Mark Letteney
letteney.bsky.social
Mark Letteney
@letteney.bsky.social
Assistant professor of ancient history at the University of Washington. Histories of the prison, book, rocks of note. Opinions are official communications from the provost.
I asked Copilot how to remove Copilot from my Microsoft Word document.

BRB driving to Redmond to scream at somebody.
November 13, 2025 at 7:32 PM
Wishing a very fine Gerald Ford Stuck in an Elevator Day to all who celebrate
September 19, 2025 at 2:54 PM
It is a rare and special day, long awaited and ever delightful: publication day for a new @maryroach.bsky.social masterpiece www.maryroach.net/replaceable....
September 16, 2025 at 7:32 AM
This is now out in paperback and the publisher sent me copies. I've got four to give away — if you're a graduate student, early career, or contingent researcher, I'm happy to send you a copy in the US, or deliver to AIA/SCS/AAR/SBL. Just chime in here or send me a DM.
September 9, 2025 at 4:53 PM
Finally, we are thankful to Titus Kaphar and Gagosian for allowing us to use his tremendous work to frame our own. Here is what we wrote about the cover in our preface.
August 12, 2025 at 6:17 PM
Thanks are due far and wide for support and guidance on this endeavor. Here's the beginning of the Acknowledgements, which is always the most joyful part of a book to write.
August 12, 2025 at 6:10 PM
Publication day for a book that Matthew and I spent six years on, anguished over, fought for, rewrote twice, and nearly abandoned. I hope it proves useful in continuing important conversations about the ancient world and about the societies we choose to build today.

www.ucpress.edu/books/ancien...
August 12, 2025 at 4:45 PM
Excellent mail day. @zacharyherz.bsky.social
August 1, 2025 at 10:13 PM
Welp this was a fun unexpected eventuality of putting together the Ancient Mediterranean Incarceration database: a ransomware attack. (It's fine they got into an empty postgres database through a port that was supposed to be closed.)

Ports are now audited and I know how much 0.0042 BTC is. ($460)
July 3, 2025 at 10:18 PM
Everything is bad. But a colleague dropped by with a lovely gift: a 1777 edition of William Barron's _History of the Colonization of the Free States of Antiquity, applied to the present contest between Great Britain and her American colonies_
June 18, 2025 at 5:09 PM
Short reports for Hadashot Arkheologiyot on what we were up to at Legio in 2022 and 2023:

(2023) www.hadashot-esi.org.il/Report_Detai...

(2022) www.hadashot-esi.org.il/Report_Detai...

More details forthcoming in the Limes 2025 volume and a standalone article on the amphitheater.
April 25, 2025 at 3:45 PM
March 12, 2025 at 5:05 PM
Due April 1: The Dept of History at the University of Washington is hiring a 9 month distinguished lecturer in ancient or medieval history. 4 classes over 3 quarters, salary $100–115k, plus benefits. Review begins April 1st, feel free to email me with any questions apply.interfolio.com/161510
March 2, 2025 at 7:33 PM
The Department of History at the University of Washington is hiring a 9 month distinguished lecturer in ancient or medieval mediterranean history. 4 classes over 3 quarters, salary $100–115k, plus benefits. Review begins April 1st, feel free to email me with any questions apply.interfolio.com/161510
February 13, 2025 at 5:20 PM
My nephew’s school workbook on _The Ancient Roman Civilization_ is a confounding delight.
December 20, 2024 at 5:46 PM
If ever there were a case for nominative determinism...
December 3, 2024 at 4:36 AM
A excerpt from our preface.
November 21, 2024 at 8:19 PM
_Ancient Mediterranean Incarceration_ now has a cover! Forthcoming August 2025. (Cover explanation in next post)
November 21, 2024 at 8:19 PM
It's just non-stop bangers from @mikemotia.bsky.social on the @ancientjewreview.bsky.social podcast! This week: Toni Alimi on his new book _Slaves of God: Augustine and Other Romans on Religion and Politics_ www.ancientjewreview.com/podcast
October 30, 2024 at 5:44 PM
As I put finishing touches on my historiography syllabus I ran across an absolute, all-time favorite: one of the most bafflingly convoluted sentences I've ever laid eyes on. Cartledge, "What is Social History Now?" p. 20, in Cannadine (ed), What is History Now?
September 23, 2024 at 8:21 PM
Hot off the press: Bruce Gordon‘s single volume, global history of the Bible is stunningly well researched and beautifully written. Cannot recommend highly enough. www.basicbooks.com/titles/bruce...
September 20, 2024 at 8:56 PM
Wishing a very happy Gerald Ford Stuck in an Elevator Day to all who celebrate.
September 19, 2024 at 5:19 AM
Zoom link for my lecture tomorrow at The Danish Institute at Athens, where I'll introduce a series of talks reporting on new research in the history of incarceration at the University of Copenhagen zoom.us/meeting/regi...
September 15, 2024 at 1:59 PM
Going forward I think all conference totes ought to come with a bottle of wine.
September 11, 2024 at 11:04 AM
Live view as Matthew and I prepare to send _Ancient Mediterranean Incarceration_ to the press.

(But worse because Google Docs)
August 12, 2024 at 11:56 PM