Voting and the shadow of ancient Rome’s firemen
Today Italy votes. As the country faces increasing impoverishment and profound uncertainty about the future, the choices hardly give me...
Patenting ideas at Lacock abbey
In August 1835 photography in the form of a calotypes was invented by William Henry Fox Talbot at his Wiltshire home of Lacock Abbey....
‘The Dustbin of history’ - The Bellucci collection, Perugia
We mostly live in a monotheistic world today, quite different from ancient times. Go to an archaeology museum like the national museum in...
The Future of Italy? Traffic lights….
Italy is facing elections in March. Despite a capable if discrete government today, most everyone is speculating on the musical chairs...
Frans Theuws’ new book – why Maastricht is special
Leiden University’s Frans Theuws is one of Europe’s most cerebral archaeologists. What makes him interesting is that he is fascinated by...
January in the Peloponnese
Mistra: took the highway to Sparta through snow-capped peaks. Mistra is a real World Heritage Site, gloriously rich in churches, palaces,...
Alma Deutscher at the California Theatre
When I was invited to the first night of Alma Deutscher’s opera, Cinderella, I was in two minds. How on earth could a child prodigy of 12...
Metal-detecting on the beach at Palm Beach
Thanks to AUR’s vivacious board member, Debra Tornaben, I was lucky enough to speak to the Palm Beach Round Table about my Travels with...
In Memoriam Bernard Wailes (1934-2012) and the subject of (Irish Sea Post-Roman) E-wares
My former colleague, Jim Mathieu, Chief of Staff at the Penn Museum, has kindly loaned me his adviser’s thesis. He knows fully well that...
A Thanksgiving Trip: Rome’s San Clemente
The American University of Rome mounted a wonderful thanksgiving dinner. Over 120 came from as far away as Sacramento. The atmosphere was...
