She had me at “besotted.” In the introduction to her latest book—How to Mellify a Corpse and Other Human Stories of Ancient Science and Superstition—historian Vicki León describes herself as being “besotted” with ancient history. I totally relate. Being besotted means that not only are you blown away by the beauty, wisdom and even genius of the object of your affection, … [Read more...] about Book Review: A Book After My Own Heart
On Stupid Heroes
The kids at Camp Half-Blood at Little Shop of Stories (based on Rick Riordan’s Lightning Thief) yesterday loved it when I told them that Hercules (Heracles) wasn’t the swiftest boat in the fleet.They cracked up when they heard about the time Heracles got so irritated at the sun that he tried to shoot it out of the sky with his bow and arrow. Or that when the waves got out of … [Read more...] about On Stupid Heroes
The Pallor of Ancient Slaves
When we Americans think of slavery, we think of the heinous history of abuse perpetrated onto the peoples of West Africa during the 16th through 19th centuriesBut in the ancient world, the majority of slaves were not African, but European.Few came from Africa at all. Why? Because slaves came from the regions Rome conquered and Rome never ventured further into Africa than Egypt … [Read more...] about The Pallor of Ancient Slaves
The Ancients where ‘Whizzes’ at Bleaching Teeth
The earliest Egyptians cleaned their teeth with powdered ox hooves, myrrh, eggshells and pumice. How they applied such a yummy mix of flavors and textures to their teeth is unknown. Ancient Romans scrubbed their choppers with a toothpaste made of rock salt and nettle (a variety which the Romans used to polish glass). They probably threw in a fragrant flower or two to make … [Read more...] about The Ancients where ‘Whizzes’ at Bleaching Teeth
Mummies, Coffins and Kids
At Egypt camp last week, we quieted 33 loud and rambunctious kids—aged 9-13—everyday with a single phrase: “Let me tell you a story.” Even the older ones, those on the cusp of being “way too cool” for such things, stopped to listen. My friend Diane Capriola, awesome owner of LITTLE SHOP OF STORIES in Decatur, and I ran the camp based on Rick Riordan’s latest book, THE RED … [Read more...] about Mummies, Coffins and Kids
