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Adrienne Mayor

@amayor.bsky.social

Historian of Ancient Science & Human Curiosity, author of Mythopedia Flying Snakes Gods and Robots The Amazons Poison King First Fossil Hunters Fossil Legends Greek Fire Poison Arrows

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Adrienne Mayor@amayor.bsky.social · last mo.

my essay about the artist Adrian Villar Rojas's exhibition "First Gods, Lost Animals" at Aspen art Museum, opening July 2026 aspenartmuseum.org/art-and-idea...

Memories of Futures Past: The Artist as Geomythographer | Aspen Art Museum

Aspen Art Museum is an artist-founded institution dedicated to supporting artists in the development of bold ideas to shape our museum and the field of art today. We are both a platform and a place, h...

aspenartmuseum.org

Adrienne Mayor@amayor.bsky.social · 3mo ago

How did Native Americans explain the fossils of long extinct creatures? David Yorke imagines the discovery of a fossil dinosaur "Fossil Legends of the First Americans" describes discoveries and interpretations

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Adrienne Mayor@amayor.bsky.social · 4mo ago

How did Plains Indians explain and use fossils of long-extinct animals? Delighted to be cited in this fine article www.distinctlymontana.com/buffalo-call...

Buffalo Calling Stones, Stinging, and Medicine Bundles: Fossil Legends of the Native Americans of the Plains

The war between the Thunder Birds and the Water Monsters involved ranged warfare; they fired missiles at one another which the Sioux called kangi tame, or the blackened remains of lightning bolts.

distinctlymontana.com

RM@dorsalstream.bsky.social · 4mo ago

The horse op-ed is an instant classic. I can't tell you how much joy this piece gives me. It should be taught in every introductory writing class in no small part because the horse arguments are so compelling. "I have noticed that human children get to eat cake. But I am bigger than the children."

I Work Very Hard, And I Would Like To Try Cake By A Horse Hello. I am a horse. I work very hard at my job of being a horse. When humans say move the heavy thing, I move the heavy thing. When humans sit on top of me and pull on my head, I carry them where they want to go. The main food the humans give me is hay and oats. But I am thinking it would be nice to have a different food. I am thinking I would like to try cake. Yes, yes. Cake. I know all about it. When humans eat cake, it is in glad times. It is the food for a celebration, such as when a woman becomes 47. I have seen cake on the Fourth of July. When humans have a cake, they stand around it and clap hands and smile and say happy birthday at each other. Sometimes there are beautiful markings on a cake, such as balloons or a pink shape. Sometimes the top of a cake is on fire and a boy must blow on the fire with mouth wind. This is the scariest cake. I do not want this kind. But I will eat any other cake. Any cake that is not the fire cake that tries to kill the boy. Please understand: I do not get money for doing work. I do not get to go inside the house. All I am either doing my horse job or standing in my pen or eating food off the floor. I always do these things. But I have never once gotten cake and I would like it very much. I have noticed that human children get to eat cake. But I am bigger than the children. I am more helpful to the farm. Children do not move the heavy things like me or let anyone ride on them. And yet they get cake. Maybe the humans will realize this. Maybe they will say, "You know who deserves cake? That horse. That horse whose back we are always on." Every day I dream about what it will be like if I get to eat cake. Here is what will happen. First, I will walk to the cake and putt my nose at it like hrrfff to make and stomping my hooves to make sure it is not a snake. Then I will trot in a circle to show that I am a horse and I am large. After that, I will nuzzle the cake to …
Robert Frost@rfrost1.bsky.social · 5mo ago

Having recently exchanged thoughts about criticism over human remains in UK collections, I hope this is not where we are heading (though there are some quite concerning parts about S Asian 1980s human remains trading, used to create part of this). Governance (or lack of it) is an issue here.

Adrienne Mayor@amayor.bsky.social · 5mo ago

Ridiculous "repatriation" of a popular educational artwork at University of Tennessee Serious misuse of NAGPRA The Centaur of Volos by William Willers socialstigma.substack.com/p/the-centau...