Ancient Civilisations
NOISER
The ancient world was full of wonders.
Engineering marvels like the Great Wall of China and Stonehenge. Remarkable peoples like the Aztecs, the Romans and the Mongols. Infamous leaders such as Cleopatra, Julius Caesar and Herod the Great. Inventors, explorers, builders, pioneers and philosophers who shaped the world we live in today.
Welcome to Ancient Civilisations - the podcast that takes you back in time to discover the ancient world, one story at a time.
A Noiser production, narrated by Paul McGann and John Hopkins.
As featured on Short History Of... and Real Dictators.
Noiser+ members get ad-free listening, exclusive content, and early access to new episodes across the Noiser podcast network. Click the subscription banner at the top of the feed to get started. Or go to noiser.com/subscriptions.
No part of this podcast may be used or reproduced in any manner for the purpose of training artificial intelligence technologies or systems. In accordance with Article 4(3) of the DSM Directive 2019/790, Noiser Ltd expressly reserves this work from the text and data mining exception.
Engineering marvels like the Great Wall of China and Stonehenge. Remarkable peoples like the Aztecs, the Romans and the Mongols. Infamous leaders such as Cleopatra, Julius Caesar and Herod the Great. Inventors, explorers, builders, pioneers and philosophers who shaped the world we live in today.
Welcome to Ancient Civilisations - the podcast that takes you back in time to discover the ancient world, one story at a time.
A Noiser production, narrated by Paul McGann and John Hopkins.
As featured on Short History Of... and Real Dictators.
Noiser+ members get ad-free listening, exclusive content, and early access to new episodes across the Noiser podcast network. Click the subscription banner at the top of the feed to get started. Or go to noiser.com/subscriptions.
No part of this podcast may be used or reproduced in any manner for the purpose of training artificial intelligence technologies or systems. In accordance with Article 4(3) of the DSM Directive 2019/790, Noiser Ltd expressly reserves this work from the text and data mining exception.
Episodes
Mentioned books
15 snips
Mar 27, 2026 • 58min
The First Emperor of China
John Man, historian and travel writer known for his work on China, brings sharp commentary on Qin Shi Huang and the Terracotta Army. He walks through the emperor's violent rise from Warring States chaos. Massive projects, standardizing a nation, an obsession with immortality, and the secrets of the tomb and its terracotta warriors are explored in vivid detail.
Mar 24, 2026 • 54min
Introducing: Real Vikings - Episode 1
This is a preview of a brand-new show from the Noiser podcast network. Hosted by Iain Glen (Game of Thrones, Silo), Real Vikings takes you on a deep dive into the Viking age.
You’ll board longboats bound for new lands, follow mighty warlords, meet master navigators, and uncover the real figures behind the legends of the sagas.
But we begin on a quiet beach in the south of England, where a cold-blooded murder on the shingle sends shockwaves reverberating throughout Europe…
For more episodes, search ‘Real Vikings’ in your podcast app and hit follow. You can listen to Episode 2 straight after this. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
17 snips
Mar 20, 2026 • 56min
The Egyptian Sphinx
Salima Ikram, Egyptology professor at the American University in Cairo, guides listeners through the Sphinx’s scale, symbolism, and debated origins. She explores its carving from living rock, changing roles as guardian and royal emblem, centuries of sand burial and restoration, and modern conservation challenges. Short, vivid, and full of mystery.
10 snips
Mar 13, 2026 • 56min
Chichen Itza
Annabeth Headrick, Director of the School of Art and Art History at the University of Denver and specialist in ancient American cultures, guides the story. She explores Chichen Itza’s shifting cultural identity and multicultural power structures. She discusses cenotes, monumental architecture like El Castillo and the Caracol, market life, warfare and maritime raiding, and the mysteries behind its decline and restoration.
Mar 6, 2026 • 54min
The Trojan War
Armand D’Angour, classical scholar at Oxford and presenter of It’s All Greek (And Latin) To Me, offers expert insight into Homeric context and ancient Greek history. He discusses Homeric composition and the Epic Cycle. He explores archaeology versus myth, Schliemann’s dramatic digs and the Priam treasure controversy. He examines Hittite links to Wilusa and the archaeological layers of Troy.
Feb 27, 2026 • 57min
Constantinople
Geoffrey Greatrex, Professor of Classics at the University of Ottawa and Byzantine scholar. He traces Constantinople’s rise from Greek colony to imperial capital. Short scenes cover city-building, Theodosian walls, Hagia Sophia, Justinian’s ambitions, the Fourth Crusade’s sack, Mehmed II’s siege innovations, the 1453 fall and Ottoman transformation into Istanbul.
Feb 20, 2026 • 55min
The Ancient Olympics
Dr Nigel Spivey, a Cambridge classics lecturer, provides scholarly context on the Ancient Olympics. He explores Olympia’s religious roots and founding myths. He narrates brutal contests like pancration and chariot racing. He outlines training, rituals, politics, and how the Games rose, evolved under Rome, and eventually vanished for centuries.
Feb 13, 2026 • 51min
Polynesian Exploration
Dr Christina Thompson, editor and author specializing in Polynesian history, discusses Lapita pottery origins, epic long-distance voyaging, and traditional navigation using stars, swells, and oral maps. Short, vivid stories cover settlement of far-flung islands, contact with the Americas, and revival of ancient wayfinding techniques.
Feb 6, 2026 • 52min
The River Nile
Snaking across 4,000 miles and 11 African countries, the River Nile is perhaps the most famous river on planet earth. The 80 billion gallons of water that flow through its banks each day give life to countless animals and ecosystems - from crocodiles and hippos, to rare species of fish, plants, and people. But who has tried to harness the power of this river, and why have so many failed? What cultures have grown from the Nile’s waters? And why are emperors, prophets, writers, Kings and Queens, drawn to its famous banks?
This is a Short History Of the River Nile.
Written by Paul Kerensa. With thanks to Robert Twigger, author of Red Nile: A Biography of the World’s Greatest River.
For ad-free listening, exclusive content, and early access to new episodes across the Noiser network, join Noiser+. Now available for Apple and Android users. Click the subscription banner at the top of the feed to get started. Or go to noiser.com/subscriptions. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
8 snips
Jan 23, 2026 • 51min
Petra
Jodi Magness, an esteemed archaeologist and professor at the University of North Carolina, shares her insights on the ancient city of Petra. She dives into the fascinating story of the Nabataeans, who transformed a desert settlement into a thriving trade hub. Jodi discusses Petra's ingenious water management systems and its unique rock-carved architecture. The conversation reveals how historical events like earthquakes and the rise of Christianity contributed to Petra's decline. Magness also emphasizes lessons from Nabataean sustainability that are relevant today.
