Historical Figures Research Articles

First bioarchaeological evidence of the familial practice of embalming of infant and adult relatives in Early Modern France.

While medieval and modern embalming practices in Western Europe are attested to historically and bioarcheologically, especially for famous historical figures, there are few recorded occurrences of this type of corpse preparation for a large number of archaeological individuals from the same lineage. Moreover, evidence of such practices mainly concerns adult individuals, whereas traces of child embalming are extremely rare. In 2017, the discovery of a crypt in the chapel of the Château des Milandes (Castelnaud-la-Chapelle, Dordogne, France) revealed a collective burial of the scattered remains of seven adults and five children of the aristocratic Caumont family, who died in the 16th and 17th centuries and whose skeletons all show marks of embalming practices. In 2021, another excavation in the chapel uncovered the individual grave of an elderly woman whose body was also embalmed. This skeletal sample provides a unique opportunity to examine the modus operandi of medieval embalming through the cutmarks left on the cranium and appendicular skeleton and to compare mortuary protocols for adults and children. Our macroscopic and microscopic investigations revealed a thorough and highly standardized technical treatment that was similar for both adult and very young immature individuals and displays a skillset that was passed down over two centuries.

Alexander the Lynkestian and the Thracians at Thebes

The Thracians are a well-attested part of the Alexander’s army in Asia. But when, exactly, did they appear in the king’s force? The question is prompted by the story of Timokleia of Thebes, which is found in Plutarch (Alex. 12; De mul. virt. 24) and Polyainos (Strat. 8.40) and happens to be the only source for Thracian presence in the Macedonian army before the Hellespont. During the Macedonian destruction of Thebes in summer 335, Timokleia is raped by a Thracian or a leader of the Thracians. The story is evidently designed to ennoble the figures of Alexander and Timokleia as idealized Greeks: Timokleia kills her rapist, and Alexander is so impressed by her comportment and family that he frees her. The fullest version (Plu. De mul. virt. 24) identifies this man as another “Alexander,” who can be easily identified with a historical figure: Alexander son of Aëropos/Alexander the Lynkestian, whom Alexander had a few months earlier made strategos of Thrace, but was nevertheless an untrustworthy figure, implicated in Philip II’s death and, eventually, in a plot against Alexander’s own life. Plutarch elsewhere names Aristoboulos as a source for Timokleia, so it is easy to assume she is historical and that the “evil twin” Alexander is a fiction helping to increase the pathos of her story. I wonder, however, if we have the situation backwards, and that it was Alexander the Lynkestian’s presence at Thebes that prompted Aristoboulos –whose attitude towards Alexander III was generally encomiastic– to invent Timokleia and her rape in order to malign this traitorous figure.

PRECEDENT NAMES AS TRANSMITTERS OF HISTORICAL AND COLLECTIVE MEMORY IN THE POEM “THE TIME IN BURSA” BY A. H. TANPINAR

This article explores the use of precedent names as carriers of historical and collective memory in A. H. Tanpınar's poem “The Time in Bursa.” Precedent names, being culturally significant proper nouns, evoke historical, cultural, and social connotations that resonate deeply within a collective consciousness. The study analyzes how these names serve as linguistic bridges between past and present, shaping a shared understanding of national identity and heritage in Tanpınar’s poetry. The analysis focuses on the poem's ability to transmit cultural memory through names associated with key historical events, figures, and places, thus linking personal memory with collective historical narratives. By exploring the poetic function of these precedent names, the article highlights Tanpınar’s contribution to preserving and enriching the cultural identity of Turkish society. Employing methods such as textual, intertextual, and historical-linguistic analysis, the research uncovers how Tanpınar’s use of precedent names fosters a dialogue between individual and national history, allowing readers to engage with the collective memory of their community. The study positions precedent names not merely as literary devices, but as pivotal elements in understanding the dynamics of memory and identity in Turkish poetry. This research aims to broaden the understanding of how names rooted in cultural and historical significance can function as powerful transmitters of collective memory, contributing to the formation of a cohesive national identity in literary texts.

