I have been interested in sensory history for a long time now, so the chance to read aloud this article by Miriam Kolar on the archaeoacoustics of Chavin de Huantar, a UNESCO site in the Peruvian Andes, is exciting. In the article, the interplay between ritual, musical instruments, and architecture is explored in order to reconstruct the experience…

"Abstract: The Antikythera Mechanism is a fragmentarily preserved Hellenistic astronomical machine with bronze gearwheels, made about the second century B.C. In 2005, new data were gathered leading to considerably enhanced knowledge of its functions and the inscriptions on its exterior. However, much of the front of the instrument has remained unce…

Area of the Cloaca Maxima later repaired under Domitian.This week we dive into the major sewer of Rome, the Cloaca Maxima, and attempt to dispel some preconceived notions surrounding it---namely that it always served as Rome's sewer. An article by John N.N. Hopkins explores the topography of early Rome during the regal period--the period of the kin…

Detail of a snail-and-fruit basket from a 4th century mosaic in Basilica Patriarcale in Aquileia. (wikimedia commons)Kristina finally jumps in to read her own article, Food for Rome, on the podcast thanks to permission from the journal publisher, Elsevier. This is an article that benefits from tables and figures, so do click through to the article …

Hematite magic scarab gem with a "uroborus" serpent. Protective gem. (1st century CE, Roman Egypt)Today we delve into the world of magic! Nicola Mureddu discusses first Roman and then early Christian perceptions of magic in this article, and delves into the key powers, beliefs, and figures in both systems. Of special concern is Simon Magus--Simon t…

In this episode, Sarah reads two open-access palaeopathology articles. Simona Minozzi, Federica Bianchi, Walter Pantano, Paola Catalano, Davide Caramella and Gino Fornaciari, (2013) "A Case of Gout from Imperial Rome (1st-2nd century AD)." J Clin Res Bioeth 4:4. Abstract: The study of pathological alterations in ancient skeletal remains may contrib…

This podcast ventures into the exciting realm of digital humanities by taking a look at the aims and methods of the HESTIA Project! We will read Elton Barker (Principal Investigator), Stefan Bouzarovski (Co-Investigator), Chris Pelling (Co-Investigator) and Leif Isaksen (ICT Consultant)'s 2010 article, "Mapping an ancient historian in a digital age…

David Rohrbacher (NCF) is a prominent scholar of late antique historiography. In this important article, he weighs in on the sources of the (in)famous Historia Augusta. If you like this article, I would try his excellent book, Historians of Late Antiquity. "Abstract: The first step toward unravelling the mysteries of the late Roman biographicalcoll…

Few who work with the Theodosian Code are unfamiliar with Clyde Pharr's (Vanderbilt University) massive 1952 translation (Princeton University Press) of the legal work. Prof. Linda Jones Hall writes eloquently about the women--in particular Dr. Theresa Davidson--who contributed to the translation of the Theodosian Code, and the personal feuds and g…

In this episode, Sarah Bond reads: Scarborough, John. 2013.Theodora, Aetius of Amida, and Procopius: Some Possible Connections. 53 (2013) 742–762. Greek, Roman, and Byzantine Studies Link to article: http://grbs.library.duke.edu/article/view/14791. Link to podcast: http://www.uwf.edu/kkillgrove/ClassicsPodcast_1.mp3…

This is a podcast of audio versions of ancient studies journal articles and book reviews. Conceived by Sarah Bond, an ancient historian at Marquette University, and Kristina Killgrove, a bioarchaeologist at the University of West Florida, this podcast will bring interdisciplinary research to your earbuds on a weekly basis. Our goal is to increase t…