What is so creepy about the discovery of the Mary Rose

The news that a new museum dedicated to the discovery of Henry VIII's ship, the Mary Rose, should be exciting to everyone, but especially to me as an historian. But a part of me is a bit creeped out.



I first saw the hulk of the ship when I visited Portsmouth about ten years ago. In 1982 I watched intently when she was hauled from the Solent, having been submerged for four hundred years. Surprisingly, perhaps, the Mary Rose was discovered in 1836 and some of the guns were removed. But then the location was lost for another hundred years until 1971.



The Mary Rose was a warship of the English Tudor navy of King Henry VIII. After serving for over thirty years in wars against France, Scotland, and Brittany, she saw her last action on 19 July 1545. While leading the attack on the galleys of a French invasion fleet, she sank in the Solent, the straits north of the Isle of Wight.



The new museum serves as a time capsule of Tudor times. There are reconstructed crew members made from a process we have recently seen with Richard III. There is an eerie life-like archer, his spine twisted from years of using his archery equipment. There are grooves in the bones of his fingers where he has pulled the string of his longbow. He is five feet ten inches tall, strong and well-built and was wearing a leather jerkin when the ship went down. 



There is a skeleton of a dog that would have looked like a whippet, earning his place on the royal ship as chief rat catcher. He was a young dog; DNA studies on his bones claim that he was about two years old. And now he sits proud on the ship that is destined to become as famous as Pompeii.



Although the cargo of former life is mysterious and supernatural enough to send a shiver down my spine, it is the discovery of lots of combs that makes my hair stand on end.



The Tudors had nits.



As a parent and teacher, the fear of head lice is always present. Nasty, blood sucking parasites. Seeing the ancient nit combs that look so much like our modern ones, is very disturbing. However, I shouldn't be surprised. Head lice have been known to have lived on people for as long as homo sapiens has existed, the first evidence is from ten thousand years ago in Brazil. It has been suggested that Neolithic peoples actually enjoyed having them as it meant that there was always a food supply available. I'm really not sure about that hypothesis.



Egyptian mummies have been found with nits attached to their hair. Some have had the fine tooth combs necessary to remove nits, which are lice eggs, packed in their tombs to take with them to the afterlife. Head lice for eternity - what a disgusting thought!



All cultures have left evidence of suffering from this pest, whether it was from their remains or the presence of nit-combs, often with nits still trapped in the teeth, as was the case when one found by Hadrian's Wall from 72 AD. The first written evidence came from Aristotle when he wrote a theory on how lice occur. The Anglo-Saxons had many combs, suggesting that they took care of their hair. But even here the combs look very much like our nit detection combs. See an image of the combs here - look at the clothing section on the right​.



In my book Teon, the queen gives Teon a comb as a gift when he is taken in by the royal house as a musician, or scop as they were known. He is absolutely riddled with lice.  My head bleeds from scratching when I'm writing these scenes. It has to be done for the sake of my art.



So the moral of the story is that the little blighters will get you no matter who you are. At least in this modern age we know how to avoid them: keep away from children. Oh, and sailors and archers and Egyptian mummies and cave-men...

www.ajsefton.com

Why Spartacus will never really die

Today I am sad. Last night was the UK’s screening of the final episode of Spartacus, an American television drama series produced by Starz. It was a glossy, brutal and often incredulous version of the myth of freedom-fighting slave Spartacus. Stylised in a comic book way, the hardship of life as a slave and rebel fighter showed Spartacus and his followers as virtual superheroes. In a way, despite the atrocities, that’s what they were.