Hospitable Historiography and/of the First All-Woman Special Supreme Court in the State of Texas

ABSTRACT Rhetorical scholars working with archival materials face the persistent question: “What happened?” Records are present, yet what they record is absent. This essay addresses the historical narrative of the Texas Supreme Court case, Johnson v. Darr. This event and its expansive archive have been used as evidence for political claims to significance. Drawing from Michelle Ballif, we attempt a “hospitable historiography.” Discussing the tension between the archival “cut outs” and the event’s inherent “eventfulness,” we suggest that archival ruptures may offer insights into the significance of the past. We explore the ethical considerations of historiography, particularly in relation to feminist methodologies and the need to acknowledge the multifaceted identities of historical figures. We conclude, proposing a reevaluation of the event’s significance, challenging traditional interpretive frameworks, and advocating for a more hospitable approach to historiography. The gambit is to know the past otherwise. The potential gain is both methodological and ethical.

INTEGRATION OF NAMES INTO TEXT IN LÁSZLÓ VÉGEL’S NOVEL TRILOGY

The study examines literary naming, the use of geographical and personal names , and their characteristic vehemency in László Végel’s three-volume series of novels (Neoplanta, avagy az Ígéret Földje (Neoplanta, or the Promise Land), Bűnhődés (Atonement) and Balkáni szépség, avagy Slemil fattyúja (Balkan Beauty or the Bastard of Slemil)). In his urban novel and its sequences, Végel places the action in a multi-ethnic, multi-confessional city, and tells its story from the perspective of the people living there, through their life stories. With the onomastic corpus of the texts, he creates the socio-national background, points out the connection between politics and naming, and the problem of the relationship between identity and personal name. The set of names of the novels originate from a network of real and fictitious names: the streets and institution names to be found at the novel’s scene that have changed throughout history several times, as well as the place- and era-creating character of the real names of historical figures embedded into the text, denotative and connotative meanings attached to the fictitious names (personal, interlocutor and metaphorical names), associations, intertextual aspects provide the opportunity for a new interpretation of the novel.

What (Counter) Monuments for Feminism? The Debates over Monumental Commemoration and the Search for New Feminist Memory Frameworks

At the intersection of memory and feminist studies, this article examines the issue of suffrage and feminist monumental commemoration in the United States. Starting from the deficit of statues representing female historical figures in the public space, it analyzes the conception and reception of two important monuments honoring women’s suffrage (Portrait Monument 1921 and the Women’s Rights Pioneers Monument 2020). While those monuments have somewhat broken the “bronze ceiling”, they testify to the mechanics of exclusion and inclusion at work both in the construction of history and memory. Then, the article takes on a broader perspective, questioning the extent to which traditional monuments, as products of a patriarchal culture and memory, can properly commemorate modern feminism. The essay identifies two trends, one consisting of transforming the bronze through various strategies, the other of “breaking the bronze” by replacing it with other materials and proposing new memory frameworks belonging to what James E. Young has labeled countermonuments. Still, the article ultimately questions the limits of the monument itself and points to the notion of interactive spaces as perhaps the most adequate sites of memory for the complex, multifaceted, contested, and contemporary movement that feminism(s) stand(s) for.

The Savior Narrative: A Comparative Study of the Messiah in Early Judaism and Maitreya in Buddhism

This paper explores the savior narratives of the Messiah in early Judaism and Maitreya in Buddhism focusing on the structural and thematic similarities between the two savior figures. Through an analysis of the Hebrew Bible, Talmud, and Buddhist texts such as Ārya Maitreya-Vyākaranam (The Prophecy of the Superior Maitreya) and Anāgata-vaṃsa (The History of the Future), the study examines four key elements of these narratives: the bestowal of the savior’s divine identity, the tribulations of the end times, the fulfillment of the savior’s mission and the role of “virtuous individuals” in redemption. The research highlights how both saviors are portrayed as future redeemers tasked with guiding humanity to redemption, while also emphasizing the moral requirements for believers in both religions. Specifically, the analysis reveals a “dual-redemption paradigm”, wherein both the savior’s mission and the moral actions of followers are essential to achieving redemption. The study also examines the balance between the divine and secular aspects within the narrative structure, illustrating how historical figures have manipulated these narratives for political and social gains. This research aims to deepen the understanding of savior traditions in Judaism and Buddhism, foster inter-religious dialogue, and contribute to comparative religious philosophy.

