#100s bce

Gold hairnet, Ptolemaic, 225-175 BCE

Zhang Xiaoniang (11th century), was a Chinese physician. She is known as one of the famous four female physicians in Chinese history, along with Yi Jia of Western Han dynasty, Gu Bao of the Jin dynasty and Tan Yunxian, who was active during the Ming dynasty. She was active during the reign of Emperor Renzong of Song.

Yi Jia (Yi Xu, 2nd century BC), was a Chinese physician. She is known as one of the famous four female physicians in Chinese history, along with Zhang Xiaoniang of Northern Song dynasty, Gu Bao of the Jin dynasty and Tan Yunxian, who was active during the Ming dynasty. She was active during the reign of Emperor Wu of Han.

Diadem, Ptolemaic, 225-175 BCE

Gold, glass paste, bone or pearl, garnet, cornelian, and moonstone

Gold and garnet pendant amphora and chain with tripod stand, Greek, 125-100 BCE

Bronze statuette of Aphrodite, a variant of the Aphrodite of Knidos by Praxiteles, Greek, 150-100 BCE

Gold beads in the shape of cowrie shells, Ptolemaic, 225-175 BCE

“The Public Voice of Women”

Mary Beard writes about gender, speech, and the depiction of the sound of women’s voices from Homer’s time until now. “I want to start very near the beginning of the tradition of Western literature, and its first recorded example of a man telling a woman to ‘shut up’; telling her that her voice was not to be heard in public. I’m thinking of a moment immortalised at the start of the Odyssey.”