Louise Mathilde Simongiovanni

In light of today’s conversation on academic accommodations, I’m going to revive a thread lost to time when I deleted my Twitter profile.

It’s about a bunch of academic accommodations that instructors can offer in lieu of an extension on an assignment. 🧵

Did the ancient Romans really abandon people with disabilities? New archaeological evidence is helping rewrite old myths about disabled people in the ancient world.

My latest for National Geographic on the pervasive myth that everyone in the ancient world was ableist and eugenist. Featuring the work of @debscavator.bsky.social

www.nationalgeographic.com/history/arti...

@unibirmingham.bsky.social

Art. Subway style map to go with The Lord of the Rings, showing the different pathways of various parties throughout the book. The title reads: "Lord of the Rings Transit Map: One Does Not Simply Walk Ino Mordor When One Can Ride." The map takes up the middle part of the page, and there are two keys. The one on the left is titles "Standard Service Lines, and has color keys matched to the subway lines on the map. Lines are named: "Shire-Bree Commuter Line Old Forrest Crescent Wildland Scenic Line Fellowship Line Gollum / Sméagol Line Uruk Hai Express Three Hunters Line Fangorn Slow Service Rohan to Gondor Business Line Black Ships Ferry Service Oliphant Direct Line Army of the West Line Gandalf Express A smaller key on the right side of the map is labeled: "Limited Service Lines" and has color keys matched to the following names lines: "Eagle Express Paths of the Dead Line Nazgûl Search & Resuce Valinor Ltd." A note at the bottom reads: "* Mount Doom station only accepts Rings of Power in payment. Plan accordingly."

Art. Subway-style map of the itinerary in The Hobbit. The main journey is show in three different lines: red (Hobbiton to Goblin Town); green (Goblin Town to the Elvenking's Halls); and blue (Elvenking's Halls to Erebor). There are multiple stops on these lines. There is a yellow line going back from Erebor to Hobbiton, making stops at Beorn's Hall, Rivendell, and the Troll's Lair. There is an orange line directly from the Iron Hills on the map's right side to Erebor, and a purple line from Gundabad directly to Erebor. The map's title reads: "Hobbit Transit Map" and there are directions for both There and Back Again listing the lines and transfer points. Between them, in the middle of the page, is a dragon drawn to resemble the dragon on Thror's Map from The Hobbit. A key shows the names of each colored line: Red: Western Lands Line Green: Mountains and Forests Line Blue: Barrel Line Yellow: Gandalf Express Orange: Iron Hills Business Line Purple: Orc and Goblin Reserve Line Text at the bottom right reads Surprised Eel Maps, 2025

We're at the Middle Earth map.
We're at the subway map.
We're at the combination Middle Earth and Subway map!

And you could be too! These maps and more are for sale on my Etsy page! They make great presents for yourself and others!
#LOTR #maps #subway

www.etsy.com/shop/Surpris...

POV: you are a young woman celebrating a recent academic success

(no title) CEMA

📢 #CfP #medievalsky #OldEnglish
📜Beowulf & Circulations Conference
📲Details: cemasorbonne.org
🏫Centre d’Études Médiévales Anglaises (Sorbonne Université)
🗣️Keynotes: Irina Dumitrescu (Universität Bonn) & Francis Leneghan (Oxford University).
📅March 13-14, 2026
⏰Submission deadline: 10 January, 2026‼️

Illustration = the Old English Hexateuch, w. an image of the creation of Eve. Text = Everything you always wanted to know about medieval manuscripts — but were too afraid to ask Attend the 2025-2026 CÉMA/AMAES Saturday morning sessions and learn to read medieval English manuscripts from scratch! When — Saturday 10 am-12 noon — October 11, November 15, December 13, January 24, February 21, March 21, April 11, May 30, June 13 Where — Sorbonne & Zoom To join at any point in the year, just e-mail us: florence.bourgne [at] sorbonne-universite.fr

#medievalsky
Learn to read Old English from scratch! The CEMA has been hosting monthly manuscript reading sessions at @sorbonne-universite.fr since 1984 🥰 We are now also online, one Saturday morning a month -- next session this coming Saturday, 10-12 CET. Ping me if you want to partake 🎉🎉🎉

Le Collège de France annule un colloque sur la Palestine « en réaction à la polémique entourant » l’événement Le Collège de France « ne prône, ni n’encourage, ni ne soutient aucune forme de militantisme », a affirmé l’établissement qui assure de sa « stricte neutralité (…) au regard des questions de nature po...