Usage Sphere and Lexico-Stylistic Features of Anthroponomastics

The article elaborates usage sphere and lexico-stylistic features of anthroponomastics. When the person names combine with toponyms, there appears a new term called “anthroponomastics”. The article revealed that anthroponomastics mainly cover the names of villages, settlements, cities, streets or avenues, restaurants or cafes, markets or shops public buildings such as schools, universities, colleges, stations, museums, metro stations, hospitals, mosques, churches, etc. Public buildings are usually named after historical figures, poets, writers, musicians, academicians or scholars, presidents while shops or markets, cafes or restaurants are named after ordinary people depending on the willing and desire of citizens. The study underlines that there is a minute distinction between anthroponomastics and personification. In personification, human character and quality are transferred onto an inanimate object while only name is transferred onto place names in anthroponomastics. Besides, novel terms such as zooponomastics, vegeponomastics, aviaponomastics have also been compared with anthroponomastics in the article.

Inheritance, Swerving, Tuning and Complementing: The Flux of Qu Yuan's Cultural Image in the Han Dynasty

Abstract: The study of Qu Yuan has always been a key topic in Chuci, and since Wang Guowei's study in 1906, Qu Yuan's image and works has been continuously excavated in different periods. Being widely eulogized at that time, the discussion and compilation of Qu Yuan's cultural image by the rulers and scholars of the two Han Dynasty gave Qu Yuan a unique cultural connotation, and they jointly compiled a unique "Qu Yuan" belonging to the Han Dynasty. Against the background of the emergence of a new era of cultural study, the reinterpretation of the cultural image of historical figures in ancient China can contribute to the restoration of a more authentic history and culture. Hence, analyzing the flux of the cultural image of "Qu Yuan" in the two Han dynasty can clarify the cultural concepts promoted in different eras of the Han Dynasty and the overall historical tendency of its development.

Syed Masood Husain.

"My long-term goal is to popularize biocatalysis in India so that more and more people work in this area and invent new-to-nature chemistry… If I could have dinner with a well-known historic figure, I would invite Nikola Tesla and I would ask him how I can get rid of all the wires on my table…" Find out more about Syed Masood Husain in his Introducing… Profile.

Tianxia Under the Sea: China’s Quest for Maritime History

This article examines how the Chinese political and academic discourses have constructed a narrative of China as a peaceful maritime power and the role that underwater archaeology has played in narrating China's rise. The ancient Chinese concept of tianxia (天下) is a central part of the Chinese elites’ discourse on maritime policy. This concept, translated as “all under heaven,” forms part of China's effort to produce historical statecraft using textual sources and underwater archaeological artefacts. In this narrative, the historical figure of Zheng He became a prominent representative of China's peacefulness, refuting concerns regarding the purposes of a more assertive Chinese foreign policy. Studying tianxia under the sea thus contributes to forming a better understanding of the production of narratives respecting China's rise. In particular, underwater archaeology is highlighted as an authoritative source of evidence underpinning and reinforcing narratives of China as an ancient and peaceful maritime nation.

Allegorization of History in Burial at Sea

The paper titled “Allegorization of History in Burial at Sea” investigates Khushwant Singh's novel as an allegorized history of post-independent India. Published in 2005, Singh's narrative intertwines the lives of fictional characters with historical figures. Using a combination of textual analysis and historical data, this study examines how Singh's portrayal of these characters serves as an allegorical representation of broader historical narratives. By analyzing the allegorical elements within the novel, the study reveals how Singh's fictionalization serves to critique the idealized images of prominent historical figures, such as Jawaharlal Nehru, and the socio-political dynamics of their time. The findings suggest that Singh's work offers a complex re-interpretation of historical events and figures, highlighting the intersection of fiction and history. The significance of this study lies in its contribution to the discourse on the allegorical nature of historical fiction. This research provides a comprehensive analysis of how fictional works can reshape our perceptions of historical reality.

Biographies and Revisionist Histories in Modern China

Abstract Born and raised in the British Caribbean island colony of Trinidad, Eugene Chen was one of China’s foremost foreign ministers during the early twentieth century, defending his nation’s interests despite its military weakness and political disunity. Relying primarily on newspapers and what he calls the “Eugene Chen Papers,” sourced from Eugene Chen’s grandson in Hong Kong, Walton Look Lai reveals Eugene Chen’s multiple identities, first as “Sun Yat-sen’s personal representative and spokesman in Shanghai,” then as “the global face and voice of the Wuhan regime,” and ultimately as “China’s ‘dynamite’ diplomat [who] challenged the British lion over the Hankow concession and won.” For many, Eugene Chen, for all his political accomplishments and connections to the most illustrious personalities in Republican Chinese history, cut a relatively obscure figure. Eugene Chen’s obscurity points to an old problem in Chinese historiography, or any historiography, for that matter. The privileging or canonization of certain historical figures at the expense of attention to others stems partly from the binary of reform and revolution held by historians when investigating the transformations of twentieth-century China or its transition from empire to nation. Walton Look Lai’s book on Eugene Chen is thus a contribution to our broader historiographical attempt to dismantle the obsolete paradigms that caricature complex historical personalities as one-dimensional persons of their times.

