In this episode geneticist Razib Khan takes us into a topic that remains controversial to this day and that is the origins of the Huns. He starts off by describing how the Huns were seen in Late Antiquity and how they were described by ancient historians while acknowledging that we have to be careful with these sources due to their bias - after all these sources are from their enemies. We discuss historiography on the origins of the Huns and what the traditional views have been and how they changed over time and why? Finally we actually talk about the DNA itself and what it tells us about the Huns, their origins and their neighbors. Lastly, we arrive at a controversial topic and that is the legacy of the Huns themselves..... who are their descendants?  Once again, we watch as DNA falls nicely into place and makes our understanding of the past much more clearer and yet.... even more complicated. Support Mr. Khan and his awesome work below! Website: https://razib.substack.com/ Razib Khan: https://www.razib.com/bio/wordpress/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/razibkhan To my dear subscribers, thank you all. You have my love and appreciation. 

The Kingdom of Spiro | A Forgotten Civilization The Spiro people, and their Mississippian peers, are nearly forgotten in the pages of North American history, yet they created one of the most exceptional societies in all of the Americas. The Mississippian culture was a Native American civilization that flourished in what is now the Midwestern, Eastern, and Southeastern United States from approximately 800 CE to 1600 CE, varying regionally. It was known for building large, earthen platform mounds, and often other shaped mounds as well. This documentary under the guidance and expertise of Dr. Eric Singleton explores the archaeological and historical data connecting the Spiro site to other communities throughout North and Central America, discusses the Spiroan community and religious activities, and highlights the enduring legacy of Native Americans today who are descended from Mississippian cultural groups. Together at the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum we explore an a world that was almost lost to time but thankfully due to its enduring legacy through Native Americans today, archaeology and historians that story is being told so that the entire world can learn about Native American Civilizations in North America. Tour the wonderous world of Spiro and ancient Mississippian art below! https://spiromounds.com/event/ Spiro Exhibit: https://nationalcowboymuseum.org/all-exhibitions/spiro-and-the-native-american-art-of-the-mississippian-world/ https://spiromounds.com/ Video was filmed by Cameron Mosier of Tribal Video. Hire him: https://tribalvideo.com/ Music Attributions: Free HD Videos - No Copyright  Video Source: https://bit.ly/2CbkIcQ​  ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬  Music Composed by Luis Salazar And Fabian Salazar Download from MUSIC STORE:  https://wuauquikunamusic.bandcamp.com/​ More information: Website: http://www.wuauquikuna-official.com

Were the Nazis Socialists? A talk by Dr. Eric Kurlander and YouTube Historians Dr. Zar of History and Headlines, Tipsyfish History and the Cynical Historian. Today in a variety of formats from history groups to political commentaries and beyond to blogs and academic research, we see debates constantly appear involving the National Socialist German Workers' Party otherwise known as the NSDAP (Nazi Party,) and whether or not they were actually socialists? We see constant claims from "It's in the name," to "they said they were" and "the Nazis were only Conservatives," and that "the Nazis were leftists." But what is the correct answer? Is it a simple yes or no? Is it more complicated than that? In this episode we define socialism and proceed to explore the differences between other socialists and communists, we then turn to look at fascism, Nazism and the far right. We take a look at over a century of academic scholarship and see how "National Socialism" and the Nazi Party has been viewed and how these views have changed and why? Did the Nazis nationalize industry and natural resources? Was there a link between the NSDAP and Big Business? How did capitalism fair during the rise and establishment of the Third Reich? Was Nazi Germany an authoritarian capitalist monopoly? Were there socialists in the Nazi Party? What set the Nazi movement apart from all the other radical movements during its time? And lastly, how should a general audience view the Third Reich and its political ideologies and policies? In this episode Dr. Kurlander and several YouTube historians guide you through the questions above and leave you with a clearer picture on a subject that is not only controversial but one that people continue to argue about to this day. Support Dr. Eric Kurlander at these links below! Academia: https://stetson.academia.edu/EricKurlander Get his book Hitler's Monsters here: https://www.amazon.com/Hitlers-Monsters-Supernatural-History-Third/dp/0300234546/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr= Faculty Profile : https://www.stetson.edu/other/faculty/eric-kurlander.php Support Dr. Zar of History and Headlines below! YouTube Channel History and Headlines: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQ38_Et4NgYVS7MpwbXy-3Q Website: https://www.historyandheadlines.com/ Article "Were the Nazis Actually Socialists? https://www.historyandheadlines.com/were-the-nazis-actually-socialists/ Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/historyandheadlines Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/historyandheadlines/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/historyheaders/ Support Tipsyfish and her awesome work at these links below! YouTube Channel : https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC3JcwC4qjfi-zbe759tCv2Q Patreon : https://www.patreon.com/Tipsyfishs Twitter: https://twitter.com/Tipsyfishs Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TipsyfishHistory/ Support the Cynical Historian below! YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/CynicalHistorian/ Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/CynicalHistorian Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cynicalcypher88 Twitter: https://twitter.com/Cynical_History

