The Dirt on the Past Podcast

27/08/2024

We have a new podcast episode with historian Anthony Wood! We talk about his research on Black history in the west, but really focus in on the historical narrative and why some stories become a part of the narrative and some do not. It was a great conversation! Click this link to watch/listen.

We sat down with Anthony Wood to talk about his research focus on Black history in the west. We talk about his new research along with his book, Black Montan...

22/08/2024

We are sitting down for another conversation with Anthony today, but have a listen to the episode we did with him back in 2021!

This was such a good conversation with friend and colleague, Anthony Wood about his new book, Black Montana: Settler Colonialism and the Erosion of the Racial Frontier, 1877-1930 published by the University of Nebraska Press. Anthony talks with us about his work on the Montana African American Heritage Resources Project and how this inspired him to delve deeper into the history of Montana's Black communities. His book explores the entanglements of race, settler colonialism, and the emergence of state and regional identity in the American West during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. By producing conditions of social, cultural, and economic precarity that undermined Black Montanans’ networks of kinship, community, and financial security, the state of Montana, in its capacity as a settler colony, worked to exclude the Black community that began to form inside its borders after Reconstruction. We unpack this to better understand why Montana's Black community, and much of Montana's diverse early communities, left Montana before 1930. Anthony is a PhD candidate in the Department of History at the University of Michigan. He worked as a historian for the Montana Historical Society on Montana’s African American Heritage Places Project.
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/black-montana-with-anthony-wood/id1532514949?i=1000536176018

18/07/2024

A new episode with anthropologist and author, Sally Thompson is now available to watch! Sally discusses her new book, Disturbing the Sleeping Buffalo: A big thanks to Museum of the Rockies and Farcountry Press!

Join us as we speak with author Sally Thompson about her new book, Disturbing the Sleeping Buffalo: 23 Unexpected Stories That Awaken Montana's Past.

The past still lingers along old trails, and among the people who live here today. Some, such as anthropologist and storyteller Sally Thompson, are better equipped to notice the traces of history lurking in place names and written in cairns, carved in tree bark, etched into prairie boulders, or resting among well-knapped spear points.

In Disturbing the Sleeping Buffalo, Thompson unearths new information and startling insights into Montana's untold history in twenty-three true stories. Along the way, she shares the challenges of groundbreaking research and the joys of finding hidden treasures. These stories connect past and present, bringing into focus a common heritage among many peoples in an uncommon land.

We explore a few of the 23 stories Thompson documented in her book, along with backstories, insight and revelations about her long career as an anthropologist in Montana and the west.

You can find Disturbing the Sleeping Buffalo at your local book store or order through Farcountry Press.

Join us as we speak with author Sally Thompson about her new book, Disturbing the Sleeping Buffalo: 23 Unexpected Stories That Awaken Montana's Past. The pas...

05/06/2024

Experts debate whether Neanderthals created art. A paleoanthropologist explores the evidence and the sources of people’s skepticism.

16/05/2024

The anticipated episode on the history of POCKETS is up!!

Join Nancy and Crystal as they discuss the history of pockets! We delve deep into the fascinating history of pockets, exploring how these seemingly mundane accessories have shaped human lives and society over centuries. Drawing insights from Hannah Carlson's "Pockets: An Intimate History of How We Keep Things Close" and Barbara Burman and Ariane Fennetaux's "The Pocket: A Hidden History of Women's Lives, 1660–1900," we uncover the evolution of pockets from their humble beginnings as tie-on accessories to their symbolic significance in fashion and gender roles. From the practicality of early pouches to the complex social messages conveyed by pocket size and placement, we unravel the intimate relationship between humans and their pockets, shedding light on a hidden aspect of history that speaks volumes about culture, identity, and everyday life.

Click here to watch and listen!

Join Nancy and Crystal as they discuss the history of pockets! We delve deep into the fascinating history of pockets, exploring how these seemingly mundane a...

09/05/2024

Our next podcast episode is going to be on the history of POCKETS! Stay tuned . . . but in the meantime you can start reading up.

What role did pockets play in the lives of women throughout history? Dive into a world of secret, stolen, and sacred possessions on the Yale London Blog.

01/05/2024

On our newest episode, Nancy and Crystal, and special guest Sophie :) discuss a significant archaeological site located in southwest Montana called the Barton Gulch site. The oldest occupation at Barton Gulch is dated to 9400 BP.

