Not What You Thought You Knew Podcast
1) The Sacred Band of Thebes
An army of lovers seems like something from ancient myth but the story of the Sacred Band of Thebes is based on reality. This elite fighting force of the Theban army played a crucial role in ending Sp...Show More
2) Olaudah Equiano and the British Abolitionist Movement
Olaudah Equiano's autobiography The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano was one of the very first slave narratives that spawned a popular literary genre. However, while relatively fam...Show More
3) A Tribute to Olaudah Equiano
While Dr Fern Riddell takes a week off before we bring the final two episodes of the series, we have a special teaser for our penultimate episode.The BBC's Calypsonian-in-Residence Alexander D Great r...Show More
4) Allan Noel Minns the WW1 Officer and Son of Britain's First Black Mayor
Allan Noel Minns, son of Dr Allan Glaisyer Minns, Britain's first Black mayor when elected mayor of Thetford in 1904, served in the British Army as a medical officer during the First World War.To find...Show More
5) The Ivory Bangle Lady and Roman Britain
What does the archaeological evidence tell us about the Ivory Bangle Lady, a wealthy woman who died in 4th Century York, and what do her grave goods tell us about material culture in the African diasp...Show More
6) The First Black British Football Heroes
Uncovering the story of our pioneering Black British footballers, finding out what we can learn from their experiences, and their long history in The Beautiful Game.Dr Fern Riddell speaks to The Voice...Show More
7) The Night Witches and the Fighting Women of the Soviet Union
The Night Witches were the feared, all-female military aviators of the 588th Night Bomber Regiment. Yet the Night Witches weren't the only Soviet women on the front-line during the Second World War. W...Show More
8) The Chevalier d'Éon and Gender Nonconformity
Soldier, diplomat, spy and fencing champion: the Chevalier d'Éon lived an extraordinary life. But on top of that they are also an important figure for the understanding of gender diversity throughout ...Show More
9) Inghen Ruaidh, the Birka Grave and Viking Warrior Women
We touch on the mythology behind Viking shield-maidens, what we do know about Viking warrior women and how we need to address bias in archaeology.Dr Fern Riddell discusses the legend of Inghen Ruaidh ...Show More
10) Dr Fern Riddell returns with a brand new series sponsored by Ancestry
Hosted by historian, author and broadcaster Dr Fern Riddell, Not What You Thought You Knew explores some unexpected stories of remarkable characters from history revealing why they’re so important for...Show More