In this episode we are joined by renowned archaeologist Ian Hodder to delve into his extensive work at Çatalhöyük, a 9,000-year-old Neolithic site in Turkey.

We explore the burial practices that shed light on social hierarchies, the role of food in shaping community identity, and how the unique architectural layout of Çatalhöyük reflects its complex social structure. Ian Hodder discusses the symbolism and ritual life of this early society, offering insights into one of the most significant archaeological discoveries in the world. Ian Hodder is a British archaeologist known for his pioneering work in post-processual archaeology, which emphasizes the interpretation of cultural meaning in archaeological findings. He is a professor at Koç University in Istanbul and directed the Çatalhöyük Research Project for 25 years, transforming our understanding of early human settlements.

Çatalhöyük, one of the largest and best-preserved Neolithic sites, is known for its densely packed houses, art, and evidence of early communal living. The site provides key insights into the transition from hunting and gathering to agriculture, with elaborate burial practices and rich material culture reflecting a sophisticated, interconnected society.

We sat down with Anthony Wood to talk about his research focus on Black history in the west. We talk about his new research along with his book, Black Montana: Settler Colonialism and the Erosion of the Racial Frontier, 1877–1930. We dive into storytelling, history-making, and the stories that we tell about ourselves and what those stories and historical narratives can tell us about the past.

Anthony Wood is a historian of the American West. His work looks at race and place-making during the 19th and 20th centuries. He completed his PhD at the University of Michigan earlier this year and now serves as the senior historian on a new National Park Service project to survey and collect a comprehensive history of African Americans in the Parks of the Intermountain Region. His 2021 book, Black Montana, was a finalist for the Great Plains Distinguished Book Prize. His next writing project develops his dissertation, "Forty Years within the Veil: The Black West and Counternarratives of Race and Place in the Rocky Mountains.

Join us as we speak with author Sally Thompson about her new book, Disturbing the Sleeping Buffalo: 23 Unexpected Stories That Awaken Montana's Past.

The past still lingers along old trails, and among the people who live here today. Some, such as anthropologist and storyteller Sally Thompson, are better equipped to notice the traces of history lurking in place names and written in cairns, carved in tree bark, etched into prairie boulders, or resting among well-knapped spear points.

In Disturbing the Sleeping Buffalo, Thompson unearths new information and startling insights into Montana's untold history in twenty-three true stories. Along the way, she shares the challenges of groundbreaking research and the joys of finding hidden treasures. These stories connect past and present, bringing into focus a common heritage among many peoples in an uncommon land.

We explore a few of the 23 stories Thompson documented in her book, along with backstories, insight and revelations about her long career as an anthropologist in Montana and the west.

You can find Disturbing the Sleeping Buffalo at your local book store or order through Farcountry Press.