CULTURE EDITION TIMELESS DESIRE T hese are queer stories told by queer people.” To this day, an undeniable magnetism perpetuates our history has a history,” she begins. “For a long time, queer people were told their sexuality might be a fad – their feelings will pass and there’s nothing special about it. But, we’re demonstrating there were people thousands of years ago whose stories may resonate with theirs – even if they didn’t have the same language available to them.” The term ‘gay’ did not exist in this era Dr Susanne Turner, the curator of the Museum of Classical Archaeology, talks unearthing hidden histories with Bridging Binaries LGBTQ+ tours Images ALICE BOAGEY Words PHOEBE HARPER
fascination with the classical worlds of ancient Greece and Rome. Whether it’s watching Mary Beard on TV or classical references in music, many are familiar with myths and stories from the era. For Dr Susanne Turner, curator of the University of Cambridge’s Museum of Classical Archaeology, the remnants of these ancient civilisations offer a portal through which we can better understand ourselves. This particularly applies to those ‘hidden histories’ of marginalised voices, which have suffered from oppression and prejudice through the ages. “Our collection has taught me the importance of demonstrating that queer
and people would not have self-defined in the way we currently do. Nevertheless, these artefacts hold stories whose echoes reverberate throughout the centuries and strike a chord with viewers of the modern day, proving that queerness was very much alive and well. “When you come from an academic background, it can be easy to overlook how hidden those histories can be, especially if you’re not steeped in a classical faculty library that’s beneath your feet every day.” The new age of storytellers The best way to find these voices – which are breathing new life and perspectives into ancient stories likely overlooked in traditional historical narratives – is by embarking on an LGBTQ+ tour through the museum. Entitled Bridging Binaries , this entirely free initiative was launched before the Covid-19 pandemic throughout the University of Cambridge Museums group, after having been developed by the Change Makers Action Group and funded by Arts Council England. What truly makes these tours stand out is the dedicated team of volunteers behind them. Although each volunteer is presented with the same content pack with essential information about the objects in the collection, what they choose to focus on and the way they tell these stories is entirely up to them. “We wanted this to be a project that’s not just museum insiders telling other people what to think about our objects,” explains Susanne. “Every volunteer brings an element of themselves to the tour, and the aspects of queerness they decide to highlight are often interwoven with
ECHOES IN ETERNITY The tours uncover long- hidden LGBTQ+ histories in ancient artefacts
their own personal experience. It’s a truly magical project.” Handle with caution Anyone vaguely familiar with mythology, or the stories which survive from the classical world, may be aware you are never too far away from tragedy. Though distanced by centuries, many of these stories carry tragic undertones and are grounded in traumatic themes like sexual violence. “All of our volunteers have training so they can tread carefully and think about how they want to tell these stories, and if they do want to tell them in the first place,” shares Susanne. One such example is that of Caeneus – a figure whose demise is depicted on a plaster cast from the internal frieze
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