Shows
Women Who Went BeforeThe Pee Test: Pregnancy and Childbirth in Ancient EgyptDr. Ada Nifosì tells us about the gymnastics of ancient Egyptian birth, why Egyptian women ate donkey balls and their cats ate penis cakes, and why the god Seth should be avoided at all costs.Childbirth was a scary time for women, and that desire for safety and comfort is reflected in their stories about their gods. The most important goddess, Isis, was enshrined in Egyptian mythology as giving birth in dangerous circumstances. Women turned to amulets, charms, midwives and wise women, their families, for assurance.Access transcript and episode show notes: www.womenwhowentbefore.com/epi...2024-12-1956 min
Coffee and Circuses22: Ada Nifosi (University of Kent)Ada joins David to discuss her new book, Becoming a Woman and Mother in Greco-Roman Egypt. She chats about attitudes towards menstruation, marriage, and unwanted children, and the changes that occurred in these (or didn't) from Pharonic to Greco-Roman Egypt. Ada also reflects on how excavating at Fayum in Egypt led her to focus on this topic (despite the scorpions), the importance of interdisciplinary approaches, and how she was pleasantly surprised by the massive reaction when she set up the Facebook group 'Women in Antiquity'.Ada Nifosi is a Lecturer in Ancient History at the University of...2019-04-0543 min