I research and teach cultures and societies of the Roman and Late Antique worlds (1st -6th c CE). My specialisims are:
As Head of History and Archaeology of Childhood at ManMet's interdiscplinary Manchester Centre for Youth Studies I develop research and activities in line with the Centre's youth-participatory framework.
Recent project: I'm co-Investigator on an AHRC-funded project 'Roman and Late Antique Artefacts from Egypt: Understanding Society and Culture'. Co-authored monograph now availabe: A Social Archaeology of Roman and Late Antique Egypt.
PhD Ancient History (University of Manchester), 2007
MA Ancient World Studies (University of Manchester), 2001
BA (Hons.) Ancient History and Archaeology (University of Manchester), 2000
I came to ManMet in 2015, and have previously taught and held research positions at:
Newcastle University, Lecturer in Ancient History, 2014/15
Birkbeck, University of London, Lecturer in Roman History, 2011-14
Universitet i Oslo, Visiting Professor in Roman History, May 2013
University of Liverpool, Leverhulme Early Career Research Fellow, 2009-11
University of Edinburgh, Teaching Fellow in Ancient Greek History, 2008/9
University of Birmingham, Visiting Lecturer in Roman History, 2007/8
University of Manchester, Teaching Assistant, 2003-07
Ancient History and Classics are truly interdisciplinary and global subjects. They allow us to explore diverse human cultures, behaviours, literature and thought across thousands of years in the Mediterranean, Africa and the Near East. They help us to shape our view of the world around us -- how people relate to one another's religions, ethnicities, genders, sexualities and cultures. They encourage us to think about how modern politicans and historians use the past for political and ideological gain, how langauges develop, and how philosophical and political thought has shaped many viewpoints and cultures around the world today (for better or worse). We scrutinise literature, documents, papyri, inscriptions, objects and art, and use digital resources and technologies to uncover hidden pasts.
2021/2
Other course units, on rotation:
I have co-supervised and advised on a number of PhDs across Greek, Roman and Late Antique history. Current and most recent PhD supervisions/co-supervisions at Manchester include:
I would be delighted to offer supervision on:
Currently External Examiner:
BA (Hons.) Classics and Classical Studies, Birkbeck College, University of London (2018 - 2022)
External Validator:
University of Lincoln;
University of Roehampton.
AHRC project (06/17-06/19): Roman and Late Antique Artefacts from Egypt: Undersanding Society and Culture with Dr E Swift, Dr J Stoner (Canterbury Kent) & Petrie Museum of Egyptian Archaeology, UCL. Co-authored monograph: A Social Archaeology of Roman and Late Antiqe Egypt.
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Growing Up in an Ancient Metropolis: Children in Roman Oxyrhynchos with Dr V Vuolanto, Tampere
Reconstruction of children's lives and concerns from papyri from Oxyrhynchos. Monograph in progress.
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Children's Cultures in the Past and Present, with various
A network bringing together specialists on children across a range of academic disciplines: History, Classics, Archaeology, Social Sciences, English Literature, and Education. We have held two international colloaquia at MCYS and recently hosted the Biennial Conference of the Children's History Society online presentations, keynotes and masterclasses available on YouTube.
AJ. Pudsey, V. Vuolanto (2024). Children of Oxyrhynchos. Growing Up in an Ancient City. Palgrave MacMillan.
JA. Baird, A. Pudsey (2022). Housing in the Ancient Mediterranean World. JA. Baird, A. Pudsey. Cambridge University Press.
AJ. Pudsey A Social and Environmental Demography of Roman Egypt (under review/in preparation).
E. Swift, J. Stoner, A. Pudsey (2021). A Social Archaeology of Roman and Late Antique Egypt. Artefacts of Everyday Life. Oxford University Press.
C. Holleran, A. Pudsey (2011). Demography and the Graeco-Roman World New Insights and Approaches. C. Holleran, A. Pudsey. Cambridge University Press.
A. Pudsey, V. Vuolanto (2022). Towards a Global Ancient History of Youth. C. Laes, V. Vuolanto. In: Bloomsbury Cultural History of Youth Volume 1. Bloomsbury,
A. Pudsey, J. Baird, R. Alston (2022). Introduction: Between Words and Walls. J. Baird, A. Pudsey. In: Between Words and Walls. Material and Textual Approaches to Ancient Housing.
A. Pudsey (2022). Housing and Community: Structures in Houses and Kinship in Roman Tebtynis. In: Housing in the Ancient Mediterranean World. Material and Textual Approaches.. Cambridge University Press, pp.300-321.
A. Pudsey, V. Vuolanto (2022). Becoming an Adult in Roman Egypt. In: Age and Ageing in the Greco-Roman World. Cambridge Scholars Press,
A. Pudsey (2021). House as community: structures in housing and kinship in Tebtynis. J. Baird, A. Pudsey. In: Housing in the Ancient Mediterranean World. Material and Textual Approaches.
