Sebastian Olmsted, Archaeologist and Writer

Sebastian Olmsted is an archaeologist whose work centres on medieval landscapes, geographic information systems, and the interpretation of material evidence. He writes and illustrates Mnemosyne’s rigorously researched essays about archaeology, material culture, landscapes, and memory.

Articles

The Dead Have Come to Dance — Follow the dancing dead from Disney’s moonlit cemetery to medieval church walls, printed books, and Holbein’s encounters with everyday life.
Who Made Kerma’s Blue? — A brilliant blue material, an ancient Nubian kingdom, and an archaeological mystery more than a century in the making. From Kerma’s excavations to the discovery of a faience workshop at Sanam, we investigate how the peoples of ancient Nubia made, transformed, and gave meaning to one of the Nile Valley’s most remarkable materials.
The Making of the Banana: An Archaeology of Its Origins and Dispersal — From the rainforests of New Guinea to plantations across the world, the banana’s story is one of remarkable transformations, ancient migrations, and an enduring partnership with humanity. Discover how archaeology, genetics, and botany are piecing together the origins of one of the world’s most familiar fruits.
Between two worlds: interpreting the Tomb of the Diver — A funerary image made to disappear has become an icon. What can archaeology recover about its ancient meaning—and what has interpretation added since 1968?
Adulis: the city behind the port — A port is more than a possession. Adulis joined anchorages, roads, labour and institutions into the coastal system that made Aksumite power possible.