Michał spent a second month in London with the Trust’s support in October 2023, having first visited in 2019 (see here).

I am profoundly grateful to the Robert Anderson Research Charitable Trust for granting me the privilege of spending a month in London to conduct research related to my PhD thesis. As this was the second time I had received this scholarship, my excitement was twofold. Firstly, because of the wide range of opportunities that are provided by the scientific institutions of London and secondly, for my most pleasant memories of the previous stay and joy of coming back to the Highgate house. I also owe my deep gratitude to Mr Howard Davies, whose kindness and hospitality go far beyond words.

In the Chatsworth Archive.

I had a wonderful, very productive time during my month-long stay, being able to accomplish at a quick pace a variety of tasks that would have been more time-consuming or even unattainable back in Poland. The abundant resources of the libraries and archives in London enabled me to conduct research which led to completion of a substantial part of my thesis. I primarily worked at institutions such as the Library of the Institute of Classical Studies and the Hellenic and Roman Societies, the Library of the Warburg Institute and the British Library.

Additionally, I had an opportunity to conduct research in the Archives of Chatsworth House, in Derbyshire. Here, I was given access to the materials left by Elizabeth Cavendish, Duchess of Devonshire who funded one of the very first archaeological excavations in the central area of the Roman Forum at the beginning of the 19th century. Her writings proved to be very valuable for my work.

I also had the privilege of meeting and engaging in discussions with distinguished scholars. During a visit to Canterbury, I had the honour of meeting with Dr Luke Lavan from the University of Kent who is a renowned specialist in the field of late antique urbanism. I was also invited to participate in the Lyceum Community Classics Seminar at University College London, which was a wonderful occasion to meet various young scholars specialising in classical studies.

No stay in London would be complete without taking advantage of the marvellous museum collections in the city. Thus, among others, I studied the late antique artefacts in the British Museum and the Victoria and Albert Museum.

All these opportunities made my stay not only highly enjoyable but also immensely beneficial for my research. Living in the beautifully located Highgate house was an almost magical experience that could never last long enough. Once again, I want to thank the Trust and Mr Howard Davies for giving me this opportunity and for making my stay very special.