Arthur Holmes

Profile

As an undergraduate I studied Ancient and Modern History at Corpus Christi College, Oxford (2015-2018). During this time I was continually drawn to ancient Greek history from the Archaic to the early Hellenistic period, taking an interest in both historiography and non-literary sources. Inspired initially by object handling sessions at the Ashmolean Museum and British School at Athens, I have since pursued a career in museums undertaking a variety of roles involving public engagement, storage and archives, and registrar work. In 2021/2 I contributed to the ERC CHANGE project, improving the documentation for over 8000 coins which were minted in Asia Minor between c.650-31BC. As a Collaborative Doctoral Partnership student with the University of Leeds and the British Museum my postgraduate research is funded by the AHRC.

Research interests

My current research is focused on the rich and varied material culture produced by inhabitants of the ancient world in the aftermath of Alexander III of Macedon’s disruptive conquests. In doing so I hope to upend the traditional ‘top down’ approach to understanding the Hellenistic world (c.323-31BC) and decentre the dominant Greco-Macedonian political narratives provided by the ancient historians. Instead, I aim to interrogate the extent to which the daily life and cultural practices of Alexander’s former subjects were impacted, as evidenced primarily by objects found in the British Museum’s collection.

Qualifications

• BA (Hons) Ancient and Modern History