Visions of the End in Interwar British Art

The cessation of hostilities to the Great War with the signing of the Armistice on 11 November 1918 brought the largest and most devastating war hitherto known to an end. It was meant to be the “War to End War”, yet a little over twenty years later in 1939 it was eclipsed by the devastation of the Second World War. The shadow of war loomed over the intervening years, which were marked by pronounced speculation on where human society was going; for every prophet of doom anticipating collapse into degradation, animosity, and self-annihilation there was a contrasting viewpoint awaiting the move towards a better new world. Further, these assessments often overlapped. This thesis examines the impact of apocalyptic ideas within British art in the interwar years. It looks at painting, drawings, prints, and sculpture, addressing the use and development of apocalyptic concepts during the period 1918-1939, and explicitly relates contemporary anxieties and apocalyptic evocations with Christian apocalyptic narratives. Interwar British society at large identified with Christian traditions, either as products of a Christian education and state, or through belief. The Apocalypse is central to Christian hope. The project surveys this under appreciated aspect of the period in order to recognise the influence of Judeo-Christian apocalyptic traditions. The apocalyptic orientation, both in its religious and secular forms, has been recognised as a manifestation arising from anxiety in the contemporary context. This thesis reveals a British permutation of a general (European) trend

Noblewomen, aristocracy and power in the twelfth-century Anglo-Norman realm

This is the first study of noblewomen in twelfth-century England and Normandy, and of the ways in which they exercised power. It draws on a rich mix of evidence to offer an important reconceptualisation of women's role in aristocratic society, and in doing so suggests new ways of looking at lordship and the ruling elite in the high middle ages. The book considers a wide range of literary sources such as chronicles, charters, seals and governmental records to draw out a detailed picture of noblewomen in the twelfth-century Anglo-Norman realm. It asserts the importance of the life-cycle in determining the power of these aristocratic women, thereby demonstrating that the influence of gender on lordship was profound, complex and varied. This work will be of importance to specialists in history and medieval studies, as well as those interested in the experience of women and those working on lordship and feudalism

Space and rite in Elymais: Considerations on Elymaean religious Architecture and rock reliefs during the Arsacid Period.

Central to this thesis is the identification of religious architecture in a region which has a special position in Ancient Iran, the mountainous area of Khuzestan known to classical sources under the name Elymais. This area can be considered Iranian only due to its geographical position, since its population was not of Iranian origin. A more direct approach to the study of Elymaean archaeology concerns not just the Susiana plain – which shows a strong Greek and Semitic influence – but also the sites with major rock reliefs (Tang-e Sarvak, Shimbar, Izeh-Malamir), as well as the religious architecture of Bard-e Neshandeh and Masjed-e Soleyman. This study will try to prove, working from religious architecture in Elymais of the Arsacid era, that there were hereditary ties (historical, archaeological, philological) between the Elymaeans and the Elamites, the ancient inhabitants of these territories (Ancient Elam). Given the strong relationship between Elam and neighbouring Mesopotamia, the possible presence of Mesopotamian or other foreign influences in the religious architecture and consequently the use of these types in an Elymaean context can be examined in detail. A review will be made of previously accepted hypotheses of Elymais and its population. The cultural-historical and religious interactions that occurred in this area will be examined in an attempt to establish a nexus of identity for the people of Elymais. This work aims to bring together, perhaps for the first time, diverse studies concerning Elymais: archaeological, historical, philological, numismatic and religious. This key goal will be pursued to provide a platform for their analysis as a corpus. To achieve this, details of archaeological and historical contexts including locations, excavation reports, grave goods, descriptions of monuments and observations regarding rock reliefs have been collected from a number of available sources, many of them in the form of short articles

Games of History

Games of History provides an understanding of how games as artefacts, textual and visual sources on games and gaming as a pastime or a “serious” activity can be used as sources for the study of history. From the vast world of games, the book’s focus is on board and card games, with reference to physical games, sports and digital games as well. Considering culture, society, politics and metaphysics, the author uses examples from various places around the world and from ancient times to the present to demonstrate how games and gaming can offer the historian an alternative, often very valuable and sometimes unique path to the past. The book offers a thorough discussion of conceptual and material approaches to games as sources, while also providing the reader with a theoretical starting point for further study within specific thematic chapters. The book concludes with three case studies of different types of games and how they can be considered as historical sources: the gladiatorial games, chess and the digital game Civilization. Offering an alternative approach to the study of history through its focus on games and gaming as historical sources, this is the ideal volume for students considering different types of sources and how they can be used for historical study, as well as students who study games as primary or secondary sources in their history projects

Meanings and Functions of the Ruler's Image in the Mediterranean World (11th – 15th Centuries)

The book investigates, from different methodological viewpoints, the multiple ways in which medieval rulers in different areas of the Mediterranean constructed their outward appearance and communicated it by means of a variety of rituals, object-types, and media. ; Readership: This book is meant basically for an academic audience, but it could also be of relevance to a wider public interested in the following fields: medieval art and history, Mediterranean studies, and intercultural contacts in the Middle Ages

Noblewomen, aristocracy and power in the twelfth-century Anglo-Norman realm

This is the first study of noblewomen in twelfth-century England and Normandy, and of the ways in which they exercised power. It draws on a rich mix of evidence to offer an important reconceptualisation of women's role in aristocratic society, and in doing so suggests new ways of looking at lordship and the ruling elite in the high middle ages. The book considers a wide range of literary sources such as chronicles, charters, seals and governmental records to draw out a detailed picture of noblewomen in the twelfth-century Anglo-Norman realm. It asserts the importance of the life-cycle in determining the power of these aristocratic women, thereby demonstrating that the influence of gender on lordship was profound, complex and varied. This work will be of importance to specialists in history and medieval studies, as well as those interested in the experience of women and those working on lordship and feudalism

Games of History

Games of History provides an understanding of how games as artefacts, textual and visual sources on games and gaming as a pastime or a “serious” activity can be used as sources for the study of history. From the vast world of games, the book’s focus is on board and card games, with reference to physical games, sports and digital games as well. Considering culture, society, politics and metaphysics, the author uses examples from various places around the world and from ancient times to the present to demonstrate how games and gaming can offer the historian an alternative, often very valuable and sometimes unique path to the past. The book offers a thorough discussion of conceptual and material approaches to games as sources, while also providing the reader with a theoretical starting point for further study within specific thematic chapters. The book concludes with three case studies of different types of games and how they can be considered as historical sources: the gladiatorial games, chess and the digital game Civilization. Offering an alternative approach to the study of history through its focus on games and gaming as historical sources, this is the ideal volume for students considering different types of sources and how they can be used for historical study, as well as students who study games as primary or secondary sources in their history projects