Historically not much is known about the man. In the series it was suggested that Spartacus was not even his real name and as 'Sparadakos' is Latin for 'famous for his spear', it could well be true. What is known came from Roman sources and was portrayed fairly accurately. The scant facts are that a former soldier of the Roman army, from Thrace (which is now Bulgaria) was captured as a slave and forced to fight as a gladiator for the entertainment of the Romans in their arenas. He was a successful fighter and brought glory to the house of Batiatus, a Roman who owned and ran a gladiatorial school in Capua, along with fellow slaves Crixus, Gannicus and Oenomaus. He was taken into slavery with a high priestess of Dionysus: perhaps she was his wife. These men rebelled against their Roman owners and broke free. They embarrassed the Roman armies by defeating them twice; their training in the gladiatorial arena giving them an obvious advantage.

The body of Spartacus was never found. No record exists of him beyond the battle of Senerchia during the Third Servile War. Romans from the time, such as Appian and Plutarch, claim that this is where he met his death and defeat. In the 1960s film Spartacus, starring Kirk Douglas, he was crucified along with many of his men. Evidence from Appian suggests that six thousand rebel slaves did meet their end this way, but again, there is no proof that Spartacus was one of them.

That 1960s film was my first exposure to the legend. It was based on a novel by Howard Fast. The most famous part is where his followers all claim to be their leader when the Romans are after him. “I am Spartacaus,” each of them says, demonstrating their total loyalty by their willingness to die for him. However, the legacy of Spartacus goes deeper than Hollywood.

A political party in Germany representing the oppressed ordinary German people following the First World War named themselves The Spartacists as they identified with his struggle. There has been music written about him and even a ballet. There have been many books but since the release of the Starz series a whole host of writers have penned their version of his tale, including Ben Kane, Barry Strauss and Simon Scarrow, ensuring that a new generation will know about Spartacus. And that is good.

Philosopher Neizche said people need role models and historical examples are powerful because they actually existed. Spartacus was a symbol of the fight against the abuse of power, intimidation and the strength of will, individual belief and action, and he saved so many people from the state of slavery. Spartacus is an ideal role model and in the television series he was portrayed as a sensitive and deeply moral man.

I will miss him. Perhaps we all should say: “I am Spartacus!”

http://www.ajsefton.com

How King Henry VIII affected my life

He lived over five hundred years ago and yet his legacy touched me personally and still does. The way Henry VIII changed England is extremely well documented. His desire for an heir, for wealth and power led him to become an infamous 

slaughterer of wives and creator of a new faith. Films and books continue to be made about him and those who knew him. When there seems to be nothing more to say about old Henry, up pops another book or essay from a different perspective.



Critics of British History teaching (oh, here we go again) regularly cite the study of Henry as being too much. The popular phrase is that school history is all 'Hitler and Henry', referring to the study of Nazi Germany as well as the Tudors. In Britain, children study these topics at least twice even if they do not opt to study history at examination level. After that, certainly in some courses, the in-depth study can be Nazi Germany and again at advanced level. The same goes for the Tudors. This year I have taught lessons on different aspects of the Tudors, to different age groups, every single day.



Of course, the Tudors is a fascinating period in European history and the complexity of characters and motivations is what inspires so much interest. According to Robert McCrum, writing in The Observer, the story of megalomaniacs such as Henry VIII and Hitler "continue to make great literary fodder." McCrum suggests that anything connected to the Tudors is bound to be successful and films are "box-office gold." People love to read about  this powerful family. "Tudor sagas of greed, lust and ambition, punctuated by violent death, get hashed over as if they happened yesterday."



While McCrum is correct in what he says, my interest is not in the Tudor pursuit of power or the affairs and scandals. It is the dissolution of the monasteries; Henry's great plan to make himself richer by using the corrupt monks as an excuse to rob the monasteries of their treasure. The remnants of this redistribution of wealth is everywhere. The great buildings fell into ruin hundreds of years ago and the remains are still standing as nobody cleared them away.



Now the ruins serve as tourist attractions: some charging us to see them, others putting on shows and displays, some merely rubble. But I love them.



