Fall in love Roman-style by playing board games
For ancient Romans, many of the gestures now associated with Valentine’s Day would be unfamiliar, if not completely puzzling. Love and desire were not confined to a single day, nor...Read More >
history
Jacqui Turner – what does it mean to be working class?
As part of the University’s Centenary Celebrations, a team led by David Stack in History has been researching the experiences of students and staff from working-class backgrounds at the University...Read More >
Big Roman shoes discovered near Hadrian’s Wall – but they don’t necessarily mean big Roman feet
A contemporary sculptural depiction of Roman footware | Álvaro Peréz Villarino, Wikimedia Commons, CC 2.0 Excavations at the Roman fort of Magna near Hadrian’s Wall in Northumberland in north east...Read More >
Melsonby hoard: iron-age Yorkshire discovery reveals ancient Britons’ connections with Europe
The Melsonby hoard is a remarkable collection of more than 800 iron-age metal artefacts, which was found in a field near Melsonby, North Yorkshire, in December 2021. Its discovery represents...Read More >
Women stood alongside striking miners – it’s time their stories were told
When we look back on the 1984-85 miners' strike, we often see pictures of masculinity: men with banners, confrontations at pit gates and proud marches back to work. Four decades...Read More >
Beyond the written word: how the video essay transformed my engagement with history
Standing before an audience of historians at the American Historical Association (AHA) annual conference in New York City in January 2025, I experienced a moment of both exhilaration and trepidation....Read More >
Elon Musk and the history of the ‘Roman salute’
How often do you think about the Roman empire? Elon Musk claims to think about it every day. Given his frequent references to Roman antiquity, I think we can take...Read More >
How The Cure went back to their gothic roots for their new number one album
Songs of A Lost World, The Cure At Shrewsbury train station, there is a poster advertising The Cure’s new album, Songs of a Lost World. The confident, monochrome minimalism of...Read More >
The supernatural beliefs of medieval people – from elves and fairies to abductions and the undead
A siren and a centaur, taken from a 1277 manuscript. Courtesy of the Getty Open Content program. Medieval people have a reputation for being superstitious – and many of the...Read More >
‘Thornback’ keeps trending – here’s why this old-fashioned term is derogatory to young, single women
A young woman who remained unmarried by 26 or 27 was ungraciously called a 'thornback'. Highland Council, CC BY-NC-SA I am 27 years old; I have no money and no...Read More >
