Rephonic
Artwork for New Books in Archaeology

New Books in Archaeology

Marshall Poe
Climate Change
Violence
Xiongnu
Inequality
Patriarchy
Gender Relations
Evolutionary Psychology
Little Ice Age
Archaeology
Anthropology
Mid-Republican Rome
Han Empire
Environmental History
Scotland
Ecological Changes
Healing Amulets
Ritual Healing
Beardmore Relics
Political Movements
American History

This podcast is a channel on the New Books Network. The New Books Network is an academic audio library dedicated to public education. In each episode you will hear scholars discuss their recently published research with another expert in their field. Discover our 150+ channels and browse our 28,000+ episodes on our website: ⁠newbooksnetwork.com⁠ Subscribe to our free weekly Substack newsletter to ... more

PublishesTwice weeklyEpisodes185Founded13 years ago
Number of ListenersCategories
HistorySociety & Culture

Listen to this Podcast

Artwork for New Books in Archaeology

Latest Episodes

"Roman theatre" is a term often used to describe the theatre of ancient Italy during the second and third century BCE. Plautus and Terence are referred to as ‘Roman playwrights,’ and Rome itself is generally regarded as the driving force behind the d... more

The story of ancient Rome is predominantly one of great men with great fortunes. Surviving Rome: The Economic Lives of the Ninety Percent (Princeton UP, 2025) unearths another history, one of ordinary Romans, who worked with their hands and survived... more

Rapa Nui, known to Western cultures as Easter Island for centuries, has long been a source of mystery. While the massive stone statues that populate the island’s landscape have loomed in the popular Western imagination since Europeans first set foot ... more

In the heyday of Islamic art collecting around the turn of the twentieth century, thousands of premodern ceramic objects circulated on the international antiquities market. Invisible Hands: Fabrication, Forgery, and the Art of Islamic Ceramics (Princ... more

Recentering Southeast Asia: Politics, Religion and Maritime Connections (Routledge, 2026) assesses the impact of European colonization in the late 19th and early 20th century in ‘restructuring’ the shared past of India and Southeast Asia. It provides... more

Located in the Papantla municipality of the Mexican state of Veracruz, El Tajín is a UNESCO World Heritage site but a lesser-known tourist destination and national symbol. The Indigenous Totonac residents of the region know well that the site’s relat... more

For as long as cats have coexisted with humans, they have been feared, revered and respected. They appear as dynamic hunters in Palaeolithic carvings and cave paintings; were venerated as gods in ancient Egypt; and still have the power to fascinate a... more

In September 2025 the Dutch government announced that it would return to Indonesia the fossilized remains of the famous ‘Java Man’, the first known example of an early species of human, homo erectus. The remains had been uncovered by a Dutch archaeol... more

Key Facts

Accepts Guests
Accepts Sponsors
Contact Information
Podcast Host
Number of Listeners
Find out how many people listen to this podcast per episode and each month.

Similar Podcasts

People also subscribe to these shows.

In Our Time
In Our TimeBBC Radio 4
The Ancients
The AncientsHistory Hit
No Such Thing As A Fish
No Such Thing As A FishNo Such Thing As A Fish
Tides of History
Tides of HistoryAudible / Patrick Wyman

