Adrienne Mayor

Visiting Scholar

Email: mayor@stanford.edu
Office: Building 110, Room 111G
Mailcode: 2145

Adrienne Mayor is an independent folklorist/historian of ancient 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 opened a new field within geomythology, and her book on the origins of biological weapons uncovered the ancient roots of biochemical warfare. She's active in classical folklore, and is also a Visiting Scholar in the History and Philosophy of Science and Technology Program. Mayor's work has been featured on NPR and BBC, the History Channel, and other popular media, most recently 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 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.