Family history is in robust health, after years in the scholarly wilderness. Sophie Scott-Brown looks at new horizons for this rich seam of history, colliding private with public and biology with culture in provocative ways
Historians’ Watch
Afghan Civil Wars and the Location of a Nation
The stories of Afghans themselves are frequently overlooked in reporting on the country, reflecting a long history of Western engagement. Elisabeth Leake explores the past and future of Afghan nationhood and citizenship, forged by intellectuals, combatants and refugees alike.
Listening to History: The Role of Oral Histories in Museum Collections
Oral history creates a rich world of storytelling around any type of collection. Its methods can also shape a museum’s relationships and core identity.
Children on Strike
What part do children occupy in protest movements? Alice Haworth-Booth locates the story of school strikes and children’s activism within a broader history of political change.
Disparities in Death: Smallpox and Social Inequalities
Smallpox was the first contagious disease for which a vaccine was invented. As the world grapples with the COVID-19 pandemic, Sanne Muurling, Tim Riswick and Katalin Buzasi ask how social inequalities shaped the last smallpox epidemic in Amsterdam, even after the vaccine was available.
The Cerne Abbas Hermit?
In the light of new dating evidence, Thomas Morcom uncovers an exciting new theory as to the identity of the Cerne Abbas giant in Dorset.
The past and future of live animal exports
As the government considers banning live animal exports, James Bowen unpicks the contentious history behind this practice. How have activists, farmers, and government policy converged on this economic and ethical issue since the mid-twentieth century?
