The latest Pasts Imperfect is out, focused on the closing of humanities depts. & museums. @otavano.bsky.social discusses the U. of Ottawa, @mokersel.bsky.social on the DePaul Art Museum, @meirazk.bsky.social & @vox-magica.bsky.social on shuttering religious studies depts, & Justin Vorhis on U. Iowa.

Glad to see this made public today. I responsibly disclosed with OpenAI that high-level information about the private work of students and staff using ChatGPT Edu at several universities can be viewed by thousands of colleagues across their institutions. No fixes were issued after one month.

What a dignified spectacle. The worst people in the world somehow manage to gain brutal authoritarian power, and then support each fighting wars costing countless billions and, collectively, hundreds of thousands of lives, just to put off being tried in domestic courts for criminal offences.

I wouldn’t wish this fear on anyone, not my worst enemies. It’s a unique and terrible hell to be sitting in the diaspora worrying about your family, as massive bombs hit their city, even if it’s something you’ve experienced all your six decades. It only gets worse, each time.

The Achaemenid cemetery of Mersin (Semnan Province, Iran) Malekzadeh, Mehrdad, Reza Naseri, Elena Fausti, Andrea Cesaretti & Roberto Dan. 2026. The Achaemenid cemetery of Mersin (Semnan Province, Iran): local identities and imperial connections on the northern Iranian plateau. Antiquity. Published…

Will this be Iran's second Alexander the Great moment? "Donald Trump says he ‘must be involved’ in choosing Iran’s next supreme leader, reports say". www.theguardian.com/us-news/live...

Celebrating 20 years of Independent publishing. Bringing cracking stories to readers around the world. And our first catalogue.

Imagine this: 'Israeli air force says it has dropped 5,000 bombs on Iran in current military campaign'. 5000 bombs in four and a half days. www.theguardian.com/world/live/2...

Some books are so well done you wish you'd written them yourself. Next best thing is blurbing them! This is a very smart and thoughtful book, readable and interesting for a scholar who isn't already waist deep in the sources.

Iran and the Caucasus 30 (1) Volume 30, issue 1, of Iran and the Caucasus has now been published. As always, we are grateful to the staff at Yale Classics Library (@yaleclassicslib.bsky.social) for sharing this publication information with us.

Three Middle Persian documents from Fārs Asefi, Nima & Shervin Farridnejad. 2026. Three Middle Persian documents from Fārs dating to the reigns of Xusrō II and Ohrmazd IV. Berkeley Working Papers in Middle Iranian Philology 4(6). 1–24. In 2024, images of three previously unknown Middle Persian…

Gold, Silver and Glass Simpson, St John (ed.). 2026. Gold, Silver and Glass: Power Networks, Cultural Identities, Technology Transfers and Agency across the Old World (7th Century BC - 1st Century AD). Bicester: Archaeopress. This volume explores how precious materials shaped power, identity and…

In memory of Philippe Gignoux Gyselen, Rika (ed.). 2024. Administrations et préposés d’époque sassanide: Nouvelles données à la mémoire de Philippe Gignoux (Cahiers de Studia Iranica 66). Paris: Association pour l’avancement des études iraniennes. This volume brings together studies based on…

Ching, Chao-jung & Michaël Peyrot (eds.). 2026. Text, script and language in Bactria and Serindia. Papers on cultural and linguistic interactions in pre-Islamic Central Asia (Beiträge zur Iranistik 55). Wiesbaden: Reichert Verlag. www.biblioiranica.info/text-script-...

The diversification of Indo-Iranian and the position of the Nuristani languages Halfmann, Jakob. 2025. The diversification of Indo-Iranian and the position of the Nuristani languages (Beiträge Zur Iranistik 54). Wiesbaden: Reichert Verlag. www.biblioiranica.info/the-diversif...

Gāthās of Zarathuštra Kellens, Jean. 2026. Les Gâthâs attribuées à Zarathuštra. Aux origines de l’Avesta et de la religion zoroastrienne. Paris: Les Belles Lettres. www.biblioiranica.info/gathas-of-za...

