In a small museum in Dorchester there exists a very strange model of a man-like dinosaur with green skin and large yellow reptilian eyes. This isn’t a science fiction museum, this is the Dinosaur Museum, the only museum in the UK solely dedicated to Dinosaurs. The model, cast from fibreglass and filled with sand (Russell and Séguin, 1982), is one of the most unique things you can find in a scientific museum like this. Figure 1: The creepy model of the Dinosauroid. (Wikimedia

I am no great art enthusiast, as anyone who knows me will tell you, but there is one piece of artwork I would call my favourite piece. Its official name is The Fallen Madonna but it goes by many names including The Reclining Madonna or The Fallen Madonna with the Ample Figure , and it has quite the history from its creation to today. Figure 1: A full look at the painting Painted by famous Dutch artist van Clomp (1453-1507) early in his life (recognisable as when he was olde

At its core, art is the language of emotion, sentimental states, emotional situations, and personal mood and some art is defined as a beautiful and enjoyable expression stemming from human emotion. Art is almost becoming a fundamental human need, reflected in the sheer volume and diversity of art forms across all aspects of life today. Its importance is evident in the numerous rock art sites scattered throughout the world, dating back to various periods. These sites are inscr

I’m sure everyone reading this has experienced bad customer service when purchasing something, whether that’s during purchase, delivery, or using the item once you have it. Nowadays, it’s very easy to express your dissatisfaction with it, as you can easily email, call, go in person, or leave a review expressing your anger and disappointment. However, that was not quite the case in the ancient world, where it was rather more difficult to leave written feedback. Paper is quite

Unless otherwise stated, all information referenced here comes from the Leicester Museum and Art Gallery display of the dinosaur. Admittedly quite a large object, the “Rutland Dinosaur” can be easily viewed at the Museum and Art Gallery here at Leicester, and is notable for being one of the most complete dinosaurs of its type (sauropod) found in Britain. Figure 1: The Cetiosaurus from the front. (Author photo) Discovered by Bill Boddington (no, I’m not making that name up), t

I love a graveyard. Something about walking through the hundreds of headstones, reading the epitaphs of people I never knew and will never know, uncovering stories in the names and dates - it makes me feel like I’m glimpsing into the past, and gives me a sense of connection to humanity as a whole. I get the same feeling when in Bath Abbey, which isn’t surprising considering that the Abbey has almost 1500 memorials covering the walls and floors, and that for much of its 1300+