Adrienne Mayor | |
|---|---|
 Adrienne Mayor in 2019 | |
| Born | 1946 (age 77–78) |
| Nationality | American |
| Occupation | Historian |
| Employer | Stanford University |
Adrienne Mayor (born 1946) is a historian of ancient science and a classical folklorist.
Mayor specializes in ancient history and the study of "folk science", or how pre-scientific cultures interpreted data about the natural world, and how these interpretations form the basis of many ancient myths, folklore and popular beliefs. Her work in pre-scientific fossil discoveries and traditional interpretations of paleontological remains has opened up a new field within the emerging discipline of geomythology and classical folklore. Mayor's book, Greek Fire, Poison Arrows, & the Scorpion Bombs, on the origins of biological and chemical warfare revealed the ancient roots of poison weaponry and tactics.