Hi Reader!

I can't believe it's been 3 months since I last wrote you.
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On my end, I took an intentional break in January and then dealt with some things at home (everyone is fine) that needed my attention.
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It's also been a challenging few months as I've seen what's unfolding in the US and across the world. In full transparency, making content and being creative is challenging right now. But I hope that sparking curiosity, wonder, and maybe, even joy, can be a contribution in some way.
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Looking ahead, I'm exploring restarting my deep dive videos (e.g., cheese, menstruation, cats, etc.), mulling over new projects, and prepping for some exciting things happening later this year.
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To learn what we've been up to these last months, check out the notes below.
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Fresh from the Field 🗺️

A quick round-up of my latest videos, podcasts, and features

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Here are the most recent podcast episodes:

🎙️ Episode 20: What 3D Modelling Reveals About the Past

What can we uncover about the past when we look at it in three dimensions? Archaeologist, Madeline Robinson, guides us through a shipwreck, ancient temples in Malta, and very tiny stone tools she has studied through 3D modelling. In our conversation, we explore what these methods reveal not only about the past, but also about who gets to access and engage with it.

→ YouTube | Spotify | Apple | More Options​

🎙️ Episode 19: When Egyptian and Canaanite Temples Met
​Archaeologist and Egyptologist Dr. Brooke Norton guides us through a spectrum of ancient Egyptian and Canaanite temples where she shares interesting insights about architecture, ritual, and the people behind them.
→ YouTube | Spotify | Apple | More Options​

🎙️ Episode 18: Inside the Physics of Past Textile Techniques

What can we learn when we look at the physics of past textile techniques? Physicist, Dr. Sabetta Matsumoto, takes us inside the inner workings of an Egyptian knitted sock and other historical textile techniques, including embroidery and smocking. In our conversation, we explore what physics can reveal not only about the fabrics we create, but about the people behind them.

→ YouTube | Spotify | Apple | More Options​

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🎙️ Episode 17: Unsealing the Past
​Archaeologist, Dr. Siobhan Shinn takes us inside her work on clay sealings from sites in Egypt and Sudan. In our conversation, we explore how investigating these unassuming lumps of clay through careful observation and giving things a second glance can open up new ways of seeing the past.

→ YouTube | Spotify | Apple | More Options​
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Check out the latest episodes of Artifact of the Day below:
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🏺 The Stonehenge Artifacts With Hidden Designs

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🏺 The Viking Artifact That Offers a Glimpse Into Daily Life

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🏺 The Sprawling Artifact That Transformed Peru’s Landscape

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Small Finds 👝

Sharing things that sparked my curiosity recently​
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🎙️ Our Ancestors Were Messy by Nichole Hill
This is one of my favorite podcasts. It's a nonfiction narrative Black history comedy podcast. There's so much I love about this show, from the production to the humor, but I really appreciate how this podcast surfaces parts of our history that don't get as much visibility, as well as humanizes the people who were part of it.
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📚 Of Monsters and Mainframes by Barbara Truelove
I've been in a reading/listening slump, but I really enjoyed this audiobook. It's about a sentient spaceship whose passengers keep getting murdered by Dracula, so they recruit a crew of monsters to stop him. There's more to it, and like a lot of sci-fi, it makes you think about what it means to be human and our existence.

Dig Back In ⛏️

Revisiting something curious from the archive
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​If you're curious to learn what our most viewed video of 2025 was, you can check it out here.

Thank you so much for reading!
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Until next time,
Smiti