Written by: Tristan Craig. Preserving and restoring structures subject to elemental deterioration presents a plethora of issues to conservationists, something which is only exacerbated by sites which benefit greatly from the tourist trade. Drawing new swathes of visitors to areas on occasion serves as the driving force in restoring ancient monuments but becomes problematic when done so to an inadequate standard. Continue reading The Writing on the Wall: The Perilous Future of Historical Sites and Monuments

Written by: Mhairi Ferrier. The Isle of Rum has a deeply rich history, spanning from the Ice Age to interactions with Vikings before falling victim to the Highland Clearances. A piece of this length could not begin to do justice to the comprehensive history of the island, although there are some points in this history which hold the key to the island’s economic future. Continue reading Kinloch Castle, Isle of Rum.

Written by: Lewis Twiby. On 12 August 1883 the last known quagga died in captivity in Amsterdam Zoo; surveys could find no traces of quagga in the wild, confirming its extinction. The extinction of the quagga was deeply entwined with imperial culture and the formation of settler rule in South Africa. Continue reading The Quagga and Colonialism

Written by: Rosie Byrne. The AIDS Crisis has caused over 35 million deaths worldwide since its outbreak in the 1980s; it produced widespread fear because of its threat to society as an unknown disease. Continue reading Fear and Collective Memory: Remembering the HIV/AIDS Crisis

Written by: Prim Phoolsombat. On 18 June 2019, California governor Gavin Newsom officially recognized and apologized for the systematic genocide of California’s Native Americans. Continue reading The 19th Century California genocide

Written by: Prim Phoolsombat. Before its demolition in 1994, Kowloon Walled City occupied only six-and-a-half acres in Kowloon Province, Hong Kong and had the world’s highest population density ratio. With a chaotic reputation for opium dens, brothels, and crime syndicates, it’s complex history as a political no-man’s-land between Chinese and British authorities throughout the twentieth century has rendered it a famed, almost fantastical site of cultural memory. Continue reading Remembering the legacy of Kowloon Walled City