#268 Dr. Eileen Murphy on Egyptian Mummies, Famine Roads & Skeletons with Leprosy

Eileen Murphy is a Professor of Archaeology at Queen’s University Belfast and a leading expert in ancient human remains/burial practices. Her passion is for telling the stories of ordinary people whose voices have been largely written out of history. Dr Murphy is the author/editor of 12 books, including a book all about Takabuti: the Belfast mummy currently living in the Ulster Museum — who as you’ll hear inspired her to get into archaeology as a child. In today’s episode we talk about about: Growing up with a sense of awe and adventure about the world around her Some of the weird and wonderful things found right here on our doorstep What the past can teach us about the present The rights of the living versus the rights of the dead Why a sense of place is an essential part of wellbeing Lessons learned from studying 1000+ human skeletons Discovering the first case of leprosy in Ireland (in a skeletons foot) And the greatest highs/lows of her journey so far Check it out. // https://bestofbelfast.org/stories/eileen-murphy-takabuti