Debby Sneed
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debscavator.bsky.social
Debby Sneed
@debscavator.bsky.social
300 followers 250 following 73 posts
Nondisabled researcher of disability in ancient Greece. she/her pronouns in bio. Who do you think you are? I am
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debscavator.bsky.social
Happy Article Proofs Day to all who celebrate
Screenshot of article title and byline: "A Dwarf Maiden on the Athenian Acropolis: Disability and Dedication in the Archaic Polis" by Debby Sneed and Erin Lawrence-Roseman
November 11, 2025 at 5:48 PM
debscavator.bsky.social
In the early 2000s, the DoD made archaeology awareness playing cards, and I found a pack online! Here's a smattering of images from the deck. Each suit had its own theme and the goal was to educate service members on archaeology, cultural heritage and preservation, looting, etc.
Picture of a 10 of clubs playing card. Image is a flat landscape with a small hill and text reads, "A mound or small hill in an otherwise flat landscape could be a sign of ancient human occupation. Proceed with caution. [Tell Rimah, Iraq]" Playing card for the 3 of hearts showing a man hovering over a pit with some terracotta figurines inside. Text says, "To understand the meaning of an artifact, it must be found and studied in its original setting. [Hoard of Sumerian statues, Tell Asmar, Iraq]" Playing card of the 2 of spades. Picture is of a mudbrick wall with soldiers and civilians in front of it. Text reads, "In the dry climate of the Middle East, a mud brick wall could be thousands of years old. [Qalai Bost archaeological site, Afghanistan]" Playing card of the 7 of diamonds. Image is of a looted museum display. Text reads, "Museums are also victims of conflict and need protection when possible. [Kabul Museum, Afghanistan]"
October 27, 2025 at 11:15 PM
debscavator.bsky.social
I love connecting with people on here 😂
Screenshot of message exchange with user whose display name is Angie Rasmussen, @angierasmussenn.bsky.social. They write, "Greetings." I respond, "Hey! How's it going?" followed by "Oh I see, you're a fake account" and they reply "How dare you"
October 14, 2025 at 5:02 PM
debscavator.bsky.social
Mason Shrader, a PhD student at Brown, and I wrote an article about disability inclusion on archaeological field projects. We argue that we have an ethical obligation to make our projects accessible, and also that we are already accommodating our nondisabled colleagues, it's really not that hard.
Screenshot of title and abstract of an article entitled, "Digging While Impaired: Promoting the Accessibility of Archaeology as a Discipline." Abstract reads: "In this chapter, we argue that the ethical practice of archaeology involves the active recruitment and inclusion of disabled people in archaeological fieldwork. While archaeology as a discipline is not reducible to fieldwork, fieldwork is nevertheless privileged and must be performed to earn undergraduate and graduate degrees in the field and be considered a legitimate practitioner. By discouraging or actively preventing disabled students from participating in field schools—that is, by gatekeeping these professionalizing experiences—we restrict their access to the discipline as a whole. We begin this article by establishing that disabled people are, indeed, discriminated against in archaeological fieldwork situations. We attribute this discrimination to a disciplinary embrace of the medical model of disability, which locates the problem within the body of the individual, as opposed to the social model of disability, which argues that it is structures, not people, that are the problem. We demonstrate how archaeologists already accommodate their nondisabled colleagues, thereby throwing into stark relief the discrimination disabled people experience. We then provide a blueprint for how we can expand our preexisting commitment to accommodation to our disabled students and colleagues. Far from being a prescriptive list of right and wrong behaviors, the key to this ethical approach is open and honest dialogue that not only includes but is led by the disabled person, who has the best understanding of their body, their disabilities, and their abilities."
September 25, 2025 at 11:01 PM
debscavator.bsky.social
I wrote an article about ancient Roman (and some ancient Greek authors) who were disabled in a way that we'd recognize and how their disabilities (whatever you want to call them) were important to their written works. These are obscure people, but folks like Seneca, Pliny, and Demosthenes.
Screenshot of title and abstract for an article entitled, "Ancient Greek and Roman Crip Lit." Abstract reads: "The study of disability in the ancient world is a burgeoning field and is rapidly garnering interest outside of academia, as well. This brief article argues that we can expand our engagement with the topic—and with ancient literature broadly—by acknowledging the disabled status of some Greek and Roman authors, many of whom are mainstays of our traditional literary canon. Disability-informed approaches to themes like embodiment and phenomenology can contribute to a more complex and grounded understanding of ancient life and experience, as well as deepen our understanding of topics like Stoic philosophy, ancient temporalities, Greek tragedy and the discourse of disability in the ancient world.
September 25, 2025 at 11:01 PM
debscavator.bsky.social
My second article was about whether ancient Greeks killed disabled infants at birth. I showed that not only do we have zero evidence of this, we actually have plenty of evidence showing the opposite, that Greeks regularly encouraged the survival of disabled infants. Also won an award for this one ✌️
Screenshot of heading, title, and abstract for an article entitled "Disability and Infanticide in Ancient Greece." Abstract reads: "This article confronts the widespread assumption that disability, in any broad and undefined sense, constituted valid grounds for infanticide in ancient Greece. When situated within their appropriate contexts, the oft-cited passages from Plutarch, Aristotle, and Plato contribute little to our understanding of the reality of ancient Greek practice in this regard. Other literary, material, and bioarchaeological evidence, however, demonstrates that ancient Greek parents, midwives, and physicians often took active and extraordinary measures to assist and accommodate infants born with a variety of congenital physical impairments. It was neither legally mandated nor typical in ancient Greece to kill or expose disabled infants, and uncritical (and unfounded) statements to the contrary are both dangerous and harmful." Article was published in the journal Hesperia in 2021, Volume 90, pages 747-722.
September 25, 2025 at 11:01 PM
debscavator.bsky.social
My first published article was about ramps at ancient Greek religious sanctuaries. I argued that we based on where the ramps are most prevalent (healing sanctuaries), we can say that they were built with disability access in mind. I was awarded a prize for this article, which felt great.
Screenshot of heading, title, and abstract for an article entitled "The architecture of access: ramps at ancient Greek healing sanctuaries." Abstract reads: "Ancient Greece is well known for its many temples and sanctuaries, including several dedicated to heal-ing and associated cults. Informed by disability stud-ies, this article analyses the architecture of public spaces and facilities, alongside epigraphic, icono-graphic and literary evidence, to argue that the ancient Greeks sought to ensure the accessibility of healing sanctuaries. Even without a framework of civil rights as we understand them today, the builders of these sites made architectural choices that enabled individuals with impaired mobility to access these spaces. It is hoped that this research may stimulate further investigations into accessibility at other sites in the Classical world and beyond." Article published in the journal Antiquity in 2020, Volume 94, pages 1015-1029.
September 25, 2025 at 11:01 PM