Normal pencils can be used underwater, the only problem is that they will float away. #archaeology

The McKellar Hypothesis, put forward by Judith McKellar, states that small items are more likely to become primary refuse. #archaeology

You might have wasted your time here, a local archaeology company recorded them with laser and RTI a few years ago.

Wild asparagus is often found hidden behind brambles. #archaeology #huntergatherer

Niche but useful, that is ArchPoints in a nutshell.

100 octane aviation gasoline (avgas) is green, 100 octane low lead avgas is blue, 80 octane avgas is red, jet fuel is usually clear but can be very light yellow. Don't drink any of them. #archaeology #aviation #survival

Wet acidic soils can extract bone mineral, if this osteolytic process reaches the marrow it can simulate the effects of osteomyelitis. However, there will be none of the new bone formation that accompanies osteomyelitis. #archaeology #osteoarchaeology #palaeopathology

A konoba is a traditional family-run tavern in Croatia, the word is also the Croatian word for cellar, as the tavern is often in a room in the family home. Regarded as the best places to eat in Croatia. The plural, konobe, is also the name of a major Croatian nudist resort on the island of Krk.

Is #FieldworkFriday still a thing? Thought it had died out with Twitter.

Surely this isn't all from the same series?

Monday, 23rd March Iron Age gold art in Norway | Did King Harold sail to Hastings? | Neolithic road in Somerset | War Crimes archaeology in Ukraine

I would love it if you were to #subscribe to my #newsletter, as it's one of the few that focus on peer-reviewed and cultural institution sources for its stories, and also one in which I try to get original insights and quotations from the researchers involved.

open.substack.com/pub/historyh...

Man wearing a belt and braces on his trousers at the same time.

Never wear a belt and braces, one or the other.

copperplate illustration of skeleton and articulations, unrelated to post text.

Wet acidic soils can extract so much bone mineral that the bones resemble those with osteoporosis. This mineral depletion can also lead to bones bowing under soil pressure. #archaeology #osteoarchaeology #taphonomy

1970s folk music hit differently. Remember looking at LPs by lovely Irish blokes with beards and sweaters who looked like your uncle or grandad, and turning the LP over to see they were a serving member of a ski mask wearing paramilitary organisation.

Two Medieval Men Found Buried in Prehistoric Site - Medievalists.net DNA analysis of two medieval men buried at the prehistoric Menga dolmen in Spain reveals new insights into ancestry, religion, and the long reuse of ancient monuments.

Two Medieval Men Found Buried in Prehistoric Site
#TombTuesday

www.medievalists.net/2026/03/two-...

My dad used to listen to them and told me they were major bad-asses, including a story about them literally setting someone on fire.

Once went to a warehouse store to buy rubble sacks, instead of a pack of 20 they handed over the entire unopened consignment box.

Ever wanted to learn more about space archaeology? Now there's a textbook, written by Lisa Westwood, who has worked to document artifacts and sites associated with the Apollo program!
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/book/10....

The local saying, "Siga, siga," (literally "slowly, slowly") in Paphos, Cyprus, means "take it easy". #archaeology

Some infrared (IR) products cannot be exported and are only for military and law-enforcement use. #archaeology

An 1183 mention of “Lambert the marble cutter” is probably the first reference to Frosterley Marble, actually a black limestone containing #fossils of extinct Carboniferous coral. Highly desirable during the #medieval period, this sedimentary rock is found near Frosterley, County #Durham, England.

The city of Siena, Italy, is divided into 17 medieval wards (contrade), each named after a real or mythical beast which is displayed on buildings and fountains in the contrade. Rivalry is played out in the Il Palio horse race around the Piazza del Campo, often over in 90 seconds. #archaeology

New study maps where wheat, barley and rye grew before the first farmers found them Using advanced machine learning and climate models, researchers have shown that the ancestors of crops like wheat, barley, and rye probably were much less widespread in the Middle East 12,000 years ag...

New study maps where wheat, barley and rye grew before the first farmers found them. #Archaeology
phys.org/news/2026-02...

Call for Contributions: A Sourcebook for Histories of Weather and Weathering
eseh.org/call-for-con...
#EnvHist #EnvHum

Cyalume(R) lightsticks come in a variety of colours, intensities, lasting times, impact- or snap-and-shake activation, infra-red for specialist use, and adhesive options. Used for illumination and as markers for people/routes and signalling. #archaeology

Primary refuse is discarded where it was used, secondary refuse is discarded away from where it was used (image is Schiffer's flow model). #archaeology

High altitude environments are more fragile than those lower down. Slow natural processes and thin soils mean that damage will take longer to resolve. Consider water, food, fuel supply and waste/sewage disposal needs to minimize impact. #archaeology #mountains #altitude #Aztec #Inca

Lessons learned. Can remember someone coming onto site once in brogues and shorts, vowing to show the young trainees how it was done, and then sticking a pickaxe in his leg.

Pre-fieldwork questions:
(1) How long will I be gone?
(2) How much food and drink do I need?
(3) Have I got the right clothing/footwear?
(4) Do I take back-up items?
(5) Will I need any special equipment?
(6) What medical/first aid kit do I need? #Archaeology #anthropology #palaeontology

Different forms of Japanese shuriken ("ninja stars") are named after everyday items they resemble or were made from. The hole in the centre of hira-shuriken (flat plate form) are often from source items that had holes such as coins or tools. #archaeology #ninja