In this episode I am joined by Spencer McDaniel from Tales of Times Forgotten on a controversial episode that revolves around race, ethnicity and the ancient world. Most people assume that everyone who lived in ancient Greece and Rome was white. This is a notion that has been continually reinforced through modern films and television shows. This is especially obvious in the egregiously historically inaccurate film 300, which portrays all the Greek characters as white and all the Persian characters as people of color. How accurate is this idea really, though? Were the Greeks and Romans really white? What does “whiteness” actually mean anyway? I won’t deny that the majority of people who lived in Greece and Italy in ancient times would probably be considered white by most Americans if they were alive today. Nonetheless, the ancient Greeks and Romans certainly did not think of themselves as white and modern Greeks and Italians haven’t always been considered white either. Furthermore, there were undoubtedly people whom we would consider Brown and Black present in ancient Greece and Rome from a very early date. These people almost certainly included famous ancient philosophers, writers, theologians, and even Roman emperors. In fact, people whom we would consider people of color probably made up a significant proportion of the total population of the Roman Empire, if not the majority. Description above was taken from the original article. To support our guest, check out these links below! Website : https://talesoftimesforgotten.com/ Original article titled "Were the Ancient Greeks and Romans White?" https://talesoftimesforgotten.com/2020/09/30/were-the-ancient-greeks-and-romans-white/ What Do Conservatives Really Mean When They Talk about “Western Civilization”? https://talesoftimesforgotten.com/2020/02/23/what-do-conservatives-really-mean-when-they-talk-about-western-civilization/ The Debate about Classics Isn’t What You Probably Think It Is https://talesoftimesforgotten.com/2021/02/26/the-debate-about-classics-isnt-what-you-probably-think-it-is/ Did Pythagoras Study Philosophy in Egypt? https://talesoftimesforgotten.com/2021/02/26/the-debate-about-classics-isnt-what-you-probably-think-it-is/

In this episode I am joined by Dr. Gerrard who brilliantly guides us into the origins and establishment of the Seleucid Kingdom and its armies. We explore the cavalry of the Seleucid Empire but more importantly we explore its Cataphracts from a variety of topics such as what was the general ethnic makeup of these units? What weapons did the typically fight with? What does archaeology and primary sources tell us about these troops? What would it have been like to fight with and against these mounted soldiers and how were they typically used on these ancient battlefields? From equipment to the men and their horses we explore a world long since forgotten.  

In this episode Dr. Rebecca Futo Kennedy talks about the Netflix mini series titled "Troy: Fall of a City." The show retells the mythical story of the 10 year siege of Troy, which occurred in the 12 or 13th century BC. However though a mere spin on historical fiction and mythology the show drew major controversy and backlash due to it casting black actors and actresses as major figures in the story line from Zeus to Achilles. In this talk Dr. Kennedy goes through the various viewpoints that criticized the show and accused BBC of "Blackwashing" and "Whitewashing" ancient history or more correctly ancient Myths..... From racists to Albanian nationalists we see a simple prejudiced become more complex as we explore the argument of what is and what was "Greek," the peculiar attempt to frame Achilles as not only a real person but as the foundation of particular cultures and etc. We also sympathize with many Greeks who feel that their myths and stories are being ripped away and whitewashed by British actors who represent an Empire of the past with a long history of taking the history of others and representing it in a way that better suits the colonizer. Additional reading ARCHIVE FOR BLACK ACHILLES. http://pages.vassar.edu/pharos/black-achilles/ Support Dr. Rebecca Futo Kennedy and her awesome work at all of these great sites! Academia: https://denison.academia.edu/RebeccaKennedy Blog: https://rfkclassics.blogspot.com/ Buy her books: https://www.amazon.com/kindle-dbs/entity/author/B0024JIKS4 Twitter: https://twitter.com/kataplexis Why I teach about race and ethnicity in the classical world (article.) https://eidolon.pub/why-i-teach-about-race-and-ethnicity-in-the-classical-world-ade379722170

In this episode I host Dr. Jeroen W.P. Wijnendaele on a complicated and fascinating subject and that is "Were the Byzantines actually Roman?" Was the Byzantine Empire Greek? Or was it Roman? We explore the very origins of "Byzantine" and "Byzantium" by starting off in the ancient Greek colony of Byzantium and then we watch as the Roman Empire expands while asking ourselves, what did it mean to be "Roman?" We take a journey into Byzantine studies and historiography as we ask "why did some in the West call the Eastern Roman Empire the Empire of the Greeks? Were there political motivations behind the framing of "Byzantine?" And more importantly, how did the Roman citizens in the Eastern Empire view themselves before and after the decline and fall of the Western Roman Empire? As we journey through history and sources such as Anna Komnene and her awesome work known as the Alexiad we see an intimate portrait of a complicated subject and that is how the ancient and medieval peoples of the Eastern Roman Empire viewed themselves? Lastly, we arrive to the last two ultimate questions and that is "Is one term more accurate than the other?" And are there controversies within Byzantine Studies and should it evolve or change? ACADEMIA PAGE: https://ugent.academia.edu/JeroenWPWijnendaele TWITTER: https://twitter.com/_Dragases_ Buy his book The Last of the Romans: Bonifatius below! https://www.amazon.com/Last-Romans-Bonifatius-Warlord-Africae/dp/1474295991/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=Jeroen+W.P.+Wijnendaele&qid=1618426985&sr=8-1

