The podcast where scientists review movies about prehistoric people! Hosted by Joshua Lindal, Dr. Kimberly Plomp, and Dr. Ross Barnett. New episodes biweekly.
Get in touch with us!
Do you want to suggest a movie for us to review? Are you an archaeologist or paleontologist and would like to be a guest on an episode? Do you want to let us know that we made a mistake or that our opinions are bad? Follow us on social media or send us an email!
Twitter: @SotSA_Podcast
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Previous Episodes:
Episode 90: Ancient Apocalypse: The Americas, Episode 6 (2024)
Today we’re making a sacrifice to the gods of the algorithm and reviewing an episode of Graham Hancock’s Ancient Apocalypse: The Americas (2024). To help carry this burden, we’re joined by Dr. Andrew Kinkella, who helps us evaluate claims about the ancient Maya in this series’ sixth episode. How did ancient people learn to count? How did they find out that the sun exists? It’s a real mystery.
Today we’re making a sacrifice to the gods of the algorithm and reviewing an episode of Graham Hancock’s Ancient Apocalypse: The Americas (2024). To help carry this burden, we’re joined by Dr. Andrew Kinkella, who helps us evaluate claims about the ancient Maya in this series’ sixth episode. How did ancient people learn to count? How did they find out that the sun exists? It’s a real mystery.
Check out Andrew Kinkella’s shows:
The Pseudo-Archaeology Podcast: https://www.archaeologypodcastnetwork.com/pseudo
The CRM Archaeology Podcast: https://www.archaeologypodcastnetwork.com/crmarchpodcast
Kinkella Teaches Archaeology: https://www.youtube.com/@KinkellaTeachesArchaeology
Get in touch with us:
Twitter: @SotSA_Podcast
Bluesky: @sotsapodcast.bsky.social
Facebook: @SotSAPodcast
Letterboxd: https://letterboxd.com/sotsa/
Email: screensofthestoneage@gmail.com
In this episode:
Episode 89: As Above, So Below (2014)
Today we’re getting spooky with As Above, So Below (2014), the story of yet another unethical archaeologist who has no qualms about breaking into sites, vandalizing artifacts, and never documenting anything. Unlike most archaeological heroes, however, she is forced to atone for these sins by passing through the nine levels of Hell, à la Dante’s Inferno.
Today we’re getting spooky with As Above, So Below (2014), the story of yet another unethical archaeologist who has no qualms about breaking into sites, vandalizing artifacts, and never documenting anything. Unlike most archaeological heroes, however, she is forced to atone for these sins by passing through the nine levels of Hell, à la Dante’s Inferno.
Discover new #RealArchaeology podcasts, YouTube channels, and more at https://real-archaeology.com/
Get in touch with us:
Twitter: @SotSA_Podcast
Bluesky: @sotsapodcast.bsky.social
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Letterboxd: https://letterboxd.com/sotsa/
Email: screensofthestoneage@gmail.com
In this episode:
Episode 88: Tar (2020)
It’s October so we’re reviewing scary movies! Tár (2022) is the story of a groundbreaking orchestra conductor who... wait, that doesn’t sound right... Oh, I see, we actually watched Tar (2020), the story of a greasy prehistoric demon who emerges from the La Brea tar pits to haunt a small computer repair store. Well, Josh and Ross did – Kim messed up and watched the wrong movie, but we decided to spare her the ordeal and record the podcast anyway.
It’s October so we’re reviewing scary movies! Tár (2022) is the story of a groundbreaking orchestra conductor who... wait, that doesn’t sound right... Oh, I see, we actually watched Tar (2020), the story of a greasy prehistoric demon who emerges from the La Brea tar pits to haunt a small computer repair store. Well, Josh and Ross did – Kim messed up and watched the wrong movie, but we decided to spare her the ordeal and record the podcast anyway.
Win some SotSA Merch! Send your mistakes, inaccuracies, and corrections to us by email or social media:
Twitter: @SotSA_Podcast
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Email: screensofthestoneage@gmail.com
In this episode:
Episode 87: 65 (2023)
Today we’re reviewing the Adam Driver vehicle 65 (2023), a story about humans fighting dinosaurs, except the humans aren’t really humans and the dinosaurs aren’t really dinosaurs. We talk about Triassic archosaurs, shrink-wrapped dinosaurs, and “dinosauroids”, and try to figure out who this film was meant for.
