Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Sara M. Butler 🇨🇦

@sarabutler.bsky.social

1.6K followers 840 following 180 posts

Medievalist, fond of juries, writes about violence, dog-lover, crochet enthusiast, reads Canadian fiction. Professor of medieval history at Ohio State University.

Videos

History 40%

Political science 23%

Posts Media Videos Starter Packs

Sara M. Butler 🇨🇦 @sarabutler.bsky.social · 1d

Our most recent talk from the Center for Historical Research: Comparative Perspectives on Slavery before the Age of Exploration. Peter Hunt, Gabriel Kruell, Paloma Martinez-Cruz.

youtu.be/VybGer6uadM?...

Comparative Perspectives on Slavery Before the Age of Exploration Panel

YouTube video by Department of History at Ohio State

youtu.be

1 3

Sara M. Butler 🇨🇦 @sarabutler.bsky.social · 2d

No I hadn’t heard anything about this. Eric is probably in the know.

Reposted by Sara M. Butler

James Wright @jpwarchaeology.bsky.social · 8d

Happy 259th anniversary of the Nottingham Cheese Riot to all those who celebrate...

1 15 55

Reposted by Sara M. Butler

Leanne Calvert @leannecalvert.bsky.social · 8d

If you need a pick me up this rainy afternoon, here's some colourful stories of sex & C18th Ulster Presbyterians to whet your appetite! #HistSex #HistFam @unioflimerick.bsky.social @ria.ie @theconversation.com theconversation.com/the-sex-live...

The sex lives of Presbyterians in 18th- and 19th-century Ulster were surprisingly colourful

The Presbyterian church closely regulated the intimate lives of its members through a system of church court discipline.

theconversation.com

2 9 25

Reposted by Sara M. Butler

Virtual Record Treasury of Ireland @virtualtreasury.bsky.social · 8d

For too long, the 1798 Rebellion was told as a man’s story. But hidden in the Rebellion Papers are women’s voices that witnessed, resisted, and sometimes fought. Through a new weekly series curated by @timvrti.bsky.social, we're bringing them back into the light.

J. F. O'Hea. A Scout of '98. "The Yeos'!!!". drawn, printed and published by the Freeman's Journal, 1891. Source: National Library of Ireland

1 4 13

Reposted by Sara M. Butler

Colleen @librarycolleen.bsky.social · 8d

"Arrington argued against giving away an artifact that had been accepted as a donation and had become the property of the American people." 📜 www.cbsnews.com/news/sword-t...

Head of Eisenhower library resigns after sword spat with Trump administration

A dispute over a gift given by President Trump to King Charles forced out the museum boss, sources say.

www.cbsnews.com

2 7

Reposted by Tim Bale, Smith, Sara M. Butler

Tom Roberts @tpgroberts.bsky.social · 8d

So, with Jane Goodall passing, I am reminded of a very fun incident where her institute sent a furious complaint over this cartoon on her behalf, only to have Goodall herself find it hilarious and go on to write the introduction to the collection it appeared in. A fantastic sense of humour.

Two monkeys sit on a branch, one picks a hair off the other. Caption: "well well, another blond hair, conducting a little more research with that Goodall Tramp."

1 64 200

Reposted by Margot C. Finn, Sara M. Butler, Nicole Guenther Discenza

Dr Bryony Coombs @bryonycoombs.bsky.social · 8d

She is holding a book! 📖
Currently writing a section on visual evidence for book use in medieval Scotland - so this could not be better timed...
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

'Rare' medieval hair accessory uncovered at Eilean Donan Castle

The gravoir was used for neatly parting hair and creating elaborate hairstyles.

www.bbc.co.uk

5 57 240

Reposted by Sara M. Butler, Adrian Streete

Cristina León Alfar, PhD 🐈🎭📚🌻💃🏻🐈‍⬛ @cristinalalfar.bsky.social · 8d

The English Department at Hunter College, CUNY is very happy to announce a Tenure Track position in #Medieval British Literature at the Assistant Professor level. Applications from scholars in interdisciplinary and/or global approaches are especially encouraged to apply.

cuny.jobs/new-york-ny/...

