Andy: Hello everyone, I'm Andy and Mark: And I'm Mark. Andy: this is Strange Stuff Podcast. Mark: Why are you wearing a Stars and Stripes t-shirt? Andy: It's not actually a Stars and Stripes t-shirt. Maybe I'm supporting Mark: What yous got? Andy: our American friends. Mark: where it's got stars and stripes on it and what looks like a load of holes. Andy: Yes, it's been very cat friendly. Mark: My god. You're like a bloody bag man. Andy: Homeless. Mark: Exactly. God's sake. Andy: is quite fitting. Mark: Why, you're just about to become homeless, are you? Andy: No, I'm talking about today's episode. Mark: I see. All right. well, that sounds like a bundle of laughs. Andy: Anyway, seriously, sort out your texting. Mark: by texting. Andy: I asked you what time you want to start. Mark: 8.30. Andy: No, re-read your text. Mark: God's sake, how complicated can it be? Andy: So that's why I said, what do you want to start now? And then you said, well, I can't start earlier than 8.10. Mark: I said 7.30. Andy: Yes, exactly. fucking Mark: Well it had already gone 7.30. Andy: I understand that but I was just waiting for my phone to start ringing with an irate, where the hell are you? I've been in here for three minutes. Mark: I've got to send a quick message to my daughter since you've caught me so early. Andy: I mean, make sure you get the time right. Mark: I'll tell you, yes, podcasting until pod cast ing. Do you remember when we used to, what used to really annoy us? I don't know why. No, Andy: when Ilvi used the phone every time we started recording. Mark: no, I was thinking of we have a mutual friend who's really slow on the keyboard and you just want to rip the keyboard out of his hands and stuff. I'm Andy: Hehehehehe Mark: like that pod cast ing. Andy: Yeah. P O Mark: Exactly. What should we say? 9.30. Let's give you a bit of time. Andy: I don't need that long. Mark: No, you're right. No, hang on. That is an hour and a half, isn't it? An hour and 18 minutes. All right, here we go. So yes, what's going on? I've just come back. It was raining all day yesterday when I was driving. Andy: raining today. Mark: Yes, I went to a town called through sir. Andy: I know Trusza. I've got a friend with a summer house in Trusza. Mark: It's sort of a pretty place. I was going to say, why on earth would you Andy: We used to call it panty land. Mark: have a town called Pants? Andy: Well, I used to call it Pantyland and then everybody else started calling it Pantyland. Mark: But there's no open... I couldn't see any sort of open expanse of beachfront area. It was basically an enormous marina. Yeah, Andy: No, was basically woods. Mark: and a marina. Andy: I mean, we went there and I was so underwhelmed at sleeping in a log cabin with no electricity and no bog. And this was their idea of a holiday. It's like, for fuck's sake, what is wrong with these people? Mark: I don't do that. If you can't have a proper crapper. Andy: I mean you know what Mark: No. Andy: what do do in a log cabin with nothing in it? It's just a recipe for incest. Mark: For god's sake. Andy: Well it is isn't it, there's nothing else to do! Mark: You know, I wouldn't mind being without electricity that wouldn't bother me but not having running water that I would really struggle with actually. I mean, I don't think people know what they do in Sweden with these uta-doss. I don't think I've ever been in another country where they have things like an uta-doss. I mean, have Andy: Live day. Mark: you ever been to a country where they have a little wooden hut? I mean, if you look at the old western movies from the 1700s... Andy: No we used to we used to call that a toilet. Mark: What, you grow up? Where you grow up? Andy: Yes, we had a little wooden hut that we used to go outside to and use as a toilet. It was a toilet. Mark: No you didn't. Andy: We had an outhouse when I was growing up. Yeah, we did. Mark: But that was connected to the mains. Andy: Yeah, but it was still outside the house. Mark: Yeah, but this is just a basically very graphic Andy: Yeah, I know. Mark: to a plastic bag. A dustbin bag that needs to be emptied occasionally. Andy: I think we should go back to the good old days when we used to throw it out the window in the morning. It wouldn't make Mark: Hehehehehe Andy: a lot of difference in London now, honestly. The amount of shit in the streets and the water. Might as well just go back to those days. Mark: you're right. Yes, even the stuff that comes out of the taps has probably got a few grains of poo floating around in it. Andy: yeah Mark: That's horror. Andy: I'm looking in the papers there's not much going on except of course Infantino is no way going to resign. Mark: No, I may have made some mistakes, but I am not going or something along those lines. Andy: Yeah, I'm certainly not giving up this gravy train. I will find a way to sell it off eventually, whether you like it or not. Mark: Yeah, Yes, there's all. Andy: It's disgraceful really. I he shouldn't be in a position to make that decision. It should be made for him. Simple as that. Mark: Yeah, but I mean obviously they can push for a vote. Someone can push for a vote. I'm sure you only need ten members or something of the board to say, we want to vote. Andy: Well, I think while he's in charge, FIFA and UEFA and all the other governing bodies should still refuse to take part in any FIFA competitions. But they won't because they're all weak. Mark: I mean, honestly, I don't think that much about it, have to say. FIFA. Andy: You should because you know, next next thing is they'll