Into the Greenwood
Robin Hood is one of the most ubiquitous figures in the English-speaking world. He’s been the star of countless films, television shows, books, games, and branded merchandise from baking supplies to investment apps. Whether he’s wearing a dark shrouding hood or a jaunty pointed cap, there’s a distinct image that comes to mind when you hear the name. Our mission is to dissect that image. Through interviews with academics and experts we’ll be taking a focused look on what one would actually expect of a forest-dwelling outlaw in late 12th century England. How many Merry Men could comfortably dwell within Sherwood Forest? How extensive was the authority of a local Sheriff? Would those tights of Lincoln green be comfortable to wear? You know, the important stuff. Interview episodes will be interspersed with episodes delving into our pop-culture portrayals as we take a chronological look at Robin Hood’s extensive filmography one movie at a time. So string your bows, prepare a lusty laugh, and come join us in the greenwood. Support: patreon.com/intogreenwood Follow: @intogreenwood on Twitter and Facebook Contact: intogreenwood@gmail.com
Into the Greenwood
Episode 21: Digging up the Bones with Naomi Sykes
It's an old aphorism that history is written by the winners; which implies a certain bias in the historical record. Of course, that's even assuming you have a written record at all. Archaeology is a means of learning about our past in ways that don't rely on the written word. While the popular imagination tends to fixate on images of tombs, mummies, and glittering artifacts, there are many different types of archaeology; including the study of animal remains. For instance, the people of Medieval England raised livestock, kept pets, hunted, and often lived with rodents, and studying the remains of those animals can tell us a lot about the lives of the humans that were around them.
This episode's guest, Dr. Naomi Sykes, reveals more about the study of zooarchaeology and some of the ways that she has used it to further our understanding of the Medieval world.
Papers on some of the research projects mentioned in the interview:
In search of the 'great horse': A zooarchaeological assessment of horses from England (AD 300-1650)
Into the Greenwood is produced by Thaddeus Papke
Theme music is by Plastic3
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