Adrienne Mayor

Visting Scholar, Classics and History of Science
Classics Department, Building 20 Main Quad
Stanford University
Stanford, CA 94305

Tel (650) 324-3219
Fax (650) 725-3801
mayor@stanford.edu
photo of A Mayor

Background and Current Research

Adrienne Mayor is an independent folklorist/historian of science who investigates natural knowledge contained in pre-scientific myths and oral traditions. Her research looks at ancient "folk science" precursors, alternatives, and parallels to modern scientific methods. Mayor's two books on pre-Darwinian fossil traditions in classical antiquity and in Native America have opened up a new field within geomythology, and her book on the origins of biological weapons uncovered the ancient roots of biochemical warfare. Mayor is active in classical folklore, and is also a Visiting Scholar in Classics. Her research has been featured on NPR and BBC, the History Channel, and other popular media, most recently in the New York Times and National Geographic; her books are translated into Spanish, Japanese, Chinese, Korean, Hungarian, Polish, and Modern Greek. For fun: the History Channel's "Ancient Monster Hunters" is based on Mayor's first book, and popular novelists frequently draw on her findings, for example, Helen of Troy and Memoirs of Cleopatra by Margaret George; The Gryphon's Skull by H. Turteltraub; Dark Fire by C.J. Sansom; and Brad Thor's thriller Blowback. Current project: the life and legend of Mithridates, scourge of Rome and the world's first experimental toxicologist.

Books

The Poison King: Mithridates VI of Pontus, in progress, under contract for Princeton University Press.
Fossil Legends of the First Americans. Princeton University Press, 2005.
Greek Fire, Poison Arrows & Scorpion Bombs: Biological and Chemical Warfare in the Ancient World. Overlook Press, 2003.
The First Fossil Hunters: Paleontology in Greek and Roman Times. Princeton University Press, 2000.

Selected Articles

"Place Names Describing Fossils in Oral Traditions." 2007. Myth and Geology, ed. B. Masse and L. Piccardi. London: Geological Society, 273, 245-261.
"Fossielenfolklore en wetenschap." 2006. Intro, Dino's en draken: Fossilien in mythen en volksgeloof, ed. B. Sliggers. Haarlem: Teylers Museum. Catalogue, "Myth & Fossils" Exhibit, based on Mayor's work.
"Tales from the Badlands," Natural History 114 (May 2005): 56-61.
"Ancient WMDs." Archaeology Odyssey (March/April 2005): 26-31, 48-50.
"Ancient References to the Fossils in the Land of Pythagoras." With N. Solounias. Earth Sciences History (2005).
"Toxicology and Ancient Warfare." In Encyclopedia of Toxicology, 2nd ed. Oxford: Elsevier, 2005.
"Geomythology." In Encyclopedia of Geology. Oxford: Elsevier, 2004. 4,000 words.
The Folklore of Footprints in Stone: From Classical Antiquity to the Present." With W.A.S. Sarjeant. Ichnos 8, no.1 (2001): 143-63.
"Killer Khilats: Legends of Poisoned Robes of Honour in India. Parts 1" & "Killer Khilats, Part 2: Imperial Collecting of Poison Dress Legends in India." With M. Maskiell. Folklore 112 (2001): 23-45, 163-82.
"The 'Monster of Troy' Vase: The Earliest Artistic Record of a Vertebrate Fossil Discovery?" Oxford Journal of Archaeology 19 (2000): 57-63.
"Bibliography of Classical Folklore Scholarship: Myths, Legends, & Popular Beliefs of Ancient Greece & Rome." Folklore 111 (2000): 123-38.
"People Illustrated: Tattooing in Antiquity." Archaeology (March-April 1999): 54-57.
"Dirty Tricks in Ancient Warfare." MHQ: Quarterly Journal of Military History 2 (Autumn 1997):32-37.
"Fiery Finery [Burning Cloaks in Greek Myth]." Archaeology (March-April 1997):54-58.
"The Nessus Shirt in the New World: Smallpox Blankets in History and Legend." Journal of American Folklore 108 (1995): 54-77.
"Mad Honey! [Toxic honey]" Archaeology (November-December 1995): 32-40.
"Libation Titillation: Wine Goblets and Women's Breasts", Studies in Popular Culture, XVI:2 April 1994.
"Ambiguous Guardians: The Omen of the Wolves (AD 402) and the Choking Doberman (1980s)." Journal of Folklore Research 29 (1992):253-68