Archeology podcasts

Benjamin Thompson and Shamini Bundell discuss two scientific stories from the Nature Briefing. The first concerns a technique for detecting lead that may help researchers read damaged Roman scrolls from Herculaneum without unrolling the fragile, charred material. The second examines a biodegradable, paper-inspired edible battery and its potential use in medical devices inside the body. The publisher’s episode page and official podcast feed both identify this 25 September 2026 episode; the discussion lasts 11 minutes 32 seconds.

Nature staff discuss geophysical evidence that could indicate hidden chambers beyond Tutankhamun's tomb and what the findings might imply for the search for Nefertiti's burial place. The episode also examines a multifunctional brain-computer interface that translates neural activity into both speech and gestures, highlighting how one implant can support several forms of communication.

Meagan Cantwell and Andrew Lawler discuss archaeological evidence for psychoactive substances in pre-Inca Andean cultures, including how improved residue analysis informs interpretations of ancient rituals. Sarah Crespi then speaks with Noam Angrist about implementation science in education: moving from controlled studies to interventions that governments can deliver at scale in lower- and middle-income countries. The publisher provides the full episode, transcript and external audio.

Hosted by Sarah Crespi

Nature editors discuss nearly 400 structures that reveal the scale of the Aquiry civilization and tiny fossils of an early squid ancestor.

Nature staff discuss evidence that young tyrannosaurs hunted from birth, the weapons used by ancient Egyptian princesses and London’s emerging role in artificial-intelligence safety.

Nature staff discuss the discovery of a four-carbon sugar molecule in interstellar space and a newly decoded formula that identifies a Maya mathematician.

Emma Pewsey and Phillip Broadwith discuss formulations intended to make butyllithium reagents easier to handle while retaining synthetic performance. A second story examines how analysis of limescale in Pompeii’s public baths can reveal aspects of water use and life in the ancient city.

Hosted by Mariana Kneppers