Author: Philip Schwyzer
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Ladislav Šmejda: Obituary and Appeal
We continue to mourn the loss of our dear friend and colleague, Ladislav Šmejda. An obituary has now been published by Ladislav’s colleagues at the University of West Bohemia. If you knew Ladislav or were touched by his work, please consider contributing to the funding appeal to support his bereaved family.
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Ladislav Šmejda
It was with great sadness that we learned of the passing of our project partner Ladislav Šmejda during the night from 26 to 27 November. Ladislav’s death is not only a great loss for his family and especially his three children, but also for the scientific community. One of Ladislav’s many research topics, which he…
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Two Cheers for Iconoclasm: Why Pulling Down Monuments Gives Us More To Remember
The statue of the merchant and slave-trader Edward Colston has been pulled from its plinth in Bristol. In Oxford there are renewed calls for the image of Cecil Rhodes to come down. Across the southern United States, monuments to Confederate soldiers and politicians seem to be falling in greater numbers every day, some by order…
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Rituals and Revels: Everyday Life in Tudor and Stuart England
by Erica Askew-Jones ‘What a fantastic idea. Bringing history to life by being site specific. A great mix of facts, drama and entertainment’ (Anonymous feedback) On Thursday 7th March I hosted a public engagement event at the oldest building in Exeter, St Nicholas Priory. Founded in 1087 as a Benedictine monastery, the priory…
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When the Dead Don’t Exist, They Must Be Invented: Thoughts on the Massacre at Bowling Green
Do you remember the Bowling Green Massacre? This mysterious atrocity was introduced to the world by Presidential Counselor Kellyanne Conway in an interview on Thursday 2 February. Justifying Trump’s immigration ban, Conway reminded us that “two Iraqis came here to this country, were radicalized, and were the masterminds behind the Bowling Green Massacre. Most people…
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Shakespearean Exhumations: The Neolithic Romeo and Juliet
In my first public presentation of DEEPDEAD research, I gave a paper at the British Shakespeare Association conference in Hull, UK (October 2016), on “Shakespearean Exhumations.” Here’s a snippet of the talk: In February 2007, a team of Italian archaeologists led by Elena Menotti announced a remarkable discovery. Digging in a Neolithic necropolis in Valdaro,…