C. Laes (2016). Disability in Antiquity. C. Laes. In: Disability in Antiquity. Routledge, pp.22-34.
C. Laes (2016). Children and Everyday Life in the Roman and Late Antique World. C. Laes, V. Vuolanto. In: Children and Everyday Life in the Roman and Late Antique World. Routledge, pp.79-95.
A. Pudsey (2015). Children and families in late Roman Egypt: family and everyday life in monastic contexts. C. Laes, K. Mustakallio, V. Vuolanto. In: Children and Family in Late Antiquity. Life, Death and Interaction. Peeters, pp.215-234.
A. Pudsey (2013). Children in Roman Egypt. TG. Parkin, J. Evans Grubbs. In: Handbook of Children and Education in the Classical World. Oxford University Press, pp.484-509.
C. Holleran, A. Pudsey (2011). Introduction. C. Holleran, A. Pudsey. In: Demography and the Graeco-Roman World. Cambridge University Press, pp.1-13.
A. Pudsey (2011). Nuptiality and the demographic life cycle of the family in Roman Egypt. C. Holleran, A. Pudsey. In: Demography and the Graeco-Roman World. Cambridge University Press, pp.60-98.
A. Pudsey (2011). Death and the Family: Widows and Divorcées in Roman Egypt1. L. Larsson Lovén, M. Harlow. In: Families in the Roman and Late Antique World. Continuum, pp.157-180.
2021/2 forthcoming
Hamburg, Women and Children and Ritual Urban and Extra Urban Spaces conference: ‘Young People's Activities and Objects in Cultic Spaces in Roman Oxyrhynchos’ (with Vuolanto, V.)
Nijmegen, Limes XXV Congress ‘Sons of Auxiliary Veterans in Roman Egypt: family, status and experience’ (panel Prof M. Carroll: Childhood on the Roman Frontiers)
2020/1
Edinburgh ‘Born into slavery: experience and agency of children in Roman Egypt’, AHRC project conference, Child Slavery in the Roman World
Birmingham, Centre for Byzantine, Ottoman and Modern Greek Studies: ‘Play and learn: Artefacts of childhood in Late Antique Egyptian Houses and Monasteries.’
Washington D.C., AIA SCS Annual Meeting: ‘Wet-Nurses and Fictive Kinships in Roman Egypt’
2019
London, Institute of Classical Studies Ancient History Seminar ‘Towards a Social and Cultural History of Breastfeeding in Antiquity’
Panel Organiser and speaker, 15th Congress of Fédération international des associations d’études classiques /Classical Association Conference: ‘Seen and Not Heard. Children’s Experience in Roman Egypt’
2018
University of Manchester, British Egyptology Congress 4 conference: 'Musical Instruments and their use in Roman and Late Roman Egypt' (with Ellen Swift and Jo Stoner)
Reading University, MOISA International conference: ‘Reconstructing musical instruments from Roman and Late Roman Egypt in the Petrie Collection’ (& Creese, D., Swift, E., Stoner, J.)
British School at Rome, Maternitas: Fertility, Pregnancy, and Maternal Health in the Classical World: 'Experiences of mothers and infants in Roman Egypt: The papyrological evidence'
London, IHR and Raphael Samuel Centre, Seminar Series in the History of Sexuality: 'Wet-nurses, sexual restrictions and wage labour in Roman Egypt'
Gothenburg, Keynote Lecture at Arachne Gender Conference: 'How to Become an Adult in Roman Egypt' (with Ville Vuolanto)
2017
Universitet i Oslo: ‘Children’s Cultures in Egypt’
2016
Sheffield, Classical Association: 'Child in the Ancient City'
(with Ville Vuolanto) Barcelona, 28th International Congress of Papyrology: 'Gymnasium and Identity: Youth and Adolescence in Oxyrhynchos'
(with Ville Vuolanto) Turku 'The VII Conference on Childhood Studies. Childhood in Everyday Life: 'Agency and the Children in the Past: the Case of Roman Egypt'
(with Ville Vuolanto) Helsinki, European Association of Urban Historians Congress: 'Childhood spaces in Roman Oxyrhynchos'
Manchester Classical Association Meeting 'Growing Up in Roman Egypt'
2015
University of Basel: ‘The Cultural Economics of Breast-Feeding in Roman Egypt’
(with Ville Vuolanto) University of Tampere, Finland: ‘On the road: children’s travel around Oxyrhynchos’ On the Road: Travels, Pilgrimages and Social Interaction. Passages from Antiquity to the Middle Ages VI
Newcastle University: ‘ “…and all the troubles of nursing, to which their station condemns them”: mothers, wet-nurses and the economics of breastfeeding in Roman Egypt’
2014
Universitet i Oslo : ‘Children’s experience and environment: the case of aunts and uncles in Oxyrhynchos’
2013
London, Institute of Classical Studies: ‘Population, Society and Family in Roman Egypt’
Birkbeck, London Between Words & Walls conf.: ‘Social and housing structures in 2nd c. rural Egypt’