be coming for you. Mark: I don't play football. Andy: No, it didn't bother me because I didn't play football. So I did nothing. Yes, remember. Mark: dear, who was it who said that? Quite famous quote. Andy: No one knows who actually said it. Mark: Yeah, well it wasn't you. That wasn't original thought on your part. I've heard that one many many times before. Andy: Not about football you haven't, I think I invented that. Mark: yes, about football, yes, you're right. But what's happening with Donny over in America? There's been a bit of new. Andy: there is one thing. You remember that Epstein ranch I told you about in New Mexico? That had Mark: Yes. Andy: been reported on but never even investigated? Apparently Mark: Yes. Andy: there's claims of buried bodies there now. Mark: Excellent. Andy: So it's at the centre of a new lawsuit. Mark: Isn't it amazing how... what is it with people in power or extreme wealth that have this predisposition, it seems, for wanting to have sex with very young children? Why are so many of these very powerful people paedophiles, basically? Andy: Possibly because of their wealth, they've basically tried everything else. I don't Mark: Could be. Andy: know. But it begs the question, are they eating babies as well? Because why not? If it seems that they go to the edges of depravity just because they're so wealthy, why not be eating babies? Mark: it was pretty close to the bone, you know, with this Todd Blanch. I can't actually work out whether he has been confirmed or he hasn't been confirmed. I thought they might have delayed the vote a couple of days. But there's one other Democrat, Senator, is it Senator? Anyway, whatever, representative sitting on the judiciary board who's making the decision. And he actually, on record, I might have been yesterday or the day before, literally saying that Todd Blanch had buried four official reports that had been submitted to the Department of Justice detailing Donald Trump having raped and abused a 13-year-old. Four separate reports, all buried. But he actually, he said that, Andy: Well, then he needs to go to prison as well. Mark: he didn't go around it, he said, Donald Trump has been accused of raping a 13 year old. Where is the documentation? Why haven't we seen it? Andy: then everybody involved needs to go to prison with Trump. Mark: Well. Andy: In general population just for one day, just one day Mark: Yeah. Andy: will do it. They'll all be dead. Mark: But as I understood it, were two holdouts, two holdout Republicans who wouldn't approve this fellow's nomination, who are not standing for re-election. So they didn't really have much to lose. If they lose the Republican whip or whatever they call it in America, not the end of the world as far as they're concerned, and they caved, they went with the party line. Andy: They all need fucking shooting. Mark: I can you imagine? I mean, as you say, how low do you need to go to agree to something like that? How depraved? Just to ignore what everybody knows is the truth? For what purpose? Just so you can toe the party line? Anyway. Andy: just so you can keep being invited to the fucking golden ballroom. Mark: Yes. Yeah. He's done something to the ballroom, hasn't he? Hasn't he moved the helipad? He built a helipad, didn't like where it was and they've had to move it, or something ridiculous, something completely stupid, or the grass wasn't flat enough for the helipad, or something. You know, they've all lost their minds. What are you doing? Andy: You don't have grass or a helipad? Mark: Yeah, at the White House. It's all being redone. Wasn't to his liking. Andy: Well, it's probably because one of his friends did it and they didn't really have any experience and they've done it wrong. And the Mark: of laying grass. Andy: helicopter is actually too heavy to land on the helipad because they made it out of balsa wood to save money. Mark: yes, of course, well there's this fight going on between that prosecutor woman and Trump, because they've dropped all charges of vandalism for the reflecting pool, and Trump insists that they're still guilty of heinous crimes and they need to be hung, drawn and quartered. And in fact it reminds me of something, and I'm going to test your memory here because I couldn't remember the case. Do you remember? many many years ago, twenty or thirty years ago, there was a case of a woman running through the park in New York who was dragged into the woods and raped repeatedly and there were five black guys or maybe six Andy: Yes, yes. Mark: what was that what was that case it's a famous case the New York Five or the New York Six Andy: No, wasn't the New York Five. I remember the case, but there's been so many of them and they all get named after the area that it happened. Mark: Well, I remember, they made a film about it, these guys, Andy: They were all innocent. Mark: they were all completely innocent, the police knew they were innocent because their alibis actually tied up but they didn't reveal Andy: Yep. Mark: that information in the court. And what I remember quite distinctly was after they had been found to have been wrongly convicted, Trump paid for a one-page advertisement as it were in the New York Times or whichever paper it was saying I know they're guilty. So even though the court had thrown out the case he insisted that they were guilty and he took out a page advertisement in one of the national newspapers just to air his views. Andy: Well, how is he not sued for that? Mark: That was in those days people didn't do that. Andy: America have always done