Tea-Break Archaeology

The Archaeology Podcast Network

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In their own words

The world is full of incredible archaeological sites, inspiring historic figures, and breathtaking ancient artefacts. But what about those everyday objects that have become so essential to our daily life that we don't even notice them any more? In this podcast, professional archaeologist and journalist Dr Matilda Siebrecht explores the deep history and archaeological origins of the most familiar objects and crafts, sometimes enlisting the help of an expert guest speaker to really dig into the topic. Ever wanted to find out the history of the simple notebook? What the ancient equivalent of a computer was? When we started using...

As heard by us

Based on 6 episodes we listened to · September 2026

Material evidence becomes a lesson in historical judgment as Matilda Siebrecht tests what archaeologists can know, reconstruct and responsibly infer.

Tea-Break Archaeology begins with an object and lets its physical evidence set the questions. Host Matilda Siebrecht and her archaeologist guests work outward from surviving material, considering preservation, reconstruction and the limits of interpretation before proposing what…

Read our full review in PlayNext →

Why you'd press play

Two dirt balls in a Viking hoard, and suddenly your tea break has a mystery.

Press play if you want

  • to hear Matilda Siebrecht ask how much guesswork goes into reading ancient tattoos
  • to follow tiny marks that might distinguish a flint drill from an antler one
Read the full recommendation in PlayNext →

Talks about

Best episodes of Tea-Break Archaeology

Short reviews from the PlayNext desk, based on the episodes we processed.

Let's take a break - Ep 35Dec 10, 2024

A candid pause that doubles as a warm origin story for the show.

Episode 35 reads less like a standard object profile and more like a small window into how Tea Break Time Travel took shape. Dr. Matilda Siebrecht steps back to trace the show's beginnings, from early planning and short social reels to a podcast format, while also noting that…

My name is Oss, you bent my sword, prepare to die! - Ep 32Oct 22, 2024

A bent sword becomes a sharp lesson in craft and archaeological interpretation.

A bent sword could read like a joke at first, but this episode stays with the object and does the slower work of explanation. Dr. Matilda Ziebrecht and Dr.

A bundle of Viking Age text-speak - Ep 28Aug 27, 2024

A Viking hoard becomes a close look at preservation, personal objects, and two small dirt balls.

Tea Break Time Travel treats a Viking hoard as something more intimate than a pile of silver and gold. The object that matters most is the lidded vessel inside it, wrapped in three layers of textiles and turned upside down so dirt would not trickle in.

The earliest miniature influencers - Ep 24May 28, 2024

A mug chat opens into trade routes, silver depletion, and the afterlife of ancient objects.

Tea Break Time Travel starts with tea and a jewellery-themed mug, then follows a conversation about jewellery history, Central Asia, and dirhams moving through Scandinavia.

The 1999 classic starring Brendan Fraser... - Ep 23Apr 23, 2024

A warm, conversational look at mummies, pyramids, and the practical work of keeping ancient remains stable.

Tea, pyramids, and mummified bodies give the episode a grounded, approachable shape as Matilda Ziebrecht and Jessica van Domm move from conserving fragile remains to bigger questions about what pyramids were for and whether some burials were later re-interred.

Humans like decorating things - Ep 21Feb 27, 2024

A close look at reading tattoos, symbols, and uncertainty from preserved skin.

Episode 21 treats a tea-break conversation as a close look at how archaeological judgment is made around tattoos and related marks on preserved bodies.

Archaeological Methods: Experimental Archaeology - Ep 45

Making things becomes a way to understand how objects come to be.

Tea Break Archaeology offers a thoughtful case for experimental archaeology as a way of learning through making rather than only reading. The host's return to crafting gives the episode a grounded, practical shape, and the discussion widens from there into the limits, choices,…

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Episodes

  1. 1

    Gladiator training with Svenja Fabian (part 1) - Ep 46

    Hidden gem

    Tea-Break Archaeology episode 46 features Matilda Siebrecht talking with Svenja Fabian about gladiatorial reenactment, female gladiators, and the training choices that shaped ancient fighting roles.

    ·33m·2 clips
  2. 2

    The Road to Olmec - Ep 30

    Hidden gem

    Matilda Ziebrecht hosts archaeologist, conservator, and science communicator Raven Todd De Silva on Tea Break Time Travel episode 30, starting with Raven’s path from ancient Egypt to the Neolithic Southwest Asia.

