Musings of Clio

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2020: A Year in Review

2020: A Year in Review - After a turbulent year I take stock of last years milestones and plan for the coming year #Archaeology #AncientRome #AncientGreece

What a year. To say that 2020 was a challenging year is a bit of an understatement. The COVID-19 pandemic has affected everyone in different ways, and the difficulties it has created and exacerbated have been felt by many, including myself. The anxieties it created has meant my output last year fell considerably, since my focus had on finishing my MA dissertation, which I eventually finished…

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Online resources for the Aegean Bronze Age

A new article about Online resources for the Aegean Bronze Age. All the recommendations are open access and free to use for those who are interested #AncientHistory #Archaeology #Ancient Greece #BronzeAge #OpenAccess

The Lion Gate at Mycenae via Wikimedia Commons by David Monniaux

Now in the final months of MA Dissertation on Climate Change and Hydraulic Construction in Bronze Age Tiryns, I have been thinking about what comes next. I have also been thinking about the accessibility of Aegean Prehistory and what trusted resources are available for people interested in the subject. In this brief piece I list…

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Logistics in during Caesar's Campaigns in Gaul

My latest blog post is about how Caesar supplied his army on his Gallic Campaigns | Logistics in during Caesar's Campaigns in Gaul #AncientHistory #Classics #Blogging

“It is by proper maintenance [of supplies] that armies are kept together” – Julius Caesar, as reported in Dio Cassius 43.49.5.

Introduction

Caesar’s campaigns in Gaul (58 – 51 BC) were a series of conflicts against a variety of peoples in a variety of terrains. Due to the diverse geographic conditions and the large size of the land, logistical support and logistics systems were essential…

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Research Diary - Pollen Count

The next exciting instalment of Research Diary series - Pollen Count! #archaeology #pollen #diary #dissertation

Quercus…

Well, I didn’t do anything for two weeks, so I hadn’t kept a diary, but this week has been super busy. Because of this I have also decided to stop titling this series by date, because the reality is it quite difficult to be consistent in doing this.

Events and Milestones

I have almost finished the section on pollen analysis. The only thing I have left to do is my own analysis…

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Research Diary - 25/05/2020 - 31/05/2020

As I head into the dissertation period of my Masters, I have started keeping an on and off again research diary, which I want to share | Research Diary - 25/05/2020 - 31/05/2020 #research #archaeology #ClimateChange #

It’s all Greek to me…

Refining my MA dissertation has been an ongoing task throughout the year, some of my ideas have already been posted my blog (here, here and here). This week marked the end of my taught units with my last exam (Intensive Greek), and the start of intensive research. This research diary has two main purposes, to keep me sane by keeping track of what I have done, and to open…

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The Seleukids in the Upper Satrapies

The Seleukids in the Upper Satrapies

Disclaimer: This post is based on some of my undergraduate work, so might be considered a bit basic (in that I wrote it in under 24hrs while sleep deprived), I just really enjoy this period and the complexities of studying this region, consider this an introduction to later posts about the period and region.

The Seleukid kingdom was the largest of the successor states, but this meant that…

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Dams and Drainage in Mycenaean Greece

My latest post is based on my MA Dissertation | Dams and Drainage in Mycenaean Greece #archaeology #climatechange #BronzeAge #ancientgreece

The Cyclopean Masonry Walls of Tiryns | CC BY-SA 2.0| Wikimedia Commons

Part of my research into my MA dissertation, I examine some of the amazing feats of engineering that the Mycenaean did in order to adapt to the changing climate. This article is based on the script to my Dissertation presentation. 

This first section is going to provide an overview of recent studies of climate change in the…

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Fun in Ancient Egypt

I'm back from my Hiatus! It was definitely needed, but I am glad to be back, my latest - Fun in Ancient Egypt #egyptology #archaeology #fun #blogging

Approaching the topic of fun in the ancient world is incredibly difficult but allows us the opportunity to explore the intimate lives of ancient people. Why and how people have fun reveals much about the society that they lived in and helps us to understand the stresses and anxieties that would have played on their minds. In this essay I am going to examine what the Egyptians did for fun, by…

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Thucydides on Sitalkes, King of the Odrysians

Thucydides on Sitalkes, King of the Odrysians | #AncientHistory #Thrace #Thucydides

A Map showing Thrace and the Odrysian Kingdom in the regional context of the Aegean and the Balkans.

This short article is about part of the commentary of Thucydides about the Kingdom of the Odrysians and the its king Sitalkes. 