that. Mark: Well, anyway, and it's exactly the same now. Andy: They would sue you for taking your kid to school at the wrong time. Mark: Well, it's exactly the same attitude. It's obvious they were innocent. It doesn't align with his thoughts and so forget whoever the prosecutor is. They're guilty. Hang them. Andy: Yeah, someone needs to hang him really fucking quick. Mark: not going to happen. Andy: No it won't because the whole country are cowards basically. The whole fucking country. If this was England, he would not be alive now. Mark: Do you reckon? Andy: Yes, absolutely, he would be dead. And we don't even have guns. Mark: I don't know Andy. Andy: No, I'm telling you, they would not put up with it in England. This kind of skull fuckery. Mark: We'll see. We'll see. mean, you know, Farage, he's not out of the picture yet. Andy: please, you'll never be prime minister. Anyway, let's go on to what happened in history on this day, because what's happening today is just way too depressing. Mark: What you've got something happy to report this happened on the... What date is it? Andy: Don't be ridiculous. Nothing happy ever happened. Mark: the sixth of August. Andy: 6th of August in 1846, Anna Haining Bates was born in Canada and she stood, not as a baby, at 7 feet 11 inches tall. That's one big woman. Mark: 7 feet 11 inches so that's obviously an inch shorter to 8 feet. She must have been pretty much the tallest person in the world. don't think the bloke is taller than that. Andy: It actually says one of the tallest women in the world. So I'm not going to say she's the tallest, but she happened to be born on this day. In 1890, the first ever execution by electric chair takes place. Well done, America. Mark: What were they thinking? Andy: managed to fry someone. Well they were fed up doing elephants for display purposes with the electricity so they thought I know let's use it on us. Mark: What are elephants got to do with anything? Andy: That's that was how they used to demonstrate the power of electricity to the public and in shows, they would bring an elephant on stage and electrocute it to death. Do you have no knowledge of the way that these fuckwits demonstrate their fucking genius? Mark: No, I would have heard of that story. It's so outrageous. Andy: It's absolutely true. Mark: What, so Edison, or whoever it was at the time, tell sir, tell whatever their name is. Andy: Edison in particular. Not Tesla, Tesla was a good guy, that's why he was gotten rid of. Edison, yes, Mark: They electrocuted elephants. Andy: amongst many other animals, just to entertain the public and show what power they wielded. Mark: I think they would have made a film about that Andy. Andy: Look, you know how many times you've fact checked me and then you've gone, my god, you're really right? Do you have Mark: Mm-ah. Andy: any idea? Anyway. Mark: Why? dear. Anyway, what are we talking about? What was the subject matter? Andy: We're talking about convicted murderer William Kemmler became the first person to die by electric chair. Mark: to be electrocuted. Andy: He was a dentist. No, in fact, in 1881, was a dentist for some. yeah, well, that's kind of makes sense. An 1881 dentist would enjoy torture. He first suggested electrocution as a means of execution more humane than hanging. I don't know what gave him that idea. Mark: I don't under... But surely the most humane way is just to shoot someone dead in s... Andy: Yeah, from behind without any warning. Mark: blow their brains out and then that's it, it's just too messy I suppose. Andy: Anyway, an electrician at Auburn prison in New York was tasked with designing the chair. The first shock failed to kill Kemmler, despite burning his clothes and charring his flesh. But you know, but the second charge of 1030 volts succeeded. Mark: God, how gruesome. Do you remember that film, The Green Mile, with Tom Hanks? Andy: Yep. Mark: That was pretty disturbing. Andy: That was Stephen King book, by the way. Mark: Was it? Alright, good. Andy: In 1928, on this day, Andy Warhol was born. Mark: All right, well that's a bright bit of brightness. Andy: It was until the... The whole pop art surrealist movement started off the back of him and then all of a sudden modern art became indecipherable from kindergarten fridge magnet art. Mark: Yeah, but not everybody had access to Campbell's soup cans. Andy: No, or indeed Marilyn Monroe. But yeah, he died in 1987 after gallbladder surgery. Mark: What, something as innocuous as gallbladder surgery? Andy: In 1987, yeah, because medical advances, you know, they're such experts. Mark: Sorry, 87, and when was he born? Andy: 28. Mark: It wasn't very old then. 61. Andy: Well, you know, yeah, sounds about right. Live fast, young. On this day in 1945, Big Boy was dropped on Hiroshima. Mark: Was it really? God, dear. Andy: It was from the aeroplane of course Enola Gay. Mark: Yeah. Andy: Killing more than 80,000 people, and it was actually little boy apparently, I got that wrong. And it destroyed five square miles of the entire city. Although World War II was over in Europe, Japan had refused to surrender. So Harry S Truman approved the use of the atomic bomb. in order to bring a quick end rather than risk an even higher casualty rate by invading Japan. Mark: I thought this bit was going to be uplifting. Andy: You know that this day in history doesn't have happy stories. Why would it? Mark: Well, Andy Warhol was mildly happy. At least it was the birth of a creative talent of sorts. Andy: Well, OK, this is quite uplifting. 