How the rapidly evolving field of archaeogenetics is unlocking secrets of the past

Sign up now to join me on a week-long tour of Plantagenet France in April next year - subscribers get a $125 discount Next spring I will be hosting a historical tour to France, with my friends at Author Fan Travel and (very excitingly) the great Helen Castor.

Lessons from earlier ‘interesting times’ The Great Fire(s) of Los Angeles, which are currently raging, have consumed tens of thousands of acres and destroyed thousands of homes, and are by no means over, give one the sickening feeling that often accompanies seeing history unfold.

In 1300AD Boniface VIII started a tradition of forgiveness and (possibly) hell-raising that continues this year On Maundy Thursday - April 7th - 1300, Pope Boniface VIII stood on the balcony of his papal basilica in Rome. Around him, the city flocked with pilgrims, many of whom had come to see the Pope that day and receive his blessing.

Thank you all for being so wonderful in 2024... here's to a fabulous 2025 Loved the questions as always.

For those trying to win wars in the ancient world, large armies were a neccessity. However, the personal prestige earned from a victory in single combat was still unmatched. Theme: Single combat in antiquity Ross Cowan, 'An introduction to single combat - Honorable scars'. Owain Williams, 'Heroic duels of mass combat - Homeric warfare'. Valentine Belfiglio, 'Rome's greatest soldier - Lucius Siccius Dentatus'. Murray Dahm, 'Titus Manlius versus the Latins - Single combat with consequences'. Ross Cowan, 'Valerius, the Gaul, and the interpreter - Provocat per interpretem'. Lindsay Powell, 'The end of single combat - A final blow'. Features: Jasper Oorthuys, '100 times Ancient Warfare - Doing the homework'. Anneka Rene, 'Diomedes and prophecy - The hero's fate'. Juan Quiroz, 'The impact of political economy - Manpower crisis'. Velite Aquila, 'Roman socii in the Middle Republic - Etruscan style'. Pavel Vaverka, 'Asserting their independence - The Lamian War'. Jo Ball, 'Three standard-bearers' dedication - A parting gift'.  

Founded in the war against Sextus Pompeius, the 'Legion of the Strait' spent most of its long history in the provinces of the Roman East with Parthians, Sasanians, and zealots. Theme: Legio X Fretensis Lindsay Powell, 'A history of Legio X Fretensis - Guardians of the Strait'. Lindsay Powell, 'The careers of Legio X Fretensis soldiers - Tours of duty'. Murray Dahm, 'Legio X Fretensis at Masada - Putting an end to resistance'. Murray Dahm, 'Legio X at Amida, AD 359 - Fretensis or Fortenses'. Features: Przemysław Mazur, 'Assyrian-style expansion: Before me, cities, behind me, ruins'. Jo Ball, 'The tombstone of Caius Marius - Death of a citizen cavalryman'. Aquila Velite, 'Italian mercenaries abroad - The Mamertines'. Aaron Beek, 'The rise of the peltast - What's in a name?'. Christina Sponsel-Schaffner, 'Painting techniques for Roman shields - Per aspera ad astra'. Annelies Koolen, 'The tactics of Numidian cavalry - Bridled or unbridled?'. Murray Dahm, 'The sarcophagus of Helena - Puzzle in porphyry'.  

The reign of Augustus was a major turning point in Roman history. Despite claiming to return to Republican traditions, he transformed Rome, from its government to the very city itself, creating a system that would persist for centuries. Theme: The age of Augustus Edward Watts, 'A history of the Second Triumvirate - The rise of Octavian'. Jason Whitmarsh, 'Good old-fashioned values - The Augustan moral reforms'. Lindsay Powell, 'Transforming the city of Rome - Augustus the builder'. Josiah Osgood, ' Livia ad the Augustan principate - Mother of the nation'. Arienne King, 'Queen, warrior, peacemaker - Amanirenas of Meroe'. Features: Jona Lendering, 'A look at the future of papyrology - Dating ink'. Maria Anita Ronchini, 'Was there an ancient Roman Halloween? - Mundus Patet'. Murray Dahm, 'Discoveries from the royal cemetery at Ur - Beyond the standard'. Dominic Rathbone, 'The history of Indo-Roman maritime trade - Pepper and profits'. Trevor Culley, 'The role of Achaemenid kurtaš - Labor and captivity in ancient Persia'. Philip Matyszak, 'Faces in wax, wood, stone, and bronze - Ancient Roman portraiture'.

While associated with deserts and wild animals, the Roman provinces of Africa were densely urbanized. Beyond these towns were rich agricultural lands and wide pastures, with North Africa being known for its grain and horses. Theme: Roman North Africa Andy Merrills, 'The limes in North Africa - Forgotten frontier'. Owain Williams, 'Agriculture in Roman Africa - The breadbasket of ancient Rome'. Jessica Brain, 'Building the Severan dynasty - Septimius Severus and Lepcis Magna'. Eric Fournier, 'Schismatics, heretics, martyrs - The Donatist conflict'. Features: Owain Williams, 'Fantasy fiction and historical inspiration - Against the Gods'. Tim Miller, 'Sun worship in Bronze Age Denmark - The chariot of the sun'. Lee Lanzillotta, 'Passports for the dead or ritual tools for the living? - The Orphic funerary tablets'. Briana Jackson, 'The assassination of Ramesses III - A conspiracy in the harem'. Andromache Karanika, 'Voices and representation - Women and music in ancient Greece'. Ilkka Lindstedt, 'The Arabian Peninsula's religious diversity - Pre-Islamic Arabian religions'. Philip Matyszak, 'Brothels in ancient Rome - Entering the wolf's den'.

From violent disputes to daring robberies, the streets of Cairo often became a stage for chaos, where justice was swift and brutal.

The flail, with its chain and spiked ball, is an iconic image of medieval weaponry in the collective imagination. However, its actual use on medieval battlefields is highly contested

This week, Danièle speaks with Florin Curta about why it’s taken the field so long to address Eastern Europe, why we need to look at enslavement as part of our understanding of the European Middle Ages broadly, and how we can all get started including Eastern Europe in our scholarship, is coming up right after this.

An archaeological excavation near Kiryat Gat, a city southwest of Jerusalem, has uncovered a Byzantine monastery with a mosaic floor featuring a Greek inscription, as well as a sophisticated winepress and other ancient structures.

Norse Ambitions in Eastern Europe and Beyond During the Medieval Period (Part 1) When the Norse exploded out of the stygian Scandinavian woods in the 8th century many sought plunder in the comparatively rich lands of England & France. These lands were ideal since undefended monasteries and prosperous towns sat on the coast or the riverine systems that drained into the North Sea. From these “smash & grab” operations and later settlem…

A private space for us to converse and connect Today I’m announcing a brand new addition to my Substack publication: the Varangian’s Newsletter subscriber chat.

The Reign of Saint Princess Olga, “Equal to the Apostles” (East of Sweden, Pt. 2) Igor, Grand Prince of Kiev and ruler of the Rus, was a ruler of indomitable energy. His forces twice sailed on Constantinople and put it under siege, concluding a favorable treaty with his southern neighbor. Igor’s reign saw the horizons of the Rus expand dramatically. Expeditions were launched into the Caspian Sea & control of the local Slavic tribes w…

Sviatoslav's blood-drenched dream of empire Sviatoslav the Brave was cast in the mold of the old warlords; pagan, ruthless, austere, and ambitious. Sitting as he did at the headwaters of Eurasian trade, Sviatoslav dreamed of following the riverine highways south to the heady Orient, his armies sweeping all before him and forging a global superpower in his image, under the watchful eyes of Perun a…