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Ancient Egypt podcast episodes

Ancient Egypt: the big questions | A HistoryExtra podcast series

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Ancient Egypt: The Big QuestionsFrom the secrets of the pyramids to the mysteries of mummification.

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Ancient Egypt

Mural from the Tombs of the Nobles.

QuizHow much do you know about Ancient Egypt?

A photo of a group of pyramids against a clear blue sky.

General ancient history

Wanderlust: Bettany Hughes on the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World

This bust represents Hannibal, the famed general who led Carthaginian forces against Rome during the Second Punic War. As a descendant of Phoenician settlers, Hannibal embodied the military might and maritime legacy of Carthage.

General ancient history

The overshadowed ancient empire that rivalled Rome with maritime might and an iron fist

A representation of the ancient Mesopotamian demon Pazuzu, in front of a carving. (Photo by Getty/Alamy)

General ancient history

Behold his nightmarish nether regions: this ancient Mesopotamian demon was secretly a divine hero

The dark side of ancient Egypt

“Impaled on a stake and left to die”: crime, punishment and law enforcement in ancient Egypt.

A montage of moments and faces from history.

General History

What are the best history podcasts? These picks are the perfect way step into the past

Cleopatra, Julius Caesar and Mark Antony: how the last pharaoh's love affairs shaped Ancient Egypt's fate

Cupids on a galley in the Nile, as depicted in a second-century AD mosaic (Photo by Bildarchiv Steffens/Bridgeman Images)

Roman holiday: when emperor Hadrian became a tourist of ancient Egypt.

This bas-relief fragment from the Ptolemaic period portrays Cleopatra VII, the last active ruler of ancient Egypt. As both a Greek-speaking monarch and a pharaoh, Cleopatra embodied the cultural fusion of Hellenistic Egypt

General ancient history

On the steps of a sacred temple, Cleopatra's feud with her sister came to a blood-soaked end

Statue of ancient Egyptian pharaoh Akhenaten

Akhenaten, the 'heretic' pharaoh who brought a new religion to ancient Egypt

The head and upper body of a monumental statue of Egyptian pharaoh Ramesses II, which has been exhibited at the British Museum, London, since the 19th century (Photo by World History Archive/Alamy Stock Photo)

Was Ramesses II the greatest pharaoh of ancient Egypt?.

Paint your own pot, like an ancient Etruscan.

Statue of Ramesses II, at Luxor Temple. He ruled Egypt for 66 years, and left more statues than any other pharaoh (Photo by Michelle McMahon / Getty Images)

5 of the most powerful pharaohs to rule ancient Egypt

This stone relief from the palace of Ashurbanipal at Nineveh (668–627 BC) shows the Assyrian king leading a lion hunt — a dramatic display of dominance that reinforced royal authority in the Late Assyrian Empire.

General ancient history

Would you kidnap a god? This ancient Mesopotamian empire did – and for a genius reason

General ancient history

Ancient history podcast episodes

Theban mural showing people plucking geese. (Photo by DEA / G Dagli Orti/De Agostini/Getty Images)

Life in Ancient Egypt: what was it like?

A large marble statue of a woman, with many bulbous growths all over her front

General ancient history

This ancient goddess commanded a Wonder of the World – but why did she have thirty breasts?

Statue of Mesopotamian king Ashurbanipal

General ancient history

He tried to conquer knowledge itself – instead this ancient Mesopotamian king resorted to rule with terror

Ramesses I

TimelineThe age of the pharaohs

Beyond the podcast: Jane Austen

Second World War

Beyond the podcast: Nuremberg

This 4th-century AD mosaic from Terranova near Tuscolo depicts gladiators locked in combat, capturing the drama and choreography of the arena in late Roman Italy. Even as public spectacles waned in some parts of the empire, scenes like this show how gladiatorial fighting remained a potent form of popular entertainment.

Female gladiators shocked the ancient Roman world — but not for the reason you think

A copy of a wall painting shows Sety I (r1294-1279 BC) opening the door for Osiris, lord of the dead

Egyptian pharaohs: your essential guide to Egypt’s ancient rulers

This 2nd-century AD mosaic from La Chebba, part of a larger scene showing the Triumph of Neptune, includes a boy gathering fruit — a small detail that reflects broader Roman ideas about health and diet. Fresh fruit played an important role in Roman nutrition, valued for its balance, seasonality, and association with natural well-being.

If ancient Romans didn't understand calories, how was their theory of nutrition so accurate?

This striking wall painting, known as The Blue Ladies, comes from the Minoan palace at Knossos on Crete. Dating to around 1600 BC, the fresco reflects the sophistication of Minoan art and offers rare insight into fashion and ceremonial life in the Bronze Age Aegean.

Three thousand years ago, the ancient Greeks turned an even older civilisation into a monster