2004, Sintoya Brown, a 16 year old victim of child sex trafficking, shot and killed 46 year old Johnny Allen, who she claimed offered her $50 to have sex with him. Mark: How do you select these stories? Or how are these stories selected? I mean, you know, it's a pretty terrible story, but why, of all the episodes in history on that day, it's pretty not trivial. Look, you can't attach the word trivial. Andy: Well, this particular one is a bit suspect because it says here, after meeting Alan in the parking lot of a Sonic drive-in, which in itself is suspicious. I don't care. It's just Mark: I don't even know what Sonic driving is. Sonic the Hedgehog. Andy: basically a drive-in. It might be a movie house. I don't know. She returned with him to his house. Now, there must be a reason for that. They'd obviously come to a financial arrangement. Although they never engaged in a sexual intercourse, she shot him in the back of his head, stole his money and two guns and fled in his truck. Sounds to me like she was just a robber and a murderer. Mark: Well don't need to go into the details but how old was she? Andy: 16 and he was in his 40s. No reason for her to go to his house for any other reason other than a business arrangement. Mark: Maybe she was friends with his daughter. Andy: and I'll take out a full page advert attesting to that. She was not a victim of child sex trafficking, was her fucking jumped up defence for cold blooded murder. Anyway, that was it. That's what happened today in history. Nothing else. Nothing else whatsoever. Anyway, on Monday we recorded... what have the Romans ever done for us? And was basically an archaeology episode. Mark: Yes. Andy: And I thought today we'd explore some of Mark: What do the Greeks, what do the Greeks ever do for us? Andy: the weirdest or strangest archaeological stories that I could find. Mark: bits of spaceship. talking of spaceship, there was some American senator who said that they had an absolutely enormous craft in storage somewhere. Actually, in a committee he admitted to this, this last week. Andy: Look, this, he wouldn't know. And I would imagine he's up for reelection. I don't know. This is all nonsense until someone actually shows us a picture or opens the door and lets everybody see for themselves. Because in this day and age where everybody's got cameras and we still don't have a picture, fuck off, honestly. I'm just not having it. Anyway, history's strangest and weirdest findings in Mark: I want something like Terminator, a piece of metal that no one has ever, no, type of metal that no one's ever heard of or seen of before. Have you got any Andy: Okay, Mark: of those? Andy: we'll see. When archaeologists studying a 5th century Swedish site found a human skeleton lying on the floor of a house, they wondered why nobody had bothered burying it. But then they found another. And another. All of them showed signs of having been executed with swords, axes and clubs. and then abandoned until the walls of the houses collapsed in on them. Now an archaeologist working on the dig told the New York Times that they found the remains of 26 people along with a half-eaten fish suggesting the attack was a surprise. But I can test that because I would say that every house in Sweden has a half-eaten fish in it somewhere. Mark: If it's got a cat in the house, it probably does. Where was this? You haven't given us the... Andy: Erm... Sweden. Mark: I know, Sweden's a reasonably big country. Andy: for fuck... I don't know! I wasn't there! Mark: You're not going to say it's in Moora, it, or something like that, but that witch is... Andy: It says here in Mora. Mark: So alright, so 26 people were violently killed in a house. Andy: Yes, and what they found inside, apart from half-eating fish, was coins and jewellery, but they found no indication of who the attackers were or what they were mad about, because it wasn't a robbery, clearly. And this weird archaeological discovery remains a chilling mystery. Mark: Well I've got the obvious answer. was the... no, it was the Andy: Family dispute. Mark: fish. It was the half-eaten fish. They ate half Andy: It was mad at being eaten. Mark: the fish and it was obviously poison. Andy: I thought you meant the fish got mad and clubbed and stabbed them all to death. Mark: No, no, it's like that joke what's worse than finding a worm in your apple. Andy: finding half a worm in your apple. Mark: Exactly. There you go, you see? I've solved it. Andy: Yeah, okay. Well done. Try this one. Yes, I told you it's... Mark: So that's the story. 26 bodies in house in Sweden and no explanation. Andy: I said it's about strange and weird archaeological discoveries. I didn't say we were going to solve the mysteries of the planet. Mark: Well, I think it's about time we did. After all this time, we should start solving a few mysteries, Andy: Well I did. I solved the Madeleine McCain case for you. Mark: Let's not regurgitate all of that. Next story please. Andy: A network of caves in Kenya called Pangaya Saidi holds human artifacts from the Middle Stone Age all the way through to modern times. Michael Petraglia, currently the director of the Australian Research Centre for Human Evaluation, told Haaretz, whoever they are, that with more than 1,000 square feet of space in its main chamber, the cave could have housed hundreds of people. And perhaps contributing to the longevity of the site's human habitation, the cave network's tropical forest location has enjoyed a relatively steady climate, while other parts of Africa have endured droughts. His team found large stone tools from