On growing up and dying in ancient and modern populations. What can we learn about the lives of ancient populations and how does this compare to modern societies? The boy lived during the Roman period of ancient Egypt (AD80–120), a time we know a lot about due to the Romans taking censuses and records of illness. With Professor Sarah Harper, Gerontology, University of Oxford. 

Object number: AN1888.820

Ennui by Walter Richard Sickert

Ever since it was founded in 1683, the Ashmolean Museum has been a place where academics and researchers come to study and be inspired by the collections.



Take a closer look at the Ashmolean's hidden treasures from the viewpoint of the experts. Academics from across the University of Oxford have chosen an object that relates to their research, revealing a whole world of ideas behind a single artefact. We hope that these specially curated podcasts, created by some of the University of Oxford's greatest minds, will encourage you to seek out your own hidden treasure in our vast collection.



Visit the Ashmolean collection and look out for the purple podcast leaflet and signage in the gallery to find the associated objects. 



We are enormously grateful to Professor Raymond Dwek, CBE, FRS for his generous support of this new podcast project.