Ben Auld | University of Reading (original) (raw)

Ben Auld

Address: Norwich, United Kingdom

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Papers by Ben Auld

Research paper thumbnail of Boys to men: the attainment and classification of male adulthood in ancient Greek society.

An exploration of instances of male maturation in social, biological and literary terms.

Research paper thumbnail of The background to and current debate on the issue of Carthaginian child sacrifice.

The notion that this 'barbaric' ritual was exclusive to Carthage and their ancestors is false. A ... more The notion that this 'barbaric' ritual was exclusive to Carthage and their ancestors is false. A large majority of ancient societies partook in such rituals, so what distinguishes Carthaginian practice? It is in part due to the dramatisation undertaken by Greek and Roman sources, as well as the potential institutionalization of the practice and of course the extremely young age at which the individuals were dedicated. Thus, I do not aim to answer whether the rites of the Carthaginian tophet were sacrificial, but rather to address these three primary causes for debate in an attempt to deduce the motives behind both the ancient practice and its modern study.

Research paper thumbnail of How did prostheses serve to help the physically impaired in antiquity?

The necessity for prostheses was as apparent in antiquity as it is today. There are two primary c... more The necessity for prostheses was as apparent in antiquity as it is today. There are two primary considerations for these devices; form and function. Form is both the aesthetics of the appliance in its own right and also how accurately the appliance replicates its natural counterpart. Function refers to how effectively the device performs its assigned task(s). With these in mind, it be will discussed whether the examples of ancient prostheses available to us today shared such considerations, and if so, in what way did benefit the physically impaired.

Research paper thumbnail of Boys to men: the attainment and classification of male adulthood in ancient Greek society.

An exploration of instances of male maturation in social, biological and literary terms.

Research paper thumbnail of The background to and current debate on the issue of Carthaginian child sacrifice.

The notion that this 'barbaric' ritual was exclusive to Carthage and their ancestors is false. A ... more The notion that this 'barbaric' ritual was exclusive to Carthage and their ancestors is false. A large majority of ancient societies partook in such rituals, so what distinguishes Carthaginian practice? It is in part due to the dramatisation undertaken by Greek and Roman sources, as well as the potential institutionalization of the practice and of course the extremely young age at which the individuals were dedicated. Thus, I do not aim to answer whether the rites of the Carthaginian tophet were sacrificial, but rather to address these three primary causes for debate in an attempt to deduce the motives behind both the ancient practice and its modern study.

Research paper thumbnail of How did prostheses serve to help the physically impaired in antiquity?

The necessity for prostheses was as apparent in antiquity as it is today. There are two primary c... more The necessity for prostheses was as apparent in antiquity as it is today. There are two primary considerations for these devices; form and function. Form is both the aesthetics of the appliance in its own right and also how accurately the appliance replicates its natural counterpart. Function refers to how effectively the device performs its assigned task(s). With these in mind, it be will discussed whether the examples of ancient prostheses available to us today shared such considerations, and if so, in what way did benefit the physically impaired.

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