Demander l'annulation d'un concert politisé, c'est une attaque contre la liberté de programmation artistique, mais annuler un colloque au Collège de France, ce n'est pour son ministre de tutelle qu'une décision "responsable" 🙃

WHAT YOUR FAVORITE MEDIEVAL LATIN SCRIPT SAYS ABOUT YOU Rustic Caps HOCROCU: QUIDIRIA CANIHAGE SIRNINISI IDEMANDI HISTLIAMS VOCIDIOS You are a nerd Uncial NONOmNITqu @isaziocis th propanmaNo You are a nerd Merovingian or aesfeaello mmlanplo,mledr o You are a nerd Visigothic รวมปรแทนไขกัน manaf celebri gukunair di สุแต่แลแกตปี่ fimal din wouct You are a nerd Insular quodoranni NOSt Perprophem LCCCOREUSDO IHorcusanue ten tobam Beneventan monafthomet eqa'tuluf meg Fsbeftmara. el Egot fuul-fetpf. Carolingian Sounda gu inter le prope contentof 미 homencbur de Gothic woace deliccus puca!! segena You are a nerd fegulom fei De monafieho Co You are a nerd You are a nerd tr.ntoged máne fana: fligut cure naly telle You are a nerd

Who made this and why are you choosing nerd violence? ✍️ I mean, it is true, but still.

James Watson, dead at 97, was a scientific legend and a pariah among his peers James Watson, the co-discoverer of the structure of DNA who died Thursday at 97, was a scientific legend and a pariah among his peers.

A Sharon Begley byline, almost 5 years after her death.

Upon hearing the news James Watson had died, a STAT reporter said in our Slack, "I wish I could read what Sharon would have written."

Incredible news: Sharon in fact did pre-write a Watson obit. And it is masterful and excoriating.
🧪🧬🧫

Beowulf & Circulations A website for Sorbonne Université's Beowulf & Circulations conference, featuring a home page with Sorbonne and Beowulf manuscript images, and easy navigation to the call for papers, progra…

#medievalsky
@cema-su.bsky.social is organizing a 'Beowulf & circulations' conference in Paris on March 13-14, 2026.
Come enjoy a public reading of the poem, and two great keynotes!
CFP & free (but compulsory) registration via the CEMA's new website:
cemasorbonne.org

A meme of 'Is this an archive?' showing a grid with various classifications of things that might be archives based on their content and structure.

Hoping this helps our colleagues across the industry

Cnut. He's forgotten about Cnut, who went on pilgrimage to Rome in 1027. Oh, and Edward I, who spent 2 months at the court of Gregory X in 1273. Otherwise, all over the detail, as per.

Enluminure du Moyen Âge montrant un voleur en train de couper la bourse d'une femme tandis qu'un sergent du guet lui met la main sur l'épaule

Aujourd'hui on vole les bijoux du #Louvre, et au Moyen Âge, on volait... les reliques ! Et là aussi, c'étaient des cambriolages prémédités et bien organisés... Un fil ⬇️! #medievalsky #medievalists

“Tolkien contre les machines“

En librairie aujourd'hui.
luxediteur.com/catalogue/to...

Why do so many French words end in a silent x?
‘Cheveux’, ‘voix’, ‘paix’, ‘deux’, ‘mieux’, ‘faux’, ‘doux’ – the list is endless.

There’s a fascinating story behind this x’s – or actually two stories.

Click and zoom in on my new graphic to read about medieval abbreviations and imitating Latin:

New in open access #medievalsky: Bede's Medical Books!

www.cambridge.org/core/journal...

Keepin' it Old School this time

The main court of the Sorbonne under a cloudy sky

A cup of coffee, a piece of cheesecake and an open book on Old English literary forms

The cover of a French book entitled “The body in the Middle Ages”

Research day at the BIS, and a delicious Japanese cheesecake.

Autumn 2025 schedule for the Institute of Historical Research's Earlier Middle Ages seminar. Full information available at https://www.history.ac.uk/news-events/seminars/earlier-middle-ages

📣 The Earlier Middle Ages seminar @ihr.bsky.social is now on Bluesky! Here's our autumn term schedule. First up is @rorynaismith.bsky.social on 8 October, giving the annual David Wilson Lecture (with @uclarchaeology.bsky.social). All welcome! Please sign up here: www.history.ac.uk/news-events/...

Call for Papers and Sessions

Fantasy’s Present Pasts

University of Glasgow
Tuesday 23rd – Thursday 25th June 2026

Keynote Speakers: Stefan Ekman, Sofia Samatar and Helen Young

More details on the conference in the post linked below - deadline for proposals is Friday 12th December.

#OTD 342 years ago, Elizabeth Elstob (1683–1756) was born 🥳 A translator and a pioneer of Old English studies, she authored "The Rudiments of Grammar for the English-Saxon Tongue", the first Old English grammar written in English.

#LinguisticBirthdays #WomenInLinguistics #Histlx

ted. In this context I feel obliged to state once more that - like the hundreds of protesters arrested last weekend - I too support Palestine Action. If this makes me a "supporter of terror" un- der UK law, so be it. My books, at least for now, are still published in Britain, and are widely available in bookshops and even supermarkets. In recent years the UK's state broadcaster has also televised two fine adaptations of my novels, and therefore regularly pays me residual fees. I want to be clear that I intend to use these pro-ceeds of my work, as well as my public platform generally, to go on support-ing Palestine Action and direct action against genocide in whatever way I can. If the British state considers this "terrorism", then perhaps it should investigate the shady organisations that continue to promote my work and fund my activities, such as WH Smith and the BBC.

