Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Bad Ancient/ Owen Rees @badancient.bsky.social · 3h

This will be a great talk in January! @belovedofoizys.bsky.social is the go to person for gladiator history.

Alexandra Sills @belovedofoizys.bsky.social · 4h

After a warm reception at Dorchester, I've been invited to give my Women of the Roman Arena talk again. This time I'm headed to the Grovesnor Museum in Chester. If anyone is nearby on the 15th of January, I'd love to see you there!

www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/women-of-t...

Women of the Roman Arena

Join ancient historian Alexandra Sills as she uncovers the forgotten story of female gladiators in Rome's most masculine arena.

www.eventbrite.co.uk

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Bad Ancient/ Owen Rees @badancient.bsky.social · 6h

I always come up with (what I believe are) fantastic titles... but my editor always rejects them. So either I am not good at titles, or everybody else is wrong ...

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Reposted by Bad Ancient/ Owen Rees

Alexandra Sills @belovedofoizys.bsky.social · 23h

I'm willing to bet everyone knows at least one person who would love to receive this as a gift this festive season...

Bad Ancient/ Owen Rees @badancient.bsky.social · 1d

UK history lovers. My paperback is available for pre-order in Waterstones 25% off deal for the next coiple of days!

The Far Edges of the Known World by Dr Owen Rees | Waterstones

Buy The Far Edges of the Known World by Dr Owen Rees from Waterstones today! Click and Collect from your local Waterstones or get FREE UK delivery on orders over £25.

www.waterstones.com

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Bad Ancient/ Owen Rees @badancient.bsky.social · 1d

UK history lovers. My paperback is available for pre-order in Waterstones 25% off deal for the next coiple of days!

The Far Edges of the Known World by Dr Owen Rees | Waterstones

Buy The Far Edges of the Known World by Dr Owen Rees from Waterstones today! Click and Collect from your local Waterstones or get FREE UK delivery on orders over £25.

www.waterstones.com

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Bad Ancient/ Owen Rees @badancient.bsky.social · 1d

thanks!

Reposted by Bad Ancient/ Owen Rees

Bad Ancient/ Owen Rees @badancient.bsky.social · 2d

WSJ review: 'This refreshingly original tour of the ancient world’s lesser-known locales challenges readers to imagine familiar stories from the other side for a change'

I'm happy with that!

www.wsj.com/arts-culture...

‘The Far Edges of the Known World’ Review: Ancient Strangers

On the borderlands of early civilizations, people who considered one another alien met in moments of trade, warfare or simple human curiosity.

www.wsj.com

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Bad Ancient/ Owen Rees @badancient.bsky.social · 2d

WSJ review: 'This refreshingly original tour of the ancient world’s lesser-known locales challenges readers to imagine familiar stories from the other side for a change'

I'm happy with that!

www.wsj.com/arts-culture...

‘The Far Edges of the Known World’ Review: Ancient Strangers

On the borderlands of early civilizations, people who considered one another alien met in moments of trade, warfare or simple human curiosity.

www.wsj.com

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Bad Ancient/ Owen Rees @badancient.bsky.social · 2d

'No flag, no country. You can't have one. That's the rules'

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Bad Ancient/ Owen Rees @badancient.bsky.social · 3d

British patriotism in a nutshell

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Bad Ancient/ Owen Rees @badancient.bsky.social · 3d

😆

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Bad Ancient/ Owen Rees @badancient.bsky.social · 3d

Some houses near me appear to be locked in a battle of faux-patriotism. Whenever one flag goes up, another puts up two. This guy seems to be 'winning':

A red bricked house with cars parked out front. There is a grass verge and a pavement in the foreground. The focus of the photo is a stretch of fencing with has 6 union flags, one saint George's flag, and one flag for the extreme far right group Britain First.

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Bad Ancient/ Owen Rees @badancient.bsky.social · 3d

Happy to. Did you have anything specific you wanted expanding? Bad Ancient is a website I run that fact checks ancient history claims. It is designed to also serve as an educational tool - something to teach critical thinking . But also just be a site with interesting articles!

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Reposted by Bad Ancient/ Owen Rees

Dr. Alexandra F. Morris @disabledarchaeo.bsky.social · 5d

Thank you very much @authorgabegarcia.bsky.social for my appearance on the Wandering Scribe podcast. It was lovely interview, and is out along with other Wandering Scribe podcasts now at: www.youtube.com/watch?v=U1VC...

