🎧 Begram: Crossroads of the Ancient World
🎧 The Ancients
•
39m
Bagram, also known as Begram, has been in the news a lot recently. Over the past couple of days, the last US and NATO troops have withdrawn from Bagram air base, which they have occupied for some 20 years. But this area of Central Asia, situated south of the Hindu Kush mountain range, also has some remarkable ancient history.
In the area around Bagram lie the remains of two ancient cities: the cities of Kapisa and Begram. Both cities witnessed several waves of ancient superpowers. The Persians came here, as did Alexander the Great and his successors. But it was during the age of the Kushan Empire (1st – 4th centuries AD) that it appears the rich, ancient city of Begram (and the neighbouring metropolis of Kapisa) enjoyed its golden age.
In this fascinating podcast, University of Freiburg’s Lauren Morris brilliantly guides us through Begram’s ancient history and why this site is so extraordinary. Lauren also tells the remarkable story behind the excavations at Begram during the 1930s and how it could be a big hit Netflix show in its own right.
The second part of this chat will be out soon and will be centred on the Begram’s most remarkable archaeological discovery: the Begram Hoard.
Up Next in 🎧 The Ancients
-
🎧 The Strait of Messina: Between a Ro...
Dividing Sicily from Italy, the Strait of Messina is a small stretch of water with an incredible history that stretches back to ancient times. It was likely here that the mythical sea monsters of Scylla and Charybdis were supposed to have wreaked havoc on Odysseus’ crew. It was an area of the anc...
-
🎧 Persepolis: Jewel of Persia
It is one of the most remarkable ancient sites in the World. Situated east of the Zagros Mountains in modern day Iran, Persepolis was an important urban centre of the Achaemenid Persian Empire for almost two centuries. From the stunning, rich variety of imagery depicted on the walls of the Apadan...
-
🎧 Nero's Wives: Divorced, Murdered, S...
In the long tradition of categorising famous wives as the good or the bad, Nero’s partners are no exception. These women are regularly reduced to simple characters within the final Julio-Claudian Emperor’s orbit, but what of their own experiences and personalities? Lauren Ginsberg from Duke Unive...
