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PODCAST

Tea-Break Archaeology

The Archaeology Podcast Network

The world is full of incredible archaeological sites, inspiring historic figures, and breathtaking ancient artefacts. But what about those everyday objects that have become so essential to our daily life that we don"t even notice them any more? In this podcast, professional archaeologist and journalist Dr Matilda Siebrecht explores the deep history and archaeological origins of the most familiar objects and crafts, sometimes enlisting the help of an expert guest speaker to really dig into the topic

education social sciences

All Episodes

00:32:37

Gladiator training with Svenja Fabian (part 1) - Ep 46

Tea-Break Archaeology ·

2026/02/10

Let’s get down to business, to talk about gladiatorial training! In this episode, Matilda is joined by Svenja Fabian, who is a retired gladiatrix, or female gladiatorial re-enactor. Svenja’s shares her experiences in this particular field of re-enactment, and helps to bust some myths about gladiators in ancient Rome. But what actually is a gladiator? Did women really fight in gladiatorial battles? And why is it unlikely that people would have used the thumbs up/thumbs down signals? Tune in to find

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00:36:05

Archaeological Methods: Experimental Archaeology - Ep 45

Tea-Break Archaeology ·

2026/01/27

Following the popularity of the previously coined “Tea-break Time Travel Training”, Matilda focuses in this episode on a commonly used method in archaeological research: Experimental Archaeology. Listen in to hear what experimental is, its origins and development, its strengths and weaknesses, and how it all started for Matilda with an afternoon of throwing prehistoric spears in a public park in Aberdeen!TranscriptsFor rough transcripts of this episode go to

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00:32:17

APN10 bonus recording (part 2) - Ep 44

Tea-Break Archaeology ·

2025/12/30

To celebrate 10 years of the APN, Matilda joined the #APN10 live event on 24th November 2024 to record a very special episode called “Tea-break 20 Questions”! Spoiler alert - get used to seeing this format pop up a bit more regularly for live events because it was a lot of fun! Joining the episode were Emma Jones (of Ancient Craft UK / Prehistoric Jewellery) and Raven Todd DaSilva (of Dig It With Raven), who each tried to guess which object the other had brought in. Tune in for an episode filled

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00:31:43

APN10 bonus recording (part 1) - Ep 43

Tea-Break Archaeology ·

2025/12/16

To celebrate 10 years of the APN, Matilda joined the #APN10 live event on 24th November 2024 to record a very special episode called “Tea-break 20 Questions”! Spoiler alert - get used to seeing this format pop up a bit more regularly for future live events because it was a lot of fun! Joining the episode were Emma Jones (of Ancient Craft UK / Prehistoric Jewellery) and Raven Todd DaSilva (of Dig It With Raven), who each tried to guess which object the other had brought in. Tune in for an episode

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00:33:58

The Archaeology of Stone Tools - Ep 42

Tea-Break Archaeology ·

2025/12/02

In this episode Matilda is diving far back into the earliest depths of human history to discuss when we first developed our love of stuff. From chimpanzee termite-fishing to complex flint-knapping technology, she explores how technological traditions developed alongside our own human evolution. Tune in to hear all about core preparation, mode classifications, and why we might soon need a capuchin monkey archaeologist.TranscriptsFor rough transcripts of this episode go to

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00:39:38

The Voynich Manuscript with Dr Lisa Fagin Davis (part...

Tea-Break Archaeology ·

2025/11/18

It’s part 2 of Matilda’s chat with expert paleographer Dr Lisa Fagin Davis, as we dive deeper into the fascinating research that has been done on the Voynich Manuscript. Tune in to learn about the exciting results revealed through multi-spectral imaging, how you too can start researching a mysterious object, and what the link is between Voynich and the Avengers!TranscriptsFor rough transcripts of this episode go to https://www.archpodnet.com/teabreak/41LinksLisa’s blog post on multi-spectral

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00:35:08

The Voynich Manuscript with Dr Lisa Fagin Davis (part...

Tea-Break Archaeology ·

2025/11/04

This episode, Matilda dives into the world of medieval manuscripts, accompanied by an expert in manuscript studies and palaeography: Dr Lisa Fagin Davis. Together, they discuss one of the most studied and yet most mysterious of medieval objects - the Voynich Manuscript. So much intrigue surrounds this extremely well-travelled manuscript, but what do we actually know about it? How does one study it? And why aren’t we allowed to wear gloves? Tune in to find out!TranscriptsFor rough transcripts of this

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00:26:19

Pasts and Crafts: Book binding with Alexandra Sebire...

Tea-Break Archaeology ·

2025/10/21

It’s part two of Matilda’s tea-break with Alexandra Sebire as the two chat about the traditional craft of book binding. In this episode, we dive a little deeper into the history and development of book binding, and Alexandra shares more about the different projects she’s working in, and why you don’t always have to take the traditional path.TranscriptsFor rough transcripts of this episode go to https://www.archpodnet.com/teabreak/39LinksSolemniko website“To be adorned” crochet websiteList of

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00:27:12

Pasts and Crafts: Book binding with Alexandra Sebire...

