Midwestern Archaeology Podcast

by Lee Strange

Season 2

The Early Fort Ancient Culture: Maize and Migration with Dr. Rob Cook

On episode 16 of MAP, I sat down with Dr. Rob Cook of the Ohio State University to discuss the fascinating early Fort Ancient culture of the Middle Ohio River Valley. Spanning the modern-day states of Kentucky, Ohio, and Indiana, the Fort Ancient cultural complex flourished from 1000-1600C.E. On this episode we discuss the connections the early Fort Ancient have to the Mississippians of Cahokia and the mysterious Hopewell culture and much more! Send questions or pictures of artifacts to midwesternarchaeologypodcast@gmail.com, I want to hear from you all! Interested in learning more about local Midwestern Archaeology? Check out the Archaeological Research Institute here.

S2 · E4

May 16, 2026

1:32:40

Episode 15: Feasts of the Pacific - Exploring Polynesian Foodways with Dr. Sharyn Jones

In this episode of the Midwestern Archaeology Podcast, we discuss the food cultures of the far-flung Polynesian communities of the vast Pacific Ocean. We cover Captain Cook, gendered food labor, and much more in this episode of MAP! Interested in learning more about Midwestern history and archaeology? Check out the Archaeology Research Institute here.

S2 · E3

Mar 28, 2026

1:08:47

Episode 14: Cultural Evolution and Experimental Archaeology with Dr. Metin Eren Part 2

In this episode of the Midwestern Archaeology Podcast, I sat down with Dr. Metin Eren of the Kent State University Experimental Archaeology Lab to discuss the various avenues of research he has been pursuing. This episode is the second part of the interview we recorded back in November. We discuss atlatl use by men and women, the problem of equifinality, cultural evolution, knives made out of feces, and much more in this episode! Interested in learning more about Ohio River Valley Archaeology? Check out the Archaeological Research Institute here!

S2 · E2

Feb 26, 2026

1:04:06

Episode 13: The Wari State: Noble Houses, Psychedelic Feasting, and Staff Deities with Dr. Justin Jennings

Welcome to the first episode of 2026! In this episode we are going to South America to look at the Wari culture of Southern Peru with the senior curator of the Archaeology of the Americas at the Royal Ontario Museum, Dr. Justin Jennings. We discuss the coalescence and beginnings of the Wari state, politics, noble houses, and psychedelic feasting in this episode. After this episode we will return to the interview I did with Dr. Metin Erin. Stay tuned for how you can listen to MAP episodes early! Check out the Royal Ontario Museum's upcoming exhibit on the History of Psychedelics this summer in June, 2026. Find more details here. Check out more of Dr. Jenning's work here! Interested in learning more about Midwestern Archaeology? Check out the Archaeological Research Institute and how you can get involved here.

S2 · E1

Jan 15, 2026

1:10:03

Season 1

Episode 12: Clovis Points, Darwinian Tool Making, and Experimental Archaeology with Dr. Metin Eren Part 1

This is the first episode in a series of three I recorded with Dr. Metin Eren of Kent State University! In this episode we discussed his beginnings in the field of archaeology, Darwinian understandings of culture, and much more! This is the last episode of 2025, thank you everyone for listening and sharing!!! Interested in learning more about Midwestern Archaeology? Check the Archaeological Research Institute's website here! Check out the Kent State Experimental Archaeology Laboratory website here.

S1 · E12

Dec 13, 2025

50:24

Episode 11: Uncovering Evansville, Indiana's Hidden Histories with Tory Schendel-Vyvoda

In this episode of the Midwestern Archaeology Podcast I sat down with the curator for the Evansville African American History Museum Tory Schendel-Vyvoda to discuss Evansville Indiana's rich history. We discussed her background and beginnings in museum studies, the origins of Evansville's Baptist-Town, the Bloody Race Riot of 1903, and much more! If you would like to see more of Tory's work check out her personal website here: www.toryvyvoda.com Interested in the archaeology of the Midwest and want to get more involved? Check out the ARI's website here: The Archaeological Research Institute | Cincinnati, OH

S1 · E11

Nov 11, 2025

38:58

Episode 10: Illustrating the Pre-Contact Past with Ren Harvey

In this episode I sat down with archaeologic illustrator Ren Harvey to discuss her journey as an artist, her beginnings as an elite college athlete/coach, and her fascination with the Pre-Contact world! We experienced some lag during our call so there's some delay in our conversation. Check out Ren Harvey's Facebook here!

S1 · E10

Oct 14, 2025

44:09

Episode 9: Platform Mounds, Cultural Melding, and the Hopewell Mann with Dr. Michael R. Strezewski

In this episode I sat down with University of Southern Indiana professor Dr. Michael R. Strezewski to discuss the archaeology of the fascinating Hopewell Mann complex of Southwest Indiana. The Hopewell Mann gets its name from the eponymous Mann site located just outside of the modern-day town of Mt. Vernon, Indiana. Situated at the confluence of the Ohio and Wabash Rivers, the Mann Site existed at the cultural borders between the Hopewellian Midwest and the Southeast. What resulted was one of the most intriguing examples of cultural melding in all of the Midwest. Want to learn more about the Hopewell Mann? Check out Dr. Strezewski's new book "The Mann Phase: Hopewell Culture in Southwest Indiana" here. If you are interested in learning more about the Archaeological Research Institute, click here!

S1 · E9

Sep 26, 2025

1:13:39

Episode 8: Cahokia - A Mississippian Cosmopolis with Dr. Timothy R. Pauketat

In this episode I sat down with Dr. Timothy R. Pauketat to discuss the incredible Mississippian city of Cahokia. We explored the incredible beginning of the polity, the vast spread of its cultural influence, and much more! Check out Dr. Pauketat's new book "Gods of Thunder: How Climate Change, Travel, and Spirituality Reshaped Precolonial America" Interested in learning more about archaeology in the Midwest? Check out the Archaeological Research Institute here.

S1 · E8

Sep 12, 2025

1:28:54

Episode 7: The American Archaic, Kentucky Shell Middens, and River Cults with Dr. Cheryl P. Claassen

In this episode I sat down with Dr. Cheryl P. Claassen and discussed the Archaic of Kentucky and Tennessee, training to be an archaeologist as a woman in the 70s, ancient feasting practices, and more! Check out Dr. Claassen's forthcoming new book "Women, Fertility, and North American Archaeology." If you would like to learn more about archaeology and ARI check out our website here.

S1 · E7

Aug 8, 2025

1:06:03

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