Fire is one of the most powerful forces humans have learned to live with—and one of the most difficult to understand archaeologically. In this episode, I sit down with archaeologist Christopher Roos to talk about his research on anthropogenic fire regimes, and human-environment relationships in the American Southwest. We discuss what archaeological evidence can tell us about how people have used, managed, and shaped wildfires over long periods of time. We also step back from the Southwest to consider fire from a global perspective: how different societies have interacted with fire, how those relationships have changed environments, and what archaeology can contribute to our understanding of fire management in a rapidly changing world.

Archaeologist, creator, and comedian David Ian Howe tells me about the history of dogs in human society, and how dogs can show us what it means to be human.

Dr. Alessandro Sebastiani is an expert in the archaeology of Italy and the Roman Mediterranean, with particular focus on Tuscany. His work spans the Etruscan, Roman, Medieval, and even Modern periods, and he currently directs excavations at multiple sites, including the Etruscan site of Podere Cannicci. This episode explores the archaeology of Etruria, with special attention to the process of Romanization during the late Republic and early Empire.