the earliest inhabitants about 78,000 years ago. And more specialized arrowheads and blades started appearing around 67,000 years ago. It's one of the most significant and strange ancient finds uncovered in recent decades. Mark: It's not a very big cave. You know a thousand square feet is ten meters by ten meters. Andy: But it's pretty big for caves. Mark: 10 meters by 10 meters. Andy: for a cave that size to be occupied for like 10,000 Mark: thousands of years. Andy: years, that's pretty impressive. Mark: Maybe it was a party venue over the ages. Andy: It could have been one of the first cave parties. Mark: A rave in a cave. Andy: now, ancient Egypt. Mark: This is not another pyramid story, because I've had enough pyramid stories. Andy: Well, Hierachnopolis was one of the most significant towns along the Nile River 5000 years ago, which in fact was hundreds of years before the pyramids were even constructed. And its wealthy residents showed their status by keeping exotic pets. A cemetery excavation has turned up two elephants, several baboons and a hippo among other animals. But wasn't all kibble and petting. Skeletons of several of the baboons and the hippo showed signs of bone fractures that had healed. Researchers think that they got hurt during capture or while being tied in place. The bones would only have been able to heal while the animals were protected though, which is how we know that they were kept in captivity. And though it's not a happy story for the wild animals, Weird archaeology discoveries like this expand our knowledge of ancient animal domestication. And that must have been quite something 5,000 years ago to move elephants and hippopotamuses from one continent to another. Mark: Here's a question for you, a little bit deeper. we're talking, what grabbed my attention was you said five thousand years ago Andy: Hmm. Mark: the wealthy in a particular area used to keep exotic animals. Andy: Yes. Yes. Mark: At what stage in history do you think there developed a hierarchy in society where there were wealthy people and there were peasants working for those wealthy people. Andy: That's easy. Year one. Mark: Do you think? Andy: Yep as soon as someone realized they were stronger than everybody else they got them working for them. As simple as that. Mark: So you don't think there was a period in time where there was a community spirit? Andy: Nope. Never happened. We're not built like that. It's not in our nature. We've proved it time and time again. We cannot live in peace. Mark: So you think there were always wealthy people and proletariat or whatever the expression. Andy: As soon as they discovered valued goods or barter, then of course we had a two-tier system. Mark: When was the concept of money invented? The Romans used salt and things. Has that been around a long time? Andy: They also used coins, forget, Roman coins are quite common. Mark: Well maybe it was the Greeks that used Salters there. Andy: though the Romans used to pay their legionnaires in salt. Mark: Hmm. Andy: Because it was cheaper than coins of course and they needed salt to survive. About 34,000 years ago, hunter-gatherers buried several people, including two adolescent boys, at a site called Sungheir, east of present-day Moscow. And when the graves were excavated, researchers found that the boys, who died at roughly ages 10 and 12, and who both showed signs of disability were buried together with their heads adjacent. Now most intriguing included in the boy's graves were 10,000 mammoth ivory beads, more than 20 armbands, 300 pierced fox teeth, 16 ivory mammoth spears, carvings, antlers and human fibulae or leg bones laid across the chest of each child. In contrast, the adults in the graves had very few treasures. So the disabled children were buried like royalty for some reason. Mark: 38,000 years ago. Andy: Is that what I said? Mark: Yes. Andy: 34,000. Mark: Alright, 34,000 years ago. Andy: Yeah. Mark: So, sorry, when did they reckon that there were sort of small little civilisation gatherings of people? I thought that was... Andy: 13,000. Mark: Yeah, so where does the 34,000 come in? Andy: This is why it's weird and strange archaeology, because it's unexplainable. Mark: All those bra- bracelets, I mean a bracelet needed to be manufactured. Andy: Yeah, and pierced fox teeth, so many of them. Mark: Well they probably used them as necklaces and things, didn't they? Hang around your neck. Andy: earrings. So more than 90 % of modern humans descend from a small population of homo sapiens that left Africa about 60,000 years ago according to genetic evidence. Mark: Well, that's why I had this figure of 60,000 was the start of it, but, Andy: Yeah, but if you're talking about pottery and all the rest of it, it's about 13,000. Mark: Well clearly not. Andy: But according to genetic evidence, is. Now researchers think that that group might have been so successful because they had developed superior stone tools. Fine stone blades that could be used on the ends of spears rather than bulky hand axes. But a site in southern India where ancient human sites have not been well studied shows that people there had advanced tools more than 200 thousand years ago. Mark: Now you're stretching the bounds of believability. Andy: Whether that means that human ancestors left Africa in waves, or that different hominids came up with similar innovations separately is unknown, but the weird archaeological news is certainly intriguing. Mark: So, do you remember when the Anderthals were about? Andy: I wasn't there, so... no. Mark: No, because