From what we know about Sitalkes reign, he engaged in a great military campaign against the Kingdom of Macedon in 429 BCE. According to Thucydides, the combined strength…

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Hiatus

Due to a lot of factors, I am putting my blog on Hiatus, this short post explains why and sets up what will happen on Musings of Clio once I am back. #blogging #hiatus

Ainsdale Beach, one of my favourite places to relax | Author’s photo

Musings of Clio is going on a Hiatus. I have been struggling recently with a lot of things: mental health, work life balance and doing my university work. It is for this reason I that I am planning to stop writing for the blog for at least the next two months.

However, do not despair, as I am going to lay out my plan for what is…

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Literature Review: Environmental History and the works of J. Donald Hughes

The #ClimateCrisis means that the field of environmental history becomes more and more important. In my latest post I look at 'Environmental History and the works of J. Donald Hughes' #environmentalhistory #BronzeAge #archaeology

A dagger from Mycenae, depicting men hunting lions. On the other side (not shown) it depicts lions hunting deer.

My MA dissertation is going to focus on regional and ecological differences in the Aegean Bronze Age, and as part of my preparations it was necessary to become familiar with some of the seminal works of environmental history. J. Donald Hughes was one of the individuals who helped to…

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Some Plaster Casts at the University of Manchester

I look at Some Plaster Casts at the University of Manchester @UoMCAHAE @UoMSALC #classicalreception #art #architecture

The Samuel Alexander building is a home to the School of Arts, Languages and Cultures (SALC), it has a wonderful collection of plaster casts of Ancient Greek Art. In this short post I am going to discuss three of the casts and talk about the history and symbolism of the originals and why plaster casts were made of them.

Perseus, Medusa and Athena | Temple C in Selinute | c.550 BCE

Temple C at…

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More podcasts for ancient historians and archaeologists

I have been listening to more podcasts about archaeology and the ancient world and would like to share some of my favourites, featuring @HellenisticPod @greekhistorypod @ArchPodNet and many more! #Archaeology #AncientHistory #podcast

Photo by rawpixel.com on Pexels.com

Since graduating at the end of 2019, I have been listening to more and more podcasts about the ancient world, and although I have been returning to some of my old favourites, I have been expanding my horizons and listening to a greater variety.

  Hellenistic Age Podcast:

This podcast is another retelling of the Hellenistic period, but as well as a chronological…

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Read and Review: J. Donald Hughes | Sustainable Agriculture in Ancient Egypt (1992)

For my first post of the year and the 50th blog post on Musings of Clio, I have decided to review J. Donald Hughes Sustainable Agriculture in Ancient Egypt. #egyptology #archaeology #ancientworlds #argricultural

Scene from the Tomb of Sennedjem and Iyneferti (Both pictured) | Wikimedia Commons | Public Domain

The study of sustainable agriculture has never been more pressing due to the effects of the Climate Crisis. The Late Donald Hughes did more than most to show that stability and growth can only be achieved when working with the natural environment. This article aims to show that the stability of…

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A Year in Review: 2019

Musings of Clio - A Year in Review: 2019 #blogging #AncientHistory #AncientEgypt #Archaeology

Photo by Plush Design Studio on Pexels.com

2019 has been the first full year that Musings of Clio has been running, and it has given me lots of lessons about how increase my audience and improve my writing. I branched into writing study guides. As well as this, I have started to write about a broader range of topics, including Thrace, Egypt and Iron Age Britain.

This year my website has had over…

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Object Study: A Peculiar Mummiform Figure

My last piece in my Egyptian Society and Culture series, as the module has now finshed. Many thanks to @N_Nielsen4 and @JoyceTyldesley. Object Study: A Peculiar Mummiform Figure #Egyptology #Archaeology #AncientReligion

A clay figure resting on linen in a clay coffin | CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 | ©Trustees of the British

This is my last post of my series ‘Egyptian Society and Culture’ as my module has now finished. I have found studying Egypt immensely interesting and has broadened my viewpoint considerably. This post is an object study of a strange object in the British Museum. 

The object can also be viewed here.

EA6397…

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Watch and Review: Shields from Iron Age Britain - Art, Violence and the Body | 17/10/2019 | Matt Hitchcock

I review a talk I had the pleasure of watching by @ArchaeologyMatt at @UoMCAHAE | Watch and Review: Shields from Iron Age Britain - Art, Violence and the Body | 17/10/2019 | Matt Hitchcock #archaeology #shields #IronAge

The Battersea Shield | Wikmedia Commons | CC BY-SA 3.0

On the 17th of October 2019, I had the pleasure of watching Matt Hitchcock (@ArchaeologyMatt) deliver a paper on his PhD topic, this is a review of that presentation.

This paper dealt with an extremely interesting topic, though one I wasn’t familiar with. Iron Age Britain was a place where style mattered, and amongst the elite of Iron Age…

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