In the Cretaceous Period (c.100 million years ago) Egypt and North Africa were radically different environments. With vast tidal flats and mangroves, and a shallow sea, the continent fostered numer...
The New Kingdom "Book of Gates" explores Ra's journey through the Duat (Underworld). Passing the western horizon at sunset, Ra sails through the land of the dead. His journey is beset by dangerous ...
The winter 2025/26 excavation season is underway, and lots of news is coming forth already. Let's explore the major finds! Chapters: The GEM is open 00:30. Scans at Menkaura's pyramid: 04:12. D...
A quick message to say thanks for listening in 2025, and what's coming up on the podcast... Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
I recently did an interview with the Science Factory YouTube channel. This is a short preview of the conversation. Find the full video at the Science Factory on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watc...
Howdy folks, it's time for another Livestream lecture! This time, I want to take you on a tour of Abu Simbel. To explain the design, decoration, and history of the monument. Along the way, we'll in...
Divine intermediaries. Ramesses II commissioned many statues, some of which are among the largest ever quarried. From the halls of the Grand Egyptian Museum, to the bedrock of Aswan, we follow the ...
Egyptian-Hittite Diplomacy. In the aftermath of the Treaty, Ramesses II and Hattusili III got down to business establishing their brotherhood. From prospective summits in Canaan, to fabulous gift-e...
In November of 2026, I’d like to take you on a tour I’m calling “Roaming with Ramesses.” Themed around the 19th Dynasty, and the days of the Ramessid pharaohs, we’ll explore multiple sites across n...
The ultimate pharaoh makes the ultimate agreement. In this interview, Prof. Peter Brand offers us his insights on the cultures of Egypt and Hatti around the time of the Year 21 Treaty. From the bac...
The Egyptian-Hittite Treaty. In regnal year 21 (c.1272 BCE), Ramesses II announced a treaty with Hattusili III. The two kings united in "peace and brotherhood, forever," and agreed to a raft of pro...
The later wars of Ramesses II (Years 8 to 15). Following Kadesh, Ramesses led or despatched further campaigns into Canaan and Syria. These battles are documented on his temple walls, preserving som...
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 sp...
Holy mountain. Around 1286 BCE, builders started work at Abu Simbel. Sacred to a local form of Horus, this sandstone mountain would become one of the most famous monuments in the Nile Valley. It wa...
Daily Life in Ramessid Egypt (Part 1). Starting around 1300 BCE, the (surviving) corpus of written documents from Egypt begins to increase dramatically. It's not clear why, but papyrus and ostraca ...
Our final part of the Kadesh story is Ramesses' art. Wall carvings, on major temples, present the pharaohs' summary of Kadesh and the conflict. They include many fun details, including enemy combat...
My guest today is Dr. Colleen Darnell, who will speak to us about New Kingdom literature (featuring rulers like Ramesses, Thutmose III, Seqenenra, and more). It’s a fun discussion, ranging from the...
Heavy Metal Hittites. This is a preview of my "rock musical" version of Kadesh. Full version available at patreon.com/c/egyptpodcast. Song produced by Hermanubis (aka Luke Chaos https://chaosmusi...
The war of the words. Following his strategic defeat at Kadesh, Ramesses set about putting his version of the story into wide circulation. Today, art and texts of this conflict survive at the templ...
Why is the Battle of Kadesh so famous, compared to other ancient conflicts? What can we take away from Ramesses' account in terms of "truth" vs "rhetoric." And what did it all up to, really? Prof. ...
