Tag: Ancient History
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The Origins of Tattooing: A Brief Overview
Written by Etta Coleman. The art of tattooing has a long and nuanced history, intimately linked with the cultures who permanently inscribed ink into the flesh. Etta Coleman explores the origins of this art form and its global spread.
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The Achaemenid Rulers: Dogmatic or Pragmatic?
Written by Kavisha Kamalanathan. The history of the Achaemenid rulers and their legacy of brutality has often been told through the lens of the Ancient Greek writers who immortalised them. However, an examination of contemporaneous Eastern sources reveals a markedly different picture of the Persian kings.
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Norns and Moirai: The Fates of Norse and Greek Mythology
Written by Fiona Macrae. The idea of the ‘fates’ is one repeated throughout mythology, three goddesses who spin the thread of life. Fiona Macrae examines the Fates of Norse and Greek mythology, comparing their depiction and asking why the similarities are important.
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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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Pompeii: Digging the details with Jasmine Khelil
Written by Fiona Macrae. Despite just being in her second year of a History and Classics undergraduate degree, Jasmine Khelil has had the opportunity to dig at some of the most renowned archaeological sites in the world, including Pompeii. In this interview, Fiona Macrae discusses Jasmine’s route into archaeology, her experiences and her advice for those hoping to enter the discipline.
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Epicurus on pleasure: Epicurus’ views on pleasure and its relation to the good life.
Written by Kavisha Kamalananthan. The philosophy of Epicurus is often overshadowed by his contemporaries or successors, yet his insights into pleasure and the human condition are invaluable. What did he have to say on the ‘good life’? And how has this influenced the history of philosophy?
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The Role of Classics in Social and Political Movements with a focus on the Homeric Influences in Mahmoud Darwish’s Mural (2000) and the Palestinian Crisis
Written by Yasmine Hamud. The influence of Homeric works and classics into modern literature is varied and complex. Yasmine Hamud investigates these influences on literature, and their links to social and cultural movements
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Are the Gospels Reliable Sources? Part Six: “They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths…” – The ‘extracanonical Gospels’
Written by Alex Smith. In the sixth part of this article series asking whether the Gospels are reliable sources, Alex Smith examines the ‘extracanonical Gospels’ and whether these nonbiblical sources can provide any reliable information on the life of Jesus.
Retrospect Journal 