The Extreme History Project: The Dirt on the Past

Messages from Medicine Wheel Country with Shane Doyle

Join us as we discuss a myriad of topics with Extreme History Project board member, Shane Doyle. Shane is a member of the Crow Nation and is a life-long educator. He's a scholar and an activist, working to bring indigenous knowledge to the forefront in every project he does. We talk about his involvement with the Anzick archaeological site, the peopling of the Americas, and indigenous people in Yellowstone National Park. Join us for this fascinating conversation! 

 

To learn more: 

 

The Last Indian War by Elliott West

The Lost History of Yellowstone https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/lost-history-yellowstone-180976518/

Urban Archeaology with Nikki Manning and Kate Gonzales

Join us for our conversation with Nikki Manning and Kate Gonzales as we discuss urban archaeology in Missoula, Montana. Kate and Nikki have both been involved in recovering artifacts from a vacant lot in the heart of Missoula's red-light district through their capacity as graduate students within the Department of Anthropology at the University of Montana. These artifacts tell us about the women and men who worked and lived in this district. Through the archaeological record, they have learned about women's hygiene and birth control methods used in the district by studying the bottles coming out of the ground. We discuss these artifacts and their uses, you'll be surprised what lysol was used for in the 19th century! We also discuss Nikki's book, Underground Missoula and her continued look at underground spaces and what they can and cannot tell us about Missoula's historic Chinese community. Kate's master's thesis work at the University of Montana focuses on female prostitution through the lens of historical archaeology methods and a feminist theoretical perspective to explore intersections of gender, class, ethnicity, and age. archaeology of historic red-light districts. Nikki is currently working towards a doctorate studying an interdisciplinary approach to historic preservation that includes research in the fields of urban archaeology, architectural history, and heritage conservation. Join us for this fascinating conversation on urban archaeology and the importance of community outreach and education. 

 

To Learn More: 

 

Underground Missoula by Nikki Manning

 

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/beneath-missoula-remnants-19th-century-red-light-district-and-chinatown-180974230/

 

https://www.archaeology.org/news/8462-200218-montana-missoula-chinatown

 

https://missoulian.com/news/local/archaeologists-uncover-pieces-of-missoula-s-red-light-district-chinese/article_f0e8d9dd-a6dd-595a-9ce2-e3e1d9ed709d.html

The Allure of the Archives

Join us for our fascinating conversation with Jan Zauha, librarian extraordinaire. We discuss the role of libraries in this digital age and how they have changed over time. We dive into the space of archives and talk about issues of accessibility and how these places are becoming more public and welcoming to everyone. We also talk about archival collecting and the push to expand the focus to make it more inclusive. Jan is passionate about her work and her love of learning and her enthusiasm shines through in this conversation. 

Extreme History Happenings

Join Nancy and Crystal as they delve into women's history month and talk about vice districting during the 1890's in relation to red-light districts and prostitution in the west! They also talk about what's coming up this summer for the Extreme History Project, the new podcast logo, and upcoming podcast interviews.

Pictographs and Petroglyphs with Montana Archaeologist Sara Scott

Join us as we discuss rock art in Montana with archaeologist, Sara Scott. Our conversation revolves around the Hellgate Pictograph Site in the Helena-Lewis and Clark National Forest. This rock art site has an extensive area of finger lines, hand prints, geometric designs, dots, and animals such as snakes, turtles, and lizards. There are representations of human-like figures with distended bodies that may represent shaman figures in trance and soul flight. Many of the figures show evidence of prehistoric scraping and scratching which was deliberate and concentrated in the center of the rock art motifs. We also talk about Pictograph and Ghost Caves, located within Pictograph State Park. We discuss the archaeological context of these two caves and how we have come to know more about these important places and the people who used them.

 

For more information,

 

Hellgate Pictograph Site: https://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/hlcnf/learning/history-culture/?cid=stelprdb5373556

Pictograph Cave State Park: https://fwp.mt.gov/stateparks/pictograph-cave/

Fremont Culture: https://www.crowcanyon.org/index.php/archived-news/691-meet-the-fremont-the-ancestral-pueblo-people-s-northern-neighbors

Moving Forward in Conservation by Looking Back

Join us as we talk with Laurel Angell about her research on America's twentieth century conservation movement and the missed opportunities that led it to become both exclusionary and politically polarizing. Laurel grew up in Yosemite National Park, and has herself worked as a Park Ranger before obtaining a degree in environmental law and working on conservation policy initiatives under the Obama administration. Laurel is currently a doctoral candidate in History at Montana State University in Bozeman, MT and remains active in local and national policy initiatives targeted at creating broader and more inclusive conservation goals. 

The Dirt on the Past: Validating Places of History and Memory

Join us for our conversation with Diana Hernández and Dr. Portia Hopkins as we discuss their work through the National Collective Memory Institute to validate and reconcile history of places that have been neglected and undervalued. We focus on their work to preserve historic sites belonging to communities of color and their mission to develop spaces to reconcile our nation’s past in an effort to rehabilitate our collective memory.

 

To learn more: https://www.nationalcollectivememory.org

Indigenous Archaeologist, Joe Watkins, on the Past as Present

Join us as we talk with archaeologist Joe Watkins about Indigenous Archaeology and his current role as President of the Society for American Archaeology. We discuss experimental archaeology in the form of building and living in a pit house for a year, his research with the Ainu of Japan, and so much more!

 

For more information,

 

Indigenous Archaeology: American Indian Values and Scientific Practice - https://www.amazon.com/Indigenous-Archaeology-American-Scientific-Archaeologies/dp/0742503291

 

The Story of the Choctaw Indians: From the Past to the Present - https://www.amazon.com/Story-Choctaw-Indians-Present-American/dp/1440862664

Redlining the West: The Spacial Geography of Inequity

Join us this week as we talk with graduate student, Kerri Clement, about her participation in a research project on the persistent spatial structure of inequality in urban neighborhoods, specifically in Denver, Colorado. We discuss redlining, inter-generational wealth inequality, and spatial segregation - all a result of the Jim Crow era that has persisted to the present. 

 

For more information:

 

Mapping Inequality Website https://dsl.richmond.edu/panorama/redlining/#loc=5/39.1/-94.58 

The Dirt on the Past: Amazons, the Lives and Legends of Warrior Women

Join us for our fascinating discussion with Stanford scholar, Adrienne Mayor, about her book, The Amazons: Lives and Legends of Warrior Women Across the Ancient World. We discuss the realities and myths behind these legendary women recently popularized by the popular Wonder Woman films. We get to the heart of the word, Amazon, discussing its origins. We have a meaningful conversation around Scythian burials and the archaeological evidence presented in these tombs, that of women warriors buried with quiver and arrows, iron spearheads and lance points , knives, and pebble missiles for a sling buried next to them in these Kurgan mounds. The skeletal remains of these women show they actively participated in battle with the grisly evidence marking their bones in the way of arrowheads burrowed in long bones, battle-ax marks cleaved into their skulls, and ribs slashed by swords. We also talk about Amazon tattoos, often depicted in Greek vase painting and on mummified individuals depicting geometric patterns and animal motifs.