Before Us artwork

Social Sciences · Erich Fisher and Helen Farr

Before Us

by Erich Fisher and Helen Farr

Every living person can trace their ancestry back to Africa, where modern humans evolved some 300,000 years ago before expanding out of Africa and around the world. Those early humans lived lives filled with emotions and challenges much like people today and their journeys stand as a testament to human intelligence, ingenuity, creativity, and resilience. But, what does the archaeological record tell us about their lives, their successes, their failures, and who we are today? In this podcast, world-recognized experts in maritime and prehistoric archaeology, Dr. Helen Farr and Dr. Erich Fisher, reveal the people and the world that existed “Before Us.” This season, we take a deep dive into the origins and development of Maritime Adaptations, tracing humanity's journey from the earliest interests in aquatic resources to the global expansion of modern humans via oceans, coastlines, and waterways. As the old saying goes, “smooth seas make boring stories” and this season promises to be an auditory adventure around the world and across millennia as told through captivating interviews with leading scholars in fun and down-to-earth discussions. Tune in weekly for new episodes on your favorite podcast app. 

Latest episodes

Showing 17 · updated from the feed

Before Us Season 2 Trailer!

Click here to send us a message! A new season of Before Us premieres Tuesday, September 29, 2026! Join us as we  as we explore the remarkable human story behind the worl

Sep 8
4 min

Special Preview of Before Us Kids! Out for a stroll at White Sands

Click here to send us a message! Imagine taking a walk with Columbian mammoths, giant sloths, lions, sabre-tooth tigers, camels and loads of other animals? Sounds crazy,

Jun 18 2025
21 min

Special Preview of Before Us Kids! Red-headed Neanderthals?

Click here to send us a message! In this hair-larious episode, Dr. Erich chats with Jake and Colton all about red hair, genetics, and some super cool things we might’ve

Jun 9 2025
17 min

Special Preview of Before Us Kids! Woolly Mice?

Click here to send us a message! In this episode, Dr. Erich and Colton dive into a wild idea—bringing back the woolly mammoth! How are scientists doing it? Believe it or

Jun 2 2025
17 min

Going with the Flow

Click here to send us a message! There is unambiguous agreement that early humans had to cross open water when they traveled from Sundaland to Sahul before 40,000 years

Apr 22 2025
30 min

Water you waiting for?

Click here to send us a message! Sea levels rise and fall in response to complex planetary drivers, including shifts in polar ice caps, land masses, and other factors. U

Apr 15 2025
22 min

Helen talks the ACROSS Project

Click here to send us a message! In this episode, we speak with Before Us co-host Helen Farr about her European Research Council project, Australasian Colonisation Resea

Apr 8 2025
20 min

Hooked from the start

Click here to send us a message! The rapid dispersal of modern humans across Wallacea to modern day Australia not only required boat technology for long-distance sea tra

Apr 1 2025
38 min

Before Us+ Erich answers some of our fan mail

Click here to send us a message! In this special bonus episode, Erich answers some of the fantastic questions that we've received from listeners around the world. I

Mar 25 2025
20 min

Living large yet so small

Click here to send us a message! The discovery of Homo floresiensis and Homo luzonensis in SE Asia raises big questions about what happened to some early populations of

Mar 18 2025
31 min

Not just wanderers, also wonderers

Click here to send us a message! Why did humans migrate out of Africa? This question has long puzzled archaeologists. Were they driven by unknown pressures, drawn by opp

Mar 11 2025
26 min

In deep time, in deeper waters

Click here to send us a message! Sea levels have risen and fallen repeatedly over the last 2 million years. During low sea levels, large tracts of land were exposed alon

Mar 4 2025
29 min

Waves of Change

Click here to send us a message! Around 170,000 years ago people living in sea caves on South Africa’s south coast were repeatedly collecting and eating shellfish from t

Feb 25 2025
28 min

The Omega-th wonder of the world

Click here to send us a message! Have you ever wondered how aquatic foods shaped human evolution? In this episode, we dive into the fascinating role of seafood in our de

Feb 18 2025
26 min

Flame-kissed fins

Click here to send us a message! Homo erectus is widely believed to be the first human species to leave Africa, expanding into parts of Europe and Asia. They were also t

Feb 11 2025
23 min

Head over heels for aquatic environments

Click here to send us a message! Archaeology tells the story of people, yet identifying individuals in the archaeological record remains notoriously challenging. In this

Feb 4 2025
32 min

Before Us Season 1 Trailer

Click here to send us a message! Get read for a new podcast that digs deep into big issues in archaeology and human evolution. In this season, archaeologists Helen Farr

Dec 12 2024
2 min

Chart trend

Position in the Social Sciences chart (US), last 90 days.

#29
all-time peak
8
days in the top 50 since Dec 2024

Chart positions

Where Before Us ranks today in each Apple Podcasts chart (US, Sep 23, 2026).

#116 NEW Social Sciences US

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