsed? How d...

Holywell Street, just off London's Fleet Street, was the hidden epicentre of Victorian pornography.

The Daily Telegraph described it as "the vilest street in the civilised world," so naturally, we wanted to know all of the smutty details.

Joining Kate to take us into this hidden world is Dr....

Few organisations in history have names as loaded with legend as the Knights Templar. Western culture is infused with the mythology of these pious warrior monks, who wielded magic and went on quests for legendary treasures. In reality, it was an elite fighting force that became a Middle Ages mili...

What would it be like to discover that your grandfather was a Nazi? For decades, generations of Germans have been grappling with the legacies of relatives who were part of the Third Reich. These legacies inspire feelings of tremendous guilt but also present an opportunity to acknowledge and learn...

Why did Cleopatra soak the sails of her ship in jasmine? How did Queen Elizabeth smell? And why was perfume an essential tool of power for women across history? 

Whilst it’s hard to research the history of something that leaves no physical trace, we actually know a great deal about how some of t...

In 1848, Europe was wracked by a series of revolutions that turned the established political order on its head. Across the continent populations erupted in revolt, and the shockwaves of these revolutions rippled across the globe. But these uprisings hold a strange place in European history - did ...

Warning: This episode contains references to sexual assault.

Medusa stands as one of the most iconic yet misconstrued figures of Greek mythology.

Recognised as one of the three Gorgons, she is notoriously portrayed with serpentine hair and petrifying eyes that turn onlookers to stone. Her life ...

In 1848, after almost two years of fighting, the US annexation of former Mexican territory was signed into a treaty.

Mexico lost a third of its territory, land which would later yield metals and stretch the United States from coast to coast.

To find out how the war broke out, and how it ended i...

At 31, Michelangelo was considered the finest artist in Italy, perhaps the world.  Long before he died at almost 90, he was widely believed to be the greatest sculptor or painter who had ever lived.  Few of his works - including the Sistine Chapel Ceiling, David and The Last Judgment - were small...

In the Middle Ages, people made marks and concealed many objects in their buildings to protect themselves from harmful magic. Dead cats, horse skulls, hidden shoes, written charms and protection marks were all used widely as methods of repelling, diverting or trapping negative energies. 

In this...

Dr. Eleanor Janega continues Gone Medieval’s special series of podcasts about Medieval Queens with a look at Queen Anne of Bohemia, the first wife of England’s King Richard II. 

Eleanor is joined by Kristen Geaman, lecturer at the University of Toledo, Ohio, to find out about Anne’s influence on...

Why are men in charge? Who invented Patriarchy?

Was it chest-thumping primate ancestors? Was it spear-wielding hunter gatherers? Was it at dawn of agriculture and the creation of property? Or was it something more subtle?

These are the questions that Angela Saini has set out to answer in her ne...

In 1950, a new word ‘brainwashing’ entered the English language. From the paranoia of the Cold War a new type of Evil Scientist had emerged — the Mind Controller. But was there any truth to the fear?

In the 1950s the CIA went to an eminent psychology Donald Hebb and asked him to investigate the ...