Ancient Gum, Prehistoric Baby Bottles and Lullabies

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.