Historian Positions with the Department of Defense

Posted on March 19, 2023 by briansandberg

HISTORIAN, Department of Defense

Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency

The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency is hiring 5 Historians in Hawaii. The position is open to candidates with a B.A. in History and those with a M.A. in History may be especially competitive for these positions.

“The mission of the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) is to provide the fullest possible accounting for our mission personnel from our Nation’s past conflicts to their families and our Nation. DPAA personnel research, investigate, recover, & identify remains of DoD personnel unaccounted for from World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, the Cold War, & the Iraq conflicts and Persian Gulf War. The Director, DPAA (SES-111), reports to the Under Secretary of Defense for Policy (USD(P)).”

The full job description is on USA Jobs.

Any Northern Illinois University students or recent graduates in History who are interested in applying for one of these positions should contact me via email to discuss the application process.

Posted in Jobs and Positions, Public History, War, Culture, and Society | Leave a comment

Archaeologists Discover a Sumerian Tavern

Posted on February 22, 2023 by briansandberg

Archaeologists working in Iraq have discovered the remains of a Sumerian tavern in the ruins of the city of Lagash.

“Archaeologists found a seven-room structure featuring an open courtyard with benches and a large open cooking area with a 10-foot-wide mud-brick oven. They also discovered a primitive refrigerator. Known as a ‘zeer‘ in Arabic, the device consisted of two bottomless clay jars that used evaporation to help cool perishable items. In another room, the team discovered a large quantity of conical bowls that held ready-to-eat food and jars that the archaeologists think contained beer.”

The Washington Post reports on the tavern ruins and the city: “Lagash was once a bustling community with a thriving commercial district in southern Mesopotamia,known today as the ‘cradle of civilization.’ Located near the confluence of the Euphrates and Tigris rivers, Lagash was one of the oldest cities of the Early Dynastic period, about 2900–2350 B.C. … Archaeologists don’t know for certain what was in the numerous jars at the tavern. However, the vast number of clay stoppers with seals featuring government markings — the ancient Sumerians kept track of goods for tax and quality purposes — indicates that some of them at least contained alcoholic beverages.”

Students in HIST 110 History of the Western World I will be interested in this new finding. The Washington Post reports on the tavern ruins in Lagash.

Posted in Ancient History, Cultural History, Food and Cuisine History, History of the Western World, Material Culture, Urban History, World History | Leave a comment

Zemmour contre l’histoire Review

Posted on February 22, 2023 by briansandberg

I was conducting research in Marseille during the 2022 French Presidential Elections and observed the campaign of far-right politician Éric Zemmour closely. I have published a book review related to Zemmour’s campaign in Modern and Contemporary France:

“The stunning growth of far-right politics in France has been associated with the remarkable rise of Éric Zemmour, a journalist, author, political pundit, and media personality who has transformed French political culture with his ultra-nationalist, Islamophobic, and anti- immigrant rhetoric. Zemmour’s overtly racist and neo-fascist political programme is based on disturbing alterations and reinterpretations of French and European history.

“Now, historians are responding to Éric Zemmour’s provocative rewriting of history in Zemmour contre l’histoire, a collective volume that critiques Zemmour’s uses and misuses of the past in his media appearances and his writings. Contributors include Alya Aglan, Florian Besson, Jean-Luc Chappey, Vincent Denis, Jérémie Foa, Claude Gauvard, Laurent Joly, Guillaume Lancereau, Mathilde Larrère, André Loez, Gérard Noiriel, Nicolas Offenstadt, Philippe Oril, Catherine Rideau-Kikuchi, Virginie Sansico, and Sylvie Thénault. Short, engaging essays expose Zemmour’s dangerous distortions of the past for political purposes, revealing the ways in which he ‘continually deforms history’ (3). …”

For access to an eoffprint of the full review (for the first 50 visitors) is available at the Taylor and Francis website.

Posted in Contemporary France, European History, European Studies, European Union, French History, French Revolution and Napoleon, French Wars of Religion, Historiography and Social Theory, History in the Media, Political Culture, Public History | Leave a comment

Position in Holocaust and Genocide Studies

Posted on February 20, 2023 by briansandberg

The U.S. Military Academy, West Point, NY, is seeking an Assistant Professor in Holocaust, Genocide, Atrocity, Human Rights Studies.

The job description indicates: “Applicants will be evaluated on the following: 1) Academic accomplishment (Ph.D. in History to include demonstrated accomplishments in the fields of Holocaust, Genocide, Atrocity, Human Rights Studies or a closely related field preferred.) 2) Ability to teach an introductory survey in a regional World History and/or on US Army History. 3) Experience and commitment to student centered and active learning instruction. 4) Scholarly successes to include writing and communication ability; 5) Ability to contribute to a Human Rights Center to include assistance with academic administration.”