Today we’re reviewing the Adam Driver vehicle 65 (2023), a story about humans fighting dinosaurs, except the humans aren’t really humans and the dinosaurs aren’t really dinosaurs. We talk about Triassic archosaurs, shrink-wrapped dinosaurs, and “dinosauroids”, and try to figure out who this film was meant for.
Win some SotSA Merch! Send your mistakes, inaccuracies, and corrections to us by email or social media:
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In this episode:
Episode 86: When Men Carried Clubs and Women Played Ding-Dong (1971) w/ Greeced Lightning Podcast
When Men Carried Clubs and Women Played Ding-Dong (1971) is an Italian sex comedy in which cave women of two warring tribes stage a sex strike until their cave men make peace. If that sounds familiar, it’s because it’s a stone-age adaptation of the Ancient Greek play Lysistrata by Aristophanes. It’s all Greek to us, so we’ve invited Dr. Sara Hales-Brittain and Sam Siegel of the Greeced Lightning podcast to help us understand the erotic chicken cosplay, glory-hole fish emasculation, and petroleum-based conversion therapy. You heard me.
When Men Carried Clubs and Women Played Ding-Dong (1971) is an Italian sex comedy in which cave women of two warring tribes stage a sex strike until their cave men make peace. If that sounds familiar, it’s because it’s a stone-age adaptation of the Ancient Greek play Lysistrata by Aristophanes. It’s all Greek to us, so we’ve invited Dr. Sara Hales-Brittain and Sam Siegel of the Greeced Lightning podcast to help us understand the erotic chicken cosplay, glory-hole fish emasculation, and petroleum-based conversion therapy. You heard me.
Listen to Greeced Lightning wherever you get your podcasts.
Follow Greeced Lightning on Social Media:
https://www.instagram.com/greecedlightningpod/
https://bsky.app/profile/greecedlightning.bsky.social
Win some SotSA Merch! Send your mistakes, inaccuracies, and corrections to us by email or social media:
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Email: screensofthestoneage@gmail.com
In this episode:
Episode 85: Ice Age: The Meltdown (2006) w/ Dr. Advait Jukar
Dr. Advait Jukar, our first ever guest, returns for another crack at the Ice Age franchise. In The Meltdown (2006), we catch up with the world’s most famous computer-animated megafauna as they flee climate change, and a snake-oil salesman, and vultures, and Mesozoic monsters, and in the end it turns out the stakes were never really that high. But if you like long lists of scientific names for animals, then you’re in for a treat!
Dr. Advait Jukar, our first ever guest, returns for another crack at the Ice Age franchise. In The Meltdown (2006), we catch up with the world’s most famous computer-animated megafauna as they flee climate change, and a snake-oil salesman, and vultures, and Mesozoic monsters, and in the end it turns out the stakes were never really that high. But if you like long lists of scientific names for animals, then you’re in for a treat!
Advait’s links:
Florida Museum of Natural History: https://www.floridamuseum.ufl.edu/
The Montbrook fossil site: https://www.floridamuseum.ufl.edu/florida-vertebrate-fossils/sites/montbrook/
Win some SotSA Merch! Send your mistakes, inaccuracies, and corrections to us by email or social media:
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Email: screensofthestoneage@gmail.com
In this episode:
The fan list of species we’re using in this episode
Sloths:Armadillos:
Dasypus bellus, the beautiful armadillo
Holmesina (a genus of Pampathere)
Sea Creatures:
Elephants:
Paracerotherium, the inspiration for Star Wars’ ATAT
Other animals:
Tylocephalonyx (dome-headed chalicothere)
Mylagaulidae (horned rodents)
Bootherium (extinct Muskox)
Episode 84: Quest for Fire (1981) w/ Seth Chagi
Today we’re joined by Seth Chagi of World of Paleoanthropology to review a stone age classic: Quest for Fire (1981) hits almost all the caveman movie tropes, but to be fair, it probably originated most of them. We talk about the origins of controlled use of fire, “conlangs”, and how this movie has become more scientifically accurate over time.