Dr. Alexandra Morris: Egyptologist & Disability Activist

YouTube video by Gabriel Garcia-The Wandering Scribe

www.youtube.com

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Bad Ancient/ Owen Rees @badancient.bsky.social · 6d

I was 100% confident in your ability to write this book and complete it!

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Bad Ancient/ Owen Rees @badancient.bsky.social · 6d

#TinyJoy I am currently looking into how Bad Ancient is being used by academics and educators and spotted a few references to the site in the notes of 'How the World Made the West' by @josephinequinn.bsky.social! Result!

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Bad Ancient/ Owen Rees @badancient.bsky.social · 6d

Just like you said you would! Never in doubt

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Bad Ancient/ Owen Rees @badancient.bsky.social · 6d

🥳

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Bad Ancient/ Owen Rees @badancient.bsky.social · 7d

If you like audiobooks, The Far Edges of Known World now has its own landing page!

RBmedia | The Far Edges of the Known World

Listen to the audiobook The Far Edges of the Known World, written by Owen Rees, narrated by Gareth Armstrong.

rbmediaglobal.com

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Reposted by Bad Ancient/ Owen Rees

François Dominic Laramée, PhD 🇨🇦 @fdlaramee.bsky.social · 8d

Today's loot is somewhat eclectic.

@courtney-floyd.com
@markwaddell.bsky.social
@badancient.bsky.social

The covers of four books: Enshittification by Cory Doctorow, Higher Magic by Courtney Floyd, Colin Gets Promoted and Dooms the World by Mark Waddell, and The Far Edges of the Known World by Owen Rees.

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Bad Ancient/ Owen Rees @badancient.bsky.social · 8d

I just did an interview with a podcaster who also had adhd and it was rather liberating to just follow our tangents!

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Reposted by Bad Ancient/ Owen Rees

Bad Ancient/ Owen Rees @badancient.bsky.social · 9d

I was recently interviewed for the Tides of History podcast with @patrickwyman.bsky.social, which was great fun to do and times in nicely for the US release of my book: #ancientbluesky 🗃️🏺

wondery.com/shows/tides-...

Tides of History: S5 E148: Interview with Dr. Owen Rees (Book, The Far Edges of the Known World releases 9/30/25)

The ancient world was a lot bigger than Greece and Rome. Dr. Owen Rees joins me to discuss his new book on this broader conception of antiquity - The Far Edges of the Known World - and we traverse the...

wondery.com

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Bad Ancient/ Owen Rees @badancient.bsky.social · 9d

I was recently interviewed for the Tides of History podcast with @patrickwyman.bsky.social, which was great fun to do and times in nicely for the US release of my book: #ancientbluesky 🗃️🏺

wondery.com/shows/tides-...

Tides of History: S5 E148: Interview with Dr. Owen Rees (Book, The Far Edges of the Known World releases 9/30/25)

The ancient world was a lot bigger than Greece and Rome. Dr. Owen Rees joins me to discuss his new book on this broader conception of antiquity - The Far Edges of the Known World - and we traverse the...

wondery.com

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Reposted by Bad Ancient/ Owen Rees

Jo Edge 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 @hagenilda.bsky.social · 11d

#MedievalSky #EarlyModernists you may not be aware that I offer several services: transcription (no hand too tricky), archival visits and more. I’m happiest in the period 1200-1700 but will consider anything. Get in touch via my website!

joanneedge.co.uk/freelance-wo...

Freelance Work

Transcription, scholarly editing, archival visits Joanne is available for freelance work: transcriptions and editions of late medieval and early modern Latin, English and Anglo-Norman manuscript te…

joanneedge.co.uk

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Reposted by Bad Ancient/ Owen Rees

Bad Ancient/ Owen Rees @badancient.bsky.social · 14d

The Far Edges of the Known World is now available in North America! If you like ancient history, global history, reading about different cultures, or just fancy an escape - give it a look.

The Far Edges of the Known World

A revisionist history of the ancient world that shifts our focus from Athens and Rome to the long-ignored societies on the borders., The Far Edges of the Known World, Life Beyond the Borders of Ancien...

wwnorton.com

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Bad Ancient/ Owen Rees @badancient.bsky.social · 13d

This month's ancient history roundup is live. I particularly enjoyed the ancient frog sculptures found in Peru!

Ancient History Roundup

Frogs, burials and bears, plus much more.

open.substack.com

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