    ·49m·3 clips
  3. 3

    Microwear Analysis with APN Host Dr. Matilda Siebrecht - Ep 26

    Hidden gem

    Matilda Siebrecht, host of Tea Break Time Travel, joins Archaeology Podcast Network hosts Chris and Rachel while she is on holiday on Norderney, Germany, and explains why she is currently 'savouring an ice cream' instead of tea.

    ·52m·3 clips
  4. 4

    How to date an archaeologist: Thermoluminescence Dating - Ep 31

    Hidden gem

    Tea-Break Archaeology episode 31 is a solo training session with Dr.

    ·27m·1 clip
  5. 5

    Archaeological Methods: Experimental Archaeology - Ep 45

    Hidden gem

    Tea-Break Archaeology episode 45, hosted by Dr.

    ·36m·2 clips
  6. 6

    The Archaeology of Stone Tools - Ep 42

    Hidden gem

    Dr.

    ·34m·2 clips
  7. 7

    It's all fun and games - Ep 34

    Hidden gem

    Tea-Break Time Travel episode 34 with Dr.

    ·58m·4 clips
  8. 8

    Gladiator training with Svenja Fabian (part 2) - Ep 47

    Hidden gem

    Tea-Break Archaeology episode 47 with Svenja Fabian focuses on ancient Roman gladiatorial training, including a Roman source, Vigetius, and the use of a two-meter palus pole for thrust practice.

    ·33m·2 clips
  9. 9

    Lascaux Cave: the original tattoo studio - Ep 20

    Hidden gem

    Matilda Ziebrecht uses episode 20 of Tea Break Time Travel as a tea-break conversation about tattooing as archaeology.

    ·58m·3 clips
  10. 10

    It's very exciting! - Ep 25

    Hidden gem

    Matilda Siebrecht marks episode 25 with a chai latte and a solo catch-up.

    ·44m·2 clips
  11. 11

    Pasts and Crafts: Book binding with Alexandra Sebire (part 1) - Ep 38

    Hidden gem

    Tea-Break Archaeology episode 38 features Matilda Siebrecht speaking with Alexandra Sabir, founder of Solemnico, about bookbinding, business consulting, and the creative path that links them.

    ·27m·1 clip
  12. 12

    Archaeology of clothing - Ep 48

    Hidden gem

    Mathilde Siebrecht opens the episode with a late-evening cup of fruity Kaminfeuer tea.

    ·33m·2 clips
  13. 13

    Out of the dark ages and into downward dog - Ep 22

    Orange chai rooibos sets the tone.

    ·57m·3 clips
  14. 14

    Archaeotextiles with Ronja Lau (part 2) - Ep 50

    An interview with a PhD student about her research on textiles from the Duhemberg period, specifically salty clothes.

    Apr 7, 2026·32m
  15. 15

    Archaeotextiles with Ronja Lau (part 1) - Ep 49

    Textile archaeologist Ronja Lau discusses her PhD research on Iron Age textiles from the Dürnberg salt mine in Austria, exploring their preservation, analysis methods, and cultural significance.

    Mar 24, 2026·33m·3 clips
  16. 16

    APN10 bonus recording (part 2) - Ep 44

    Dec 30, 2025·32m·4 clips
  17. 17

    APN10 bonus recording (part 1) - Ep 43

    Dec 16, 2025·32m·2 clips
  18. 18

    The Voynich Manuscript with Dr Lisa Fagin Davis (part 2) - Ep 41

    Matilda Siebrecht continues her conversation with Lisa Fagan-Davis about the Voynich Manuscript.

    Nov 18, 2025·40m·5 clips
  19. 19

    The Voynich Manuscript with Dr Lisa Fagin Davis (part 1) - Ep 40

    Dr.

    Nov 4, 2025·35m·3 clips
  20. 20

    Pasts and Crafts: Book binding with Alexandra Sebire (part 2) - Ep 39

    Oct 21, 2025·26m·3 clips
  21. 21

    The Archaeology of Notebooks - Ep 37

    Hidden gem

    Dr.

    Sep 23, 2025·33m
  22. 22

    Put the kettle on because we're back! - Ep 36

    You can see where someone was holding it in the past.

    Sep 9, 2025·32m·1 clip
  23. 23

    Let's take a break - Ep 35

    Hidden gem

    Dr.

    Dec 10, 2024·47m
  24. 24

    How to date an archaeologist: Stratigraphy - Ep 33

    Hidden gem

    An educational episode of Tea Break Time Travel teaching archaeological stratigraphy—how archaeologists determine relative age through soil layer analysis.