wasn't it the Neanderthals who basically discovered fire or harnessed fire? And that was what allowed them to cook meat, which meant that the jawbone didn't need to be as developed as in apes and such like, which allowed the brain to expand in size. that led to the creation of hermaphropions. When did all that happen? Andy: You know, I am an intelligent guy, but off the top of my head, asking questions like that when I'm not talking about that is just ambushing. Mark: Well when you say you're not talking about it, you've mentioned 34,000 years ago. You've, you've, you've... Andy: Yes, but I'm not talking about when in the Anderthals fucking developed a brain. Am I? Now, just like his dad before him, Utah rancher Mark: Yes. Andy: Waldo Wilcox. Thanks, mum and dad. Mark: Hang on a second, what are we talking about now? This is supposed to be archaeology. Andy: Yes, Waldo Mark: What's Waldo got to do with archaeology? Andy: Wilcox, thanks mum and dad for that name, and his entire family kept quiet about the ancient pit houses, prehistoric rock lines, paintings and stone tools that were all over their 4000 acre property called Range Creek. The hidden artefacts had been left by a mysterious tribe called the Fremont Indians that lived in the area a thousand years ago and they remained mostly undisturbed thanks to Wilcox's gates and road closed signs erected to deter hunters. When Wilcox decided he was too old to manage the ranch, he sold the property to the Bureau of Land Management and it's now being overseen by the Utah Museum of Natural History. have made all those things public knowledge. Mark: And what are these things? Andy: Well, I told you. Mark: What a treasure trove of Fremont Indian tools and cooking utensils, clothes. Andy: yes. Prehistoric Mark: Alright. Andy: rock lines, pit houses, paintings and stone tools. All over the property. Now you know about this next one. Mark: Right. How do I know about it? Andy: Because when laborers were digging a well in China in 1974, they discovered a life-size statue of a soldier. And they knew it was something special. Mark: yes. What was that? What is this army called? Andy: The Terracotta Army. Mark: Well that's right, the terracotta army. Andy: but they had no idea what else lay below the surface. Mark: Can you imagine you discover one of those figures and you keep digging and Andy: Yeah. Mark: then suddenly there's a bloke next to him and you keep digging and suddenly there's a bloke next to that. Andy: they ended up finding an estimated 8 000 clay statues. Mark: shit, was it as many as that? Andy: Each with its own facial expression and weapons. And there are full-size terracotta horses and chariots too. Mark: I've seen photographs of it and they've got a few hundred on display. I wonder if there is somewhere you can go where you can literally see eight thousand terracotta figures. Andy: They reckon the project was created as a mausoleum for the first emperor of China, Qin Shi Huangdi, who took the throne in 246 BC. Qin is buried in a tomb at the site that hasn't yet been excavated because of concerns about its stability. I would say there's a moral concern there as well. Mark: Hmm. Andy: But explorations around the edge have now uncovered statues of dancers and acrobats as well. Mark: I wonder how long that took to create. I suppose if you got eight thousand sculptors it only takes maybe a few months to create one statue. Andy: Would you find 8,000 sculptors in ancient China? Mark: Who knows? Andy: And how would you advertise? Yellow pages? Exchange a mark? Mark: Facebook. Andy: Yeah. Well, in 2003, a six inch tall skeleton with a pointy head was found naturally mummified in the Atacama desert of Chile. And although many people have claimed that the skeleton came from an alien, scientists have been able to sequence and study its DNA and its bone density was characteristic of a human six year old. despite its tiny size. Atta, as the female mummy is known, was most closely related to indigenous Chileans, but also had some European ancestry, so perhaps a little bit of rape and pillaging. Researchers found seven different mutations of her genes that are involved with growth, but they're not sure which one caused her skeletal malformation. Mark: It'd be quite, er, and I don't want to do this as a subject, but just as your head is obviously almost perfectly round, I wonder how pointy people get. Andy: Well, mine's quite pointy, I think. Mark: No, you've got a round head. Your head is like Andy: Have I? I've always f- Mark: literally a bowling ball. Your eyes and your mouth are the three holes. You could literally knock down some Skittles if someone gave it bit of momentum. Andy: Nice. Mark: No but seriously, I wonder how within the normal range, how pointy people's heads get. Andy: Well, I've known more than one person in my life who bore the nickname Conehead. Mark: Yeah, that was right. know, like the characters, Conehead. What were they called? Conehead. Andy: Yeah, coneheads. Mark: I wonder how close to that shape people actually get. So they have a tiny little hat on top of their head. Andy: Hmm. Quite close I would say. Now we did an episode I think on the Antikythera mechanism. Mark: which is... Andy: Well a Greek ship sank off the coast of the island of Antikythera about 2000 years ago and it sat on the sea bottom until it was discovered in 1900. And as archaeologists sorted out the artifacts that were retrieved from the wreck they came across an object they didn't know what to make of. Because it had multiple levels of brass gears