The Past Macabre

• The Hungry Ghost Festival: From Ancient China to Modern Celebrations Around the World - Ep 21

  Many different cultures from China and Southeast Asia honor the dead on the 15th day of the seventh lunar month during the Hungry Ghost Festival, also known as Zhongyuan in Daoism and Yulanpen or Ullambana in Mahayana Buddhism. In this episode, we’ll trace the origins of ancestor worship to ancient Shang Dynasty Oracle Bones, or “Dragon Bones,” which were used to inscribe petitions to ancestral spirits and hold the earliest evidence of Chinese writing. Then we’ll explore how regional variations of those ancient beliefs blended with the Buddhist Ulambana Sutra (or Mulian Rescues His Mother from Hell), Daoist visions of the afterlife, and Confucian teachings on filial responsibility. Over time, these influences eventually gave rise to the Hungry Ghost Festival which has continued to evolve into modern celebrations that weave together ancient traditions and modern lifestyles to honor both personal ancestors and members of the community lost in historical tragedies.TranscriptsFor transcripts of this episode head over to: https://archpodnet.com/tpm/21LinksSee photos related to episode topics on InstagramLoving the macabre lore? Treat your host to a coffee!Learn More About Chinese History with the China History PodcastLos Angeles Hungry Ghost Festival 2025Video: Taiwan’s “Ghost Grappling”Video: Mulian Saves His Mother Performance at Kiew Lee Tong Temple in SingaporeAcademic SourcesCampany, Robert F. 1991. Ghosts Matter: The Culture of Ghosts in Six Dynasties Zhiguai. Chinese Literature: Essays, Articles, Reviews (CLEAR) 13:15.Chan, Selina Ching. 2023. Unequal Inscriptions of the Hungry Ghosts (Yulan) Festival Celebrations as Intangible Cultural Heritage in Hong Kong. China Perspectives(132):49–59.Deutsch, Lauren W. Chinese Joss Paper Offerings.Liu, Jingyu. 2020. The Unimpeded Passage: The Making of Universal Salvation Rites and Buddho-Daoist Interactions in Medieval China.Shirin, Shakinah. 2021. Past and Present Rituals of Hungry Ghost Festival. Intercultural Communication.Zhao, Yin. Indian Cultural Elements on the Ullambana Festival.ArchPodNetAPN Website: https://www.archpodnet.comAPN on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/archpodnetAPN on Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/archpodnetAPN on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/archpodnetAPN ShopAffiliatesMotion

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• The Wag Festival: Ancient Egypt's Summertime Celebration for the Dead - Ep 20

  The Wag Festival is one of the oldest named celebrations in Ancient Egypt, a summertime rite honoring both the death of Osiris and the memory of departed loved ones. Each year, the living gathered to share feasts with the dead with offerings of bread, beer, and beef to sustain them in the afterlife. In this episode, we’ll explore the festival’s connection to the Osiris Myth and uncover its traces in the archaeological record, from tomb reliefs and inscribed stone offering tables to the very first Pyramid Texts in the tomb of Unas. Along the way, you’ll hear about some of the specific foods and offerings that graced these ancient tables.TranscriptsFor transcripts of this episode head over to: https://archpodnet.com/tpm/20Links and SourcesSee photos related to episode topics on InstagramLoving the macabre lore? Treat your host to a coffee!More information about the Pyramid Texts including a map of the walls of the Pyramid of Unas, resources to study more Pyramid Texts, and a complete translation of the Pyramid TextsIsis and Osiris by Plutarch free English translationRecipe for Eish Baladi (Egyptian pita)Emelʹjanov, Vladimir Vladimirovič (editor). 2021. Temporal Concepts and Perception of Time in the Ancient Orient: Proceedings of the Workshop “Calendar Festivals of the Ancient Orient” Held in St. Petersburg 20th-21th November 2020. St. Petersburg Centre for Oriental Studies Publishers, St. Petersburg.Gautschy, Rita, Michael E Habicht, Francesco M Galassi, Daniela Rutica, Frank J Rühli, and Rainer Hannig. 2017. A New Astronomically Based Chronological Model for the Egyptian Old Kingdom. Journal of Egyptian History.Hafez, Hayam, and Dalia Mohamed. 2025. An Offering Basin of Mr-Sw-Anx No. 519/1234. مجلة کلية الآثار . جامعة القاهرة 18(28):165–200.Kahl, Jochem. 2022. Manuscripts and Monuments: The Ten Contracts of Djefai-Hapi and Economies of Knowledge. Manuscript and Text Cultures (MTC) 1:83–111.Lappin, David F. Illahun Lunar Texts and the Astronomical Dating of the 12th Dynasty.Puchkov, Alexander. 2024. Sothic Dating of the Egyptian Old Kingdom. The World of the Orient 2024.Romanova, Olena. 2014. “Inscriptions from the Tomb of Metjen in the Context of Egyptian (Auto)-Biographies and Social History of the Beginning of IV Dynasty”, in Ukrainsky Istorichny Zbirnyk 2010 (Ukrainian Historical Collection). Vol. 17. Kyiv, 2014 17:6–33.Soleiman, Saleh. 2017. The Inscribed Lintel of Ptahshepses at Saqqara. The Journal of Egyptian Archaeology 103(1):103–116.Spalinger A. (2013), "Further Thoughts on the Feast of WAgj", Études et Travaux, T. XXVI, pp. 616-24.ArchPodNetAPN Website: https://www.archpodnet.comAPN on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/archpodnetAPN on Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/archpodnetAPN on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/archpodnetAPN ShopAffiliatesMotion