Recent Guests

Jessica Clarke
Historian and archaeologist specializing in ancient Roman theatre and entertainment culture
Liverpool University Press (author of the book) / University College London (PhD)
Episode: Jessica Clarke, "A New History of Ancient Roman Theatre" (Liverpool UP, 2025)
Kim Bowes
Professor of Archaeology and Ancient History at the University of Pennsylvania
University of Pennsylvania
Episode: Kim Bowes, "Surviving Rome: The Economic Lives of the Ninety Percent" (Princeton UP, 2025)
Mike Pitts
Author, archaeologist, broadcaster
Island at the Edge of the World author
Episode: Mike Pitts, "Island at the Edge of the World: The Forgotten History of Easter Island" (Bloomsbury, 2025)
Dr. Margaret Graves
Adrian Manassian Associate Professor of Islamic Art and Architecture at Brown University
Brown University
Episode: Margaret S. Graves, "Invisible Hands: Fabrication, Forgery, and the Art of Islamic Ceramics" (Princeton UP, 2026)
Himanshu Prabha Ray
Research Fellow at Oxford Center for Hindu Studies
Oxford Center for Hindu Studies
Episode: Himanshu Prabha Ray ed., "Recentering Southeast Asia: Politics, Religion and Maritime Connections" (Routledge, 2026)
Sam Holley-Kline
Author and Assistant Clinical Professor
University of Maryland College Park
Episode: Samuel Holley-Kline, "In the Shadow of El Tajín: The Political Economy of Archaeology in Modern Mexico" (U Nebraska Press, 2025)
Dr. Jerry Moore
Archaeologist and Professor Emeritus from Cal State University, Dominguez Hills
Thames & Hudson
Episode: Jerry Moore, "Cat Tales: A History" (Thames & Hudson, 2025)
Charles Higham
Emeritus Professor of Archaeology at the University of Otago, New Zealand and author of the book.
NUS Press
Episode: Charles Higham, "Early Southeast Asia: From First Humans to First Civilizations" (NUS Press, 2024)
Stephen Murphy
Senior Lecturer in Curating and Museology of Asian Art, Chair of the Centre of Southeast Asian Studies and author of the discussed book
Not specified
Episode: Stephen Murphy, "Buddhist Landscapes: Art and Archaeology of the Khorat Plateau, 7th to 11th Centuries (NUS Press, 2024)

Host

Dr. Miranda Melcher
Host of New Books in Archaeology and frequent contributor on archaeology and heritage topics.

Top Society & Culture Podcasts

The Ezra Klein Show
The Ezra Klein ShowNew York Times Opinion
Stuff You Should Know
Stuff You Should KnowiHeartPodcasts
What I survived
What I survivedJack Laurence
The Determined Society with Shawn French | Mindset, Adversity & Growth
The Determined Society with Shawn French | Mindset, Adversity & GrowthShawn French | Adversity & Determination Expert
Focus: Adults in the Room
Focus: Adults in the RoomKUOW News and Information
This American Life
This American LifeThis American Life
Freakonomics Radio
Freakonomics RadioFreakonomics Radio + Stitcher
Sword and Scale
Sword and ScaleSword and Scale

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Mike Pitts, "Island at the Edge of the World: The Forgotten History of Easter Island" (Bloomsbury, 2025)
Q: What are you working on now?
Pitts mentions three peer-reviewed articles in progress, a new angle on the island as a map of the Polynesian universe, and ongoing blogs about newly uncovered archival material.
Mike Pitts, "Island at the Edge of the World: The Forgotten History of Easter Island" (Bloomsbury, 2025)
Q: Why did the statues on Easter Island arise in such scale, and how does Polynesian culture help explain this?
He argues that the creation of monumental statues is a Polynesian cultural phenomenon tied to cosmology, provenance of resources, and social display across island communities, rather than a collapse narrative.
Mike Pitts, "Island at the Edge of the World: The Forgotten History of Easter Island" (Bloomsbury, 2025)
Q: What happens to Katherine's archive after her death, and how did it affect Easter Island archaeology?
Pitts explains the archival dispersal, Katherine's later illness, Scoresby's control over records, and the eventual loss and partial rediscovery of the materials, which dramatically affected the historiography of Easter Island.
Mike Pitts, "Island at the Edge of the World: The Forgotten History of Easter Island" (Bloomsbury, 2025)
Q: Could you tell us a little bit about the practical sources you worked with, especially the Routledge archive?
He discusses the Routledges, their African expedition, their Dutch/Polynesian work, and how much of the archive survived, including diaries, photographs, and field notes, and how this material later resurfaced and reshaped his narrative.
Mike Pitts, "Island at the Edge of the World: The Forgotten History of Easter Island" (Bloomsbury, 2025)
Q: Maybe you begin by just sort of telling us why you decided to write this book.
Pitts explains that he fell in love with Easter Island during school, ultimately traveling there in 1994, and that his research grew into a broader project about unearthing overlooked archives and re framing the island's history within a Polynesian context.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

Listeners per Episode
Gender Skew
Location
Interests
Professions
Age Range
Household Income
Social Media Reach

Frequently Asked Questions About New Books in Archaeology

What is New Books in Archaeology about and what kind of topics does it cover?