that precisely fit together were built into a wooden box. A half century later, a science historian figured out that this weird archaeological discovery could predict the positions of the planets and stars in the sky by date. Since then, researchers have found Greek text on the artefact that showed it could predict eclipses and moon phases, and could even track the four-year cycle of the Olympic Games. Mark: And when was this? Two what, 2000 or 200 years ago? Andy: 2000 years ago. Mark: So a mechanical device that tracked the planetary movements. Andy: Pretty impressive. Mark: Two... Two thousand years ago. producing brass gears and stuff. Andy: Yeah, all packaged in a nice wooden box. I wonder how much it Mark: that. Andy: cost and if you could get it from Wish or Alibaba. Mark: actually hang on a second that's not so fantastical two thousand years ago that was when when Jesus was wandering around yeah you can sort of imagine Andy: Mm. Slightly earlier. Mark: you can you can sort of imagine brass gears Andy: Can you? Bearing in mind that they didn't have much use for mechanics in Roman times except for raising and lowering portcullises in arenas. Mark: Wills. Andy: That's not mechanics, is it? Mark: Mills? Andy: again, it's just the wheel. Mark: You work here, huh? Andy: Anyway, Peruvian anthropologist Sonia Guilher was excavating a thousand year old cemetery south of Lima, but her team found more than just humans. Forty three dogs had been buried there by the people of Chiribaya culture, which preceded Mark: All right. Andy: the Inca Empire. Now, the valued pets which were used for herding llamas had separate plots near their human owners, and many of them were buried with treats and blankets. Mark: How do they know that those dogs were used for herding llamas? Andy: Because the desert climate preserved the bodies of the dogs, three of them were still alive and told their story. Mark: I mean, they could have been just pets. Andy: No, pets didn't exist in those days and were working animals. You didn't keep a dog, you could barely feed your own family. So Gillen could see how similar they looked to a popular modern breed called the Chiribéa dog or the Peruvian Shepherd dog. And her team is now trying to prove a genetic lineage. Mark: Why? Andy: Well, just because they can. It's just extra evidence to back up their obviously ridiculous claims. Mark: And what happens if the conclusion is right? So what if a thousand years ago they had dogs who herded llamas? Andy: So there'll be a ha, told ya. Mark: Really? Andy: It's a great aha moment, I think. Now about 1300 years ago, a pregnant woman in the Italian town of Imola died. Mark: Imola? Imola you idiots, where the motor racing is. Andy: Imola! Imola! She died before she gave birth, archaeologists discovered the skeleton of her foetus between her legs, making her an example of a rarely observed coffin birth, where gases build up inside the body of a deceased pregnant woman and push the foetus out through the birth canal. Scientists also noted another unusual finding. Someone had created a small hole in the mother's skull before she died. Now we call that trepanation. And it's been performed throughout history and all over the world to treat head injuries, headaches, and also to release evil spirits. In this case, researchers wonder if she was suffering from preeclampsia. which is a pregnancy related condition involving very high blood pressure and possibly seizures, which led to one of the then medical experts having used leeches, cocaine and ghosts in the blood to decide that a hole in the head needed drilling too fucking sweet. So once again, well done, medicine. Mark: I wonder if your attitude towards medicine is going to change at some stage in your life? Andy: No, because they're all Charlzons. They are modern day witches and they need burning. They are responsible for certainly more deaths than witches ever were. Yes. Mark: Doctors? You think the existence of doctors has caused untimely deaths as opposed to... Andy: You think they haven't with their fucking... or kill or cures? They used to feed people mercury. Mark: Yeah. Andy: And they died from it. Mark: Yeah. Andy: So is that not causing an untimely death? Mark: It was 400 years ago Andy. Andy: You can't know I'm sorry but Jack Ripper was 150 years ago is that okay now? Mark: What are you talking about? No one's claiming it's okay. They were idiots. It was unscientific. Andy: Yeah, yes, and today in times of national emergency, they fucking rush out a vaccine untested Mark: god. Andy: and unproven and people drop dead from it. But that's OK, because everyone signed a disclaimer saying they wouldn't see because if that happened. Mark: I suspect you're just pitching for a job in RFK's health department, Maher Health Department in America. Are you touting for a job? Andy: I'm just trying to take the polish off the gold plated fucking profession that everybody seems to revere. They are not the medical wonder gods that you think they are. They are fucking bunch of charlatans. Mark: Did you get... I've probably asked you this before, did you get a dish from medical school when you were young? Did you hope to be a doctor at some stage and you got a kickback? Andy: I would never want to be a doctor. I would rather, I would rather do something that you can actually train for and be good at, not just fucking guess at and try Mark: I sus- Andy: out this herb or this, you know, try eating this Mark: I suspect. Andy: radioactive material and see what happens. What's the worst that can happen? Mark: