Change continues apace at Cardiff University.

This is not going to end well for one these two.... Hercules and the Nemean lion, The House of Orpheus, Nea Paphos. 3rd century CE. #MosaicMonday

I had an article out recently on the complex ways in which ‘post-colonial’ (archaeological) knowledge moved, the conditions that allowed it, and why it’s important to finally move beyond that old Bruce Trigger article characterising types of archaeological work: journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/...

Essential, if very scary, reading for those working in UK HE. committees.parliament.uk/committee/20...

This is extremely sad and cultural vandalism. It is unfortunately not surprising. The sector is contracting in many ways, and focusing on very narrow (in many ways) Humanities, while constantly stating that the offering is global, inclusive and anti-racist, is happening almost everywhere.

This is exactly like the banking crisis of 2008. CEO’s was asked why they’d crashed the global economy, and they explained that their only responsibility was to enrich for their own institution regardless of consequences. Nobody was in charge of or responsible for the system as a whole.

'Noting the UK higher education sector is facing “unprecedented” financial pressure, the House of Commons’ Education Select Committee said it is concerned over the “deeply conflicting” evidence that its inquiry had received over what would happen if a university became insolvent.' 1/2

Tomorrow night I'll be in Taunton, celebrating the release of the Low Ham book with a joint talk with co-authors Roger and Rachel. Great to be able to tell the latest story over the mosaic which has become emblematic of the site. Still a (few) free tickets left: www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/low-ham-ro...

The signs that your UK HE has entered the death spiral (may have started years ago) and is most probably getting advice from one of few HE consultants, such as Nous. 1. Losing your joint degrees if you had them, terrible for modern languages

system not designed by ped experts dictates pedagogy to us & is now literally holding the most anxious gen of students hostage. & their instructors. Our universities require we use this. their reasoning is ‘you need a platform to secure data.’ Well guess what? Your platform secured nothing. NOTHING.

Back on my favourite archaeological project in the world, Llyn Cerrig Bach, RAF Valley on Anglesey. The bard and Druid are displaying this season’s wish list: Carnyx Sword Golden sickle Gold torc 🤞

Repost this if history or math. I’m a teacher and I’m trying to show my students that history or math

How on earth will some decent majority will be formed, I do not know. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Lovely news @cardiffucu.bsky.social!

Paul Rock wins Senedd seat in Caerdydd Ffynnon Taf. Paul Rock yn ennill sedd y Senedd yng Nghaerdydd Ffynnon Taf.

In more positive news, I had a lovely chat with youngest (14) yesterday on whether gardens were 'natural'. After a bit of Socratic back and forth, he concluded that his head was hurting and wondered what exactly was 'natural'. I felt I was doing ok at this mothering job.

Must really do what needs to be done to get British citizenship. Resisted until now, but would rather avoid having to fight on that front in the coming years - what with the serious risks to our HE jobs.

Meanwhile on VE Day, marking the unconditional surrender of right-wing extremism and fascism in Europe.

Election results from England are scary. No real news from Senedd elections yet. Voted Green. Couldn't bring myself to vote Labour, even though Welsh Labour still has a semblance of left-wing politics (unlike in some other parts of the UK imho).

We are dismayed by news regarding UG History, and other subjects, at Hertfordshire. This follows recent job losses at Essex and elsewhere, and makes clear the crisis in UK HE. The Society is in touch and working with historians at UoH. As ever, we invite contact from others affected #Skystorians

My perhaps very obvious take here is that this discourse only makes sense from an Anglophone and particularly US-American capitalist POV where tuition for an undergrad degree can result in lifelong debilitating debt. In Germany, higher ed is basically free. www.newyorker.com/news/fault-l...

Ah yes, the cultural destruction that brings 'opportunities'. Like the arsonist's fire that fertilises land... or not.

Unsolicited writing advice, no. 201: The more of yourself you put into your work, the more of themselves the readers will find in it…

Meanwhile, in Belgium.

I am appaled that a government that calls itself labour is watching without intervening in the dismantling of Humanities HE education. As a way to cheer myself up, let me introduce you to my favourite building at St Fagan's Museum of Wales. 1/ museum.wales/collections/...

I believe these are the worst news from the sector so far. Cuts to the Hmanities are now routine, but no university so far has cut all of the Humanities. My thoughts are with colleagues at this incredibly tough time.