    Nov 12, 2024·28m
  25. 25

    My name is Oss, you bent my sword, prepare to die! - Ep 32

    Dr.

    Oct 22, 2024·58m·1 clip
  26. 26

    How to date an archaeologist: Dendrochronology - Ep 29

    Episode 29 of Tea Break Time Travel explores dendrochronology (tree ring dating), a foundational archaeological methodology.

    Sep 10, 2024·23m
  27. 27

    A bundle of Viking Age text-speak - Ep 28

    Hidden gem

    In this Tea Break Time Travel episode, host Matilda interviews Dr.

    Aug 27, 2024·1h 2m·2 clips
  28. 28

    How to date an archaeologist: Radiocarbon dating - Ep 27

    Aug 13, 2024·31m·5 clips
  29. 29

    The earliest miniature influencers - Ep 24

    Matilda Siebrecht opens with fragrant East Frisian Herb Garden tea and a mug printed with photographs of cameos from ancient Rome and ancient Greece.

    May 28, 2024·46m·5 clips
  30. 30

    The 1999 classic starring Brendan Fraser... - Ep 23

    Matilda Ziebrecht opens episode 23 with a tea break, an easy laugh, and a conversation about mummies.

    Apr 23, 2024·46m·8 clips
  31. 31

    Humans like decorating things - Ep 21

    Matilda opens with chai latte and a relaxed hello.

    Feb 27, 2024·1h 1m·10 clips
  32. 32

    It's got pockets! - Ep 19

    Host Matilda Siebrecht and guest Taya Nakamura discuss tea-drinking cultures and the archaeological origins of everyday objects over a cup of tea.

    Dec 26, 2023·52m
  33. 33

    Medieval Comic Strips - Ep 18

    Host Matilda Siebrecht interviews professional embroiderer Dr.

    Nov 28, 2023·58m
  34. 34

    A load of old balls - Ep 17

    Host Matilda Siebrecht interviews archaeologist Andrew Merian-Jones about the history of tea and tea-drinking habits, blending personal anecdotes with archaeological insights.

    Oct 24, 2023·55m
  35. 35

    All things bright and beautiful - Ep 16

    Host Matilda Siebrecht interviews archaeologist Ronja Lau about ancient textiles, discussing their personal preferences and the archaeology of everyday objects.

    Sep 26, 2023·1h 10m
  36. 36

    Did someone leave the oven on? - Ep 15

    Archaeologist Matilda Siebrecht and guest Femke Reitzma discuss the history of everyday objects over tea, starting with a casual conversation about seasonal teas.

    Aug 22, 2023·1h 6m
  37. 37

    Same but with a twist - Ep 14

    This episode explores the archaeological origins of familiar everyday objects, with a focus on their deep history and cultural significance.

    Jul 25, 2023·1h 10m
  38. 38

    Let the bells ring out across the land - Ep 13

    Jun 27, 2023·57m
  39. 39

    The past was a much quieter place - Ep 12

    May 23, 2023·56m
  40. 40

    All we know is we know nothing - Ep 11

    Apr 25, 2023·1h 15m
  41. 41

    The issues of uneven eyebrows - Ep 10

    Mar 28, 2023·1h 2m
  42. 42

    A stelae by any other name is still a stelae - Ep 9

    Feb 28, 2023·59m
  43. 43

    Preparation is key - Ep 8

    Jan 24, 2023·1h 7m
  44. 44

    Medieval office chairs - Ep 7

    Dec 27, 2022·1h 3m
  45. 45

    Is this a sword I see before me? - Ep 6

    Nov 22, 2022·56m
  46. 46

    Social media bifaces - Ep 5

    Sep 27, 2022·56m
  47. 47

    Not just naked blue barbarians - Ep 4

    Aug 23, 2022·52m
  48. 48

    Forges, fieldwork, and frying pans - Ep 3

    This episode explores the archaeological origins of tea and coffee, with a guest sharing their tea preferences.

    Jul 26, 2022·58m
  49. 49

    A flame from my hearth to yours - Ep 2

    Host Matilda Siebrecht and guest Ashley Airey discuss their tea preferences and introduce the show's theme of exploring the archaeological history of everyday objects.

    Jun 28, 2022·59m
  50. 50

    The soul of the object - Ep 1

    The host and a guest discuss their tea-drinking preferences as an introduction to exploring the archaeological history of everyday objects.

    Jun 28, 2022·52m
  51. 51

    Tea-Break Time Travel - Ep 0

    Jun 14, 2022·2m