2020: A Year in Review

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 …

Online resources for the Aegean Bronze Age

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 …

Logistics during Caesar’s Campaigns in Gaul

“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 …

Research Diary – Pollen Count

Quercus... (Wikimedia Commons) 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 …

Research Diary – 25/05/2020 – 31/05/2020

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 …

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 …

Dams and Drainage in Mycenaean Greece

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 …

Fun in Ancient Egypt

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 …

Thucydides on Sitalkes, King of the Odrysians

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 of this force was over …

Hiatus

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, …