Ancient DNA, Indo-Europeans, and the Steppe: Interview with Professor David Anthony

Tides of History

Wondery / Patrick Wyman

Documentary, Society & Culture, History

4.8 • 6.3K Ratings

🗓️ 24 June 2021

⏱️ 63 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Professor David Anthony is one of the world's foremost experts on the archaeology of the ancient Eurasian steppes and sits at the cutting edge of Indo-European studies. We discuss the unique nature of the Yamnaya and the prehistoric steppe, the people who lived there, what ancient DNA can tell us about these past societies, and why they matter even 5000 years later.

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Transcript

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0:00.0	Hi everybody, from Wondery, welcome to another episode of Tides of History.
0:15.1	Thanks for joining me.
0:16.3	So I'm fascinated by the Eurasian steps.
0:19.1	The huge grasslands that stretch from Mongolia to the Carpathian mountains cover much of
0:23.3	a couple of continents.
0:24.8	They're an incredible environment.
0:26.4	They are home to groups of people who have shaped the world for thousands of years, from
0:30.1	the Scythians to the Zhongnu to the Huns to the Mongols.
0:33.3	But the groups who have lived there are often misunderstood.
0:36.1	Their cast is barbarians outside the civilized world, thanks to the fact that we rely on
0:41.0	the perspective of outsiders, Romans, Greeks and Chinese writers for basic information about
0:46.6	them.
0:47.5	This blind spot is even more apparent for prehistory when we lack any written sources at all.
0:52.6	But the Eurasian steps are central to any understanding of the past 5,000 or so years.
0:57.9	They're home to sophisticated cultures and a series of developments that changed the
1:01.4	world forever.
1:03.0	We've got a great guest with us today who can help us learn about this essential place
1:06.7	and its people.
1:07.9	He's one of the world's foremost experts on the archaeology of the steps.
1:11.4	With his spouse, Dorcas Brown, he's worked in the field for more than 40 years.
1:15.4	They frequently been co-authors on journal publications and excavated together as co-directors
1:19.6	in Russia and Ukraine.
	...

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