Healing the Womb: Uterine Amulets in the Roman World
| When | Friday, January 16, 2026 from 3:00 PM - 4:00 PM |
|---|---|
| Where | Hatcher Gallery Event Space Hatcher Library North, First Floor, Room 100 View building informationView floor plan |
| Event type | Lecture/Discussion |
Anna Bonnell Freidin, U-M associate professor of history, talks about a class of largely hematite and red jasper amulets known as "uterine amulets," contextualizing them in the daily lives of Roman women. The university holds one of the most extensive collections of uterine amulets in the world, and a diverse selection are highlighted in the exhibit Materia Magica: Materiality and Ritual in the Greco-Roman World.
Freidin's expertise centers around gender, daily life, and science and medicine in the Roman empire. Her 2024 monograph, "Birthing Romans: Childbearing and Its Risks in Imperial Rome," examines how pregnancy and childbirth were understood, experienced, and managed in ancient Rome during the first three centuries of the Common Era. Materiality and the multisensory are key features of her dynamic and innovative scholarship.
Red jasper evil-averting amulet, Roman period, date unknown, depicting a Gorgon head with snakes, and a triple-bodied Hecate wielding weapons.
Share
Library contact
Pablo Alvarez · pabloalv@umich.edu
Library events are free and open to the public, and we are committed to making them accessible to attendees. If you anticipate needing accommodations to participate, please notify the listed contact with as much notice as possible.