Weekly Roundup of History, Archaeology and Writing Wisdom July 12-July 18

Do the Greek myths of Amazons, warrior women who lived without men, have any basis in history? Here’s an article that says yes based on some interesting archaeological finds. Link here

For the Etruscan fans out there (and everyone who loves the discovery of ancient tombs): here’s an Archaeology Magazine article about The Tomb of the Silver Hands, long buried evidence of an Etruscan noble family Link here

The original “slam” poetry: talking statues in Renaissance Rome where scurrilous political poetry was posted in the dead of night. Up first in Tinney Heath’s series: Pasquino, a statue of Menelaus with the body of Patroclus. What are the modern parallels?  Link here

Dig report: Mycenaean site, Glas,10 times as big as Tiryns, in SE Greece. Now solved: mystery of the large empty spaces w/in the citadel walls. Also intriguing, the giant engineering project, even by modern standards, of drainage & control of water for agriculture. Is the abandonment of this site reflected in mythology? Lots of cool stuff here! Link here

Sharon Kay Penman’s post on the subject of all the historical fiction she’s recommending you to read gives a shout out to my novel, Hand of Fire. I’m thrilled, to put it mildly. Link here

Barbara Kyle’s post in English Historical Fiction Authors is a great example of bringing history alive. She describes Elizabeth’s trip down the Thames toward the Tower when she thought Mary would have her executed–chilling. Link here 

Four extremely brief but enlightening videos by Jessica McCann on the process of writing historical fiction, taken fr an interview at ASU’s Piper Center for Creative Writing. Great details of her techniques, but also for a reader insight into how her novel All Different Kinds of Free came to be. Link here

History of World in 50 novels, a series by Mark Patton. Up now is his nomination for #10, Petronius’s Satyricon Link here