Join us for this discussion and to learn more about this important archaeological site and many others, read "Six Hundred Generations: An Archaeological History of Montana" by Carl Davis. Click this link to listen/watch!

April is Archaeology Month in Montana! In honor of this, join Nancy and Crystal as they discuss a significant archaeological site located in southwest Montan...

26/04/2024

If you love The Dirt on the Past Podcast please consider supporting us during Give Big Gallatin Valley coming up May 2nd and 3rd. Your support helps us interview authors, historians and archeologists about their work and why it matters today!

26/04/2024

Have you listened to our latest episode with Museum of the Rockies curator Michael Fox, if not, have a listen or watch on our Youtube channel!

This week on The Dirt on the Past Podcast we talked with Museum of the Rockies curator, Michael Fox about the historic photographs in their collection. Join us as we discuss and analyze photos depicting saloons, sheep ranches, early Montana farms and ranches, and so much more! Click this link to watch! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Elmcnkc0T3w

11/04/2024

A great opportunity for graduate students!

Graduate student researchers at Montana State University can get paid for incorporating Montana’s Cultural Resource Database into their research. The Montana State Historic Preservation Office and MSU Graduate School are offering a paid fellowship with independent study credits to graduate students. An additional cash incentive is available to supervising faculty who co-author and submit a resultant scholarly research paper for publication.

Whether your studies are rooted in humanities, social science, land use and agriculture, natural sciences, data science, history or archaeology, access to Montana’s extensive collection of digital historic and archaeological records can reveal valuable perspectives on the past and unique insights into contemporary problems and their potential solutions. Geospatial data (GIS) associated with cultural site records and inventory reports offer further opportunities for spatial analysis and predictive modeling.

Submit a letter of interest by May 15 to receive a link to attend a virtual informational Q&A session in June (date TBD). Cultural resource professionals will provide an orientation and discuss how the Cultural Resources Database can enhance your research project.

Visit https://mhs.mt.gov/shpo/fellowship to learn more about the fellowship and how to develop a successful proposal.

10/04/2024

This week on The Dirt on the Past Podcast we talked with Museum of the Rockies curator, Michael Fox about the historic photographs in their collection. Join us as we discuss and analyze photos depicting saloons, sheep ranches, early Montana farms and ranches, and so much more! Click this link to watch! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Elmcnkc0T3w

12/03/2024

We had a great conversation with New York Times bestselling author, Mark Sullivan about his book, The Last Green Valley, a novel that follows close to the historical plight of the Martel family out of the Ukraine in 1944. The Martel family eventually settled in Bozeman, MT. Watch or listen by clicking link below! Thanks to the Museum of the Rockies for the use of the E. L. Wiegand studio!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uadQ_u1dg5c

26/02/2024

We had a great conversation with Ashley Hall of the Museum of the Rockies. We talked about Ashley's career as a paleontologist and museum educator, her research on Sauropod feet and her books including Fossils for Kids: A Junior Scientist’s Guide to Dinosaur Bones and Ancient Animals, and Prehistoric Life on Earth and Prehistoric Worlds: Stomp Into the Epic Lands Ruled by Dinosaurs (due out at the end of March 2024).

Join us as we talk with Museum Educator Ashley Hall about her career as a museum educator at the Museum of the Rockies, her research on Sauropod feet and her...

14/02/2024

We had the best conversation with historian Sarah Keyes about her new book, American Burial Ground: A New History of the Overland Trail. We featured two artifacts from the Museum of the Rockies collection including a spur, that may have belonged to John Bozeman, and a beautiful quilt that was owned by Lucy Nave Tinsley. Watch and enjoy!!

We talked with Historian Sarah Keyes about her new book, "American Burial Ground: A New History of the Overland Trail." We delve into the history of the Over...

18/12/2023

A new podcast episode is up! We talked with Betsy Gaines Quammen about her new book, True West: Myth and Mending on the Far Side of America! Click the link below to watch our interview with Betsy! Filmed in the E.L. Wiegand Digital Learning Studio at Museum of the Rockies.

Join us as we talk with the author of True West: Myth and Mending on the Far Side of America, Betsy Gaines Quammen. We discuss her book and what she learned ...

