What 5,700-year-old Gum Tells us About the People Who Chewed It Guest: Hannes Schroeder, Associate Professor, Archaeology, GLOBE Institute, University of Copenhagen How DNA found in 5,700-year-old chewed birch pitch can reveal the physical appearance and eating habits of ancient people. Prehistoric Sippy Cups Guest: Julie Dunne, Biomolecular Archaeologist, University of Bristol Prehistoric parents used sippy cups in animal shapes, not unlike our plastic versions. Ancient Mesopotamia Speaks Guest: Eckart Frahm, Professor, Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations, Yale University There are striking similarities between our modern lives and those of the Mesopotamians thousands of years ago: they sang lullabies, kept cookbooks, complained about their parents. Lucky for us, they recorded their thoughts on clay tablets, which last a lot longer than paper.  For a look inside “Ancient Mesopotamia Speaks” exhibit at Yale’s Peabody Museum of Natural History, click here. Mummified Animals and Million-Year-Old Hyena Teeth Found Frozen in Canadian Ice Guest: Grant Zazula, Paleontologist, the Government of Yukon Paleontologists from the Yukon Territory in Canada have discovered and identified ancient mummified animals frozen in the ice and the first evidence of million-year-old hyenas living in North America. The Story of a 5,300-year-old Alpine Wanderer Guest: Patrick Hunt, Archaeologist, Stanford University; Expeditions Expert, National Geographic; and Research Associate, Archaeoethnobotany,  Institute for the Ethnomedicine Found half-burried in the Italian Alps, Ötzi the Iceman is among the oldest human beings ever discovered—dating back 5,300 years. Since his initial discovery in 1991, researchers have been piecing together his mysterious life and death. Alpine archaeologist and Ötzi expert, Patrick Hunt, weighs in on his compelling history.