The ancient world was full of wonders.
Engineering marvels like the Great Wall of China and Stonehenge. Remarkable peoples like the Aztecs, the Romans and the Mongols. Infamous leaders such as Cleopatra, Julius Caesar and Herod the Great. Inventors, explorers, builders, pioneers and philosophers who shaped the world we live in today.
Welcome to Ancient Civilisations - the podcast that takes you back in time to discover the ancient world, one story at a time.
A Noiser production, narrated by Paul McGann and John Hopkins.
As featured on Short History Of... and Real Dictators.
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No part of this podcast may be used or reproduced in any manner for the purpose of training artificial intelligence technologies or systems. In accordance with Article 4(3) of the DSM Directive 2019/790, Noiser Ltd expressly reserves this work from the text and data mining exception.
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The Silk Roads
Season 2 Β· Episode 41
Thursday, April 16, 2026 β’ Duration 56:21
From the deserts of Central Asia to the gates of ancient China, from the bazaars of Persia to the harbours of the Mediterranean, the Silk Roads were never just one route. A living network of paths, mountain passes, and caravan trails, they carried not only silk and spices, but stories, beliefs, technologies, and ideas that would reshape entire civilisations. For more than a thousand years, they connected worlds that might otherwise never have met, and, in doing so, transformed them. The Silk Roads have witnessed empires rise and crumble, faiths spread and evolve, and cultures meet, merge, and create anew.
Β
But what drove people to risk their lives travelling them? How did they impact the disparate worlds they joined together? And why, even today, do the Silk Roads still matter?
This is a Short History Of The Silk Roads.
A Noiser podcast production. Hosted by John Hopkins. With thanks to Peter Frankopan, Professor of Global History at Oxford University, and author of The Silk Roads.
Written by Sean Coleman | Produced by Kate Simants | Production Assistant: Chris McDonald | Exec produced by Katrina Hughes | Sound supervisor: Tom Pink | Sound design by Oliver Sanders | Assembly edit by Anisha Deva | Compositions by Oliver Baines, Dorry Macaulay, Tom Pink | Mix & mastering: Cody Reynolds-Shaw
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The Stone Age
Season 2 Β· Episode 40
Thursday, April 9, 2026 β’ Duration 56:19
The Stone Age is the foundational period of human history, stretching from roughly 3 million to 5,000 years ago, and accounting for over 99% of humanityβs time on earth. Itβs the era when modern humans evolved and migrated out of Africa to populate the globe, developed language and the ability to make tools, and learned to farm crops and domesticate animals.
But what do we really know about the way our Stone Age relatives lived? What role did the shifting climate play in their evolution? And how are our ancestors reflected in our bodies, lifestyles and communities today?
This is a Short History Of The Stone Age.Β
A Noiser Production, written by Emmie Rose Price-Goodfellow. With thanks to Dr James Dilley, founder of AncientCraft, an organisation teaching prehistoric skills and techniques at universities and museums across the world.
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Shroud of Turin
Season 2 Β· Episode 39
Thursday, April 2, 2026 β’ Duration 55:19
The Shroud of Turin is a length of linen, believed by many to be the burial cloth of Jesus of Nazareth. Its most famous feature is the blurry imprint of a manβs face, which resembles the pictures of Jesus that have passed down to us over the centuries.Β
Revered by millions, the Shroud is the most scientifically studied object in the world, but why does its recorded history only reach back to the 1350s? Where did it go in the intervening centuries? And will we ever be able to prove whether itβs a real relic, or medieval forgery?
This is a Short History Of The Shroud of Turin.
A Noiser Production. Written by Nicola Rayner. With thanks to Nora Creech, a Shroud educator and the leader of Othonia in North America, a church-affiliated organisation dedicated to sharing knowledge about the Shroud of Turin.
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The First Emperor of China
Season 2 Β· Episode 38
Friday, March 27, 2026 β’ Duration 58:19
In the third century BC, China was a land fractured by war - a patchwork of rival kingdoms struggling for dominance. Out of this chaos rose a single, extraordinary figure who would reshape the course of history: Chin Shrr Hwong, the First Emperor of China.
