Episodes 630
Avg. Duration 48m
Activity Highly Active
Apple Rating 4.7 (3,212)
Since Jun 2020
Latest Episode Jun 2026

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Schedule
Weekly
Format
Episodic
Consistency
81%
Hosting
access.acast.com

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About This Podcast

A podcast for all ancient history fans! The Ancients is dedicated to discussing our distant past. Featuring interviews with historians and archaeologists, each episode covers a specific theme from antiquity. From Neolithic Britain to the Fall of Rome. Hosted by Tristan Hughes. 


New episodes every Sunday and Thursday.


From History Hit, the world's best history channel and creators of award-winning podcasts Dan Snow's History Hit, Gone Medieval, and Betwixt the Sheets.

Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week and ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe.  


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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Recent Episodes

The Pharisees

Jun 11, 2026 47m

The Pharisees are one of the most familiar names in the ancient world, but are they also one of the most misunderstood?Tristan Hughes is joined by Dr Helen Bond to step back into first-century Judea,…

The Rosetta Stone

Jun 07, 2026 44m

In July 1799, French soldiers unearthed a stone that would transform our understanding of the ancient world. Discovered in a fort at Rashid, the Rosetta Stone became the key to deciphering Egypt’s…

Neanderthal Art

Jun 04, 2026 1h 8m

Fifty thousand years ago, Neanderthal artists in Ice Age Europe painted symbols and handprints deep inside caves, leaving behind some of the oldest known art on the continent. These discoveries are…

Spartacus

May 31, 2026 1h 16m

In 73 BC, a gladiator escaped slavery and launched a rebellion that shook the Roman Republic to its core. His name was Spartacus, and his uprising became one of the greatest threats Rome had ever…

The Fall of Hadrian's Wall

May 28, 2026 1h 15m

When the Romans left Britain in the early 5th century AD, Hadrian’s Wall did not simply collapse into ruin. Its forts and ramparts endured, becoming strongholds for the communities who continued to…

Iron Age Britain

May 24, 2026 59m

What if Iron Age Britain was never a land of barbarians at all, but a world of skilled farmers, powerful women, trade, ritual, and spectacle? Tristan Hughes is joined by Professor Tom Moore to reveal…

Prehistoric Greenland

May 21, 2026 1h 8m

What can a frozen island reveal about the people who thrived there for thousands of years? Tristan Hughes is joined by Dr. Asta Mønsted to explore prehistoric Greenland through astonishing…

The Other Humans: Why We Survived?

May 17, 2026 42m

For most of human history, we were not alone. Human evolution was shaped by multiple human species living side by side, from Neanderthals in Europe to Denisovans in Asia, before all but one…

What If Alexander Fought Rome?

May 14, 2026 1h 19m

Rome vs Alexander. It's a counterfactual of suitably epic proportions, fit for movie theatres and sprawling strategy video games. What would've happen had the great Macedonian general not perished in…

The Real Armageddon

May 10, 2026 58m

Armageddon is more than just a biblical prophecy hailing the end of days. It is a real place: Megiddo, an ancient city that for thousands of years stood at the crossroads of empires, trade routes and…

Ancient China: The Warring States

May 07, 2026 59m

How did ancient China plunge into 261 years of chaos, and how did that turmoil forge an empire?Tristan Hughes is joined by Professor Andrew Seth Meyer to explore the Warring States period, from…

The Prehistoric Plague

May 03, 2026 48m

The first ever outbreak of 'plague' - Yersinia Pestis, the most feared disease in human history - was long thought to be the Plague of Justinian in 541 AD. But new studies of ancient DNA have…

The Persian Gulf

Apr 30, 2026 58m

Near the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most vital commercial chokepoints, lies an ancient trade route that powered civilisation 4,000 years ago: the Persian Gulf - where goods and ideas flowed…

The Last Days of Pompeii

Apr 26, 2026 1h 6m

In 79 AD, life in Pompeii unfolded beneath the shadow of a tremoring Mount Vesuvius. Streets bustled, businesses thrived, and merchants built fortunes, unaware disaster was hours away. But what…

The First Tools

Apr 23, 2026 46m

What if the first technology was just a stone?Tristan Hughes and Dr. Emma Finestone, - Curator and the Robert J. and Linnet E. Fritz Endowed Chair of Humans Origins at Cleveland Museum of Natural…

Athens vs Persia: The Legend of Themistocles

Apr 19, 2026 54m

A legend of the great Greek city of Athens, Themistocles rose from obscurity to save ancient Greece and helped shape one of the greatest naval powers in history. Yet his story ends in exile,…

The Hittites

Apr 16, 2026 58m

What made the Hittites one of the great Bronze Age powers, and how did their empire survive on war, diplomacy and faith? Tristan Hughes is joined by Professor Elena Devecchi to uncover ancient royal…

Homo Sapiens vs Neanderthals

Apr 12, 2026 59m

Tristan Hughes is joined by Ella Al-Shamahi, paleoanthropologist and presenter of the hit BBC series Human, to explore what interactions between early Homo sapiens and Neanderthals may have been…

The Romans and China

Apr 09, 2026 58m

How did Roman silver travel from Egypt to China across monsoon seas, pirate waters, and bustling ports? Tristan Hughes is joined by legendary archaeologist Sir Barry Cunliffe for a dramatic journey…

Judas Iscariot

Apr 05, 2026 56m

**Warning: This episode contains graphic descriptions of violence, including suicide**What really happened to Judas Iscariot? From shifting accounts in the Gospels to the 30 pieces of silver, Tristan…

Frequently Asked Questions

How many episodes does The Ancients have?

The Ancients has published 630 episodes since June 2020.

Is The Ancients still active?

The Ancients is currently highly active with new episodes weekly. Average episode length is 48m.

How do I contact The Ancients for sponsorship or guest appearances?

Sign up on Grep.FM to access contact details for The Ancients, including email and social media links.

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