Why is the Press Like This? The Ascent of a Model from a Practice

The study introduced a model titled, Funding and Economic Practice of the Catholic Press in Nigeria to the academic community. It is divided into three aspects: strong, weak, and no initiative practice. It captures the inherent behaviour of the workforce as depicted by values from the top. The method deploys both key-informant interviews and focus group discussions to seek direction from historical and professional figures. Research findings show some historical pitfalls that gave direction to the theory’s framework. Therefore, the study recommends that such historical insight is germane to future efforts to develop the Catholic press. Both weak and no initiative practices are symptomatic of the pitfall. The strong initiative practice has predictive and futuristic significance for press development. It is significant in emphasising the place of advertisement in contemporary newspapering. No newspaper business will survive without it, but we should limit our search for patrons to wealthy Catholics who understand ecclesiastical culture and ethics.

A sociotechnical history of an AI video chatbot: Mapping AI chatbot innovation trajectory for information policy design

This study traces the patent citation network of U.S. Patent 11,107,465 Natural Conversation Storytelling System (Gustman et al, 2021) to map the innovation trajectory of AI Chatbots. This patented AI video chatbot enables the reanimation or digital resurrection of humans in video form. As GLAMs continue to experiment with new technologies such as historical figure chatbots to increase engagement through gamification and empathy, a critical examination of technologies that are designed to appear human-like is warranted as they often skirt credibility, accuracy, and likely insert bias. Furthermore, the rise of generative AI tools and the propensity for producing hallucinations (Christensen et al, 2024) increases ethical issues for the implications on humans and truth (Ranalli, 2022; Stahl and Eke, 2024). Patent citation network analysis is frequently conducted as a competitive strategy for mapping the trajectory of technological development and patented inventions (Érdi et al, 2013; Jain et al, 2020). Drawing from this method, innovation trajectory routes or pathways will be traced through the patent citations to identify the most prominent or critical patents in the AI video chatbot innovation trajectory and analyze which features of technical innovation are retained across its pathway. These methods are frequently utilized to understand changes, patterns, and development in innovation to predict economically viable futures and can be utilized to predict the needs for information policy (Frohmann, 1995) by understanding the implications asymmetrical power on society.

Historical Geographical Information System (HGIS): social trajectories of two Chinese historical figures Su Shi and Zuo Zongtang in spatial context

Historical figures have important significance worldwide. This paper introduces the concept of historical Geographical Information System (HGIS) using the lives of two personalities from Chinese history as case studies: Su Shi, a literary figure of the Northern Song Dynasty, and Zuo Zongtang, a military strategist from the late Qing era. By studying the geographical points marking their life activities, their migratory patterns were explored, along with the dynamics of their social networks within time and space, examining the distinctive phases and characteristics of their individual journeys. Kernel density estimation, standard deviation ellipse, location-based distance analysis, and social network graphs were employed in this work. Our findings reveal that Su Shi’s migrations were largely dictated by official appointments, ultimately rooted in imperial successions and factional strife, with his intellectual pursuits significantly influenced by the humanistic milieu. Conversely, Zuo Zongtang’s migrations were predominantly shaped by war, reflecting the challenges of the late Qing era in relation to governance, sovereignty, and diplomacy. The military encampments selected by Zuo Zongtang tended to be situated near water sources, illustrating how his migratory trajectory was influenced by natural geographic conditions. The social circles of these figures are tied to their social and political stature. Through the socio-historic context, the characteristics of these historical figures’ behavioral trajectories relate to the unfolding process of societal and historical development. These insights offer a glimpse into the life journey behind historical figures, implicitly highlighting their perseverance and resilience in adversity, thereby describing innovative approaches to inheriting and disseminating the cultural legacy.

