email the show at - open@cookedandcuriouspod.com

Two medieval Italian city-states. Decades of political and territorial beef. Thousands of soldiers. One very questionable wooden bucket.

In 1325, Bologna and Modena went to war in what became known as the War of the Oaken Bucket. The popular story makes it sound pretty damn simple: Modena stole a bucket, Bologna wanted it back, and shit escalated until people were dying.

But… was that actually what happened?

In this episode, we travel back to 14th-century Italy to figure out what was really going on between Bologna and Modena, why their rivalry became so violent, what happened at the bloody Battle of Zappolino, and how a seemingly worthless wooden bucket became one of the most famous trophies in medieval history.

Because sometimes the story we remember is a hell of a lot simpler than the history that actually happened.

And yes… we will be saying the word bucket an absolutely unnecessary number of times.

Welcome to Cooked & Curious.

email the show at open@cookedandcuriouspod.com

What if nearly 300 years of history… never happened?

In our first episode of Cooked & Curious, we’re diving into the Phantom Time Hypothesis — the controversial idea that roughly 297 years, were fabricated and inserted into our timeline.

German historian Heribert Illig argued that the early Middle Ages may not have happened the way we’ve been taught. Charlemagne, Otto III, Pope Sylvester II, the calendar, medieval architecture, historical documents, and even the year 1000 all become pieces of one hell of a historical puzzle.

But here’s the question:

Could you actually fake 300 years of history?

We’ll tell the story, break down the theory, look at the evidence, and then put it to the test using trees, radiocarbon dating, astronomical observations, Chinese and Islamic records, archaeology, coins, and more.

Was Illig onto something?

Or did he fall a little too far down the rabbit hole?

You decide.

Welcome to Cooked & Curious — where we tell the story, question it, and figure out where the evidence actually takes us.

come find out what this show is all about!