“The U.S. Military Academy, West Point, NY is an academic institution located in the Hudson River Valley, 50 miles from New York City. The historic site is the oldest continuously occupied military post in America. West Point is a self-contained city with housing, a Department of Public Works, libraries, hospital, fire department, chapels, and restaurants. Employees have access to Eisenhower Hall Theater, Hudson Valley’s performing arts center, and recreational facilities.”

For more information, see the full job ad at USAJobs.gov.

Posted in Atrocities, Civilians and Refugees in War, Genocides, History of Violence, Human Rights, Religious Violence, War, Culture, and Society | Leave a comment

Global Military Transformations

Posted on January 25, 2023 by briansandberg

I am happy to report that Jeremy Black, ed., Global Military Transformations: Change and Continuity, 1450-1800 (Rome: Società Italiana di Storia Militare, 2023), has been published.

This edited volume provides global perspectives on the Military Revolution Debate, with chapters considering new research on early modern war, culture, and society from different geographic regions and chronological periods.

I contributed a chapter on “Early Modern France and the Military Revolution” to this collective volume.

This volume is in the Fucina di Marte series of the Società Italiana di Storia Militare (SISM), and more information on the volume will soon be available at the SISM website.

Posted in Current Research, Early Modern Europe, Early Modern World, European History, History of Violence, Italian History, Renaissance Art and History, War, Culture, and Society, Warfare in the Early Modern World | Leave a comment

Shadow Agents of War

Posted on January 6, 2023 by briansandberg

I am happy to report that Shadow Agents of Renaissance War: Suffering, Supporting, and Supplying Conflict in Italy and Beyond has been published by Amsterdam University Press.

This new collective volume (edited by Stephen Bowd, Sarah Cockram, and John Gagné) includes my contribution on “Delivering Arms: Noblewomen, Artillery, and the Gendering of Violence during the French Wars of Religion.”

The book description reads: “Who were the shadow agents of Renaissance war? In this pioneering collection of essays scholars use new archival evidence and other sources, including literature, artworks, and other non-textual material, to uncover those men, women, children and other animals who sustained war by means of their preparatory, auxiliary, infrastructural, or supplementary labour. These shadow agents worked in the zone between visibility and invisibility, often moving between civilians and soldiers, and their labour was frequently forced. This volume engages with a range of important debates including: the relationship between war and state formation; the ‘military revolution’ or transformation of early modern military force; the nature of human and non-human agency; gender and war; civilian protection and expulsion; and espionage and diplomacy. The focus of the volume is on Italy, but it includes studies of France and England, and the editors place these themes in a broader European context with the aim of supporting and stimulating research in this field.”

Thanks to Stephen, Sarah, and John for all their editorial work on the volume!

See full information on the book at the Amsterdam University Press website.

Posted in Civilians and Refugees in War, Cultural History, Current Research, Early Modern Europe, Early Modern World, European History, European Wars of Religion, French Wars of Religion, History of Violence, Italian History, Reformation History, Renaissance Art and History, War, Culture, and Society, Warfare in the Early Modern World, Women and Gender History | Leave a comment

Postdoctoral Fellowship in Early Modern History

Posted on December 12, 2022 by briansandberg

The Leibniz Institute of European History in Mainz, Germany, is offering two postdoctoral fellowships in early modern European religious history.

This would be a fantastic opportunity for a recent Ph.D. in early modern history!

Here is the position description from the Leibniz Institute of European History:

The Leibniz Institute of European History (IEG) in Mainz is a research institute within the Leibniz Association. It conducts and facilitates research on the historical foundations of Europe in the modern period and deals with current developments in the digital humanities (https://www.ieg-mainz.de/en).

The IEG invites applications for two full-time

postdoctoral positions (research associates) (f, m, d)

in Early Modern European Religious History

at the earliest possible date for the duration of five years.
The salary accords to German pay grade TV-L EG 13.

Job profile

Successful candidates pursue an individual research project in the field of European religious history of the early modern period. We particularly welcome comparative and cross-border perspectives on religion as a domain of knowledge and interaction, including its connections to the non-European world. The candidates’ research activities and publications are expected to contribute to the over-arching intellectual and methodological discussions of the IEG community and to broaden its evolving research profile. In addition, they act as mentors for international (doctoral) research fellows, organise academic events and work towards consolidating the IEG’s international network.

For more information, see the full position announcement on H-Net.