No, I suspect there's something going on in the background here. Maybe you didn't want to be a doctor, but I can imagine a young lady who might have been a nurse who you fell in love with. She split up from you. She split Andy: See, your story is already hitting a big hole. Mark: up because you weren't a doctor. She had her sights set on being a doctor and you were some roller skating diva. Andy: You Mark: and that wasn't enough for her and you've been anti-doctor ever since. That's the true background to this little... Andy: You are so far away from the bullseye that it's not even funny. Mark: you Andy: Anyway, more than 11,000 years ago, at the end of the Stone Age, you would remember this, hunter-gatherers remained nomadic because they hadn't yet settled down into an agricultural lifestyle which formed the basis of our cities and towns today. Mark: Right, so sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry, When was that? Eleven thousand years ago. Right, Andy: 11,000 years ago. Mark: well this is what I was getting to. So sort of... Civilization as we know it started about eleven thousand years ago. Andy: Archaeology, agriculture, if you call in that the start of civilization, it was about 11,000 years ago. Mark: And before that, we would just simply... Yes, however... Andy: However, there's an archaeological site in Turkey which has cast doubt on this timeline because it has large pillars with animal carvings, stone rings and loads of rectangular rooms and it might just be the oldest known architecture in the world. And many people think, many researchers think it may well be a religious complex, which would indicate It was the centre of a village. Mark: sounds plausible. Andy: That's it. That's all I have. Mark: Well, that's the end of the story. Andy: is go bigly tepe. Mark: Well, I've mentioned that several times before, and we still haven't done a program about Andy: Have you? Mark: it. Andy: Well, I just did. Mark: You know, most significant archaeological find in human history and you cover it in 10 seconds. Andy: 8 seconds if you want to be pedantic. Anyway, that's the strangest archaeological finds I could find. That I could dig up. Mark: Yeah, yeah. I mean it was a very good in-depth analysis of these various places and events, Andy. I think you've done a really good job there. Andy: Well, I didn't want to do an in-depth analysis. I didn't want to do an in-depth analysis because that would mean like 13 separate episodes. And I don't think anyone's that Mark: No, but you're happy. Andy: interested in archaeology. Mark: What do mean we did a whole episode about bloody tunnels and columns under the pyramids, didn't we? That took a whole episode to do and that was based on absolute bollocks. Andy: But that was good entertaining Bollock. Mark: dear. Andy: Yeah, so that was our archaeological. I don't know what I'm going to call this episode. Probably digging it. Mark: have we done, we didn't dig up any alien spaceships or anything though, did we? Andy: No, but we may have dug up an alien body. Mark: What pointy haired one? Andy: Yeah, six inches. I can't see that being a six year old boy. Mark: What are you talking about? didn't mention six inches. What about six inches? Andy: said it was six inches high, a skeleton. Mark: Six inches? Andy: Yes. Mark: Well, I missed that bit. Andy: You missed a lot. Mark: God's sake. Andy: Can imagine the size of the spacecraft? Mark: It would have been tiny, I could have fit it in my suitcase. Andy: But then do you remember we did that story about the Japanese UFOs which were quite tiny? Mark: The thought I always had when I was a child is, can you prove to me that there is not a universe of activity in my thumbnail? Andy: But there is. I mean, if you get the dirt under your finger now, under a microscope, you will see it's teeming with life. Mark: Now I'm talking about literally universes and things and a little planet in a universe that's actually in my thumbnail. Andy: Yeah, but we can't see that deeply into... We can't magnify things that much with our primitive technologies. Mark: No exactly, that's what I mean. Yeah. Andy: We don't know. Mark: There's probably a few universes going on in some of your toenails, that's for sure. Andy: It's probably a vast universe living in the empty bits of my head. Mark: There's probably quite a lot of activity going on. Andy: Anyway, that brings us to the end of this week's fascinating episode of Archaeological Finds of the Strange, Weird Mark: Yes. Well done Andy. Andy: and Wonderful. Yeah, Mark: Indeed. Andy: I'd like to, I'd just like to point out as well, I'd like to say thanks to Richard for sitting in for you for the last couple of weeks. And for Mark: yes, thanks Richard. Well done. Andy: some reason, our numbers have skyrocketed over the last two weeks. I don't know if there's any relevance. Mark: really? So I'm being... Are you leading up to my redundancy? Andy: I don't know if there's any relevance to that or if it's just purely coincidence. We'll see what happens next week. Mark: Indeed. Andy: Anyway, thanks for listening. Don't forget, we also have our Patreon at patreon.com backslash strange stuff podcast where you can hear me and Richard on the weekly and also get an extra dose of me and Mark on a Wednesday. So go over there and please join our Patreon. In the meantime have yourselves a strange week, do go archaeologically digging and if you find anything valuable, slightly sexy or even strange let us know before you let the authorities know. Bye for now. Mark: Indeed. Cheerio!