Explorando la invisibilidad en el paisaje cultural urbano: intervención didáctica en la formación inicial de maestros

The urban cultural landscape emerges as an element of spatial relevance to address socially relevant problems. It integrates various elements that make visible and commemorate certain historical figures, places or events, to the detriment of other groups or minorities, whose representation in the symbols of the urban landscape is practically non-existent. Based on this approach, this works presents the results of a didactic intervention, aimed at valuing urban heritage and its social implications. The training activity takes place at the Escola Superior de Educação de Lisboa (ESELx), involving two groups of students. The main objective was to evaluate whether the toponymy of the street map and the sculptures of certain neighborhoods in Lisbon reflect the diversity that exists in the city in terms of social classes, cultures and genders. Likewise, student perceptions in relation to the analyzed urban heritage were explored. For this purpose, debates were generated, the content of the student productions was evaluated and a questionnaire was implemented. The main results show that the various elements of the urban heritage do not reflect the existing diversity in the city of Lisbon. A scant representation of female figures is evident, as well as elements related to diverse beliefs or cultures and members belonging to disadvantaged social strata. Furthermore, the potential of using urban heritage as a teaching resource to develop the critical thinking of future educators is manifested.

Religiosity and psychosis

Religion and spirituality (RS) have been integral aspects throughout human history, possibly being observed as far back as 500,000 years ago in the ritual treatment of skulls during the palaeolithic period. Today, despite the growth in relatively secular societies, almost 90% of the world has some RS affiliation. Interestingly enough, mental health has historically been interlinked with RS. Family and adoption studies show that a family history of psychosis is correlated with intense interest in RS. Furthermore, the association between Postictal psychosis, a common complication of epilepsy, with religiosity is well documented. It is conceivable that this association led to epilepsy being historically linked with the divine, demonic and supernatural. In fact, there is ample evidence to suggest that many historic religious figures had epilepsy and psychosis. In clinical practice - and in broader society - the incidence of religiosity in epilepsy patients is likely underestimated. While postictal psychosis symptoms range in RS intensity, it is not uncommon for patients to have severe RS delusions and even convert after episodes.

Demanding Images and Memories of Colonial Violence in Tanzania

This article analyses the complex histories and contemporary uses of a colonial-era photograph of Nduna Songea Mbano Lwafu, a sub-chief in Tanzania, taken before his execution during the Majimaji War (1904–1908). The photograph, initially used for colonial anthropological purposes, has been repurposed in postcolonial Tanzania to memorialise and honour national heroes. The study traces the photograph’s journey from its creation by German colonial forces to its current role in Tanzanian museums, textbooks and artistic expressions. By analysing its use in various contexts, the article addresses the broader implications of addressing colonial visual materials that resonate with violent histories. The article highlights how the photograph’s materiality allowed it to be transformed and reinterpreted in Tanzanian cultural forms such as carvings, sculptures and calendars. It discusses the methodological approach of using oral history to provide context to the photograph, underscoring the importance of understanding the colonial violence that accompanied its creation. The article argues for the need to critically engage with colonial photographs to prevent the erasure or misrepresentation of historical figures and events. Through this case study, the article contributes to broader discussions on the politics of memory, the decolonisation of visual archives and the dynamic nature of photographic meanings in postcolonial settings.

Письмо татарского воина своей супруге

Purpose of the study: to identify sources on everyday life during the Crimean Khanate. An attempt to reconstruct individual episodes of everyday life through the study and reference to materials of the epistolary genre. Research materials: The article analyzes and translates into Russian a letter from Suleiman Effendi to his wife, presumably written during the Polish-Turkish War (1632–1634). This letter was published in 1864 in the collection of V. Velyaminov-Zernov “Materials for the history of the Crimean Khanate”, but until today it remained completely unexplored. Results and scientific novelty: The topic of everyday life during the Crimean Khanate period remains unstudied and unconsidered. In view of this circumstance, the relevance of the problem raised in the study lies in identifying and considering sources containing descriptions of individual aspects of everyday life. The work examines a letter of a private nature, which reveals several aspects from the past: the private life and relationships of people in the family, the ethics of mental behavior in society, the tactics and techniques used by the warring parties during military campaigns, the names of historical figures, the language of that time. Based on the research and identification of sources of the epistolary genre, the author comes to the conclusion that today the letters of a private nature from the period of the Crimean Khanate are very rare. An analysis of the contents of the letter suggests that there was correspondence between Suleiman Effendi and his wife, and this letter is Suleiman Effendi’s response to a letter sent earlier by his wife. It also turns out that letters from military campaigns were probably delivered by special mounted messengers.