Why would we want to learn from our pasts, or ponder the power of the written and spoken word, or explore the deep questions of humanity? According to the University of Hertfordshire, we wouldn't. They've just cut all of our undergrad Humanities programmes

I don't think people fully understand yet just how fragile university-hosted digital resources are after external funding ends (especially if the lead academic retires or moves or is made redundant).

The answer is 'no'. The UK already has very short degrees. Accelerating them even further will be a recipe for disaster.

Multiple UK universities took down their policies relating to trans inclusion after the OfS's unprecedented fine of Sussex over its wholly anodyne approach to discouraging transphobia. Today is a very good day to demand to know when those policies will be going back up.

Damn, I forgot about it and left the Colin Catterpilar cake in the cupboard for weeks.

For #EpigraphyTuesday and #TilesOnTuesday I’m sharing a 2,000 year old joke from a Roman roof tile (tegula). The cursive inscription reads: “VENTVRAM / TERRIS / VID(es me)” – “Now that you see me, I’ve fallen to the ground.” From Vienna, on display at Römermuseum Vienna 📷 me 🏺

You can't just get away with abstracts like this anymore...

Some tulips I came across in Oxford's botanic garden last week.

Can't stop thinking about this awful article. The child mentioned has in fact not been diagnosed! They encountered a kind doctor who suggested looking into this 1/

Check out this little manuscript of music and prayers! It mostly contains brief chants for the liturgical cycle, but it ends with a diagram of a Guidonian hand, a tool for teaching sight-singing attributed to the 11th-century musical theorist Guido d'Arezzo #medievalsky 🔗: https://bit.ly/4t2ZDpW

The stunning mummy portrait of Eirene is one of the few mummy portraits that bears an inscription. It mentions the deceased as well as her parents: Eirene, daughter of Silvanos, her mother is Senpnoutis. May her soul live forever before Osiris-Sokar, the great god, the Lord of Abydos. 🧵1/2 📷 me 🏺

Tfw you hear your book is now at the printers! Available from good bookshops and libraries (feel free to ask yours to order it). (Shameless promotion via #RomanFortThursday) www.amberley-books.com/roman-life-o...

My university hasn’t reached this level of clarity yet. Managers tell themselves it’s all going brilliantly *because* they’ve sacked so many people.

'The south-east London university, known for its teaching of the creative arts, has announced plans to cut a further £22 million from its budget, the third major restructure since 2019.' Student numbers have dropped by more than 25% in the past 5 years. Great work external consultants! 1/2

This 23 April, why not try being kind to your dragon and feeding it treats instead of sticking nasty sharp things into it? Dragons endorse this message. [Bibliothèque du Château de Chantilly, Ms 139, f. 14v].

A beautiful obituary for the great historian Averil Cameron by @tigerlilyrocks.bsky.social

I wrote about the Olympics’ ban on trans women competing, and the stakes of the new women’s sex-testing regime for female athletes, trans and cis alike. www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

All my solidarity to colleagues. Another university 'management team' with zero sense of accountability. All too easy to blame the government. And enough with the rhetoric of 'improved curricula'. Impoverished curricula and skills that will not longer be transmitted - that's the reality.

and Jesus was a sailor when he walked upon the water And he spent a long time watching from his lonely wooden tower And when he knew for certain only drowning men could see him He said, All men will be sailors then, until the sea shall free them —Suzanne 2:1-4

International in scope, well worth a long read. The knock-on implications for universities need to enter into thinking about HE policy much more systematically. The pile-them-high, concentrate-them-in-fewer-HEIs 'policy' exacerbates the negative impacts of these trends. With a sharing link for 3.

Since @stewartbrookes.bsky.social is visiting an especially famous Tall Skinny Manuscript™ today, I thought I'd drop a thread of the ones I happened across during the year of Saints+MSS. In no particular order... This thread had some discussion and other exx.: bsky.app/profile/cari...

Did anyone else see this message in the clouds this morning? #LookUpAtTheSkyDay

🎉 Congratulations to Dr Chris de Lisle and to the Attic Inscriptions Online team, for new inscriptions published today! 🔗AIO's latest launch publishes or revises all the decrees, accounts, and leases of the deme of Rhamnous in eastern Attica. www.atticinscriptions.com/browse/bypub...

#HadrianFactTuesday - Did you know that Hadrian was an avid mountain climber? 🗻 He ascended two of the most famous peaks in his empire: Mount Etna in Sicily to witness the sunrise (AD 125), and Mount Casius in Syria, where he narrowly escaped being struck by lightning (AD 129/130).