Adrienne Mayor facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Adrienne Mayor
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Adrienne Mayor in 2019
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| Born | April 22, 1946 |
| Nationality | American |
| Occupation | Historian |
| Employer | Stanford University |
Adrienne Mayor (born on April 22, 1946) is a special kind of historian. She studies ancient science and old stories, also known as folklore.
Mayor focuses on how people in ancient times understood the world around them. She looks at how they explained natural events before modern science existed. These explanations often turned into myths, legends, and popular beliefs.
Her research into old fossil discoveries is very interesting. She explores how ancient people might have seen dinosaur bones or other fossils. These discoveries could have inspired stories about dragons or giants! This field of study is called geomythology.
One of Mayor's books, Greek Fire, Poison Arrows, & the Scorpion Bombs, explores how ancient people used special weapons. It shows the early history of things like poison arrows and other clever, sometimes dangerous, tactics.
Contents
About Adrienne Mayor's Work
Studying Ancient Mysteries
Adrienne Mayor has written many books and articles. Her work covers a wide range of fascinating topics from ancient times. She has explored the history of robot-like machines, known as automatons. She also writes about the legendary Amazons, who were fierce women warriors.
Mayor's research also includes unusual topics like toxic honey and ancient tattoos. She has looked into old stories about diseases and even how people might have been poisoned by special clothing in ancient India.
Connecting Myths and Science
Many of Mayor's writings connect ancient myths with scientific discoveries. For example, she has written about how fossil finds might have led to legends about mythical creatures. She also explores how ancient places got their names based on these fossil stories.
Her books, The First Fossil Hunters and Fossil Legends of the First Americans, have been highly praised. They show how ancient people made sense of the world using the clues they found, like fossils.
Sharing Her Discoveries
Mayor's books have been translated into many languages, including French, German, and Japanese. Her work has also been featured in documentaries on channels like the History Channel and the BBC.
She has given talks at famous museums, such as the American Museum of Natural History. She has also been interviewed on radio shows, sharing her amazing discoveries with a wide audience.
Awards and Recognition
In 2009, her book The Poison King was a finalist for the National Book Award. This book tells the story of Mithradates VI Eupator, a powerful ancient king known for his knowledge of poisons.
From 2011 to 2017, Mayor regularly wrote for a science history website called Wonders and Marvels.
Exploring Artificial Life
More recently, in 2018 and 2019, Mayor was a special researcher at Stanford University. Her research focused on why humans have always wanted to create artificial life. This includes everything from today's artificial intelligence to the animated statues found in ancient myths.
Her latest book, Gods and Robots: Myths, Machines, and Ancient Dreams of Technology, shares the results of this research. It explores how ancient people dreamed of technology and machines, much like we do today.
Books by Adrienne Mayor
- The First Fossil Hunters: Paleontology in Greek and Roman Times (2000; revised 2011) — ISBN: 0-691-08977-9
- Greek Fire, Poison Arrows & Scorpion Bombs: Biological and Chemical Warfare in the Ancient World (2003; revised 2022) — ISBN: 1-58567-348-X
- Fossil Legends of the First Americans (2005) — ISBN: 0-691-11345-9
- The Poison King: The Life and Legend of Mithradates, Rome's Deadliest Enemy (2009) ISBN: 978-0-691-12683-8
- The Griffin and the Dinosaur: How Adrienne Mayor Discovered a Fascinating Link between Myth and Science, with Marc Aronson (2014) ISBN: 978-1-4263-1108-6
- Gods and Robots: Myths, Machines, and Ancient Dreams of Technology (2018) — ISBN: 978-0-691-18351-0
- Flying Snakes & Griffin Claws: And Other Classical Myths, Historical Oddities, and Scientific Curiosities (2022)
