Episode 1: Who are we? What it means to be human

Blazing the Trail is a five-episode podcast that takes you on an epic journey investigating our shared story of human evolution. From our earliest ancestors in Africa to the global spread of Homo sapiens, each episode dives into the complex interplay of biological, environmental, and social factors that have shaped our species. In conversation with a range of internationally renowned archaeologists, paleoanthropologists, linguists, and specialists this podcast series hosted by Dr. Amy Mosig Way, from the University of Sydney and the Australian Museum, highlights key milestones in our human journey such as the development of tools, mastering fire, the creation of language, and our capacity for migration and adaptation.

Blazing the Trail is a joint production between the University of Sydney, Australian Museum, University of Liverpool, UK, and the University of Wroclaw and BreakThru Productions in Poland. 

• Presented and cowritten by Dr Amy Way, Australian Museum and University of Sydney
• Sound editing by Peter Adams, Media Producer, School of Humanities, University of Sydney
• Sound design and mixing by Michal Jankowski, BreakThru Productions, Poland
• Music by: Eric Wainaina, Tim Arinaitwe and Vini Ngugi and music mixed by: Mbogua Mbugua Mbugua
• Scripts and production, Madeline Robinson University of Sydney
• Producer Hugh Welchman, BreakThru Productions
• Production by Kacper Romaniuk, Dr Monika Folkierska-Zukowska, Adam Mytnik, BreakThru Productions
• PR & Marketing, Aneta Jablonska, BreakThru Productions
• Podcast design & promo materials, Michal Janicki, Lucja Madziar & Katia Kaliada

With special thanks to Professor Keith Dobney for conceptualisation and Dr Lucy Timbrell for input in design and content.

The podcast was made possible by a grant from the Tom Austen Brown bequest, Archaeology, University of Sydney, and supplemented by a AHRC targeted funding grant awarded to Dr Lucy Trimbell, and a discretionary grant by Professor Przemysław Wiszewski, University of Wrocław.