Before my career in history I was fascinated by monasteries. One of the first ones I visited as a child was Strata Florida Abbey, in Tregaron, Wales. It was so tall, the rooms so vast I knew that special people must have lived there. Another one I particularly remember was Saint David's monastery in the city of Saint David's. The remains always had glimpses of great carvings and evidence of wonderful and divine architecture - the arches must have been gateways to something spectacular. There was a mystery and a magic that even castles did not have.



Decades have passed since my first foray into the world of ancient monasteries but my fascination is still there. A few days ago I went to see Croxden Abbey for the first time, despite it only being only a few miles from where I live. However, perhaps because it was raining, I don't know, but the gates were padlocked shut. The sign said that the abbey remains were open daily from 10-5, but they were not. Fortunately the abbey remains were easy to see in the tiny village even though I could not walk between the massive stones. I could still wonder about what once had been, though. The silent air allowed me to slip away into another time and try to image the monks in their enclosed world. It was still inspiring to me.



In the first book of The Prophets of Mercia, Gulfyrian was brought up in the monastery at Saint David's. Although I did not go into much of his life there, it is a tale I will tell at some point. And I will bring back all of those childish feelings of awe and marvel  that I had.



In the meantime I will try to figure out why the desolate ruins in a tiny village have a wire fence around them with a huge padlock on. It's not as if Henry will be back to strip away the lead from the roof or anything. Well, there is no roof for a start.

A very brief guide to the Dark Ages

How screen-based culture is shaping literature

Tablet alarm.Turn on laptop, turn on kettle. Check mobile 'phone for messages and Facebook updates. Laptop's warmed up by now so time to check Facebook and twitter on a bigger screen. Check analytic data, newspapers. Make tea.



So begins my day, Monday to Sunday. If I am at school I will use the computer to take the register and set up Power Points for lessons. Often there's a clip from YouTube; always a lesson plan. If I am not teaching then I am writing, researching or tending my website. As with so many people now, the screen, in all of its formats, is essential to my life. For children it is even more so.



Many people are concerned that children spend too much time on their mobiles texting and playing games ​and interacting on social media. Now that e-books are fully fledged there is no need for anyone, let alone children, to read old-fashioned paper books. The question is whether technology has a detrimental effect on reading skills. This has led to many studies and the most recent from the National Literary Trust was published today. It claims that reading from computers has overtaken reading from books.



The results show that out of the almost 35,000 children surveyed (aged from eight to sixteen) less than a third said that they preferred to read in print, as more than half prefer to read from electronic devices. This includes e-readers where the figure of children using them has doubled in the last two years. Surely if they are reading they are reading? Where is the harm?



According to the Trust's research, those children who read daily only on-screen are nearly twice less likely to be above average readers than those who read daily in print or in print and on-screen. Those who read only on-screen are also  less likely to enjoy reading very much and less likely to have a favourite book.



The National Literary Trust is calling for a balance between technology and traditional books. Rightly so, as balance in all things is the correct way. It is important that people see that it is not 'either or'. In my own experience, children hear about books via their social networking and read them following recommendations from their peers. The popularity of the Hunger Games and the books of John Green have benefited from the screen.



Green has fully embraced the social media that these electronic devices bring. Not only does he have the obligatory website but he connects with his audience of young adults (what we used to call teenagers) by means on vlogging. As I mentioned previously, vlogging is video blogging uploaded onto YouTube. See an example on my Guest Blogspot. Green has achieved great success. He won the 2006 Printz Award for his debut novel and reached number one on a New York Times Best Sellers List. Teenagers are buying his books in paper format as well as seeing his work on screen, each complementing the other.



It could be that some children do not like to read, whether they have a computer or not. Those brought up in book-free homes have always tended not be readers themselves. The National Literary Trust does not appear to have taken this into account. However, I like to think that the social networks will encourage children to try books through vlogs by people such as John Green, as well as good old-fashioned peer pressure.



I love technology, it is part of me, but I also love books. I like the feel of them, the decorative and homely appeal of them in my living room. I cannot be the only one who thinks like that: I know I'm not. This is the 'healthy balance' that the Literary Trust is calling for.



