Episode C22 - Shammuramat

Synopsis: Yamnaya migrations east and west carried their language and culture to the mountains of Siberia and plains of Hungary. Over the following centuries, their Corded Ware/Bell Beaker successors spread their daughter languages to the frontiers of Europe. As the Aridification ...  Show more

Synopsis: The fall of Old Europe and dissolution of the Cucuteni-Tripolye Culture left horse-riding steppe-herders the unchallenged paradigm on the Pontic-Caspian steppe. The introduction of the wagon around 3500 BC enabled their adoption of a fully-nomadic lifestyle, culminating ...  Show more

Moves and counter-moves. In the aftermath of Kadesh, Muwattalli (King of Hatti) seems to consoldiated hold over Syria. Border territories like Amurru fell to Hittite influence. At home, Ramesses spent at least one year regrouping before launching his reponse. Soon, pharaonic armi ...  Show more

Newly researched and updated in 2024. The first phase is over, and the war is heating up. Around 2055 BCE, a lord of Waset/Thebes/Luxor named Intef I promoted himself far above the established norms. Sending representatives to treat with the other rulers, Intef nonetheless began ...  Show more

Interlude: Warlords and Adventurers. In the second millennium BCE, a new power rose to the north of Egypt. The Kingdom of Hatti (aka the land of the Hittites) emerged as a significant political, economic, and military force. In this episode, we introduce the Hittite state and its ...  Show more

Known as the 'King of the World' and the last great king of Assyria, Ashurbanipal bestrode the ancient Mesopotamian world as a warrior but also a scholar, ruling the great Assyrian empire at the height of its power.In this episode, Tristan Hughes is joined by Assyriologist Dr Sel ...  Show more