Today we’re joined by Seth Chagi of World of Paleoanthropology to review a stone age classic: Quest for Fire (1981) hits almost all the caveman movie tropes, but to be fair, it probably originated most of them. We talk about the origins of controlled use of fire, “conlangs”, and how this movie has become more scientifically accurate over time.
Check out the World of Paleoanthropology:
https://worldofpaleoanthropology.org/
https://www.youtube.com/@worldofpaleoanthropology
Win some SotSA Merch! Send your mistakes, inaccuracies, and corrections to us by email or social media:
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In this episode:
Episode 83: Jurassic Park 3 (2001) w/ Dr. Andrew Kinkella
Today we’re reviewing the third movie in the Jurassic Park franchise with extra special returning guest and actual star of the film: Dr. Andrew Kinkella! He takes us behind the scenes of his breakout role as “Lecture Attendee #231” and reveals why he gave up his film aspirations to pursue a much more practical career in archaeology.
Today we’re reviewing the third movie in the Jurassic Park franchise with extra special returning guest and actual star of the film: Dr. Andrew Kinkella! He takes us behind the scenes of his breakout role as “Lecture Attendee #231” and reveals why he gave up his film aspirations to pursue a much more practical career in archaeology.
Listen to Dr. Andrew Kinkella on the Pseudo-Archaeology Podcast
Kinkella Teaches Archaeology on YouTube
Win some SotSA Merch! Send your mistakes, inaccuracies, and corrections to us by email or social media:
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In this episode:
Episode 82: It’s About Time S01E01 (1966)
Ross is away today but undergrad student Zach Hoorman is filling in to help us review the first episode of It’s About Time (1966), a sitcom from the creator of Gilligan’s Island about two astronauts who accidentally “break the time barrier” and find themselves stranded one million years in the past. There’s not much real palaeoanthropology to talk about in this episode, so instead Josh does a poor job of explaining Einstein’s theory of special relativity.
Ross is away today but undergrad student Zach Hoorman is filling in to help us review the first episode of It’s About Time (1966), a sitcom from the creator of Gilligan’s Island about two astronauts who accidentally “break the time barrier” and find themselves stranded one million years in the past. There’s not much real palaeoanthropology to talk about in this episode, so instead Josh does a poor job of explaining Einstein’s theory of special relativity.
Win some SotSA Merch! Send your mistakes, inaccuracies, and corrections to us by email or social media:
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Email: screensofthestoneage@gmail.com
In this episode:
Episode 81: Firebringer (2016)
Firebringer (2016) is a musical play about the discovery of fire by a tribe of polyamourous, matriarchal ancient humans. They also invent stone tools, art, hunting—they pretty much hit all the classic caveman tropes, and even subvert some of them. The only problem is... it’s a musical.
Firebringer (2016) is a musical play about the discovery of fire by a tribe of polyamourous, matriarchal ancient humans. They also invent stone tools, art, hunting—they pretty much hit all the classic caveman tropes, and even subvert some of them. The only problem is... it’s a musical.
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In this episode:
Episode 80: Evolution (2001)
Evolution (2001) is a star-studded soft-disclosure propaganda film masquerading as a shampoo commercial intended to prepare us for extraterrestrial butt stuff. I think? I mean it doesn’t seem to know what evolution is. In this episode we discuss organic chemistry, asexual reproduction, and Lamarckism, and also firetrucks for some reason.
Evolution (2001) is a star-studded soft-disclosure propaganda film masquerading as a shampoo commercial intended to prepare us for extraterrestrial butt stuff. I think? I mean it doesn’t seem to know what evolution is. In this episode we discuss organic chemistry, asexual reproduction, and Lamarckism, and also firetrucks for some reason.
Win some SotSA Merch! Send your mistakes, inaccuracies, and corrections to us by email or social media:
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In this episode:
Episode 79: Adam and Eve Meet the Cannibals (1983)
Adam and Eve (Bingo!) Meet the Cannibals (Bingo!) tell the story of two blond (Bingo!) early humans who are banished from their home (Bingo!) and go on a rambling journey (Bingo!) where they encounter dinosaurs (Bingo!) and several tribes of cave people. Of course, everyone will be familiar with the plot because it’s a loose adaptation of the famous story, The Quest for Fire. What’s that? “Bible”? “Genesis”? Never heard of it.
