Peopling the Past

Chelsea A.M. Gardner, Carolyn Laferrière, Melissa Funke
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Peopling the Past Podcast

Join host Dr. Chelsea Gardner and co-hosts Dr. Carolyn Laferièrre and Dr. Melissa Funke for a journey through under-explored aspects of archaeology, history, and everyday life in the ancient Mediterranean. Every week we feature an expert whose cutting-edge research sheds light on the real people who lived in ancient Greece, Rome, Egypt, and beyond. Follow us on Twitter @peoplingthepast with the #peoplingpodcast, on Instagram and Facebook @peoplingthepast, and on our website peoplingthepast.com.

  1. How do you Solve a Problem like Cleopatra? : Shelley Haley and the last Egyptian Pharoah

    19 MAR

    How do you Solve a Problem like Cleopatra? : Shelley Haley and the last Egyptian Pharoah

    For the final episode of our season on women in the ancient Mediterranean, we feature the most famous woman in antiquity: Cleopatra! Dr. Shelley Haley joins Chelsea and Melissa to untangle the image of Cleopatra as a seductive manipulator and to challenge assumptions, misconceptions, and preconceived notions about her persona and reign. Listen in as Dr. Haley talks about Cleopatra as an African ruler and unpacks the sensationalized narratives about this talented and canny Egyptian pharoah. Come for the Plutarch, stay for the Beyonce!

    46 min
  2. These Boots were Made for Walking: Women's Mobility and Migration in the Roman Empire with Marie-Adeline Le Guennec

    04/04/2023

    These Boots were Made for Walking: Women's Mobility and Migration in the Roman Empire with Marie-Adeline Le Guennec

    Travel, displacement, religious pilgrimage - these are just some of the motivations for ancient migration, but how and why did people move from one place to another in antiquity? This week, Chelsea and Melissa are joined by Dr. Marie-Adeline Le Guennec, a historian of Roman mobility and migration. Listen in as Dr. Le Guennec talks about the ways in which women moved around the Roman Empire, the few sources that document this movement, and how modern scholars examine issues of mobility in the Roman world. We guarantee: this episode will really move you!

    28 min
  3. (Not so) Risky Business: the Potential Perils of Childbirth in ancient Rome with Anna Bonnell Freidin

    21/03/2023

    (Not so) Risky Business: the Potential Perils of Childbirth in ancient Rome with Anna Bonnell Freidin

    In today's episode, Dr. Anna Bonnell Freidin joins Melissa and Chelsea to talk about risk, pregnancy, and childbirth in the ancient Roman empire. Listen in as we discuss the definitions of risk in various contexts, how women's lives were affected by risks associated with pregnancy, childbearing, and delivery, and how the concept of communities of care might link us to people who lived long ago. This episode discusses infant and maternal death, so might not be appropriate for our youngest listeners.

    35 min
  4. Not a Puella, Not Yet a Femina: Roman Girlhood with Lauren Caldwell

    07/03/2023

    Not a Puella, Not Yet a Femina: Roman Girlhood with Lauren Caldwell

    Ah, youth! We are all familiar with that mysterious and formative period of life between childhood and adulthood, but how did the ancient Romans describe this time of transition? In this episode, social historian Dr. Lauren Caldwell joins Chelsea and Melissa to talk about aspects of Roman "girlhood" and the difficult transition to "womanhood". Listen in, as we dive into ancient Latin medical and legal texts to learn how the ancient Romans grappled with puberty and the various changes that took place in the female body that differentiated girls (puellae) from the women (feminae) they would become.

    35 min
  5. Do Not Afflict the Widow: the Women of Ancient Nubia with Jacke Phillips

    21/02/2023

    Do Not Afflict the Widow: the Women of Ancient Nubia with Jacke Phillips

    We're celebrating Black History and African Heritage month with a very special episode on the women of ancient Nubia! Join Chelsea and Melissa as they welcome Dr. Jacke Phillips, an expert in Nubian history and archaeology, to the show. In this episode, we discuss women in ancient Nubia, from rulers and royals to the lives of everyday women. Listen in as Dr. Phillips introduces a variety of evidence, including graves, tattoos, statues, and historical sources. You'll also learn the origin of the name "Candace"! Don't miss this very special episode on a fascinating region of the ancient world.

    26 min
  6. Beyond the Bare Bones: Women in the Osteological Record with Efthymia Nikita

    07/02/2023

    Beyond the Bare Bones: Women in the Osteological Record with Efthymia Nikita

    What better way to understand the real lives of everyday folk in the ancient Mediterranean than to look at the bones of the people themselves? On this episode, Chelsea and Melissa welcome Dr. Efthymia Nikita, a bioarchaeologist who studies the  surviving skeletal remains of ancient humans. Dr. Nikita shares her research and explains how bones can provide crucial information for understanding how people in the past lived, not just how they died. Join us as Dr. Nikita explores the way in which skeletal remains of ancient women can shed light on their mobility, sickness, diet, societal roles, and more!

    33 min
  7. Portrait of a Lady: Discovering Seianti with Judith Swaddling

    28/06/2022

    Portrait of a Lady: Discovering Seianti with Judith Swaddling

    Countless faces of real people survive in ancient portraiture, but how often do we know their names, or anything about their lives? In this episode, Dr. Judith Swaddling joins Melissa and Chelsea to talk about Seianti Hanunia Tlesnasa, an Etruscan woman who lived over 2000 years ago in Italy. Seianti is an incredible person to get to know, since we have a full-sized portrait of her lying atop her sarcophagus, as well as the physical remains of her skeleton. Listen in as Dr. Swaddling reveals the layers of Seianti's past and discusses the limits to how much we can actually know about any one person from the ancient Mediterranean world.

    31 min
  8. Nevertheless, She Persisted: Boudicca and Imperial Resistance with Caitlin Gillespie

    21/06/2022

    Nevertheless, She Persisted: Boudicca and Imperial Resistance with Caitlin Gillespie

    What can we say about Boudicca, one of the most famous women from the ancient world? Who was she, and was she even real? Why is she still so important to us today?  Listen in as Dr. Caitlin Gillespie joins Chelsea and Melissa to discuss what we (think we) know about this powerful resistance fighter and how her actions against the imperial Roman army still resonate with modern women in the 21st century.

    32 min
See All (37)

Trailers

About

Join host Dr. Chelsea Gardner and co-hosts Dr. Carolyn Laferièrre and Dr. Melissa Funke for a journey through under-explored aspects of archaeology, history, and everyday life in the ancient Mediterranean. Every week we feature an expert whose cutting-edge research sheds light on the real people who lived in ancient Greece, Rome, Egypt, and beyond. Follow us on Twitter @peoplingthepast with the #peoplingpodcast, on Instagram and Facebook @peoplingthepast, and on our website peoplingthepast.com.

Information

  • Creator
    Chelsea A.M. Gardner, Carolyn Laferrière, Melissa Funke
  • Years Active
    2020 - 2024
  • Episodes
    37
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Chelsea Gardner, Carolyn Laferrière, Melissa Funke
  • Show Website
    Peopling the Past

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