She mightn’t look like much now, but archaeologists are claiming to have identified the mummy of the pharoah Hatshepsut, the only woman to have ruled pharonic Egypt in her own right, and almost certainly the most powerful woman in the pre-common era (ie. BC).

Of course, listening to Radio 4 some other archaeologists are questioning this, and the evidence doesn’t look particularly strong, but it would be nice if true.

This is the sort of Australian history I should have been taught in school, but never was….

“As a shirtmaker, in 1890 Emma Miller helped to form a female workers’ union, mainly of tailoresses. In 1891 she gave evidence to the royal commission into shops, factories and workshops and marched with shearers’ strike prisoners when released. She was the first woman to travel west organizing for the Australian Workers’ Union and was the first woman member and a life member of the Brisbane Workers Political Organization. Emma Miller championed equal pay and equal opportunity for women and was foundation president of the Woman’s Equal Franchise Association …

And the bit this quasi-official doesn’t tell you is that she is “is remembered for sticking her hatpin into the horse that bore the Police Commissioner during the 1912 General Strike” – which I learnt from the always wonderful Born on this Date women’s history email list – thanks Penny!

Over on Comment is Free I’ve a piece expounding on why Mary Beale’s house should be preserved. I might modestly claim that it contains some rare pieces of original historic research (from the British Library and National Gallery libraries), which is probably not something you often see on CiF… together with a name check of some prominent characters of 1660s London, of which ditto.