29/11/2023

Have you had a chance to watch our video episode on the Bozeman Trail and John Bozeman yet? If not, check it out, here's the link to the video to watch! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gwg1awH-Z6c

22/11/2023

Our latest episode is out! Nancy and Crystal discuss the Hagen site, an Indigenous settlement and a National Historic Landmark located on a bluff above the Yellowstone River north of Glendive, MT. This archaeological site is significant because it documents the establishment of a permanent village by a people in transition from the Eastern Woodlands to a Plains bison culture. We dive into the Museum of the Rockies collections to view artifacts from the Hagen site including pottery, lithic material, bone tools and fish bones. Click here to watch!

Join us as we discuss the Hagen Site, a National Historic Landmark located on a bluff above the Yellowstone River north of Glendive, MT. This archaeological ...

17/11/2023

The story of promoter and town founder John Bozeman is an interesting one, and we were able to examine some of his personal objects that are held in the Museum of the Rockies collections. Here's a clip of our interview with MOR curator, Michael Fox.

31 seconds · Clipped by Extreme History · Original video "John Bozeman: The Myth, the Man and the Legend. The Dirt on the Past Podcast: Museum Edition" by Ex...

09/11/2023

Have you had a chance to watch our newest episode of The Dirt on the Past Podcast: Museum Edition with guest Michael Fox? If not, it's a must see. We discuss John Bozeman, the Bozeman Trail, and have the opportunity to view personal items of John Bozeman's from the Museum of the Rockies collection. Check it out by clicking here.

Join us as we talk with Michael Fox, the curator of history at the Museum of the Rockies in Bozeman, MT about John Bozeman. Bozeman is the namesake for the t...

07/11/2023

A new Dirt on the Past Podcast: Museum Edition episode is out! And this one is pretty special. We sat down in the Museum of the Rockies digital studio to talk with curator Michael Fox about John Bozeman, the namesake of our town and the Bozeman Trail. We were able to view some of Bozeman's personal items including his pocket watch, revolver, powder horn, and letters from Bozeman to his mother. Join us for this episode all about John Bozeman: The Myth, the Man and the Legend! Thanks so much to Ashley Hall for recording/technical assistance and taking these amazing photos! To listen and watch click the link below! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gwg1awH-Z6c

26/10/2023

We had such a fun time recording our new Museum Edition of the podcast in the Museum of the Rockies new digital recording studio! We’re going back today to record again so watch this page for the next episode early next week!!

25/10/2023

We're so excited to announce that we're collaborating with the Museum of the Rockies to produce The Dirt on the Past Podcast: Museum Edition! We're recording these episodes in the Museum of the Rockies (MOR) new Digital Recording Studio so in addition to hearing us, you'll also be able to see us! With visual capability we'll have the opportunity to include and feature artifacts from the Museum's collections that correspond to our topics.

In our inaugural episode we sat down with MOR's Director of Education and Programming, Chelsea Hogan, to discuss historic red-light districts in Butte and Bozeman, MT in preparation for the Museum's upcoming production of Haunted Mountain Theatre that features a vignette on a Butte Madam.

Join us for our new Museum Edition podcasts, and find out more about historic red-light districts in the West and so much more!

Join us for a discussion on red-light districts in Butte and Bozeman, MT with guest Chelsea Hogan. Chelsea is the Museum of the Rockies Director of Education...

13/10/2023

We had an amazing conversation with Kerri Maher about her new novel, All You Have to do is Call. This story honors the heroines of the Jane Collective, a group of women who provided safe, clandestine health services in the pre-Roe v. Wade era. We discuss the book, but also dive into the history of this time and the real women of the Jane Collective in the early 1970s. Kerri Maher is the USA Today bestselling author of The Paris Bookseller, The Girl in White Gloves, The Kennedy Debutante, and, under the name Kerri Majors, This Is Not a Writing Manual: Notes for the Young Writer in the Real World. She holds an MFA from Columbia University and lives with her daughter and dog in a leafy suburb west of Boston, Massachusetts. Click here to listen https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkLnBvZGJlYW4uY29tL3RoZWV4dHJlbWVoaXN0b3J5cHJvamVjdC9mZWVkLnhtbA/episode/dGhlZXh0cmVtZWhpc3Rvcnlwcm9qZWN0LnBvZGJlYW4uY29tL2I4OTEyZmMzLTMwYjQtMzNmZi04ZDM2LWU2ZWE3MzcyMjZiZA?sa=X&ved=0CAUQkfYCahcKEwigiJvPkvOBAxUAAAAAHQAAAAAQLA

