The Archaeologist's Notebook

Why Do These Egyptian Mummies Have Gold Tongues?

Fri, 07 Aug 2026 16:00:00 GMT

Why were ancient mummies buried with golden foil tongues inside their mouths? What hidden Iron Age secrets lie trapped inside a fused 2,000-year-old block of soil and copper? And how did a metal detectorist in Norway stumble upon the largest Viking silver hoard discovered in over a century?

In today’s video, Giselle digs deep into three remarkable archaeological breakthroughs that are reshaping our understanding of the ancient world. Join Giselle and historian Tristan Hughes (host of ‘The Ancients’ podcast) to discuss “one of the most amazing discoveries in Britain”!

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Source Materials:

Alamy

Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities

Anne Engesveen, Innlandet County Council

Innlandet County Council

May-Tove Smiseth, Innlandet County Council

1,700-year-old sock by Manchester Museum (https://multilingualmuseum.manchester.ac.uk/object/1700-year-old-sock/)

License: CC 4.0 International Attribution https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

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These artefacts changed everything we knew about ancient doctors

Tue, 04 Aug 2026 16:00:00 GMT

What are the greatest archaeological discoveries in medicine? In today's episode, Giselle breaks down how archaeologists have made groundbreaking discoveries in revealing how doctors practiced surgery thousands of years ago. From a 2,000-year-old skeleton unearthed in Hungary with a complete set of Roman surgical tools to a perfectly preserved doctor's toolkit found in the ruins of Pompeii, these remains offer an incredible look into how medicine was practiced in the ancient world.What are the greatest archaeological discoveries in medicine? In today's episode, Giselle breaks down how archaeologists have made groundbreaking discoveries in revealing how doctors practiced surgery thousands of years ago. From a 2,000-year-old skeleton unearthed in Hungary with a complete set of Roman surgical tools to a perfectly preserved doctor's toolkit found in the ruins of Pompeii, these remains offer an incredible look into how medicine was practiced in the ancient world.

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Why Was This Mummy Buried With Homer's Iliad?

Fri, 31 Jul 2026 16:00:00 GMT

Was the mystery of the Neolithic population collapse caused by an ancient plague long before the Black Death? Join archaeologist Giselle as we explore three revolutionary archaeological discoveries that are changing our understanding of ancient burials, Greco-Egyptian mummification, and prehistoric epidemics.

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Source Materials:

Images & Videos Courtesy of Alamy

Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities

Eygpt Exploration Society / Faculty of Classics

University of Oxford & Oxford Cotswold Archaeology

Seersholm, F.V., Sjögren, KG., Koelman, J. et al. Repeated plague infections across six generations of Neolithic Farmers. Nature 632, 114–121 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-024-07651-2

UB_IPOA / Professor Ignasi-Xavier Adiego

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Archaeologist Recreates 800-Year-Old Medieval Child's Drawings

Tue, 28 Jul 2026 16:26:23 GMT

In 1951, archaeologists in Russia made a startling discovery in Novgorod: over 1,200 incredibly preserved birch bark letters dating back to the 12th century. Among these 800-year-old artefacts are the charming drawings and schoolwork of a six-year-old boy named Onfim. These rare texts changed what we know about medieval literacy, revealing that everyday people—and children—were reading and writing long before paper became common. Join Giselle as she investigates these rare remains and attempts to recreate an 800-year-old birch bark drawing herself!

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The Bizarre Victorian Craze For Mummy Unwrapping Parties

Fri, 24 Jul 2026 16:00:00 GMT

Why did Europeans spend centuries eating ancient Egyptian mummies? Today, Giselle delves into the dark history of Europe’s obsession with Ancient Egypt, from medieval apothecary remedies to the high-society mummy unwrapping parties of Victorian London.

Learn the true story behind the discovery of King Tutankhamun’s tomb by Howard Carter, how Harry Burton’s iconic photography shaped modern Egyptology, and how the legend of the Pharaoh's Curse forced archaeologists to abandon tomb raiding in favour of modern scientific preservation.

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Archaeologist answers the Internet's most popular questions

Tue, 21 Jul 2026 16:00:00 GMT

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These are the real archaeological sites from Homer’s Odyssey

Fri, 17 Jul 2026 16:00:00 GMT

Did Odysseus actually exist, or was Homer’s epic a work of fiction? Following the release of Christopher Nolan's blockbuster adaptation of 'The Odyssey', Giselle traces the real-world journey of Greece's most famous legendary hero. From the ruins of Troy's nine stacked cities to the mapping of a tsunami-destroyed port in Corfu, Giselle investigates the physical evidence behind the legend.

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I'm an archaeologist and these are 5 of my favourite finds

Tue, 14 Jul 2026 16:00:00 GMT

It's the question every archaeologist gets asked all the time: "What's the best thing you've ever found?" Today, Giselle reveals some of her favourite archaeological discoveries that she's gotten to keep at home. From a neolithic hand axe to 10,000 year old hazelnuts, take a look at Giselle's fascinating treasure trove of finds!

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This Accidental Discovery Rewrote 3,000 Years Of History

Fri, 10 Jul 2026 16:00:00 GMT

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Archaeologist Explains The Oldest Weapons In The World

Tue, 07 Jul 2026 16:00:00 GMT

What are the oldest weapons in the world? Who used them? And when and how were they discovered? Giselle dives into the intriguing mystery of the oldest weapons ever discovered!

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How did this 250-year-old shipwreck end up under Ground Zero?

Fri, 03 Jul 2026 16:00:00 GMT

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The ancient (and gruesome) origins of football

Tue, 30 Jun 2026 16:00:00 GMT

With the World Cup now in full swing, have you ever wondered: how old is soccer, and how did it evolve into the modern game? We have the answers! Giselle reveals the sport's violent ancestors and lawless origins, from Roman military exercises 2500 years ago to Mayan games involving human sacrifice!

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This Gladiator Skeleton Is The First Of Its Kind In The World!

Fri, 26 Jun 2026 16:00:00 GMT

Today we look at an archaeological dig site in York that uncovered an impressive 82 skeletons, proving to be a gladiator graveyard! After 20 years, a team of scientists have confirmed that one of these skeletons in particular, was bitten by a lion. Join Giselle as she explores the only archaeological evidence of this kind of thing, anywhere in the world!

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What Did Pompeii Smell Like?

Fri, 26 Jun 2026 16:00:00 GMT

What did Pompeii actually smell like? How old is the written word? And have we found a piece of the Parthenon? Join archaeologist Giselle Király as she uncovers three major leads in the world of archaeology!

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