Have you ever wondered if the ancient Greeks and Romans had serial killers living among them? In this post, Dr. Debbie Felton of UMass Amherst discusses research from her forthcoming book project on serial murderers in the ancient world. We might be bombarded by TV shows about murderers, but we know comparatively little about their existence in the distant past – read on for some creepy (yet illuminating) facts!
Monthly Archives: October 2020
Video #6: Dr. Sabrina C. Higgins Talks about Women and the Cult of Saint Thecla
In this instalment of the Peopling the Past Video Series, Dr. Sabrina Higgins, an Assistant Professor at Simon Fraser University, discusses her research on the art of Saint Thecla, a popular early Christian saint, and the ways in which ancient women used her imagery to assert agency through their artistic choices.
Podcast Season 1, Episode 8 – Extreme Home Makeover, Ancient Greece Edition: Bronze Age Houses with Rebecca Worsham
On this episode of the Peopling the Past Podcast, we are joined by Dr. Rebecca Worsham, an Assistant Professor at Smith College in the Department of Classical Languages and Literatures.
Follow along, as we talk about houses in the Greek Bronze Age and the ways in which they were used and renovated to meet the changing needs of their occupants.
Blog Post #6: What Were Celtic Dragons? And Some Eerie Holiday Traditions with Antone Minard
Where do dragons really come from? In this post, Antone Minard of UBC discusses the origins of the Celtic dragon, and ends with a very unusual holiday tradition (just in time for Halloween!).
Video #5: Melissa Funke talks about Theatrical Performance and Mime
In the fifth instalment of our video series, Dr. Melissa Funke discusses theatre and mime in the ancient Mediterranean, including theatrical performance and staging, actors and mime characters, and the role of mime as a form of popular culture in diverse communities.
Podcast Season 1, Episode 7 – No Bones about it: Climate Change in the Ancient World with Flint Dibble
On this week’s episode of the Peopling the Past Podcast, we hear from Dr. Flint Dibble, Lecturer in the Department of Classical Studies at Dartmouth College.
Join us, as Dr. Dibble discusses his work on zooarchaeology and climate change in the Iron Age.
Blog Post #5: “To Make Sacred”: Human Sacrifice in the Ancient World with Megan J. Daniels
In the next of our Halloween-themed blog posts, we examine the widely misunderstood practice of human sacrifice throughout human history!
Video #4: Caroline Arbuckle MacLeod talks about Egyptian Coffins
In the fourth instalment of our video series, Dr. Caroline (Carrie) Arbuckle MacLeod discusses coffins in ancient Egypt, including evidence for the methods of manufacture, the materials used, and what we can learn about the craftspeople who made them.
Podcast Season 1, Episode 6 – The Sound of Music: Art and Ritual with Dr. Carolyn M. Laferrière
On this episode of the Peopling the Past Podcast, we hear from Dr. Carolyn M. Laferrière. Here, she discusses the role of music, art and religious ritual in the context of the Vari Cave, and the ways in which we can use the framework of sensoryscapes to understand how ancient peoples would have experienced this sacred space.
Blog Post #4: I Put a Spell on You with Christine L. Johnston
In this next scare-tacular blog post we examine curses in the Ancient Mediterranean. From mummies and tomb curses to spurned lovers and romantic rivals, curses could be used to harm and to protect.
Peopling the Past 