12/07/2023

We were so lucky to sit down with The Extreme History Project board member and historic preservation architect, Lesley Gilmore this week for a rollicking conversation about the National Register of Historic Places! A big thanks to the Montana SHPO for sponsoring this episode! This is a must listen!! Here's the link to listen or find it on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Please share widely! https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkLnBvZGJlYW4uY29tL3RoZWV4dHJlbWVoaXN0b3J5cHJvamVjdC9mZWVkLnhtbA/episode/dGhlZXh0cmVtZWhpc3Rvcnlwcm9qZWN0LnBvZGJlYW4uY29tL2NkNzA4NmJkLTA1NmQtMzhlOC05Nzc0LWJmMWMwMThhOGJjMw?sa=X&ved=0CAUQkfYCahcKEwjg2bC5tYmAAxUAAAAAHQAAAAAQLA

29/06/2023

Have you listened to our conversation with Montana State Historic Preservation Officer (SHPO) Pete Brown? If not, have a listen today and learn more about what the job of a SHPO entails and all the wonderful things the SHPO office is involved in! Click the link below to listen. https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkLnBvZGJlYW4uY29tL3RoZWV4dHJlbWVoaXN0b3J5cHJvamVjdC9mZWVkLnhtbA/episode/dGhlZXh0cmVtZWhpc3Rvcnlwcm9qZWN0LnBvZGJlYW4uY29tLzAyMTgwOGJlLWE3OWItMzgxMS1iYTI2LWFhNmY5OTYyNmFiOA?sa=X&ved=0CAUQkfYCahcKEwiwsdLNi-n_AhUAAAAAHQAAAAAQLA

23/06/2023

Join us as we talk with Pete Brown about all things Montana SHPO! Pete Brown has been Montana’s State Historic Preservation Officer (SHPO) since 2019. His work at the State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) began in 2002 when he served as the Historic Architecture Specialist. We talk with Pete about his job as SHPO and what that entails on a daily basis. We also talk more broadly about the National Historic Preservation Act, historic preservation in Montana, the Tribal Historic Preservation Office (THPO), and current initiatives and projects. Join us for this conversation and learn more about the importance of preserving our cultural heritage. https://www.podbean.com/eas/pb-wmb7i-143e0c3

Join us as we talk with Pete Brown about all things Montana SHPO! Pete Brown has been Montana’s State Historic Preservation Officer (SHPO) since 2019. His work at the State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) began in 2002 when he served as the Historic Architecture Specialist. We talk with Pete a...

10/05/2023

Join us as we discuss women who followed medieval mercenary armies with Dr. Danielle Mead Skjelver. During the late medieval period, it was not uncommon for women to travel with mercenary armies, either as wives or as camp followers. These women often provided essential support services to the soldiers, such as cooking, cleaning, and nursing. Some women also took on more active roles, such as selling goods or even participating in battles. Dr. Skjelver has found in her research that these women had more agency and autonomy while engaged with these military campaigns. Dr. Danielle Mead Skjelver is a Professor of History at the University of Maryland Global Campus, which was founded to serve the U.S. Military. Skjelver serves as lead editor of History of Applied Science and Technology. The first of its kind, this open access textbook is digital, living in nature, and global in approach and authorship. She has produced scholarship on the intersection of gender, language, and power in 16th-century Europe. Join us for this fascinating discussion and learn more about the lives of women in late medieval Europe! Click this link to listen!
https://tinyurl.com/muauxfdm

05/05/2023

Give Big Gallatin Valley is officially here! If you love The Dirt on the Past podcast, please consider supporting us at The Extreme History Project! Click here to Give Big! https://www.givebiggv.org/organizations/the-extreme-history-project-6a37eca7-a2ff-4e0f-b898-62641185a6dd

24/04/2023

Nancy and Crystal did a paper presentation at the Montana Archaeological Society annual meeting this weekend, discussing the podcast!

21/04/2023

In honor of Montana Archaeology Month, listen to our conversation with Collegue and friend, Marsha Small. https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/indian-boarding-schools-with-marsha-small/id1532514949?i=1000533757767

On this National Day of Remembrance for Indian Boarding Schools, listen to our conversation with Marsha Small. https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/indian-boarding-schools-with-marsha-small/id1532514949?i=1000533757767