Vlogging though...I'll need to examine my dressing up box for that.

See my website http://www.ajsefton.com

A very brief introduction to the Dark Ages

Taken from my website http://www.ajsefton.com/#!historical-background/c1bor

Amidst the errors there shone forth men of genius; no less keen were their eyes, although they were surrounded by darkness and dense gloom

​Petrarch, Italian poet, philosopher, historian and humanist (1304-1374) ​

Periods in history are so much easier to remember if they are given names instead of numbers, even if those names are cruel and wrong. The term Dark Ages suggests ignorance, decay and depression. That was the intention: a bleak, unrecorded time between the Romans' departure and the emergence of the Renaissance. Numerically this is the fifth to the fifteenth century. During the last century the dating of the Dark Ages was changed to encompass the end of the Roman Empire and the Norman conquest in 1066 in Britain. It is now classed as a section within the Middle Ages or the Medieval Period although the term has fallen out of favour with modern historians, who prefer the label Migration Period. The migrants were Angles, Saxons, Jutes and Vikings. At the moment I am focusing on the Angles, Saxons and a couple of Jutes. Vikings may come later.



Unlike the Romans, the Britons were not writers. What we know is based on scant archaeological evidence and the writings of a small number of Christian monks. The general view was that the people lacked the intellect of the Romans of classical antiquity and were a backward people in terms of culture and civilisation. The concept of light versus dark, ignorance versus knowledge, superstition versus science all contributed to the caricature of this time.

​

However, with the development of technology and some very exciting discoveries (such as the Sutton Hoo burial and the Staffordshire Hoard) it is now accepted that the Anglo-Saxons were more sophisticated than originally thought. Their intricate crafts and elaborate burials indicate quite an evolved society. We still don't know about their motivations, plans or ideas though.



The Dark Ages to me is a time of mystery - in a good way. It is a blank canvas for a writer's imagination.

Why children have to be put on the bus

Childhood memories stay with us forever. It's as if our new and blank brains are imprinted with experiences and as life adds more, the first ones have already bagged their place. In cases of dementia people cannot remember what day it is or what they did five minutes ago, but those childhood first memories are as clear as crystal. They never fade no matter what.



So it is with sadness that I note that school trips are in decline. I keep coming up with great ideas but the management always turn me down. GCSE Medicine Through Time pupils really need to see the Thackray Museum in Leeds. Not only are there hands on resources and artefacts but the recreated Victorian street includes the smells from the time. No text book can give you that. There are science museums, space centres, castles galore, historic buildings, stately homes in working estates...the list is endless. Why are school trips not utilised?



There are three reasons. First, the cost of transport. With fuel costs increasing at an incredible rate and insurance just as expensive, the entrance fees to these places is swamped and the trip becomes very unattractive. The cost of a day trip is as much as a week at a holiday camp and many families cannot justify it. Also schools are not allowed to demand the full cost only ask for a donation towards it. Usually, in my experience, parents will pay in full but it only takes a couple not to contribute and then the department's budget is severely checked.



Second, the dreaded health-and-safety- risk assessment. Every potential risk has be documented and a procedure put in place. I have completed these and they take forever to compile and  have checked. For example, a child may fall off the kerb. Kerbside will be monitored by staff. Will only be allowed to walk on perfect stones, avoiding any uneven or broken slabs. If child stumbles staff will apply cold compress, ointment, plasters - only if child's guardian has signed permission slip to say staff are allowed to do so. And so on.



Third, the timetable at schools is so crammed there simply is no time to squeeze in a day trip or even half a day. When I was at secondary school I studied seven subjects. Pupils now study between ten and fifteen subjects, all of them leading to examinations and qualifications. I don't know how they do it.



Despite these obstacles school trips should be pencilled in as essential. English Heritage chief executive Simon Thurley summed up the importance of extra-curricular visits: "People are more likely to visit historic sites if they first visited them as a child," he said. To maintain our history we have to address it at a young age, to imprint our brains.



