Dr Paula Del Val Vales

Conference cfp: Beyond Exceptionalism III (17-19 June 2026), Spain

Reminder to send your proposals by 31st Jan 2026 to beyondexceptionalism@gmail.com

Sketch of a person (?)

The inkless doodles of Eadburg, an 8th-c. nun, discovered by new technology: now published by Jessica Hendy-Hodgkinson in EME doi.org/10.1111/emed... (Open access)

New Postdoc position at the Uni of Copenhagen!

“Women in the Nordic Enlightenment (WHENCE). Changing the narratives of early modern philosophy and uncovering women’s contribution to Scandinavian gender equality”

Deadline 15 Feb!

Info here: candidate.hr-manager.net/ApplicationI...

📣 Call for Papers for Beyond Exceptionalism III
📍17-19 June 2026 at Universitat Jaume I, Castellón (Spain)
📝 Deadline: 31 Jan 2026
📧 Send abstracts (250 words) to beyondexceptionalism@gmail.com

Please read the call below for full details!

The ‘Java Man’, the first fossil evidence of Homo erectus, is now home The iconic Homo erectus fossil was welcomed home with a repatriation ceremony and a new museum exhibit in Jakarta.

“For too long, a significant part of our past held beyond everyday reach of Indonesian society. Scholars discussed it, museums displayed it, global narrative was shaped around it, yet the Indonesian people could not see them at home. That era ends today.” -Fadli Zon 🏺

Publication day! My book on the Knights Hospitaller, 'Warrior Monks: Politics and Power in Medieval Britain' is now out. Available in all good and evil bookshops: www.amazon.co.uk/Warrior-Monk...

Peak Geminids Meteor shower this past Saturday night captured over Stonehenge.

Photo credit: Sandra.Davies6869

A screenshot of a search input in the British Library's interim Explore Archives and Manuscripts catalogue.

An interim version of the Explore Archives and Manuscripts Catalogue is now available through the BL website: searcharchives.bl.uk

It contains all the catalogue data from the eve of the 2023 cyberattack, and features embedded links to all currently available digitised content within the records.

📣 Call for Papers for Beyond Exceptionalism III
📍17-19 June 2026 at Universitat Jaume I, Castellón (Spain)
📝 Deadline: 31 Jan 2026
📧 Send abstracts (250 words) to beyondexceptionalism@gmail.com

Please read the call below for full details!

Women are still absent from how history is taught and assessed in England Over a third of GCSE, AS and A-level exam papers in 2023 made no mention of women at all.

Recent research carried out by the Teaching Medieval Women group supported by NTU, shows that women are critically underrepresented in History assessments in English secondary schools at GCSE and A-Level: theconversation.com/women-are-st...

Conference cfp: Beyond Exceptionalism III (17-19 June 2026), Spain

Send your proposals by 31st Jan 2026 to beyondexceptionalism@gmail.com

Archaeological Advent Calendar Day 4

Red Polished I Ware cultic vase, Early Cypriot I, c. 2400-2150 BCE.
Vounous Tomb 155

National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne D134-1969
Felton Bequest, 1968

www.ngv.vic.gov.au/explore/coll...

We built a database of 290,000 English medieval soldiers – here’s what it reveals We created the database in order to challenge assumptions about the lack of professionalism of everyday soldiers.

A blast from my past - the Medieval Soldier database takes nearly 300,000 military service records from 1369-1453 and makes them available as a searchable database.

An invaluable resource for understanding medieval warfare, society and the English medieval state. Learn more in the link. 🗃️

Circular clay vessel with Greek letters on the base

I was fascinated to learn that the earliest surviving evidence of writing in Italy comes from a woman's tomb from the 8th century BC and it probably says 'the one who spins well'. (Found at Gabii, now at the Diocletian Baths in Rome).

📣 New opportunity for Early Career Historians & late-stage PhDs

Join us to learn about the new Applied History Fellowships from Institute of Historical Research, Royal Historical Society & The Social History Archive.

🔗 bit.ly/4nAurL5
#HistoryFellowships #AppliedHistory#AcademicSky

Secret Maps opens today! 🤫 🗺️

From medieval manuscripts to Cold War espionage, our new exhibition explores how maps have hidden as much as they revealed for over 600 years.

Book now: bit.ly/BLSecretMaps

Immensely proud to be part of the incredible team who authored this report! The 'Great History Heist' presents results from a national survey of the teaching of women in History at KS3, and suggests pathways for improving the systemic barriers affecting representation in the classroom.

Natasha Hodgson @nrhodgson-hist.bsky.social also talked more about the findings of the @endsexisminschools.bsky.social report in the following Tes article.

The next Studies in Medieval and Renaissance Sources (our peer-reviewed annual) @archumanities.bsky.social @lincolnmedieval.bsky.social is out now. A massive thanks to Graham Barrett (Durham) and Danna, Anna and the ARC team. #IMC2025

Documents of revolution and reform: Henry of Marchington, the king’s chancery and the chronicle of Burton* Abstract. This article aims to demonstrate that much of the information found in the chronicle of Burton for the 1250s was obtained through Henry of Marchi

Delighted that some of my recent PhD research has just been published in Historical Research! It explores connections between the chronicle written at Burton Abbey in the mid-C13 and the royal chancery
More here: academic.oup.com/histres/adva...

Our 2025 winners, Yael van der Wouden and @doctoroxford.com with the #Bessie and #Charlotte🏆 👏 Both Yael and Rachel will be at Waterstones Piccadilly from 5:30pm today signing copies of their incredible books, #TheSafekeep and #TheStoryofaHeart! Learn more here: www.waterstones.com/events/meet-...

It has been an absolute pleasure collaborating with Historic Royal Palaces on writing this brand-new page for their website about Eleanor of Provence, exploring her life and her legacy as a queen consort with strong ties to the Tower of London: www.hrp.org.uk/tower-of-lon...

For her eyes only: Nineteenth-century ladies’ newspapers This blog explores pioneering nineteenth-century newspapers and magazines created for female readers, sourced from the British Library and accessible via the Social History Archive.

Turns out 'bed-rotting' isn’t new, Victorian ladies were *literally* doing it first. Read more on this (and other news from 19th-century ladies' newspapers) in this latest blog 👇

www.thesocialhistoryarchive.com/editorial/ni...

This #WomensHistoryMonth @findmypast.bsky.social and @pauladelval.bsky.social shares some examples of the records and newspapers that shine a light on women's history: linktr.ee/womensprize

What will you discover to inspire your next chapter?
#findmypast

You haven’t heard about Eleanor of Castile, until you’ve heard @medievalfemina.bsky.social tell you about Eleanor of Castile!

So exciting to have access again to these gems, run don't walk to check them out 👇

How nice!

Lovely!

Congrats! 🥂

Front cover of hard back book, Medieval Women: Voices & Visions.

Inside the book, open at essay on Work and Professions by Cordelia Beattie. One page is a full colour illustration from the Luttrell Psalter.

My contributor copy has arrived! Lots of beautiful images of exhibition items. Do go along to the British Library's amazing exhibition, Medieval Women: In Their Own Words, if you can - on until 2 March 2025.
www.seetickets.com/timeslot/med...
#MedievalSky 📜 🗃️