His achievements were monumental, but his reign was marked by ruthlessness, so how did this teenage king rise to power? What drove him to undertake colossal projects like the Great Wall and the Terracotta Army? And how might his obsession with immortality have led to his mysterious death?
This is a Short History Of The First Emperor of China.
A Noiser Production, written by Sean Coleman. With thanks to John Man, author of The Terracotta Army: Chinaβs First Emperor and the Birth of a Nation.Β
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Introducing: Real Vikings - Episode 1
Season 2
Tuesday, March 24, 2026 β’ Duration 54:18
This is a preview of a brand-new show from the Noiser podcast network. Hosted by Iain Glen (Game of Thrones, Silo), Real Vikings takes you on a deep dive into the Viking age.
Youβll board longboats bound for new lands, follow mighty warlords, meet master navigators, and uncover the real figures behind the legends of the sagas.
But we begin on a quiet beach in the south of England, where a cold-blooded murder on the shingle sends shockwaves reverberating throughout Europeβ¦
For more episodes, search βReal Vikingsβ in your podcast app and hit follow. You can listen to Episode 2 straight after this.
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The Egyptian Sphinx
Season 2 Β· Episode 37
Friday, March 20, 2026 β’ Duration 55:33
Measuring 240 feet long from paw to tail, and around the height of a six-story building, the Great Sphinx is one of Egyptβs most spectacular, and mysterious, monuments. Believed to have been built over four millennia ago, much of its story has been lost to history, and the rest is shrouded in myth.
So what do we know about who built it? What caused such an impressive structure to be forgotten for centuries? And how is it being protected today?
This is a Short History Of The Egyptian Sphinx.
A Noiser Production. Written by Nicole Edmunds. With thanks to Salima Ikram, a professor of Egyptology at the American University in Cairo.
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The Trojan War was a time of heroes. From the swift-footed Achilles, and the hot-headed Prince Paris, to the beautiful Queen Helen, and the all-powerful gods, Zeus, Athena, and Aphrodite. In these early days of what we now call Ancient Greece, the story of Troy was already a saga from a bygone age, re-imagined by Homer, and told around the world ever since.
But was any of it true? Did those legendary heroes ever exist? How did Helenβs beauty launch a thousand ships? And could the Greeks really have breached the city walls by hiding inside a giant wooden horse?
This is a Short History Of The Trojan War.
A Noiser Production, written by Jo Furniss. With thanks to Professor Armand DβAngour, a classical scholar at Jesus College, Oxford, and presenter of the podcast Itβs All Greek (And Latin) To Me.
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Constantinople
Season 2 Β· Episode 34
Friday, February 27, 2026 β’ Duration 56:54
From humble beginnings as a modest Greek colony, through its later grandeur as part of the Roman and Ottoman Empire, the city of Constantinople has witnessed centuries of transformation. A melting pot of cultures and religions, it was the bridge between the East and West, where ideas, trade, and people converged.Β
How then, did Mehmed II succeed where so many others had failed? What did the fall of the city in 1453 mean for the next stage of its history? And what other highs, lows, and ruthless ambition did it witness for more than a millennium?
This is a Short History Ofβ¦.Constantinople.
A Noiser production, written by Nicola Rayner. With thanks to Bryan Ward-Perkins, Emeritus Professor of Late Antique History at the University of Oxford, and the author of The Fall of Rome and the End of Civilization. And, Geoffrey Greatrex, professor of Classics at the University of Ottawa.
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The Ancient Olympics
Season 2 Β· Episode 33
Friday, February 20, 2026 β’ Duration 54:36
For nearly 12 centuries, the Ancient Greeks honoured their gods with one of the most famous sporting contests in the world: The Olympic Games. Athletes represented their city states to compete for the glory of the gods, knowing that winning or losing could change the course of their lives. From dangerous martial arts and the perilous chariot race, to sprints and the pentathlon, the Games showcased strength, skill, and stamina.
But why did the Olympic Games first begin? What did the earliest competitions look like? What was it like to take part in a competition with no second place and, in some cases, no rules. And why did the Ancient Games die out for over a thousand years?
This is a Short History Ofβ¦.The Ancient Olympics.
A Noiser production, written by Lindsay Galvin. With thanks to Dr Nigel Spivey, a senior lecturer in Classics, at the University of Cambridge.
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