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Humanities

Is this the earliest depiction of a dodo in art?

The Jagiellonian arrases – tapestries that decorate the walls of Wawel Castle in Poland – may be one of the earliest known artistic representation of the long-extinct dodo

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Humanities

Explore and analyse all aspects of the human condition. Delve into stories about our culture and society.

  1. 9 August 2020 – Australia, COVID-19, Coronavirus, Diplomacy, Foreign Policy

    Diplomacy at a distance

    In the face of department cuts, Australia’s diplomats are working during the COVID-19 pandemic to ensure the safety and security of many Australians.

  2. 3 August 2020 – Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islanders, Australian Indigenous Studies, Indigenous, Indigenous History, Inventions

    Unaipon: Behind the da Vinci comparisons

    David Unaipon is known as an Aboriginal polymath. What do comparisons with da Vinci mean regarding settler-colonial history ask University of Melbourne experts.

  3. 29 July 2020 – Australia, COVID-19, Coronavirus, Languages, Trust in Government

    When trust matters more than translation

    A University of Melbourne researcher says despite translation mistakes, it’s more important that our multilingual communities have trust in official information

  4. 24 July 2020 – China, Culture, Marriage, Parents, Relationships

    Matchmaking and marriage in modern China

    A University of Melbourne expert says many young Chinese are delaying marriage, frustrating their parents. And the older generation are turning to matchmakers.

  5. 23 July 2020 – Byzantine History, Hagia Sophia, History, Justinian, Recep Tayyip Erdogan

    Hagia Sophia reigns serene

    Istanbul’s 1,500 year-old Hagia Sophia has a tumultuous history and its return to being a mosque is only the latest twist, says a University of Melbourne expert

  6. 17 July 2020 – Crime, Europe, History, Newspaper History, Songs

    What today’s news has in common with early execution ballads

    Scandal and violence dominate our headlines; but a University of Melbourne expert says little has changed since execution ballads were sung in sixteenth century

  7. 2 July 2020 – Arabic, Asia, Culture, Islam, Languages

    How Arabic is a window on the world

    A University of Melbourne expert's chance find in a Damascus bookshop is a reminder that to study Arabic is to be drawn into a wide, vibrant multicultural world

  8. 30 June 2020 – Academic journals, COVID-19, Metascience, Peer Review, Replication Crisis

    Science needs to look inward to move forward

    Robust research depends on encouraging more open and transparent practices – experts in metascience at University of Melbourne are working out how to do it

  9. 18 June 2020 – Australian Football League, COVID-19, Coronavirus, Gambling, Sport and Culture

    Footy is back but times have changed

    Gambling is a part of modern Australian football, but a University of Melbourne expert says COVID-19 means fans are questioning their relationship with the AFL.