CIRHR Events: Childbirth and Communities of Care in Ancient Rome | Labour and Humanities Seminar

How did Romans mitigate the risks of childbirth? This talk will explore the communities that supported and protected birthing people and their offspring. A material approach can help us build out these communities: amulets (whether made of stone, plants, or something else) will be our primary focus, as they brought together (sometimes unlikely) people and nonhuman agencies, ultimately revealing a hierarchical, networked approach to managing uncertainty and performing the labor of care.