Adam and Eve (Bingo!) Meet the Cannibals (Bingo!) tells the story of two blond (Bingo!) early humans who are banished from their home (Bingo!) and go on a rambling journey (Bingo!) where they encounter dinosaurs (Bingo!) and several tribes of cave people. Of course, everyone will be familiar with the plot because it’s a loose adaptation of the famous story, The Quest for Fire. What’s that? “Bible”? “Genesis”? Never heard of it.
Win some SotSA Merch! Send your mistakes, inaccuracies, and corrections to us by email or social media:
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In this episode:
Episode 78: Cavemen S01E01 Her Embarrassed of Caveman (2007)
If you were watching American TV in 2004, then you remember the Geico caveman commercials. What you might not remember is that they spun off a sitcom: Cavemen (2007), starring Nick Kroll, was cancelled after only six episodes and is considered one of the worst TV series of all time. But how does it hold up to scientific scrutiny? Find out on today’s episode, where we do the research the screenwriters didn’t!
If you were watching American TV in 2004, then you remember the Geico caveman commercials. What you might not remember is that they spun off a sitcom: Cavemen (2007), starring Nick Kroll, was cancelled after only six episodes and is considered one of the worst TV series of all time. But how does it hold up to scientific scrutiny? Find out on today’s episode, where we do the research the screenwriters didn’t!
Win some SotSA Merch! Send your mistakes, inaccuracies, and corrections to us by email or social media:
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In this episode:
Episode 77: JRE #2136 Graham Hancock and Flint Dibble (2024)
It finally happened! Archaeologist Flint Dibble faced-off against pseudoarchaeologist Graham Hancock on the Joe Rogan Experience, so we’ve invited Dr. Andrew Kinkella to help us break down this four-and-a-half-hour-long podcast episode! Was there an advanced civilization before the Younger Dryas? Find out once and for all in this episode!
It finally happened! Archaeologist Flint Dibble faced-off against pseudoarchaeologist Graham Hancock on the Joe Rogan Experience, so we’ve invited Dr. Andrew Kinkella to help us break down this four-and-a-half-hour-long podcast episode! Was there an advanced civilization before the Younger Dryas? Find out once and for all in this episode!
Listen to Dr. Andrew Kinkella on the Pseudo-Archaeology Podcast: https://www.archaeologypodcastnetwork.com/pseudo
Kinkella Teaches Archaeology on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@KinkellaTeachesArchaeology
Win some SotSA Merch! Send your mistakes, inaccuracies, and corrections to us by email or social media:
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Email: screensofthestoneage@gmail.com
In this episode:
Episode 76: Evolution’s Child (1999)
Today we’re reviewing Evolution’s Child (1999), a made-for-TV movie in which a woman is accidentally impregnated by sperm from an Ötzi-inspired ice mummy, and ultimately gives birth to a child with magical bronze age powers—and one fatal weakness. We talk ancient diseases, DNA contamination, and genetic memory, and Ross reassures us that this probably won’t happen at your local IVF clinic.
Today we’re reviewing Evolution’s Child (1999), a made-for-TV movie in which a woman is accidentally impregnated by sperm from an Ötzi-inspired ice mummy, and ultimately gives birth to a child with magical bronze age powers—and one fatal weakness. We talk ancient diseases, DNA contamination, and genetic memory, and Ross reassures us that this probably won’t happen at your local IVF clinic.
Win some SotSA Merch! Send your mistakes, inaccuracies, and corrections to us by email or social media:
Twitter: @SotSA_Podcast
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Email: screensofthestoneage@gmail.com
In this episode:
Episode 75: Out of Darkness (2022)
We rarely the get change to review a newly released caveman movie, so we’re really excited about Out of Darkness (2022), the story of Upper Palaeolithic modern humans venturing into Europe for the first time, and encountering a mysterious enemy. What could it be? Well if you’ve kept up with the field of palaeoanthropology over the last twenty or thirty years, it’s probably exactly what you expect!