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• Murray Cook on Stirling's Archaeology: From the Last of the Free Caledonians to the Scottish Wars of Independence and the World Wars - Ep 19

  Dr. Murray Cook is an archaeologist, author, co-founder and co-director of a field school, and Honorable Research Fellow at Stirling University. His research focuses on the area around Stirling, Scotland and its expansive history.There are Neolithic stone circles, Bronze Age burials, late Iron Age sites that offer a glimpse of life just before the Romans arrived, and artifacts that mark the Roman presence itself.Stirling Castle, built in the 12th century, became the most used royal residence in Scotland for centuries. It is the site where William Wallace defeated the English at the Battle of Stirling Bridge, and where Robert the Bruce claimed victory at the Battle of Bannockburn during the First War of Scottish Independence. The royals of the House of Stewart lived here for generations, including Mary, Queen of Scots. Nearby lie medieval and historic cemeteries with burials of both the famous and the infamous.In this episode, Dr. Cook discusses his research that spans all of Stirling’s history, the benefits of slowing archaeological research down to focus on a single area, the importance of telling the stories of humanity’s shared past, and the vital role of public outreach in securing the future of archaeology.TranscriptsFor transcripts of this episode head over to: https://archpodnet.com/tpm/19LinksStirling Archaeology SubstackMurray Cook’s Author Bio and Links to BooksRampart Scotland Field School - Open to All!See photos related to episode topics on InstagramLoving the macabre lore? Treat your host to a coffee!ArchPodNetAPN Website: https://www.archpodnet.comAPN on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/archpodnetAPN on Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/archpodnetAPN on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/archpodnetAPN ShopAffiliatesMotion

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• The Archaeology of Boudica pt 2: Roman Occupation and Evidence of Her Revolution - Ep 18

  In the second part of a two-episode series, The Past Macabre continues the story of one of history’s most iconic figures of resistance: Boudica. After decades of uneasy alliances and Roman expansion, the fragile peace in Britain shattered—leading to one of the most famous rebellions the Roman Empire ever faced.In this episode, we'll look at archaeological clues that bring us closer to the truth behind the queen with no known tomb and the rebellion that nearly changed the course of Britain’s history. Explore the evidence of scorched buildings, desecrated temples, and buried Roman treasure hoards that reveal the growing unrest that led to Boudica's Revolt that left cities like Londinium (London) and Camulodunum (Colchester) in ruins.LinksSee photos related to episode topics on InstagramLoving the macabre lore? Treat your host to a coffee!University of Warwick Teaching Resources - BoudicaColchester Archaeological Trust on the treasure hoard found under a department storeFree English Translation of The Agricola by TacitusFree English translation of Roman History by Cassius DioArchPodNetAPN Website: https://www.archpodnet.comAPN on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/archpodnetAPN on Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/archpodnetAPN on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/archpodnetAPN ShopAffiliatesMotion

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• The Archaeology of Boudica pt 1: Late Iron Age Britain and the Iceni - Ep 17

  In this first of a two-part series, The Past Macabre travels back to Late Iron Age Britain before the Roman conquest to explore the world that shaped one of history’s most famous warrior queens: Boudica. Her story has been told many times for nearly two millennia, but what is the truth behind the Celtic warrior queen who stood against Rome? Uncover the archaeology of her tribe the Iceni, from sacred sites, workshops, and homesteads. We’ll explore the first contacts between Rome and Britain as early as the 2nd century BCE to Caesar’s failed invasion in 54 BCE and the uneasy alliances that turned native leaders into Roman client-kings. Then we'll look at how growing disunity amongst the Celts paved the way for Emperor Claudius' invasion in 43 CE.Learn about the hoards of treasure, settlements, burials, and hillforts found across England and what they can tell us about the world Boudica was born into at a time of rapid social, economic, and political change.TranscriptsFor transcripts of this episode head over to: https://archpodnet.com/tpm/17LinksSee photos related to episode topics on InstagramLoving the macabre lore? Treat your host to a coffee!University of Warwick Teaching Resources - BoudicaEast Anglian Archaeology Report on Excavations in Thetford 1980–82New Discovery of Horse Gear Hoard in North YorkshireExperimental Archaeology Video: What did Iron Age women wear?ArchPodNetAPN Website: https://www.archpodnet.comAPN on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/archpodnetAPN on Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/archpodnetAPN on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/archpodnetAPN ShopAffiliatesMotion

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