These are not the podcasters you’re looking for. If they stuck to the story instead of trying to be funny or entertaining, I’d keep listening. Lots of misspeak. Miserable, rambling man with a woman who laughs uncomfortably wayyyyy too often attempting to do…what? There is no chemistry and it’s just not working for me.

I wanted to find a relevant archaeology podcast but was sorely disappointed. The show is rife with personal opinions, negative critique, annoying banter, and shrill laughter. The shows I listened to felt like this duo is more concerned about building a pod following than demonstrating proficiency in the field. BUMMED.

I love these two loveable archeology nerds and all their great news and information! One correction for you guys on Episode 195 that just came out. Graham Hancock’s first popular book was Fingerprints of the Gods, not Chariots of the Gods which was another pseudoscience book from a different author.

I listened to the Chichén Itzá episode and expected some information about… archeology. It was almost totally devoid of content of any kind. The hosts had no idea what a cenote was (sink hole or underground river?) and had little information about the site, other than a few dates and a recommendation for a tour company that apparently (in the hosts’ telling) provided a tour that was (in the hosts’ telling) both incorrect and without context. In case anyone is interested, “cenote” comes from the Mayan word D’zonot, meaning holy well. It is the sinkhole, not the river. The Yucatan is mostly made of porous limestone. As a result, the peninsula has little in the way of above-ground rivers. Most of its rivers are underground, and they are revealed when the ground collapses, forming a cenote. The Mayans were not especially good cave divers. So they would have had no way to know that they built a pyramid above one of the below-ground rivers. How the hosts couldn’t figure out this basic fact is a mystery.

It would a great option for the hobby archaeologist, but the ‘banter’ between the hosts makes it nearly unbearable to listen to. The guy does a better job of staying on track, but the female cohost’s constant giggles and interjections are annoying. Great potential, poor execution

I hate reviews, but I really feel the need to say that you two have an excellent podcast and I really do wait for every episode. I am a law student who is a total archaeology/history nerd and you guys are a portion of my periodic fix. The breakdowns are always insightful and accessible. Beyond the subject matter, I love the humor from both of you and your chemistry is really endearing and cozy. You two have a gift in this and I hope you stick with it. Thanks, - Lane

Before I begin, I’ll caveat by saying that I only listened to the most recent episode. I was trying to expand my horizons in the realm of archaeology, because I’m trying to explore it as a hobby. I’m a history major, so obviously I understand the textual analysis behind events. But I’m interested in expanding into the hobby of actually uncovering historical evidence for the first time in centuries. In all of my finds researching this topic, however, this one is kind of lazy. They basically Google a few archaeology news articles, provide extremely basic background, and move on to the next topic. My concern is that the approach here is SO basic, that it doesn’t do its due diligence. Example: The most recent episode discusses new finds of Confederate remains in Williamsburg, VA. The hosts go on a ramble about how the archaeological find can make the historical record more complete. Then, when they go to explain the wider context, they just basically go on an anti-war ramble instead of discussing the greater historical situation. It would literally take a 5 minute YouTube search to find a quick overview from the American Battlefield Trust to understand it a little better. The irony about making the historical record more complete while also basically denigrating the historical record is palpable. Good news podcast. Not much else that’s good about it though.

Great information, easy to follow and I personally enjoy the dry humor and banter between the two. Thanks for keeping us informed and entertained.

A lot of information discussed in this podcast is poorly presented, possibly to increase “hype” factor. It’s almost as if the hosts are possibly not archaeologists (maybe historians?) or maybe are not preparing well enough to discuss the topics at hand. If you have an archaeology focussed podcast, expect that other archaeologists are going to listen to it.

Just got done listening to episode 201. Oh my what a bunch of we are better then you because we are leftist archeologists. They found it easy to say how gross hobby lobby is while never taking museums and universities to task over their buying of looted artifacts. You are a prime example of what is so wrong with academia these days. Don’t think I will bother listening to any other of your podcasts, you ruined what could have been a good pod with your political views and your lack of knowledge when it came to the stories you related.

Love this podcast, majored in anthro/archaeology for my bachelors but ended up a paralegal - lol - this is how I stay up to date on archaeology news and keep myself semi knowledgeable about the field despite not working in it. Chris and Rachel are a fun combo to listen to. There’s a real lack of archaeology podcasts aside from this network. Thanks guys!

Too much archaeology

Love the mix of topics! Also wanted to thank y’all for acknowledging how unsafe the US is right now. Thank you for amazing work!

This is a fine general user archaeology show. The enthusiast may find it interesting. The banter between the two hosts is inane and unbearable.

This is a fabulous podcast. One of the best you’ve had . KUDOS

This podcast should come with a disclaimer. I am always looking for a great archaeology podcast that can be both informative and entertaining. However, this one did not meet the minimum expectation of presenting the data in an unbiased manner. There were quite a few times within each episode that it was apparent these individuals were not trained in the 4-field approach and their take on the archaeology is simply a biased opinion rather than a researched discussion. One example: they discuss the Eurocentric cultural ladder but do not inform their listeners that this is an outdated system based on Western ideals and designed by early anthropologists to categorize European cultures as “superior” to all other cultures. Do better. Example 2: in their lost city review, they describe the archaeologists study having books from different regions, cultures, writing systems and state that archaeologists do not have this range in research and limit their scope of research to one region, time period, etc. I would agree that bad archaeologists/ linguists/ scientists, (essentially anyone that does research) do in fact limit themselves in their research, and that is what limits their understanding. But to state that all archaeologists do this is a bold statement to make that simply isn’t true. We understand different cultures through comparative analysis. And if you were to try and decipher an unknown language then you would have books from other cultures for comparative purposes to try to understand possible patterns in the language you are trying to decipher. Do better. Example 3: also not a fan of anyone that finds humor in cracking jokes on indigenous peoples, especially in a field that notoriously ostracizes these communities for their own gain. Do better. This is all to say that if you want a true understanding of archaeological undertakings, discoveries, or events then you should look elsewhere. If you want an unresearched, Eurocentric narrow-minded interpretation of these topics then consider this the Wikipedia of archaeology: a jumping-off point for topics that you can use to then find credible sources that offer informed research.

Less political correctness.

Really enjoy keeping up with current events in archaeology with this show! The discussions provide nuance and perspective that help add context to flashy headlines

It is so good to have a good voice on a podcast and these 2 have such voices. They interact well and share neat information.

Only listened to the first 15 minutes. A lot of misinformation.

Thank you. The quality is excellent and the output is amazing. I listen nearly everyday.

Guests need to step up to the microphone. The grad student’s voice fades out mid sentence and the hosts volume is much higher.

This isn’t my field at all, but love the range. Tribalism is my business, and enjoy the thoughts you guys are throwing out there! I live on an Indian Reservation (a tribal universe), and my identity is from the dirt I walk on. I really enjoy your discourse.