Casting aspersions: Modern medical technology meets classical archaeology Some three decades ago, Australian archaeologist Dr Estelle Lazer gained international attention by taking a rigorous, scientific approach to the human remains at Pompeii. More than any other aspect of the site, the skeletons of victims of the AD79 eruption of Mount...
Do you remember that ad that Victorian Tourism used to run before every film at independent cinemas? “You’ll love every piece of Victoria” was a marketing campaign that spoke to something observable about Victoria. It is a relatively small state, with diverse landscapes packed in between relatively short driving distances,...
Truly, you have to see modern China to believe it. The scale of the change across this large nation literally takes your breath away. A few years ago I caught the high speed train from Shanghai to Beijing. As I sat there in whisper quiet comfort, I mused on the...
A Mystical Lady, a Profound Secret and a Drowning Maiden With the simultaneous opening of the exhibition Edward Burne-Jones. Pre-Raphaelite Visionary in London (Tate Gallery, 2018-2019) and Love and Desire. Pre-Raphaelite Masterpieces from the Tate in Canberra (National Gallery of Australia, 2018-2019), the moment is ripe for a fresh evaluation...
All human societies find ways to remember their dead. In Mexico, during los días de muertos or 'days of the dead', the living honour the departed with lavish offerings in homes and cemeteries. This is not a sombre occasion, but a time of feasting and reunion. Market stalls sell sugar...