Posted in Early Modern Europe, European History, European Wars of Religion, Grants and Fellowships, Jobs and Positions, Reformation History, Religious History, Religious Politics, Religious Violence, Renaissance Art and History | Leave a comment

Digital Humanities and Premodern Studies

Posted on October 31, 2022 by briansandberg

The Center for Renaissance Studies at the Newberry Library is offering a seminar on Digital Humanities and Premodern Studies: An Introduction.

The Center for Renaissance Studies indicates that “this course introduces the methods, approaches, uses, and challenges of digital humanities with respect to the study of medieval and early modern cultures.”

The seminar will be held weekly on Thursdays, from 5 January 2023 to 9 March 2023 from 1:00 pm – 4:00 pm at the Newberry Library in Chicago.

Here is a course description for the seminar:

“This course will introduce you to methods, approaches, uses, and challenges of digital humanities with respect to the study of the premodern world. We will discuss the ways in which digital humanities shape premodern studies, consider the advantages and disadvantages in the increasing use of digital tools in the classroom, and learn the ins and outs of digital projects from the scholars creating them.

“We will also familiarize ourselves with some basic tools, approaches, and platforms available for the creation of digital resources, and learn how to use them by engaging with medieval and early modern materials from the Newberry’s collections.

“This seminar will take place in-person at the Newberry Library, but some virtual participation may be possible.”

The deadline for applications is 8 November 2022.

For registration information, see the seminar page on the Newberry Library website.

Posted in Cultural History, Digital Humanities, Early Modern Europe, Early Modern World, Graduate Work in History, Lectures and Seminars, Medieval History | Leave a comment

History of Cartography Lecture at the Newberry Library

Posted on October 24, 2022 by briansandberg

The Newberry Library in Chicago has truly impressive cartographic collections and also hosts the Hermon Dunlop Smith Center for the History of Cartography. The Smith Center holds a major annual lecture series on the history of cartography at the Newberry Library and this year’s lectures will be held soon.

Geographia vniversalis, vetus et nova. 1540. Call number: VAULT Baskes folio G1005 1540. Newberry Library, Chicago.

Here is the announcement from the Hermon Dunlap Smith Center for the History of Cartography:

The Hermon Dunlap Smith Center for the History of Cartography is pleased to announce that the 21st Kenneth Nebenzahl, Jr., Lectures in the History of Cartography will be held at the Newberry Library on Friday and Saturday, November 4-5, 2022. This year’s series, Mapping as Performance, considers the many ways people map through action in space. In the past fifteen years a number of scholars in a variety of fields have examined how performances, ranging from on-stage to the movements of travelers, should be seen as forms of mapping. Literary scholars, anthropologists, art historians, geographers, practicing cartographers, and scholars of the performative arts all have invoked the concept, but for different ends determined in large measure by their own disciplinary orientations and interests. In Mapping as Performance, we will bring together scholars from several fields to encourage an interdisciplinary dialogue about the concept. 

This year’s lectures will feature papers and performances organized in four topical sessions on Friday, November 4 and Saturday Morning, November 5: 

  • Surveying as Performance 
  • Performing Space, Place, and History in Indigenous North America 
  • Mapping Dance 
  • Travel As Mapping

The 21st Kenneth Nebenzahl, Jr. Lectures will now be livestreamed via Zoom for those unable to attend in person. We still ask that everyone who wishes to attend please register using the link below. You will receive a link to the Zoom after your registration is complete.

For more information, see the website for Mapping as Performance or the main website of the Hermon Dunlap Smith Center for the History of Cartography.

Posted in Art History, Cartographic History, Early Modern Europe, Early Modern World, European History, Intellectual History, Lectures and Seminars, Material Culture, Renaissance Art and History, World History | Leave a comment

RSA Graduate Lightning Talks

Posted on October 24, 2022 by briansandberg

The Renaissance Society of America’s Graduate Student Advisory Committee is holding an Online Graduate Student Lightning Talk Series.

The next session in the series will be held on Friday, November 4, 2022 from 12:00-3:00 p.m. EDT.

6354606 Portrait (presumed) of Vespasiano da Bisticci from \’Vita di Gianozzo [or Giannozzo or Giannozo] Manetti\’ by Vespasiano da Bisticci, Add 9770, f.6r (vellum); British Library, London, UK; © British Library Board. All Rights Reserved; .

This is an opportunity for graduate students in Renaissance history, art history, literature, musicology, religious studies, and related fields to see graduate students’ research presentations on a range of Renaissance Studies topics and to interact with peers from other graduate programs.

See the RSA website for more information:

https://www.rsa.org/events/EventDetails.aspx?id=1683653&group=

Graduate students in Renaissance Studies are also invited to apply to present a talk at future events.

Posted in Conferences, Cultural History, Early Modern Europe, Early Modern World, European History, Graduate Work in History, Reformation History, Renaissance Art and History | Leave a comment