The good news today is that English Heritage have designed a scheme using public donations to take school children to these important sites on free bus journeys. A lot of sites offer free entry to school children already so this is a fantastic opportunity for schools. It still leaves the problem of packed timetables and dreaded risk assessment forms, but it is too good a chance to miss. I urge all heads to take a look at this, for the sake of our children and British history.



With this little heatwave here in England  who needs to be stuck in a classroom? Wonder if there are any ice-cream companies willing to donate free ice cream to schools and teachers out there...

http:www.ajsefton.com

How Disney makes History lessons work



​Yes, guilty as charged.

​

I am responding to the Education Secretary, Michael Gove's accusation yesterday that History teachers in Britain play Disney films during lessons. Yes, I do, and the one example he gave -Robin Hood - I have used for many years. I also show Thomas the Tank Engine, Cabaret,Horrible Histories, Monty Python and Dances with Wolves as well. So there.



Gove's argument is that films such as Robin Hood, which is an animated cartoon, 'infantalises' children. He said teaching was being "crushed under the weight of play-based pedagogy which infantilises children, teachers and our culture". I suppose he is referring to the 'nanny state'. It certainly was not teachers who instigated a spoon-fed, target driven, infantalised culture.



In an article in the Daily Mail there was a wonderful image of Adolf Hitler as a Mr Mencharacter, referring to an activity using the characters to explain  the rise of the Nazis. Ironically, the creator of these figures, Roger Hargreaves, celebrated his birthday on the same day that Michael Gove made his attack on modern British history teaching. I must confess that the Mr Men books were an integral part of my daughter's upbringing, with a 'Mr Bump' ice pack to soothe her exuberant toddler activities and  'Little Miss Sunshine' pyjamas. Unfortunately I have never seen the 'Mr Hitler' character or lesson resource, which was produced by a teacher working in France and available at www.activehistory.co.uk. Neither have I met anyone who has actually used it. Therefore I feel that I cannot fairly comment on the activity, even though the drawing amuses me!



In my role as a History teacher I need to ensure that history is relevant and engaging. Not all teenagers want to learn about history so anything that captures their attention and thus sparks interest is always good. When I start  the topic of railways and the Industrial Revolution, for example, we get to watch an eight minute episode of Thomas the Tank Engine. That is all. The students laugh, they can relate to the programme via nostalgia as they would have watched it as youngsters. I have their attention at least for the rest of that lesson.



Using a clip from Robin Hood - and it is just a clip - is a fun way to look at how people from history have been interpreted.  In this case it is King John and the classes look at modern and contemporaneous sources to try to develop their skills of analysis and reliability. The other option is to read the sources solely from text books. But surely five minutes of Disney will not render the lesson a playgroup?



Learning at school has to be cross-curricular and address multiple intelligences, delivered through a variety of teaching styles. So yes, sometimes model making takes place during History lessons to help the kinaesthetic learners. Drama, art, music, maths and creative writing are there too. Not as many trips as I would like (see my last blog, below) but generally there are a variety of activities aimed at the different abilities of the students and to keep the topics interesting. So yes, this includes animated cartoons sometimes.



When I was a pupil at school the complaints of education not being as good as when our parents were there still existed. Nothing has changed there: things are never as good as they were in 'our day'. I know that the emphasis on spelling and grammar is not as rigorous as it used to be nor is the method of rote learning. But children today are exposed to so much information and the expectations are so much higher, despite what the general opinion is of them. As I said in my last blog, (see my website at http://www.ajsefton.com/#!may-blog/c1k9e  ) I only studied seven subjects and I was in the top set.



Children work so hard and will probably be working until they are eighty years old. Really what is wrong with ten minutes of Disney once a term? It makes History lessons accessible and relevant. So there.



Visit my site at http://ajsefton.com