Student Projects

Camillo P, Y12

This paper endeavours to conduct an investigation into the cultural and ethnic identity of Early Iron Age Cyprus, finding its primary influences and assessing the extent to which it can be classified as distinctly Cypriot. The time period examined lasts from roughly 1100 BC,when the cultural landscape was significantly changed by large-scale Aegean immigration, to 497 BC.This end date as been chosen because,with it, finishes the participation of Cyprus in the Ionian revolt-from then on, the island becomes more ingrained in the wider Greek political world and once more changes its cultural direction. This leaves on with a period of around 600 years where the island suffered no direct invasions and remained fairly stable.In order to undertake said examination, I examine the archaeological and material remains of the island from the aforementioned time period, the linguistic identity of Cyprus,references to identity on the island in the literature of the wider ancient world and finally the religious practices (including funerary and burial rites) on the island.This is done through an extensive literature review of relevant books, journal articles and archaeological surveys. The evidence leads one to a fairly straightforward conclusion that the cultural identity of the island was engendered from a myriad of sources and, in many ways, was somewhat of an amalgamation of the cultural expressions of the Aegean and Levanto-Egyptian worlds. However, one risks that, when examining the particular features of Cypriot expressions of identity in the Early Iron Age,most of which were imported, the entirety of the culture, which was distinctly Cypriot, is neglected. Furthermore, another key finding is that, while the island was culturally homogenous, each Kingdom maintained fiercely their own identity and the idea of a unified Cypriot culture does not seem to have existed (at least not strongly) in Cyprus itself.

Continue Reading

Trinny D, Y13

Almereyda’s film version of Hamlet was released in 2000 and was novel in its modernisation of the play’s concepts, through setting it in contemporary New York City. The Shakespearean dialogue is accurately preserved but modern concepts are employed to tell the story, with a particular specialisation being technology. Hamlet allows different interpretations of the play, but the Almereyda version cuts large sections of dialogue and alters the scene structure. This demonstrates the flexible nature of Hamlet, whilst still valuing the importance of the story. Act 3 Scene 1 is fascinating to compare to the Almereyda version, as it provides more insight into the theme of representation of women, through analysis of the relationship between Ophelia and Hamlet and how their respective characters are presented in contrast to the text. Additionally, the character of Gertrude is also explored. The sequence chosen runs from 59:58 to 1:05:07 and provides an insight into the characters at the moment where Hamlet and Ophelia are being spied upon by Claudius and Polonius.

Read more

Francoise D, Y12

Historical facts and memory are undoubtedly essential for reconstructing the history of the world in our minds accurately. Memory is often the reason for certain sources to exist, as accounts of events always come from what someone remembers of the incident at the time. However, conflating history and memory is dangerous as it eventually becomes impossible to divide the two as they become entwined in the remaking of past events. Whether it’s entirely wrong to conflate the two is debatable as often you can’t piece together the past without intertwining the two. The definition of conflate can vary, so to avoid confusion, in this essay I am going to use this definition of conflate: “brought together from various sources, composed of various elements”.

Continue reading

Rupert G, Y12

The term Europae Pater, from which the modern accolade ‘Father of Europe’ has been translated, originates from an anonymously-authored manuscript written c. 800 AD. Known as Karolus Magnus et Leo Papa it tells of the dramatic flight from Rome of Pope Leo III and his meeting with the omnipotent King of the Franks, Charlemagne, at Paderborn (giving rise to its other name, the Paderborn Epic). Charlemagne was born sometime in the 740s, son of Pepin the Short. Pepin’s deposition of the ‘do nothing’ Merovingian dynasty in 751 allowed Charlemagne to succeed his father as King of the Franks from 768 until his death in 814. Charlemagne’s empire was enhanced by the wars of his reign until he reigned most of modern western Europe. The aforementioned meeting of Leo and Charles would eventually result in the coronation of Charlemagne as Imperator Romanorum (800AD) and cement his position within the European myth. Such is the power of the legacy he left behind, that he continues to appear as an icon of European politics to this day.

Continue reading

Ethan A, Y12

The debate over historical presentism can be interpreted as mirroring the debate between the scientific school, championed by Leopold von Ranke, and the Postmodernists, over the ability of historians to remove their influence from their works. Both sides go too far. History can never be totally scientifically objective. The selection and ordering of facts inherent in historical research necessitates the making of value judgements by the historian. Neither is it completely relativist, as there has to be basic grounding in fact so as to avoid the manufacture of pure fictions.

Continue Reading

Nicholas R. Y11

Berlin is noticeably a city in a struggle with its own past. This is unsurprising, given its tumultuous recent history – from the Kaisers, through a brief period of fragile democracy, to Hitler and the Third Reich, and ultimately a split into East and West. However, what is interesting – and surprising, perhaps – is the effect that this has on the modern city.

A Berliner going about his or her daily business will likely pass one of the many memorials commemorating the horrors of the Nazi régime, walk past DDR- era apartment blocks, and step over the line of bricks set into the roads which marks the line of the Berlin wall. In short, History permeates every corner of Berlin; it is a city of echoes of the past. The ‘Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe’ (or ‘Holocaust Memorial’) is a good example of this. Situated near the Tiergarten, historic hunting ground of the Brandenburg Electors, and surrounded by modern high-rise buildings, this mass of 2,711 concrete stelae has an oppressive and inhuman feel. The deep shade and grey monotony is representative of many of Berlin’s monuments – they exalt despair on the part of the viewer. Much of the commemoration, such as the ‘Holocaust Memorial’ is a form of conceptual artwork based on architecture, experience and collective emotion. It is presentation of History with an agenda and often without much information – it attempts to tell a sort of emotional history, rather than an intellectual one, and it exudes a contemplative solemnity.

Continue reading →