Wow Sally Rooney. Fair play.

‘I feel obliged to state once more that… I too support Palestine Action. … If the British state considers this "terrorism", then perhaps it should investigate the shady organisations that continue to promote my work and fund my activities, such as WH Smith
and the BBC.’

J'entends Aurore Bergé sur @franceinfo.fr expliquer que les gens sont contres la loi Duplomb parce qu'ils sont désinformés.
Désinformés par qui ? 14 sociétés savantes ? La ligue contre le cancer ? Le CNRS écologie environnement ?

Sans intervention immédiate, les derniers reporters de Gaza vont mourir 21 juillet 2025 L'AFP travaille avec une pigiste texte, trois photographes et six pigistes vidéo dans la Bande de Gaza depuis le départ de ses journalistes staff courant 2024. Avec quelques autres, ils sont aujourd'hui les seuls à rapporter ce qu'il se passe dans la Bande de Gaza. La presse internationale est interdite d'entrer dans ce territoire depuis près de deux ans. Nous refusons de les voir mourir. L'un deux, Bashar, collabore pour l'AFP depuis 2010, d'abord comme fixeur, ensuite comme photographe pigiste, et depuis 2024 comme principal photographe. Samedi 19 juillet, il est parvenu à poster un message sur Facebook: « Je n'ai plus la force de travailler pour les médias. Mon corps est maigre et je ne peux plus travailler ». Bashar, 30 ans, travaille et vit dans des conditions égales à celles de tous les Gazaouis, allant d'un camp de réfugiés à un autre camp au gré des bombardements israéliens. Depuis plus d'un an il vit dans le dénuement le plus total et travaille en prenant d'énormes risques pour sa vie. L'hygiène est pour lui un problème majeur, avec des périodes de maladies intestinales sévères. Bashar vit depuis février dans les ruines de sa maison de Gaza City avec sa mère, ses quatre frères et sœurs et la famille d'un de ses frères. Leur maison est vide de tout aménagement et confort, à part quelques coussins. Dimanche matin, il a rapporté que son frère aîné était « tombé, à cause de la faim ». Même si ces journalistes reçoivent un salaire mensuel de l'AFP, il n'y a rien à acheter ou alors à des prix totalement exorbitants. Le système bancaire a disparu, et ceux qui pratiquent le change entre les comptes bancaires en ligne et l'argent liquide prennent une commission de près de 40%. L'AFP n'a plus la possibilité d'avoir un véhicule et encore moins de l'essence pour permettre à ses journalistes de se déplacer pour leurs reportages. Circuler en voiture équivaut de toutes les façons à pre…

🚨BREAKING: The last journalists working for AFP in Gaza have said they can no longer work for the news agency.

They are out of energy and they are starving to death.

I have never seen a statement from a news organisation like it.

🧵

'Ye' in names such as 'Ye Olde Inn' was originally pronounced 'the'.

The pronunciation with y is due to a misinterpretation.

'Ye' originated as a second-best way of writing 'þe', þ being thorn, the original English letter for the th sound.

Click my new infographic to read the story of thorn:

Such a joy to see this out in the world at last - and now available fully #OpenAccess from @brepols.net!

Huge thanks to my co-editor @sarahbaccianti.bsky.social, all our contributors, & @researchireland.ie for making this project possible against all odds 🎉🥂

www.brepolsonline.net/action/showB...

👹 Possessed by demons? What a nuisance. But don't worry this herbal remedy will sort you out!

The video features a 14th century German Herbarium (MS O.2.48) from @TrinCollCam, Cambridge, on display at our #CuriousCures exhibition.

🎟️FREE tickets here: loom.ly/kVqsPRY

Les gens qui gueulent contre Hidalgo et les décisions dans Paris devraient regarder ce genre de cartes et voir la réduction absolument dingue des émissions de dioxyde d'azote en 18 ans.

Medieval Healers Used Nettles to Treat Wounds, Not Just to Sting, Study Finds - Medievalists.net Medieval healers saw nettles as more than a painful weed. New research uncovers how they used the stinging plant in remedies for wounds, infections, and more.

Medieval Healers Used Nettles to Treat Wounds, Not Just to Sting, Study Finds www.medievalists.net/2025/06/medi... #MedievalMedicine #Nettles #Medicine #History

It is the human equivalent of geological pressure. Two tectonic plates can grind against one another for millions of years, the tension slowly building all the while. Then, one day, they rub each other once again, in the same fashion they have for ages, but this time the tension is too great. An earthquake erupts. Change can take years--before it happens at once.

There was ZERO need for this paragraph about the power of slow consistent habit formation to be this sexy. I now ship the tectonic plates.