Ancient history has frequently been weaponised by competing modern politic ideologies. Rachel believes studying the ancient Mediterranean word and its interpretations help lead us to a deeper understanding of current race, ethnicity and gender debates. Her research explores multilingualism and interactions between Greeks and other cultures in the Hellenistic world, particularly Egypt and Central Asia.
During her ‘Cleopatras’ module, students examine the influence of the context in which interpretations of the past are produced. Cleopatra becomes a lens through which we can view major political movements of the 20th and 21st centuries, including feminism and Black Power. As well as more contemporary interpretations, students look at ancient sources which were written by her Roman enemies and explore their criticism of her, much of which is based on her gender and ethnicity.
Rachel’s work also influences her teaching on the ‘Pioneers of Classical Archaeology’ module. Students gain an understanding of the way in which certain key figures in the history of archaeology have been systematically erased: usually because of their nationality, race and/or gender. Teaching this course also involves confronting some hard truths about respected figures, like Flinders Petrie, and their involvement with mechanisms of imperial control or eugenics. Many artefacts in the Department’s Ure Museum were acquired by these archaeologists.
Rachel’s understanding of a multilingual ancient world means she also teaches ancient language. Reading is one of the few Classics departments in the UK to teach the ancient Egyptian language.