Category: Features
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The Dancing Plague of 1518: The Worst Dance Party Ever?
Written by Eva Campbell. The Dancing Plague of 1518 is often regarded as one of the most bizarre events in social and cultural history. But are we any further towards understanding why this happened to the people of Strasbourg?
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Kitty Fisher – A Modern Celebrity?
Written by Sophie Whitehead. Obsession with celebrity is thought to be a trend of the modern era, yet, can we call Kitty Fisher the first celebrity? Sophie Whitehead examines the life of Fisher, considering whether she can be called a celebrity in her own right.
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The Art of Love: Ovid’s Valentine Tips
Written by Fiona Macrae. In the first century, Ovid instructed readers of the “Ars Amatoria” on how to find (and keep) love. Two millennia later, Fiona Macrae shares his guidance for the modern Classicist to employ in the search for “amor” this Valentine’s Day.
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On Orwell’s ‘Politics and the English Language’
Written by Georgia Smith. The inherent link between politics and language, in ‘dying words,’ is discussed in relation to the life and works of George Orwell.
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Sensationalism in Archaeology: Harmful or Helpful?
Written by Etta Coleman. Through the reporting and often glamorising of discoveries, archaeology is a field which continues to capture public interest, an interest upon which the discipline heavily relies. Etta Coleman discusses the manner in which archaeological discoveries are presented through mass media and the threat this places on sustaining research.
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The History of Hadrian’s Wall
Written by Amy Hendrie. Hadrian’s Wall remains an enduring monument in the imagination of the English-speaking world, but what were it origins, utility and function? This piece reveals the wall to be more than just an enclosing measure, but a spatial site that created new connections.
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The Princes in the Tower – is Britain’s biggest mystery any closer to being solved?
Written by Sophie Whitehead. The mystery of the princes of the tower has remained unsolved for over 500 years. With new evidence and theories from an Dorset church, what truly happened to the young boys?
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‘You’ve redecorated!’ Invention and Innovation in the Original ‘Doctor Who’
Written by Verity Limond. The influence of ‘Doctor Who’ on the television landscape of the United Kingdom is undisputed. But often, the modern reboot of the show overshadows the original series. Verity Limond takes a look back at this original series, weighing up its merits and its flaws.
Retrospect Journal 