Tea-Break Archaeology ·

2025/10/07

In today’s tea-break, Matilda wants to learn more about books, and takes a closer look at the development of notebooks and the traditional craft of book binding. Joining her on her tea-break is Alexandra Sebire, founder of Solemniko stationary. Together they discuss the tools and know-how required for book binding, as well as the trials of running a small business, and how even the smallest act of help can make a difference in the world.TranscriptsFor rough transcripts of this episode go to

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00:32:51

The Archaeology of Notebooks - Ep 37

Tea-Break Archaeology ·

2025/09/23

I hope that you have a writing utensil handy, because you’ll want to make some notes for this one! In this episode, Matilda takes a dive into the origins and archaeology of the simple notebook. But what actually is a notebook? What materials have they been made from throughout history? And did an ancient Egyptian king really predict AI? Listen in to find out!TranscriptsFor rough transcripts of this episode go to https://www.archpodnet.com/teabreak/37LinksThe Archaeologist’s Teacup blog post on

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00:31:45

Put the kettle on because we're back! - Ep 36

Tea-Break Archaeology ·

2025/09/09

The kettle is boiled, the tea is stewing, and we’re ready to go! That’s right, Dr Matilda Siebrecht is back to join you onTranscript your tea-break, this time with a slightly new focus and a different name: Tea-break Archaeology. Listen in to hear all about Matilda’s research background, why she got into podcasting, and how she’s been inspired by “cosy archaeology”.TranscriptsFor rough transcripts of this episode go to https://www.archpodnet.com/teabreak/36LinksBlog: Mugs, Makes, and MicrowearAPN

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47:25

Let's take a break - Ep 35

Tea-Break Archaeology ·

2024/12/10

This episode is a little different to usual, as Matilda discusses her background in archaeology and how she got to where she is today, as well as her inspiration for starting the podcast and how her experience has been for the last two years. Most importantly, she ends with the announcement that due to personal and professional priorities, Tea-break Time Travel will be taking a break, to launch with a fresh season-centered format in September 2025.Transcripts For rough transcripts of this episode

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57:32

It's all fun and games - Ep 34

Tea-Break Archaeology ·

2024/11/26

The board is set as Matilda chats with Dr Alice Blackwell from National Museums Scotland all about the beautiful and iconic Lewis chess pieces. They’re one of the most recognisable objects at the museum, but how much do we actually know about them? Who made them and played with them? How similar was medieval chess to our modern version? And what does a modern whiskey distillery have to do with early medieval research? Listen in to find out - check mate!Transcripts For rough transcripts of this

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27:50

How to date an archaeologist: Stratigraphy - Ep 33

Tea-Break Archaeology ·

2024/11/12

It’s time for the last in our series on dating methods for Tea-break Time Travel Training, and this time Matilda discusses the most common for of relative dating - stratigraphy. But what exactly is stratigraphy? Why are there so many rules and principles to something that seems extremely self-explanatory? And what does any of this have to do with dusty shelves? Listen it to find out!Transcripts For a transcript of this episode go to https://www.archpodnet.com/teabreak/33Links Science Direct

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57:34

My name is Oss, you bent my sword, prepare to die! -...

Tea-Break Archaeology ·

2024/10/22

This month we’re getting elite as Matilda chats all about chieftain burials with archaeologist, curator, editor, and model Dr Sasja van der Vaart-Verschoof (also known on her online platforms as The Overdressed Archaeologist). Well, they’re talking about one chieftain burial in particular - that found in Oss in the Netherlands - and they’re especially talking about why the burial included a large and beautifully made iron sword bent into a ring. Why did people break or bend swords before burying

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26:50

How to date an archaeologist: Thermoluminescence...

Tea-Break Archaeology ·

2024/10/08

In this month’s Tea-break Time Travel Training, Matilda is looking at yet another scientific dating technique used in archaeology: Thermoluminescence Dating! What is thermoluminescence? How you can use it to date ancient pottery? How does it compare to previous dating methods covered on the podcast? And are dreams made of atoms? Listen in to find out!Transcripts For rough transcripts of this episode go to https://www.archpodnet.com/teabreak/31Links Chapter on luminescence dating Original article

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48:35

The Road to Olmec - Ep 30

Tea-Break Archaeology ·

2024/09/24

Matilda is joined this week by Raven Todd DaSilva (who you might recognise as the face behind the very popular “Dig It With Raven” YouTube channel), to talk about the colossal stone heads of the Olmec Culture. Why were these huge heads made? What do they have to do with rubber? And why hasn’t Raven posted a video on her channel for a year? Find out the answers to these questions and more by tuning in today!Transcripts For rough transcripts of this episode go to

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23:01

How to date an archaeologist: Dendrochronology - Ep 29

Tea-Break Archaeology ·

2024/09/10

It's time for the next installment of Tea-break Time Travel Training and this month we're showing the trees some love and looking into the details of dendrochronology! It seems like a simple concept but how much do you really know about tree rings? How do they form? How can we use them to date a site that's thousands of years old? And what does all this have to do with solar flares? Tune in to find out these answers and more!Transcripts For rough transcripts of this episode go to

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61:59

A bundle of Viking Age text-speak - Ep 28

Tea-Break Archaeology ·

2024/08/27

What’s the link between two dirt balls, a bundle of five silver arm-rings, and a golden bird pin? They were all found in the Galloway Hoard! This month, Matilda is joined by Dr Adrián Maldonado, a medieval archaeologist who is currently researching this unique and fascinating find. Tune in to find out the difference between medieval history and medieval archaeology, why people buried things in the ground in the past, and what any of this has to do with the coffins of saints.Transcripts For rough

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31:02

How to date an archaeologist: Radiocarbon dating - Ep 27

Tea-Break Archaeology ·

2024/08/13

It’s time for the first episode of our Tea-break Time Travel training series, where we cover all of those essential theoretical and methodological backgrounds that every time traveller needs to have under their belt. This month, we’re kicking things off with one of the most popular archaeological dating methods: radiocarbon dating. But what exactly is radiocarbon dating? How do you do it? And why does it matter if people in the past left a lot of fish-bones behind? Tune in to find out!Transcripts

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