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- Why are there so few references
to modern literature?
Because we discovered that too many students started to use this
website as an alternative for visiting the library. We are aware that
students have presented texts from this website as if they were their
own writings. To prevent this honorless behavior, these text have been
added to the databases used by anti-plagiarism software. (If you are a
teacher, go here
or here.)
- How do I quote an article on the
world web web?
Rules vary; but if you want to be on the safe side, mention the author,
the title and URL of the page, and -this is important- the date on
which you saw the page. After all, webpages are bound to change.
- What do BCE
and CE stand for?
"Before common era" and "Common era". I think the expressions "anno
Domini" and "before Christ" should only be used in a Christian context,
which the internet is not.
- Why are you doing this?
Because "real"
scholars (those employed by universities) write for their colleagues
and often ignore the larger audience. As a tax-payer, I fail to
understand why I must pay for a scholar publishing a book about
"Subsistence Farming in Roman Cappadocia",
while there is no
accessible, scholarly synthesis about an important subject
like
Egypt between 600 and 300 BCE. Being some kind of scholar myself, I can
understand my colleagues, but I think they are ignoring their main
responsibility.
- What are your credentials?
I have been
studying ancient history, have worked at several excavations, and have
two MA's on two Dutch universities, plus an MRSC, and used to work for
the Amsterdam Free University (more...).
Now, I have a school of my own.
- Can I support this site?
No. I prefer to
write my articles myself. Now I only have to blame myself for mistakes.
Financial support is not necessary either: I simply hate the
administrative mess. (But if you pay a lot, I am not above hiring an accountant.)
- Your account is not in line with
the sacred book of my religion, can you change it?
No. On these pages, I am a historian and the sacred truths of religion
are, on this place, beyond my scope. This does not mean that I am not
religious (go here
to see what I think it ought to be about), but religion and scholarship
must be separated.
- Why
are some pages colored? Pink pages were written to present
photos and
blue pages are summaries of information that needs to be converted into
an article. These pages are in fact some sort of card tray, on which I
can write down things I must not forget.
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