Did climate change create a mysterious civilization 5,000 years ago? That’s the question we tried to answer in one of this week’s podcasts, and the answer is yes.

The Norte Chico region of Peru is often described as “lunar” — a deserted-looking desert landscape. So when archaeologists found seashells and fish bones, you can imagine why they might be confused. They also found 80-foot stone and dirt structures older than the Egyptian pyramids. Where did they come from?

In 3,000 B.C., El Nino became more frequent, raising the ocean’s temperature and pushing out the cold-water fish Peruvian fisherman lived off of. What’s a hunter-gatherer to do? Move inland.

For more on the people of Norte Chico (and what happened to them in the end), download the podcast for free on iTunes.

Our other podcast was a bit more grisly: the fate of Franklin’s lost expedition. In 1845, Captain John Franklin set off to the Arctic to find the Northwest Passage. He and his crew all perished. What’s more, there was evidence of cannibalism.

Search after search was conducted to figure out their fate: What happened to those men? To find out, listen to the podcast.

And, as always, leave your suggestions in the comments! We’ve got some great podcasts coming up inspired by listener e-mail.

Could the Northwest Passage open for business?
How Cannibalism Works
Did climate change create a mysterious civilization 5,000 years ago?