Jobs | City University of New York

cuny.jobs

17 22

Reposted by Martin Paul Eve, Kris Inwood, Sara M. Butler , and 2 more Martin Paul Eve, Kris Inwood, Sara M. Butler, Frank Fischer, Ros Ballaster

Georgina Wilson @georginaemw.bsky.social · 10d

Today is publication day for PAPER AND THE MAKING OF EARLY MODERN LITERATURE! Available in paper or digital form www.pennpress.org/978151282744... @pennpress.bsky.social

10 69 250

Sara M. Butler 🇨🇦 @sarabutler.bsky.social · 11d

It goes back even further than the Black Death. I give you a post for a post!

legalhistorymiscellany.com/2017/02/20/w...

When did the Poor become Deserving or Undeserving?

Posted by Sara M. Butler; 20 February 2017. The economic crisis that dominated the Tudor era was wrought by a combination of factors: explosive population growth (roughly 2.4 million in 1525, to 4.…

legalhistorymiscellany.com

2 2 2

Sara M. Butler 🇨🇦 @sarabutler.bsky.social · 11d

Its Miscellany Monday! Here's Watson, "Early Acid Throwing in the British Isles: the Insolence of Weavers" (2021).

legalhistorymiscellany.com/2021/06/27/e...

Early Acid Throwing in the British Isles: The Insolence of Weavers

By Cassie Watson; posted 27 June 2021. Although acid throwing in the past was largely associated with motives of jealousy and revenge, it also played a historically significant role as a feature of…

legalhistorymiscellany.com

Warwick History Post-Doc Club @post-doc-club.bsky.social · 11d

Great news!
JSTOR now have a free account with an Independent Researcher category. You can access 100 documents per month

www.jstor.org/action/showL...

41 1.6K 2.6K

Reposted by Sara M. Butler

Rachel Moss @menysnoweballes.bsky.social · 11d

MATER meeting 2 is scheduled for 18 November. If you'd like to join our network, get in touch. Everyone working in medieval-related fields is welcome. 🗃️ #skystorians #medievalsky www.northampton.ac.uk/research-blo...

MATER: Medievalists Against The Extreme Right | UON

The Extreme Right Research Network are pleased to announce the formation of a new research seminar group. Following the success of our workshop...

www.northampton.ac.uk

3 9

Reposted by Charles West, Lesley A. Hall, Keith Lilley , and 3 more Charles West, Lesley A. Hall, Keith Lilley, Michael H. Whitworth, Sara M. Butler, Catriona Seth

Robert Gallagher @hwaetspur.bsky.social · 11d

Interested in letter-writing in early medieval Britain? A three-year postdoc on @francescatinti.bsky.social’s and my project is now available. Apps close on 17th Oct. Let me know if you have any questions and please circulate! 🙂 jobs.kent.ac.uk/Vacancy.aspx...

Job Opportunity at the University of Kent: Postdoctoral Research Associate

Are you passionate about early medieval Britain? Do you have advanced knowledge of Medieval Latin and interested in the analysis of Latin letter-writing? If yes, then you may be interested in this f...

jobs.kent.ac.uk

2 79 71

Reposted by Sara M. Butler, Elena Woodacre

Dr. Erika Graham-Goering @jeanneologist.bsky.social · 11d

It's Michaelmas, so it's also the anniversary of the battle of Auray (1364), which marked the beginning of the end of the Breton War of Succession begun 23 years earlier. And you know what? Let's mark it with a 🚨BOOK GIVEAWAY🚨 this time! (Charles de Blois has never had a stranger memorial...)

photo of two book covers, one called "Princely Power in Late Medieval France: Jeanne de Penthièvre and the War for Brittany", and one called "Gendered Reputations and Aristocratic Partnership: Re-Presenting the Breton Civil War from the Fourteenth to Sixteenth Centuries", both by Erika Graham-Goering. Princely Power has a green cover with a picture of a medieval document and green wax seal, while Gendered Reputations has a grey cover with a medieval drawing of a crowd of people raising their hands to a man and woman couple.

1 21 39

Reposted by Sara M. Butler

Anthropology.net @anthropology.net · 14d

Wood and bone tally sticks from England, China & the Maya world show money began as state accounting—not barter. New research reframes our economic origins. #Anthropology #Archaeology #Money #HumanEvolution www.anthropology.net/p/counting-p...