Herodotus on the Expedition of Datis and Artaphrenes Degen, Julian. 2025. Herodotus on the expedition of Datis and Artaphrenes: Athenian imperialism mirrored in the first Persian war. The Classical Quarterly, FirstView. 1–14. www.biblioiranica.info/herodotus-on...

Debating Cyrus Johnson, David M., Gabriel Alexander Danzig and Rodrigo Illarraga (eds.). 2026. Debating Cyrus: Leadership in Xenophon’s ›Cyropaedia‹ (Xenophon Studies 2). Berlin: De Gruyter. www.biblioiranica.info/debating-cyr...

Herodotus and Women Zaccarini, Matteo. 2024. Erodoto e le donne: La presenza femminile nelle Storie. Rome: Carocci. www.biblioiranica.info/herodotus-an...

Hitch, Doug & Mehrdad Derafshi. 2025. Khotanese dīñ- “overthink” and Avestan daēnā- “view, vision.” Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies 1–10. www.biblioiranica.info/khotanese-di...

Everyone speaks in riddles!!! Everything she says is yarn?!? The only parts I understand in this thread are the references to 'here' and 'there', meaning gētīy and mēnōy, the tangible and intangible worlds of Zoroastrianism. The rest is a complete mystery to me.

We are super thrilled that @rachelschine.bsky.social is holding an online lecture on March 4th! DM or email @speriola.bsky.social of you want to join us 🙂 #cims

Can philosophy change one’s life? Above all, it is a matter of spiritual exercise, as Hadot might suggest... A new volume in the series Philosophy as a Way of Life is soon available! In his book, Jean-Paul Martinon explores Spinoza’s project of emendation as a lived philosophical practice.

Highlights from our Women in Philosophy lecture series: @ellyvintiadis.bsky.social on psychedelic-assisted therapy youtu.be/q90qc9xJeN8?... #philsky #philpsy

Philosophers, I kindly ask that you share this CFP for the University of Calgary’s annual Graduate Student Conference to your networks. The link to the full announcement on PhilEvents can be found in the comments. Thanks in advance! #philsky #philosophy #philosophycfp #CFP #gradconference

Kleines Gatha-Lesebuch Hoffmann, Karl. 2025. Kleines Gatha-Lesebuch: Aus dem Nachlass herausgegeben von Bernhard Forssman, unter Mitwirkung von Jürgen Habisreitinger. Mit einem Beitrag von Almut Hintze. (Ed.) Bernhard Forssman. Heidelberg: Heidelberg Asian Studies Publishing. This book is open…

The latest Pasts Imperfect is out! @ingerkuin.bsky.social discusses her new Diogenes book and the controversy over teaching Plato in Texas. Then, a new open access book on Chinese philosophy, archaeological ecosystems, RaceB4Race, new ancient world journals by @yaleclassicslib.bsky.social & more! 🛢️

it’s real

Persian Language Summer School ASPIRANTUM’s 2026 Persian Language Summer School offers 6–10 weeks (120–200 hours) of intensive Modern Persian instruction in Yerevan, beginning on June 21, June 28, or July 5, 2026. Classes at beginner, elementary, and intermediate levels focus on all key skills -…

Am Mittwoch sprechen Ulrike Draesner und ich im Rahmen unserer Seminare @unihannover.bsky.social und am Literaturinstitut @unileipzig.bsky.social mit Fritz Breithaupt über die Wirkmacht des Erzählens und das Denken in Geschichten. Und natürlich sein neuestes Buch ‚Das narrative Gehirn‘ @suhrkamp.de

Additions to my teaching collection of ancient coins from the NYINC yesterday. First up is this drachm of Yazdgard III (632–51), the last Sasanian King of Kings, dated RY 11 and minted in Sakastān (SK). #numismatics #Sasanian 1/

Yossef Rapoport's Becoming Arab is now available worldwide! In this book, Rapoport takes a look at how late medieval Middle Eastern peasants adopted Arab cultural identities and formed village clans. Learn more: press.princeton.edu/books/hardco... #History #ReadUP

JOIN US: our Associate Fellowship category is for those at an earlier stage their research careers - for example, completion of a #History PhD, or history professionals (teachers, curators, archivists etc) who make research possible. Applications welcome at any time bit.ly/44r8NTg #Skystorians 1/2

The poster is barely readable, but the series of talks promises to be very interesting: 'Disclosing the Wonder: The Impact of Aristotle's Philosophy of Biology on Environmental Issues' More here: www.unive.it/data/agenda/... #philosophy #aristotle

I am ready for 2026 to end as soon as possible. Not sure I am ready for another year after this one.

