@brennawalks.bsky.social @toriherridge.bsky.social @suziebirch.bsky.social @clmorgan.bsky.social

These are absolutely incredible.
Is that a diary of F. Bordes? Also a bone?!

Cadaver on PC, 1990; it looks cute now but I found it scary back then...

First game to really spook me was Bioshock when the mannequins moved

You might enjoy Richard Jones' work on manuring in medieval times if you don't already know it

Earliest Lithic Heat Treatment in Australia is the World’s Oldest Known Treatment of Chert - Journal of Paleolithic Archaeology Journal of Paleolithic Archaeology - We identify the oldest known example of systematic heat treatment of chert in the world. The specimens come from the base of one of Australia’s oldest...

🏺🧪
New paper: heated chert from Australia +45 Ka, poss. > 55 Ka.
15% of analysed #lithics were heated and later knapped.

I would have liked more on technological aspects, to refine whether pieces worked before & after heating show differences in reduction etc.
link.springer.com/article/10.1...

And just to add to the complexity, here's a new pre-print by Zanolli which looks at a number of anatomical features and suggests that Naledi may not be best explained as either early or later dwarfed Homo, but a relict australopithecine, poss Paranthropus.

www.researchsquare.com/article/rs-8...

Crop of figure showing extent of Rising Star cave system and surface flowstone and breccia deposits. Fig 1 from Dirks, P. H., Roberts, E. M., Hilbert-Wolf, H., Kramers, J. D., Hawks, J., Dosseto, A., ... & Berger, L. R. (2017). The age of Homo naledi and associated sediments in the Rising Star Cave, South Africa. Elife, 6, e24231.

Fugure showing Dinaledi subsystem in plan, with isolated fossil localities marked. Figure 3 from Elliott, M., Makhubela, T., Brophy, J., Churchill, S., Peixotto, B., FEUERRIEGEL, E., ... & BERGER, L. (2021). Expanded explorations of the Dinaledi subsystem, Rising Star cave system, South Africa. PaleoAnthropology, 2021(1), 15-22.

🏺 Writing about #Naledi for #Matriarcha. It's v. difficult.
Things I still want to know:
- what's taphonomy for isolated locales U.W. 111, 108 naledi & 109 juv. baboon (reported 2021)?
- was area of RS9 "surface flow-stone filled crack" c.10m SW of Dinaledi Chamber" ever investigated further?

Figure, a colour photograph of a very narrow fissure in a cave, the rear is dark. It is partly filled with dark reddish brown clumpy sediment, on the surface of which white fragments are visible, with plastic marker flags. A human finger is visible to one side of the image showing how restricted the crevice is. Figure 12 from Brophy, J.K., Bolter, D.R., Elliott, M., Hawks, J. and Berger, L.R., 2024. An examination of Homo naledi early juveniles recovered from the Rising Star cave system, South Africa. Annals of Human Biology, 51(1), p.2321128.

Such an amazing site, its taphonomy is so fascinating but still understudied/reported: here's an image of the U.W. 110 juvenile #Naledi remains found on the surface (from Brophy et al 2024).
U.W.110 has been included in comp analysis of juv growth, but we don't have detailed info on the context.

- dating in Lesedi
- full faunal study inc taph and dating from D & L
- mapping & study & dating of burnt materials from across RS system
- status of Dragon’s Back primate tooth reported 2023

Many excellent papers have been published on the hominins, but contextual info is vital to understanding.

Crop of figure showing extent of Rising Star cave system and surface flowstone and breccia deposits. Fig 1 from Dirks, P. H., Roberts, E. M., Hilbert-Wolf, H., Kramers, J. D., Hawks, J., Dosseto, A., ... & Berger, L. R. (2017). The age of Homo naledi and associated sediments in the Rising Star Cave, South Africa. Elife, 6, e24231.

Fugure showing Dinaledi subsystem in plan, with isolated fossil localities marked. Figure 3 from Elliott, M., Makhubela, T., Brophy, J., Churchill, S., Peixotto, B., FEUERRIEGEL, E., ... & BERGER, L. (2021). Expanded explorations of the Dinaledi subsystem, Rising Star cave system, South Africa. PaleoAnthropology, 2021(1), 15-22.

🏺 Writing about #Naledi for #Matriarcha. It's v. difficult.
Things I still want to know:
- what's taphonomy for isolated locales U.W. 111, 108 naledi & 109 juv. baboon (reported 2021)?
- was area of RS9 "surface flow-stone filled crack" c.10m SW of Dinaledi Chamber" ever investigated further?

Earliest Lithic Heat Treatment in Australia is the World’s Oldest Known Treatment of Chert - Journal of Paleolithic Archaeology Journal of Paleolithic Archaeology - We identify the oldest known example of systematic heat treatment of chert in the world. The specimens come from the base of one of Australia’s oldest...

🏺🧪
New paper: heated chert from Australia +45 Ka, poss. > 55 Ka.
15% of analysed #lithics were heated and later knapped.

I would have liked more on technological aspects, to refine whether pieces worked before & after heating show differences in reduction etc.
link.springer.com/article/10.1...

2013 conf proceedings?!

#ShadowsInTime

(reviving my old ancient-shadows-in-art thing that I used to do on twitter; they somehow take me right into that moment in time)

I guess they aren't describing themselves as a literary festival so it's fair enough, but the issue is why did this change. Not enough interest from audience? Organisers wanting something fresh?

In general would ❤️ to see more real archaeological merch at museums, site shops etc

@tetzoo.bsky.social

🤞 Britain's turn next 🇪🇺 🇬🇧

Once more today, a golden hour rainbow, as hope springs in Europe 🌈 🇪🇺

Once more today, a golden hour rainbow, as hope springs in Europe 🌈 🇪🇺

🏺 Ooh I still have not played this! Currently into Inscryption on xbox and the vibe looks similarly retro

Oh yes I can't think of anything eg in MSA, but I'm also not sure if there's anything pre-LUP... Trying to recall the deepest-located cave art as well

Recalling current geopolitical levels of communication...
@iandunt.bsky.social

Oh I have heard about them...

Wow what incredible letters!

You know I have wanted for ages to bring a little art into prehistory/ESHE conferences, and acknowledge that the people in the research community are often creative outside science as well as within it

a black and white photo of a man being kissed on the cheek by a woman . Alt: A black and white photo of Yuri Gagarin being kissed on the cheek by a woman .

On April 12, it will be 65 years since Yuri Gagarin made his epic first orbit, proving that humans could physically and mentally survive outside Earth. #YurisNight 🔭 🧪

Photo looking across hedges and back gardens of a series of cottages, towards a forested hill. The sky is grey, it's raining, but there is an astonishingly bright double rainbow arcing across everything. The inside of the inner bow somehow shows a paler sky, and the structure of the falling rain is visible.

Something magical from yesterday, amidst all the tumult 🌈

(also I have never seen this effect before where the sky inside the inner bow appears to be entirely brighter)

Yes!

@izzywisher.bsky.social do you have any ideas?

Ah that's so lovely to hear, thank you!