Category: Academic
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Understanding Afropolitanism
Written by Megan Sickmueller. The term ‘Afropolitan’ can be traced back to a 2005 article by Taiye Tuakli-Wosornu. But what does it mean today? And how has it helped broaden the idea of what it means to be African?
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An Lushan and the Fall of China’s Golden Age
Written by Kat Jivkova. The Tang period witnessed an incredible cultural blossoming amidst the pre-modern imperial magnificence, but what proved to be the cause of smouldering away?
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‘Black Terror’: Black Masculinity and Identity Formation in Eighteenth-Century England
Written by Boryana Ivanova. Through employing a ‘history from below’ approach, Boryana Ivanova examines the notions of Black British identity and masculinity in Early Modern History, highlighting the historiographical shortcomings that have plagued the discipline.
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The Osteological Paradox and Biomolecular Analysis – A Solution, At Last?
Written by Etta Coleman. The discipline of Osteoarchaeology is paradoxical by nature – those diseases which sweep populations are often too quick to leave a permanent mark on the bones. Etta Coleman discusses whether this is something that can be overcome with Polymerase Chain Reaction testing.
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Should we be Applying the Term “Religion” to Ancient Societies?
Written by Kavisha Kamalanathan. Is justifiable to project the term “religion” backwards to ancient societies? Kavisha Kamalanathan discusses the nuances of ancient Greek and Roman belief systems, their relation to nature, society and the state, pointing to them being in many crucial ways fundamentally different from our modern notions of religion.
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The King, the Colony and the Case of Patrice Lumumba
Written by Megan Sickmueller. A haunting legacy of King Leopold II of Belgium in the Congo, Megan Sickmueller tracks the country’s recent history and the fall of Patrice Lumumba.
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Leonhard Euler and the Russian Connection
Written by Kat Jivkova. Leonhard Euler was in his own time recognised as the most distinguished mathematician of the eighteenth century, though certain circumstances of his life have brushed aside. Kat Jivkova discusses his deep connection to St. Petersburg, a site of his scientific achievements and eventual home.
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Divorced, Beheaded, Survived: Who was Catherine Parr?
Written by Eva Campbell. Catherine Parr is perhaps the least discussed of Henry VIII’s wives, dismissed as the carer or nurse that comforted Henry at the end of his life. But did the woman who survived have a more complex relationship with the King? How do we restore the life of Catherine Parr in popular imagination?
Retrospect Journal 