In 43 AD, the Romans set up temporary forts along the banks of a river to wait for their Emperor, Claudius, to march onto the enemy capital of Camulodunum (Colchester), and eventually conquer Britain. The river was the River Thames. At the time, it was an area of marshy low-lying land, mostly com...

They’re big. They’re fierce. And they’re extinct. This is how today’s guest - palaeontologist, evolutionary biologist and Senior Editor of the science journal Nature, Henry Gee, sums up why we have a continued fascination with dinosaurs.
Join Tristan and Henry as they take a deep dive into their ...

Located on the banks of the River Nile in Luxor, Egypt, the Karnak Temple complex is one of the largest buildings ever built for religious purposes. Dedicated to the god Amun-Ra and covering over 200 acres - the Karnak Temple complex is bigger than some ancient cities.

Earlier this year, Tristan...

A friend of Merlin, the husband of Guinevere, and the inspiration for numerous Hollywood blockbusters - the story of King Arthur is known by many across the globe, but who is the man behind the myth?

Ambrosius Aurelianus emerged from the chaos of 5th Century AD Britain in the aftermath of the Ro...

Located in the Northern Isles of Scotland, Orkney is a remote and wild environment. With over 5000 years of history, this small archipelago of islands is a treasure trove of ancient sites and secrets.

Today Tristan is joined by Archaeologist Dr Antonia Thomas to talk about the art in some of the...

Neanderthals are stereotypically viewed as thoughtless savages - but is this an accurate depiction or was there more to Neanderthal society?

Discovered only 160 years ago what can they tell us about the Palaeolithic past? In this episode, Tristan is joined by archaeologist and author Rebecca Wra...

One of the most famous names in history - who is Tutankhamun? In 1922 Howard Carter discovered one the most intact ancient tombs in history, filled with 5,000 priceless artefacts from the boy-king's life. But is Howard Carter truly responsible for this momentous discovery? And what can we learn a...

The Achaemenid Empire, or better known as the First Persian Empire, was one of the largest empires in History - led by Cyrus the Great it covered 2.1 million square miles. But where did it come from? And what do we know about their society? It was in their DNA to travel and explore - so why did t...

Prosthetics - an artificial feature or body part commonly used to either help restore functions of lost limbs, or change a person's appearance. Today, advancements in technology mean prosthetics can sense touch and be controlled by the mind - a far cry from their origins in antiquity as ivory emb...

One of the largest archaeological sites in South America, located near Lake Titicaca in Western Bolivia - Tiwanaku is a brilliantly mysterious place. Believed to have been founded around 200BC, Tiwanaku is filled with monumental structures, mighty monoliths and incredible ceramics - but who built...

Known for their iconic ceramics and notable artwork - the Moche people flourished in ancient northern Peru. But who were the people behind the clay?

In this special bonus episode of our Ancient Americas series, Tristan is joined by Doctor Jeffrey Quilter from Harvard University to tell us more a...

One of the the earliest Mesoamerican civilisations discovered so far - Olmec influences are visible throughout history. But who were they? And what do we actually know about them?

In the third episode of our 'Ancient Americas' series, Tristan is joined by Professor Jillian Mollenhauer to help sh...

One of the oldest cities in history, and revered by religions across the world - what do we know about the origins of Jerusalem?

In this episode, Tristan is joined, once again, by Professor Jodi Magness to talk us through the origins of this important city. Looking at evidence from Egyptian New ...

A jewel of Mesoamerica, Teotihuacan was a vibrant, painted city - but who built it? And who actually lived there?

In the second episode of our August series 'The Ancient Americas', Tristan is joined by professor Annabeth Headrick to help shine a light on one of ancient history's most marvellous ...

"If Croesus goes to war he will destroy a great empire." That was the prophecy the Oracle of Delphi delivered to the Lydian King - she just left out that fact it was his own empire that would be destroyed.

Known as the Pythia, the Oracle of Delphi was the High Priestess of the Temple of Apollo a...

One of the most famous, and sophisticated, cultures of Mesoamerica, why are the Maya known only for predicting the end of the world?

In the first episode of our new mini series 'The Ancient Americas', Tristan is joined by Professor Matthew Restall from Penn State University to help debunk the id...

One of the most studied military victories in history, and arguably one of the worst Roman defeats - what went wrong for the Romans at Cannae?

In our final episode in the Hannibal mini-series, Dr Louis Rawlings explains just what happened at Cannae in 216BCE, and why that battle is still so impo...

One of the greatest military commanders in history - it's no wonder Hannibal and Rome so frequently fought.

In the second episode of our Hannibal mini-series, Tristan is once again joined by Dr Louis Rawlings from Cardiff University to examine Hannibal's movements and clashes post-Trasimene.

Lo...

In May 2020, four unique Roman artefacts were unearthed near Ampleforth, North Yorkshire by two amateur metal detectorists. A bronze bust that is thought to depict Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius, a beautifully crafted horse, and a one of a kind figurine of the Roman god Mars, to name a few.

But w...

Towards the beginning of the Second Punic War on 21 June 217 BC, a Carthaginian force under Hannibal launched a vicious ambush on a Roman army commanded by Gaius Flaminius.

The resulting battle, at Lake Trasimene in Italy, saw a complete capitulation of the Roman forces - with thousands of legio...

Known as the Eternal City, ancient Rome was one of the greatest civilisations in human history, but how did it come about?

With a turbulent history of Kings, civil wars and imperial desires - Rome has an incredible history. But who founded it? Were Romulus and Remus real brothers fighting for th...

Despite being one of the first civilisations in human history, Sumer is not as well-known as other Bronze Age societies such as Babylonia and, of course, Ancient Egypt.

Recent research indicates that the first ever writing system emerged in the Sumerian heartland of southern Mesopotamia around 3...

Famed across the ages and around the world - everyone knows the name Cleopatra. But how did she become one of the most infamous women in history?
Born in 69BCE, a member of the Ptolemaic dynasty in hellenistic Egypt, Cleopatra VII lived a tumultuous life. Within two turbulent decades of taking th...

In the final part of our Samnite Wars episodes, Tristan is once again joined by Dr Kathryn Lomas from Durham University to find out more about these conflicts and the effect they had on the rise of Rome as an ancient superpower. With three wars between the Roman Republic and the Samnite armies, b...