Quite Frankly Ep. 7: Battle for Truth: Greed & Deception in Modern Archeology ft. Michael Collins

Badlands Media

In this eye-opening episode of Quite Frankly, host Frankie Val welcomes investigative explorer Michael Collins for a deep dive into the dark side of archaeology and the hidden truths beneath the world's most ancient sites. Known for his work at Gobekli Tepe and other megalithic wonders, Collins exposes how tourism-driven interests, government contracts, and academic gatekeeping are eroding historical integrity.

The discussion centers on Gobekli Tepe, the 12,000-year-old site in Turkey that remains 90% unexcavated despite its revolutionary implications for human history. Collins reveals how trees with destructive root systems, steel infrastructure, and staged reconstructions threaten the site’s authenticity, and how truth-seekers like himself face smear campaigns from institutional archaeologists simply for asking the wrong questions.

Frank and Michael cover controversial sites like the Yonaguni Monument, share behind-the-scenes footage of cement-and-plaster reconstructions at sacred sites, and call out the billion-dollar “heritage tourism” industry that prioritizes spectacle over science. With humor, humility, and hard evidence, they explore why the most important discoveries today are being made not by academia, but by independent explorers with drones, LIDAR, and a passion for the past.

This episode isn’t just a history lesson, it’s a call to action for curiosity, truth, and preserving the wisdom of our ancestors before it’s buried forever.