Science Friday

How Archaeologists Try To Smell, Hear, And Taste The Past

08 Oct 2025

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Archeologists in movies have a reputation for being hands-on, like Indiana Jones unearthing hidden treasure, or Lara Croft running through a temple. Archeology in real life tends to be a bit more sedentary. But some archeologists are committed to getting their hands dirty—even recreating the stinky, slimy, and sometimes tasty parts of ancient life.Science writer Sam Kean enmeshed himself in the world of experimental archaeology for his new book Dinner with King Tut: How Rogue Archaeologists are Recreating the Sights, Sounds, Smells, and Tastes of Lost Civilizations. He joins Host Ira Flatow to discuss making stone tools, launching catapults, and DIY mummies.Guest: Sam Kean is a science writer and author of Dinner with King Tut: How Rogue Archaeologists are Recreating the Sights, Sounds, Smells, and Tastes of Lost Civilizations. Transcripts for each episode are available within 1-3 days at sciencefriday.com. Subscribe to this podcast. Plus, to stay updated on all things science, sign up for Science Friday's newsletters.

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Science Friday

How Archaeologists Try To Smell, Hear, And Taste The Past

This episode hasn't been transcribed yet

Other episodes from Science Friday

How El Niño shapes the world’s weather trends

Planning your photo ops for a trip around the moon

Data about your body is up for sale. Who's buying it?

Beavers could be humans' biggest ally, if we let them

Searching for dark matter, deep in the Earth

What cats and dogs hear + A 'smell map' of the nose

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