In Solidarity with the People of Iran We have been following the news of the protests in Iran with growing concern and deep distress. We acknowledge the profound suffering unfolding across the country and recognise the courage of our sisters and brothers who are fighting for their freedom. Like so…

For all the newcomers interested in book and manuscript history here is a handy starter pack go.bsky.app/AN9pLVo

A reminder for the series “Euripides in the Middle Ages”. This week’s seminar has been postponed. The next seminar will be: 20 January, 4:30 p.m. GMT D.J. Mastronarde (UC Berkeley), The nature of Palaeologan annotations on Euripides: Moschopulus, Thomas, and Triclinius An updated programme below

A review by @davidchaffetz.bsky.social ahead of the book's UK publication tomorrow: Rapoport, Yossef. 2025. Becoming Arab: The formation of Arab identity in the Medieval Middle East. Princeton: Princeton University Press. asianreviewofbooks.com/becoming-ara...

🔔 We're launching our Bluesky account today! Can you help us spread the word by retweeting this post? 😀 #Theoria #diamondopenaccessjournal

One of the strong points of the HOPWAG series is Adamson's accessible writing style. It is good to have 'All Ten Rules for Writing about the History of Philosophy' in one place. Useful as they are for students, I suspect they will find application beyond #history and #philosophy 👇🏻

Achaemenid royal women in Egypt Kaczanowicz, Marta. 2025. Invisible figures: Achaemenid royal women in Egypt. Old World: Journal of Ancient Africa and Eurasia. Brill 5(2). 1–19. This contribution aims to reexamine the frequently stated assertion that Achaemenid royal women were not involved in…

A group of young kestrels is startled by the presence of a butterfly. 🤣🤣🤣

Memory, politics, and religion in the reign of Xusrō II Baca-Winters, Keenan. 2025. A most vicious game: Memory, politics, and religion in the reign of Xusrō II. Hunara: Journal of Ancient Iranian Arts and History 3(2). 25–53. This paper examines the complex relationship between Xusrō II and the…

Memory, politics, and religion in the reign of Xusrō II Baca-Winters, Keenan. 2025. A most vicious game: Memory, politics, and religion in the reign of Xusrō II. Hunara: Journal of Ancient Iranian Arts and History 3(2). 25–53. This paper examines the complex relationship between Xusrō II and the…

"Two Rivers Entangled: An Ecological History of the Tigris and Euphrates in the Twentieth Century" Dale J. Stahl www.sup.org/books/middle...

Scent, Colour and Glitter in the Ancient World Soudavar Farmanfarmaian, Fatema. 2025. Scent, colour and glitter in the ancient world: A comparative history of aromatics, cosmetics and adornment, from the Mediterranean to the China Seas. London: I.B. Tauris. Aromatics, cosmetics and personal…

The first BBC Radio 4 Bookclub of the year was a great chat with Leonard and Hungry Paul author Ronan Hession - listen again here: www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/... @ronanhession.bsky.social

Here you go. @ronanhession.bsky.social on BBC Radio 4 Book Club. Leonard and Hungry Paul. www.bbc.com/audio/play/m... @nybooks.com @waterstones.bsky.social @gardnersbooks.bsky.social

'... writing about philosophy is an art, not a science ...' Insightful set of essays for those writing on philosophy, and perhaps more broadly in the humanities. So far, there has been one post per day, starting on 1 Jan 2026. Your reading begins here: www.historyofphilosophy.net/rules-writin...