From the Spanish and French valleys of the Western Pyrenees to the Atlantic coast of the Bay of Biscay, the historically isolated Basque people have lived for millennia.  In this diverse and fertile region, the Basque have retained their unique non-Indo-European language and dialects, Euskara, as well as their own cultural and regional identities. As the surrounding populations of Europe have shifted over the ages again and again, the Basque people remain. Known today by its inhabitants as Euskadi, País Vasco, or Euskal Herria, the Basque Country has become a region famous for its cuisine and wine of ancient grapes such as Tempranillo, of traditional fishing villages and picturesque cities. Tourism has replaced much of history’s strife. But defining Euskal Herria is as difficult as defining the word Herria itself. In Euskara its root herri can mean everything from village to population to nation. Euskal Herria is the collective identity of this ancient people. Basque Country has historically comprised of settlements located along the western edge of the Pyrenees, currently organized in seven provinces: Gipuzkoa; Bizkaia; Araba; and Nafarroa on the southern side of the Pyrenees and Zuberoa; Lapurdi; and Nafarroa Beherea on the northern side. Euskara has five main dialects, a non-Indo-European language isolate with no close relationship to any other extant language. Overall, Euskara is spoken by nearly thirty percent, or three-quarters of a million Basques. The vast majority are in the Spanish region. Only seven percent are in the French portion. The French dialects are Navarrese– Lapurdian and Souletin, and the Spanish dialects are Upper Navarrese, Biscayan, and Gipuzkoan. These dialects are sometimes mutually incomprehensible, especially in the case of Souletin. Studies suggest that these dialects branched from a unified Basque language sometime during the Middle Ages and developed according to geographical, cultural, political, and administrative reasons. Although structurally unlike any Indo European language, the official Euskara Batua today contains many loan words from Romance languages --up to 40% of its vocabulary, and a modified Latin script. The mystery of Euskara’s long linguistic isolation has led to many theories of its origins and possible related languages. Most of these hypotheses are very tenuous, such as Basque-Iberic comparisons based on fragments of extinct variations of Vasconic, Auquitanian, and Iberian tongues, or they are based on coincidence and pseudoscientific speculation, ranging from the popular assertion that the Basques are descended from Old Testament patriarchs to the folk beliefs that Basques are related to the distant Kartvelian populations of Caucasus Georgia to a slightly more plausible relation to the ancient Chechen language, neighbors of the Georgians whose language structure appears closer to Euskara. These models of Dené-Caucasian language families might mean that the Basque and their ancestors originated from the Caucasus. But only the latest genetic studies of modern Basque samples have reached clear conclusions.

In this episode Dr. Kontny guides us into the heart of ancient Central Europe and explores warfare and military customs of various peoples and cultures from the earliest times to the very height of the expansion of the Roman Empire. From what the sources tell us to the insights given by the advances of modern archaeology we dive into a violent history wrapped in customs and spirituality. We take you into the very basics from pre battle customs, to what they wore and typically fought with to the more obscure and complex subjects such as ceremonial burials of weapons and the vanquished prisoners in lakes, to multi ethnic groups fighting with and against each other to the presence of women on the Germanic battlefield. An episode that will thrill the military history buff, ancient history lover and inner archaeologist of us all. Support Dr. Kontny at these sites below! https://www.archeologia.uw.edu.pl/en/bartosz-kontny-2/ https://uw.academia.edu/BartoszKontny https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Bartosz_Kontny

In this presentation Dr. Florin Curta guides us thoroughly and intensely into not just the history of the early Slavs but into the very heart of the origins of the Slavic Peoples themselves. He draws from archaeology, primary sources, material culture, DNA and so very much more to show the foundations of the Slavic world in the Early Middle Ages. He explores a variety of issues and topics such as did they have their own origin stories? Was there actually Slavic migrations? Who were the Slavs before they were Slavs? And how did Slavic culture actually spread? What did outside sources like the Eastern Roman Empire and Western European authors have to say about them? What made them unique? How influenced were they by Steppe peoples like the Avars or Sarmatians? Their religious customs and practices before the eventual Christian conversion. Lastly we approach the legacies of the medieval Slavs and how we can see that legacy today.