Counting Power: What Ancient Tally Sticks Tell Us About the Origins of Money

Wooden and bone sticks from England, China, and the Maya world show how governments—not barter—first created money

www.anthropology.net

2 5

Reposted by Sara M. Butler

James Wright @jpwarchaeology.bsky.social · 15d

A while back Historic England asked for my opinion on which was the oldest pub in London. The result is a new online article that outlines the variables, busts some myths, and points to a couple of genuinely ancient pubs in and around the city...

heritagecalling.com/2025/09/25/w...

7 43 120

Reposted by Michel Lussault, Juan Cole, Christine Kooi , and 4 more Michel Lussault, Juan Cole, Christine Kooi, Sara M. Butler, Peter Stegmaier, Thomas Masterson, Simon Lester

Adam Serwer @adamserwer.bsky.social · 15d

The white supremacist conceit that everyone in antiquity was living under some kind of global jim crow segregation is just complete bullshit news.harvard.edu/gazette/stor...

Pure bloodlines? Ancestral homelands? DNA science says no. — Harvard Gazette

Geneticist explains recent analyses made possible by tech advances show human history to be one of mixing, movement, displacement.

news.harvard.edu

46 770 2.7K

Reposted by Sara M. Butler, Pauline Stafford

Clare Downham @downham.bsky.social · 15d

Free book download of collected papers on Knowledge Commons ‘No Horns on their Helmets? essays on the Insular Viking Age’ #medievalsky #history #vikingsky #archaeology works.hcommons.org/records/xc6k...

No Horns on their Helmets? Essays on the Insular Viking Age

Collected papers, including 1 An imaginary viking-raid on Skye in 795? 2 Annals, armies, and artistry: 'The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle', 865–96 3 'Hiberno-Norwegians' and 'Anglo-Danes': anachronistic ethni...

works.hcommons.org

15 27

Sara M. Butler 🇨🇦 @sarabutler.bsky.social · 17d

Fascinating new post by Cassie Watson and Carolyn Strange!

legalhistorymiscellany.com/2025/09/23/p...

Poisoning Crimes and the ‘Mushroom Murderer’: Patterns and Precedents

By Cassie Watson and Carolyn Strange; posted 23 September 2025. The prosecution and sentencing of the Australian ‘Mushroom Murderer’ to life in prison for the poisoning of three relatives and the a…

legalhistorymiscellany.com

Reposted by Lesley A. Hall, Kris Inwood, Sara M. Butler , and 1 more Lesley A. Hall, Kris Inwood, Sara M. Butler, Tom Rutter

Taylor Aucoin @aucointaylor.bsky.social · 18d

Delighted to share that my first book The Experience of Work in Early Modern England (co-written with the fantastic @jwhittle.bsky.social, @markhailwood.bsky.social, and Hannah Robb) has been published and is available free and Open Access! doi.org/10.1017/9781...

#earlymodern #economic #history

The Experience of Work in Early Modern England

Cambridge Core - Economic History - The Experience of Work in Early Modern England

doi.org

7 65 140

Reposted by Sara M. Butler

Ancient DNA Hub @ancient-dna-hub.bsky.social · 18d

How to write in Cuneiform, the world's oldest writing system
#AncientBlueSky
www.openculture.com/2025/09/how-...

How to Write in Cuneiform, the Oldest Writing System in the World: A Short Introduction

Teaching child visitors how to write their names using an unfamiliar or antique alphabet is a favorite activity of museum educators, but Dr. Irving Finkel, a cuneiform expert who specializes in ancien...

www.openculture.com

1 5

Reposted by Steven French, Lesley A. Hall, Sara M. Butler , and 3 more Steven French, Lesley A. Hall, Sara M. Butler, Elisa Freschi, Jeroen Van Bouwel, Béatrice Cointe

Alisa Bokulich @alisabokulich.bsky.social · 19d

#HPS program at the University of Copenhagen invites applications for Postdoc in History and Philosophy of Science as part of research project Human Variables in Biodiversity Assessment (PI: Joeri Witteveen): employment.ku.dk/faculty/?sho...
#philsky #PhilJobs #philsci

Deadline is November 7, 2025.