Maarten Schmaal

It continues to astound me how media will happily call up humanities scholars to comment on all kinds of news, but never connect this to 'maybe this is why the humanities are important.' Reporting on budget cuts to universities is consistently focused on finances, followed by 'unis disagree'.

19.08.2025 10:57 — 👍 0    🔁 0    💬 0    📌 0

All of our professors are very very special

10.08.2025 21:30 — 👍 2    🔁 0    💬 0    📌 0

The word “Research” is doing way too much work. We need separate words for “creating new verifiable knowledge” and “looking shit up on the internet”

25.07.2025 15:58 — 👍 589    🔁 129    💬 21    📌 10

Safe to say the CCC was a success!

20.07.2025 19:48 — 👍 1    🔁 0    💬 1    📌 0

Beautiful Coimbra! The first day of the CCC was filled with fantastic papers, with more to come over the next three days. Hopefully I can make a fitting contribution with my own paper on Thursday!

15.07.2025 17:12 — 👍 1    🔁 0    💬 0    📌 0

Lexi has decided that she MUST accompany me to the CCC in Coimbra tomorrow. Just look at this cat-shaped space in the suitcase, it's clearly meant to be!

13.07.2025 15:19 — 👍 2    🔁 0    💬 0    📌 0

Now that I'm working extensively with Roman terracotta stamps, can/should I call myself a stamp collector? 🤔

11.07.2025 10:58 — 👍 0    🔁 0    💬 0    📌 0

So yes, an event discussing a UN report which connects archaeology to genocide in Gaza belongs on the listserv. Because if we disconnect ancient studies from politics (and thereby give a fiat to those abusing the discipline), we are neglecting the reason for which we are here in the first place.

06.07.2025 13:08 — 👍 7    🔁 0    💬 1    📌 0

We are not hobbyists. We are professional scholars. It is our duty to use our knowledge and skills to help create a better world. The fact that we study the past does not release us from the obligation to improve the present - on the contrary!

06.07.2025 13:04 — 👍 11    🔁 0    💬 1    📌 0

Ancient studies have fantastic potential to show people that what is happening today is neither unique nor inevitable. Even better, it can do so while avoiding many of the ideological trenches that other disciplines (political science, etc.) may run into when communicating with the public.

06.07.2025 13:02 — 👍 8    🔁 0    💬 1    📌 0

There is enough political pushback against the humanities without senior scholars wrongly confirming that ancient studies hold no relevance. And for what? To retreat into a safe ivory tower, so we do not have to admit that our disciplines can be used to reinforce structures of oppression?

06.07.2025 13:00 — 👍 6    🔁 1    💬 1    📌 0

Genuinely, what is the point of what we do if we do not connect it to the 'interesting times' we currently live in? Yes, for me studying ancient history is enough in itself, but if we actively resist making that study relevant, it's just a hobby.

06.07.2025 12:57 — 👍 8    🔁 0    💬 1    📌 0

What a great time to join Bluesky, right in the middle of fresh listserv drama!

In all seriousness, it's shocking how some very senior scholars casually deny that classics/ancient studies have societal use. Our disciplines cannot be detached from politics, nor should they!

06.07.2025 12:53 — 👍 24    🔁 1    💬 2    📌 1

"This is a Classicists List not a political one."

A field of study is doomed when it surrenders its claim to be relevant to the real world, to how we live our lives in relation to other human beings, & cultivate mutual understanding. Isn't that the very point of the humanities?

05.07.2025 08:46 — 👍 284    🔁 58    💬 11    📌 11

Hello world! Attempt #2 at short-form social media, to talk about history, academia, books, and cats. And whatever else I feel like :)

Let's hope this one does not descend into madness like Twitter!

05.07.2025 19:12 — 👍 1    🔁 0    💬 0    📌 0