We rarely the get change to review a newly released caveman movie, so we’re really excited about Out of Darkness (2022), the story of Upper Palaeolithic modern humans venturing into Europe for the first time, and encountering a mysterious enemy. What could it be? Well if you’ve kept up with the field of palaeoanthropology over the last twenty or thirty years, it’s probably exactly what you expect!
Win some SotSA Merch! Send your mistakes, inaccuracies, and corrections to us by email or social media:
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Email: screensofthestoneage@gmail.com
In this episode:
Homo sapiens reached the higher latitudes of Europe by 45,000 years ago
David Bock does our graphic design; check out his amazing work!
Episode 74: Star Trek: TNG S06E20 The Chase (1993)
Today we’re travelling to the 24th century to discover humans’ earliest ancestors in The Chase, a 1993 episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation, in which Captain Picard gets a chance to follow the road not taken and fulfill his dream of being an archaeologist. We talk pottery, ancient DNA, and linear progressive evolution.
Today we’re travelling to the 24th century to discover humans’ earliest ancestors in The Chase, a 1993 episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation, in which Captain Picard gets a chance to follow the road not taken and fulfill his dream of being an archaeologist. We talk pottery, ancient DNA, and linear progressive evolution.
Win some SotSA Merch! Send your mistakes, inaccuracies, and corrections to us by email or social media:
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In this episode:
Episode 73: The Beast from the Beginning of Time (1965)
The Beast from the Beginning of Time (1965) is a story we’ve seen many times: archaeologists find a caveman who wakes up and kills everyone. It doesn’t have the camp of Trog, or the star power of Horror Express, or the quotable lines of The Neanderthal Man, or the catchy surf-rock tunes of Eegah, or the budget of Neander-Jin... Well, enjoy the episode.
The Beast from the Beginning of Time (1965) is a story we’ve seen many times: archaeologists find a caveman who wakes up and kills everyone. It doesn’t have the camp of Trog, or the star power of Horror Express, or the quotable lines of The Neanderthal Man, or the catchy surf-rock tunes of Eegah, or the budget of Neander-Jin... Well, enjoy the episode.
Win some SotSA Merch! Send your mistakes, inaccuracies, and corrections to us by email or social media:
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In this episode:
Episode 72: Beasts of the Southern Wild (2012)
Beasts of the Southern Wild (2012) tells the story of Hushpuppy, a young girl living with her daddy in the Louisiana bayou, adapting to a changing world: her father is dying, the climate is warming, and prehistoric beasts are returning from the ice to haunt her. Aurochs, the titular beasts, were real Pleistocene animals – although the movie takes some artistic liberties. It’s a wonderful movie with many layers, but the only one we’re really qualified to dissect is the evolution of cows.
Beasts of the Southern Wild (2012) tells the story of Hushpuppy, a young girl living with her daddy in the Louisiana bayou, adapting to a changing world: her father is dying, the climate is warming, and prehistoric beasts are returning from the ice to haunt her. Aurochs, the titular beasts, were real Pleistocene animals – although the movie takes some artistic liberties. It’s a wonderful movie with many layers, but the only one we’re really qualified to dissect is the evolution of cows.
Win some SotSA Merch! Send your mistakes, inaccuracies, and corrections to us by email or social media:
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In this episode:
Episode 71: Music Videos
Today we’re diving into the music industry and reviewing seven stone age music videos: from Pearl Jam to Wu-Tang Clan, from folk to metal, musicians seem to love the ancient past. We explore the intersection of art and science, the way every generation projects their own ideals onto the past, and the disturbing amount of sperm in these videos!
Today we’re diving into the music industry and reviewing seven stone age music videos: from Pearl Jam to Wu-Tang Clan, from folk to metal, musicians seem to love the ancient past. We explore the intersection of art and science, the way every generation projects their own ideals onto the past, and the disturbing amount of sperm in these videos!
Featured music videos:
Fatboy Slim – Right Here, Right Now (1998)
Pearl Jam – Do the Evolution (1998)
Stoner Kings – Cro Magnon (2019)
Wu-Tang Clan – Gravel Pit (2000)
Josh Ritter – The Curse (2010)
Caroline Polachek – Welcome To My Island (2023)
Hotlegs – Neanderthal Man (1970)
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In this episode: