Dave Addison
@daveaddison.bsky.social
Historian of Late Antiquity. British Academy Postdoc at University of Liverpool. Hispanophile, Leodensian.
https://www.liverpool.ac.uk/people/david-addison
https://www.liverpool.ac.uk/people/david-addison
The people tell the public that "no historians talk about feudalism anymore" are not really being honest about the debate, at least in British medieval studies. On the Continent feudal paradigms are still going strong, and plenty of useful work is done within them. Especially in Spain.
October 20, 2025 at 7:57 PM
The people tell the public that "no historians talk about feudalism anymore" are not really being honest about the debate, at least in British medieval studies. On the Continent feudal paradigms are still going strong, and plenty of useful work is done within them. Especially in Spain.
Well, the big go-to book when I was an undergrad studying the early Middle Ages was Chris Wickham's Framing the Early Middle Ages, and he *does* believe "feudal" can be a useful word. And that's why he was able to write such a structurally ambitious, comparative work. And it's great.
October 20, 2025 at 7:54 PM
Well, the big go-to book when I was an undergrad studying the early Middle Ages was Chris Wickham's Framing the Early Middle Ages, and he *does* believe "feudal" can be a useful word. And that's why he was able to write such a structurally ambitious, comparative work. And it's great.
On interdisciplinary work with environmental science and plague aDNA, Kristina Sessa's article is great: muse.jhu.edu/article/725298
Project MUSE - The New Environmental Fall of Rome: A Methodological Consideration
muse.jhu.edu
October 11, 2025 at 12:51 PM
On interdisciplinary work with environmental science and plague aDNA, Kristina Sessa's article is great: muse.jhu.edu/article/725298
Yes, I agree. I wasn't arguing against you in particular. We might well have no disagreement.
October 9, 2025 at 10:36 PM
Yes, I agree. I wasn't arguing against you in particular. We might well have no disagreement.
I sense, however, some unspoken assumptions in the comments in this thread - specifically that DH was worthy of greater funding than other forms of intellectual labour. If I was over interpreting, that's on me, but I haven't been convinced that I was.
October 9, 2025 at 10:27 PM
I sense, however, some unspoken assumptions in the comments in this thread - specifically that DH was worthy of greater funding than other forms of intellectual labour. If I was over interpreting, that's on me, but I haven't been convinced that I was.
Given the political situation, I have an enormous amount of sympathy with those who have lost funding. I have no sympathy for the manner in which the cuts have been made or the rationale behind them, which I can only see as anti-intellectual and anti-scientific.
October 9, 2025 at 10:24 PM
Given the political situation, I have an enormous amount of sympathy with those who have lost funding. I have no sympathy for the manner in which the cuts have been made or the rationale behind them, which I can only see as anti-intellectual and anti-scientific.
(I have no views on the particular expenses of this grant, about which I know nothing, but I do wonder about the intellectual consequences of the apparently prevalent assumption that DH projects are the natural recipients of such prestigious grants).
October 9, 2025 at 8:48 PM
(I have no views on the particular expenses of this grant, about which I know nothing, but I do wonder about the intellectual consequences of the apparently prevalent assumption that DH projects are the natural recipients of such prestigious grants).
All of which is to say that I am less alarmed than some commenters on this thread when grants go to people without DH outcomes. I worry about the intellectual effects of prioritising expensive work.
October 9, 2025 at 8:45 PM
All of which is to say that I am less alarmed than some commenters on this thread when grants go to people without DH outcomes. I worry about the intellectual effects of prioritising expensive work.
I get that, and I think the exclusion of DH from NEH grants is ridiculous. But I also know that hiring decisions in cash-poor universities are often informed by the size of previous grants, and I worry about the consequences of certain sub-fields systematically drawing more money than others.
October 9, 2025 at 8:43 PM
I get that, and I think the exclusion of DH from NEH grants is ridiculous. But I also know that hiring decisions in cash-poor universities are often informed by the size of previous grants, and I worry about the consequences of certain sub-fields systematically drawing more money than others.
Is the idea here that digital humanities deserves, as a matter of course, all the biggest and most prestigious grants?
October 9, 2025 at 6:22 PM
Is the idea here that digital humanities deserves, as a matter of course, all the biggest and most prestigious grants?
I think you might benefit from googling Lee Mordechai
October 8, 2025 at 10:42 PM
I think you might benefit from googling Lee Mordechai
Well people can read the pieces and make their mind up. I've said my piece. You have a good day, too!
October 8, 2025 at 12:11 PM
Well people can read the pieces and make their mind up. I've said my piece. You have a good day, too!
Fwiw I'm don't even follow the Eisenberg-Mordechai in my own work, but the idea that they are anti science is just false. They accept the aDNA evidence for Y. Pestis, but contest the way a relatively small number of cases are generalized. I have different views, but they made an imp point.
October 8, 2025 at 11:38 AM
Fwiw I'm don't even follow the Eisenberg-Mordechai in my own work, but the idea that they are anti science is just false. They accept the aDNA evidence for Y. Pestis, but contest the way a relatively small number of cases are generalized. I have different views, but they made an imp point.
From what I know of Merle's politics I would be amazed if the intention was to lessen the severity of the Covid pandemic, but I don't have any insider info and I can't read the tea leaves. He's on here; I imagine he'll make his case.
October 7, 2025 at 11:53 PM
From what I know of Merle's politics I would be amazed if the intention was to lessen the severity of the Covid pandemic, but I don't have any insider info and I can't read the tea leaves. He's on here; I imagine he'll make his case.
I don't think that's the message your (now deleted) skeet sent. Glad you thought twice about it.
October 7, 2025 at 11:42 PM
I don't think that's the message your (now deleted) skeet sent. Glad you thought twice about it.
Yeah, it's interesting work! Great to teach with
October 7, 2025 at 11:23 PM
Yeah, it's interesting work! Great to teach with
See also this from his faculty page
October 7, 2025 at 11:04 PM
See also this from his faculty page
2019, I think, unless we're thinking of different work - but yes, this is exactly the point!
October 7, 2025 at 11:03 PM
2019, I think, unless we're thinking of different work - but yes, this is exactly the point!
I wonder about the value-add of university research on certain bits of pop culture, when journalism/blog/fans are doing an equally good if not better job already. Whereas some culture (e.g. that from very different times/places) might require university exposition in order to be accessible.
September 28, 2025 at 4:12 PM
I wonder about the value-add of university research on certain bits of pop culture, when journalism/blog/fans are doing an equally good if not better job already. Whereas some culture (e.g. that from very different times/places) might require university exposition in order to be accessible.
Agreed, and have no beef with Taylor Swift studies. But I suppose my slight hesitation with poptimism in a university setting is that certain cultural entities would die without the infrastructure of universities and arts schools and conservatoires around them, and others wouldn't.
September 28, 2025 at 4:10 PM
Agreed, and have no beef with Taylor Swift studies. But I suppose my slight hesitation with poptimism in a university setting is that certain cultural entities would die without the infrastructure of universities and arts schools and conservatoires around them, and others wouldn't.
From this great piece, which I am late to: www.ft.com/content/3f49...
The shadow economy behind the international student boom
A lucrative revenue stream for universities has led to an industry of unregulated agents now under scrutiny for making lofty promises
www.ft.com
September 25, 2025 at 12:09 PM
From this great piece, which I am late to: www.ft.com/content/3f49...
Ah, that's the model? I'm out of touch
September 19, 2025 at 6:39 PM
Ah, that's the model? I'm out of touch
I agree entirely. I wonder how much of this is downstream of output-based metrics in wider university cultures. It seems hard for people at the moment to talk with a straight face about the development people and minds and practices as a goal of education or research.
September 19, 2025 at 5:55 PM
I agree entirely. I wonder how much of this is downstream of output-based metrics in wider university cultures. It seems hard for people at the moment to talk with a straight face about the development people and minds and practices as a goal of education or research.