A chance to publish short articles online

[Emma Wohlfart]

Hi all,

Over the past few months I've been playing with the idea of an outlet to get to practice writing archaeology and history in a non-academic way, with possible feedback and thereby learning what works and what doesn't. I also wanted an excuse to develop my writing, and to build up clips for when I contact magazines.

So, last week I finally started PastPresenters.com. It's still just starting out and I only have one real 'pillar' article, but I have several going in various drafting stages. Obviously, the goal here is not my personal ramblings about history, and I want to give anyone who wants it a chance to get the same kind of practice.

Does anyone feel up to the challenge of writing a short article (or several) about a topic they hold dear, or maybe a layman's version of their thesis? It can be anything from an article on how to identify stone age lithics amongst the pebbles you find in your yard to archaeological travel ideas or medieval Chinese pottery.

Cheers,
Emma

[Dan McLerran]

This is a wonderful opportunity, Emma. I'm sure there are some here who might be interested in contributing, including myself. I visited the site and read some of your articles. This is like an e-zine, is it not? Let me (and the rest of us) know exactly how to submit our pieces..........

[Emma Wohlfart]

I have some "guidelines" up. Basically, if you want to contribute something, just fire away an e-mail to me on [e-mail] (or a message for me here) and I'll set up an account where you can log in to add entries to the queue and upload files if you want pictures or video.

It's set up on blog software, so it's easy to add articles and there can be continuous updates.

[Charlie Hatchett]

Hi Emma.

I have a short paper I recently wrote discussing whether the specimens recovered from the Calico Site are naturally occurring or man made.

Here's a link to the paper:

http://cayman.globat.com/~bandstexas.com/Calico%20Man%20Made%20Attr...

I understand if it's to technical for your venue (I'm one of those lithic analysis nerds), but feel free to publish it if you wish.

Cheers,

Charlie

[Emma Wohlfart]

Thanks, Charlie! I'm afraid it looks a little too technical in its current incarnation.

Adapting things for the general public can be quite hard sometimes. I've been trying for some while to come up with a way to write (or even speak!) about my BA thesis for the general public. Alas, I'm not quite sure how to compel the general public that pictures on old coins are as relevant to their lives as I think they are.

[Charlie Hatchett]

Completely understood, Emma.

Cheers,

Charlie

[JB]

Wow I don't know when you started it but it looks like the website is doing well! I enjoyed it! I obviously don't write articles or papers, I'm only 16, but it was cool reading some of the stuff on the site!

[Emma Wohlfart]

Nothing obvious about it; most of the things you find when you Google my maiden name are references to Celtic myth and archaeology articles I wrote when I was 15-18. Not my proudest work, since it was in the anglophone tradition of Celtic studies and I now follow closely the continental European tradition, but age doesn't stand in the way of contribution: especially not on any site I run.

[JB]

Oh, thanks for that!

[Benjamin Stewart]

Hello there, Emma,

I'm a classical archaeology student at Ohio University, and I would love to submit some of the papers I've written for classes, etc...they are somewhat longer and more technical. Do you suggest, if I were ever able to find the time, rewriting to be more accessible? I love the idea behind your site, let me know if I can help out in any way, be it writing or otherwise.

Best,
Ben

[Emma Wohlfart]

Hi Ben,

I'm sorry for the lateness of this reply. Things have been very hectic lately!

I would suggest some rewriting. The aim is to be accessible. Accessible doesn't mean "dumbed down", though, and sometimes it's more than enough to briefly explain the more difficult concepts the first time they are mentioned. Some things are harder to ever make accessible to the public (e.g. subtle numismatic stamp differences and their potential relation to different minting sites and minting chronology...I don't think we'll ever see that in BBC History Magazine or on the Discovery Channel!)

Cheers,
Emma

[Belinda Hutton]

Hi Emma
What a great great site! Thanks for the true initiative!
Im currently living in the Middle East - and there are some exciting archaeological sites on the go here. The topics would be more general in nature and probably would cover aspects such as ceramic styles, tool technology and settlement layout etc. Would that be of interest for your readers? Another interesting connection Im trying to make is the link between rock art in Africa and probably the US by the time im finished! Specifically regarding altered states of consciousness and shaman depictions in both Africa and the States. Would that be useful?
I know you're very busy, so will wait patiently as all archaeologists have learnt to do!
Cheers
Belinda