This Old Rag, Part II
Don’t let this model fool you. She did not pick this old rag off a rack at Walmart’s. This garment was unveiled in 2022 at the...
This Old Rag, Part I
Lucia Antonia was wearing a peplos when she fell to her death. The peplos was a long tube with the top edge folded down about halfway, so...
The Song of the Sirens
Do you remember when Odysseus sailed past the island of the Sirens? Using their music—one played the cithara, the second sang, and the...
Hair Removal In Ancient Rome
In Ancient Rome, shaving was not only a passion, but it had a cultural significance. A young Roman’s first shave was a “coming into...
Let's Celebrate
Miriam tells us in “The Revenge” how she and Phoebe celebrated the Vernal Equinox: We were in the Flamingo’s Tongue about to peruse the...
Indian Cotton
Ancient Greek and Roman texts make references to Indian cotton. It was initially described as a tree that grew wool; some ancient...
Forensic Autopsies
Autopsies to study anatomy were performed in Alexandria at least as early as the third century BCE. But the first report of a forensic...
Sidle up to a Stranger, But Make Sure Your Coin Purse is Secure
In The Deadliest Lie, Miriam spots her brother sitting at a table behind a tankard of henket, steamy hunks of cardamom bread, and skewers...
Torsion: An Ancient Method For Producing Olive Oil
How old is the torsion method? It is depicted on various Egyptian wall paintings, the earliest known example going back almost 5000...
Forensic Dentistry In Miriam's Time
The word forensics, the techniques used to detect the commission of a crime, is related to the word “forum” because the Romans tried...