(with Ville Vuolanto) Manchester: ‘Children in Roman Oxyrhynchos: everyday life in a metropolis’
2012
Gothenburg, Arachne Gender Studies con.: ‘A truth universally acknowledged? Elite marital and social status in Roman Egypt’
Rome (Institutum Romanum Findlandiae) Roman Family VI con.: ‘Egyptian monastic children’
2011
Birkbeck, London: ‘Dealing with death in Roman Egypt’
Manchester, Colloquium on Childhood in Antiquity: ‘Children and families in Roman Egypt’
2010
Cardiff, Classical Association Annual Meeting: ‘Family life cycles in Graeco-Roman Egypt’
2009
Gothenburg, Oikos - Familia: Family in the Ancient Greco-Roman World: ‘Death and the family: widows and familial networks in Roman Egypt’
2008
New York, Institute for Study of the Ancient World: ‘Household life-cycles in Roman Egypt’
2019-21
Edinburgh ‘Born into slavery: experience and agency of children in Roman Egypt’, AHRC project conference, Child Slavery in the Roman World
Post92 Classics Committee, ManMet: wokring class students and teaching the classical world
History UK and Liverpool, John Moores University, Engagement for All in the History Classroom: 'Between the Sheets: Teaching Ancient Sexuality with LGBTQIA+ students' sesssion
Women's Classical Committee, UK ECR event, Tools for a Classics Career, Leeds University: 'Academic Career Planning and Advising' session
(2021) 'Children and Young People, Speaking Up and Speaking Out', Biennial Conference of the Children's History Society, Manchester Centre for Youth Studies and Children’s History Society (YouTube)
(2016) 'Trauma and Changing Circumstances in Youth' Network Colloquium, MCYS, ManMet University
(2016) 'Mates, Mischief and Make-Believe. Children's Peer Cultures, Past and Present' Network Colloquium, MCYS, ManMet University
(2013) Institute of Classical Studies and School of Advanced Studies Ancient History Seminar Series (with Prof R Alston), Senate House London
(2013) Between Words and Walls: Material and Textual Approaches to Ancient Housing conference (with Dr J Baird) Birkbeck, University of London
(2012/13) Rome in Bloomsbury Public Lecture Series, Birkbeck, University of London
(2005) Manchester, Pre-modern Populations and Economies: the Case of Greece and Rome conference (with Dr C Holleran)
AHRC Peer Review College
Historical Methods journal
Routledge press
Wellcome Trust
National Research Foundation of South Africa
AHRC co-Investigator on project with Canterbury, Kent, 2017-2019 (with Prof E. Swift, Dr J Stoner): "Roman and Late Antique Artefacts from Egypt: Undersanding Society and Culture" (£380,000)
Sponsor for Marie Skłodowska Curie Fellow, Dr Aida Fernández Prieto: "Poverty, Vulnerability and Family in the Ancient World" (£200,000)
AHRB Studentship PhD
AHRB Studentship MA
I am Chair of Ancient History for the Classical Association Teaching Board. We support U.K. teachers of Classics & Ancient History G.C.S.E.s and A Levels, providing CPDs, materials and networking opportunities between teachers and academics. I co-ordinate elements of consultation around OCR examination board's Specifications, with a view to improving inclusion and decolonising perspectives.
I am also Chair of the Manchester and District Branch of the Classical Association, hosting papers and events for mixed audiences in the region, particularly children. See our YouTube channel.
Contributor to Sounds of Roman Egypt: an exhibition of musical instrument replicas from Roman Egypt, for the Petrie Museum of Egyptian Archaeology, Jan-June 2019: https://www.ucl.ac.uk/culture/whats-on/sounds-roman-egypt
See here for discussions of 3D printing of replicas of ancient musical instruments for this exhibition, and our recordings: https://intarch.ac.uk/journal/issue56/1/index.html
Voice of Islam Radio, Guest on DriveTime show, discussing Roman Egypt (A-Level results special), 2019
BBC Radio 4 'When Greeks Flew Kites' programme podcast interview, 2018
BBC World Service, 'Newsday' programme interview, 2015
AHRC co-Investigator on £380,000 project with Canterbury, Kent, 2017-2019
Leverhulme Early Career Fellowship, 2009-11 (University of Liverpool)
AHRB Studentship, 2003-6 (University of Manchester)
AHRB Studentship, 2001/2 (University of Manchester)
AHRC Peer Review College
The Wellcome Trust
The National Research Foundation, South Africa
May 2014 Visiting Professor, Institut for filosofi, ide-og kunsthistorie og klassiske språk, Universitet i Oslo