This program features conversations with scholars who discuss recently published books and research across archaeology, history, and related disciplines. Guests typically include university professors, researchers, and authors who offer deep dives into topics like ancient art and ceramics, Southeast Asian maritime networks, the political economy of archaeology, and heritage and restitution. Episodes often weave theoretical insight with on-the-ground methodological perspectives, highlighting how new findings reshape historical narratives and public understanding. A notable pattern is the emphasis on Indigenous perspectives, heritage policy, and the ethics of collecting and restitution, making it a strong pick for listeners who want academica... more

Where can I find podcast stats for New Books in Archaeology?

Rephonic provides a wide range of podcast stats for New Books in Archaeology. We scanned the web and collated all of the information that we could find in our comprehensive podcast database. See how many people listen to New Books in Archaeology and access YouTube viewership numbers, download stats, audience demographics, chart rankings, ratings, reviews and more.

How many listeners does New Books in Archaeology get?

Rephonic provides a full set of podcast information for three million podcasts, including the number of listeners. View further listenership figures for New Books in Archaeology, including podcast download numbers and subscriber numbers, so you can make better decisions about which podcasts to sponsor or be a guest on. You will need to upgrade your account to access this premium data.

What are the audience demographics for New Books in Archaeology?

Rephonic provides comprehensive predictive audience data for New Books in Archaeology, including gender skew, age, country, political leaning, income, professions, education level, and interests. You can access these listener demographics by upgrading your account.

How many subscribers and views does New Books in Archaeology have?

To see how many followers or subscribers New Books in Archaeology has on Spotify and other platforms such as Castbox and Podcast Addict, simply upgrade your account. You'll also find viewership figures for their YouTube channel if they have one.

Which podcasts are similar to New Books in Archaeology?

These podcasts share a similar audience with New Books in Archaeology:

1. HistoryExtra podcast
2. In Our Time
3. The Ancients
4. No Such Thing As A Fish
5. Tides of History

How many episodes of New Books in Archaeology are there?

New Books in Archaeology launched 13 years ago and published 185 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

How do I contact New Books in Archaeology?

Our systems regularly scour the web to find email addresses and social media links for this podcast. We scanned the web and collated all of the contact information that we could find in our podcast database. But in the unlikely event that you can't find what you're looking for, our concierge service lets you request our research team to source better contacts for you.

Where can I see ratings and reviews for New Books in Archaeology?

Rephonic pulls ratings and reviews for New Books in Archaeology from multiple sources, including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Castbox, and Podcast Addict.

View all the reviews in one place instead of visiting each platform individually and use this information to decide if a show is worth pitching or not.

How do I access podcast episode transcripts for New Books in Archaeology?

Rephonic provides full transcripts for episodes of New Books in Archaeology. Search within each transcript for your keywords, whether they be topics, brands or people, and figure out if it's worth pitching as a guest or sponsor. You can even set-up alerts to get notified when your keywords are mentioned.

What guests have appeared on New Books in Archaeology?

Recent guests on New Books in Archaeology include:

1. Jessica Clarke
2. Kim Bowes
3. Mike Pitts
4. Dr. Margaret Graves
5. Himanshu Prabha Ray
6. Sam Holley-Kline
7. Dr. Jerry Moore
8. Charles Higham

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

Find and pitch the right podcasts

We help savvy brands, marketers and PR professionals to find the right podcasts for any topic or niche. Get the data and contacts you need to pitch podcasts at scale and turn listeners into customers.
Try it free for 7 days