I’m Jess, the creator of Ancient World Corner – a blog where I write about people, places, theories and methodologies I encounter in my studies of the past. In particular, I like to explore the interconectedness of the ancient world: how different cultures viewed and interacted with one another.
Sometimes whilst reading ancient sources, you encounter the most random, fascinating snippets of information, hinting at someone’s life and what the world might have been like for them. These are my favourite things to stumble across – a moment when the ancient world feels that much more tangible and human. This blog will be a place for me to write about these tiny pieces of evidence and share them with anyone who might also be interested!
So, a little bit about me also – as I should probably introduce myself properly! I studied a degree in Egyptology and Classical Civilisation at Swansea University in the UK, with the Department of Classics, Ancient History and Egyptology. I loved my department (the staff and other students were genuinely so welcoming) and course, especially the opportunity to study the wider ancient world beyond the Mediterannean – which is often the limits of what is taught at UK universities. I hope to return soon to study an MA.
The focus of my degree was on Egypt and I wrote my undergraduate dissertation on New Kingdom painted polychrome imitation vessels (random, I know – they’re a very beautiful type of vessel designed to resemble stone or glass). But I also explored the material culture of ancient India, women’s lives in Athens and the effects of the eruption of Vesuvius at Pompeii and Herculaneum, to name a few!
As well as the interaction between different ancient cultures which I mentioned above (there are many different ways to describe this, but one I like is ‘cultural entanglement’), my areas of interest also include ancient music and musical instruments and sensory archaeology. The latter of which is the study of how ancient people interacted with their environment using all their senses and ways in which we can approach this.
Anyway, to get back on track: I hope you enjoy exploring this blog and if you like reading my random thoughts and haphazard ancient world-related sidequests, please stick around here. I look forward to exploring the ancient world with you!
Until next time,
-Jess
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