Consensus press, Sinuhe.

about three years ago a group of almost 100 book collectors started an absurd project: to publish a handmade book, with every decision made democratically. somehow it actually worked? it is *very* on brand that picked an ancient egyptian travelogue poem as the text

On this day in 1483, Pope Sixtus IV consecrated the Sistine Chapel to Our Lady of the Assumption. 25 years later Pope Julius II entrusted Michelangelo to paint the ceiling which originally was decorated with a starry sky painted by Pier Matteo d’Amelia.

A month with two work trips - a week in Berlin collating papyri and a week in Copenhagen.

Tickets Alert: Chatley Heath semaphore tower open weekend ianvisits.co.uk/articles/tic... Peeking just above the trees by the M25 on the edge of southwest London is a tall octagonal building built as part of Britain's defence, and it will be open to the public next month.

Seeing Egypt differently: Lee Miller's photos go on display in London www.ianvisits.co.uk/articles/see... In 1934, an American-born but often UK-based photographer moved to Egypt, and some of her rarely seen photos are on display at the moment.

I think there needs to be a picture thread of #anthills. Mini #biodiversity hotspots. Love the pic, here’s one for the record from Malvern Common.

Congratulations to Melvyn for his honorary degree from Oxford (he’s in very good company here) www.ox.ac.uk/news/2025-04...

Dark sunday walk to Plumpton Plain Bronze Age Settlement A - and bluebells.

From the Easter archive: London’s transport is world-famous for its roundel, but just under a century ago, it nearly became a rabbit – Wilfred the Rabbit. www.ianvisits.co.uk/articles/how...

Apple blososom and early keyboards at Fenton House: magical as ever to hear music: youtube.com/@theclavierist.

Ah @ox.ac.uk! I was given a small grant to cover two reproduction costs for a book written during this year's @leverhulme.ac.uk fellowship, and told to reclaim the expenses through the University's e-expenses. Now Finance says I cannot claim for such costs this way ...

"Almost all the UK attacks reported in my study centred on LGBTQ+ materials." Meanwhile editors commission dozens more articles about the silencing of, perhaps, Britain's most published academic, Kathleen Stock. www.theguardian.com/books/2025/a...

Seagull update: A Clarion correspondent has shared this video of a seagull on the roof of the Blavatnik, reporting that multiple seagulls had been playing with pebbles on the glass roof 'like basketball' (sound on), passing and dropping stones loudly for a week #wearealltheclarion

From my personal experience, the problem at Oxford is immense: I'd imagine that at @ox.ac.uk the level of satisfation is much lower! Bravo @theguardian.com! www.theguardian.com/education/20...

A nostalgic day in Bloomsbury - collating the Mddle Kingdom fragments at @uclpetriemuseum.bsky.social - with many thanks to kind and super efficient colleagues there!

Happy Carbonara Day from Rome!

This year marks 100 years of the Leverhulme Trust. Enabling talented researchers across the arts, humanities, sciences and social sciences to undertake blue skies, interdisciplinary, ambitious and risky research. www.leverhulme.ac.uk/what-we-do

Moments of calm in a fortnight with visits to opticians and the wonderful Oxford Eye Hospital.

Eclipse in north London.

'It has been estimated that up to 50% of people with diabetes will develop damage to peripheral nerves during their lifetime, and up to 50% will experience pain because of that nerve damage.' Article co-written by @ndcnoxford.bsky.social's Dr Andreas Themistocleous ⬇️

In the course of cataloguing Egyptian materials preserved in the museum, Drs Annamaria Azzolini & Barbara Gilli identified 4 fragments of the Book of the Dead of Senemnetjer (ca 1479-1425 BCE)

#WorldPoetryDay 📜

British Museum remains UK's top attraction as some venues struggle to recover www.ianvisits.co.uk/articles/bri... The British Museum has retained its title as the UK's busiest visitor attraction, although visitor numbers to attractions across the country are still down on pre-pandemic levels.

A week of editing.

After years of hard work from colleagues at the Bodleian and across the #LegalDepositLibraries, Electronic Legal Deposit resources are now available in the reading rooms again! Hurrah!

No comment needed.

Ancestral remains should no longer be displayed in UK museums, say MPs

On this #IWD2025 International Women’s Day we are proud to announce a new lecture series organised with @rmoudheden.bsky.social! Named after Herta Mohr, it will annually showcase and focus on early career contributions to #Egyptology. Join us on 11 April at RMO! www.nino-leiden.nl/event/herta-...

Empress Pompeia Plotina, Trajan's wife and Hadrian’s adoptive mother, had no children but was very fond of Hadrian. She played an instrumental role in the development of his career. After her death, Hadrian deified her and built a temple in her honour at Nemausus in Gaul. #InternationalWomensDay ♀️

Oxford university contracts have little contact with reality: Oxford University accused of failing to act after ruling on ‘sham’ contracts www.theguardian.com/education/20...

Insuperable obstacles to copy-editing this morning.

#FrescoFriday - The magnificent Garden Fresco from the triclinium of Livia's villa at Prima Porta. This Second style fresco presents a variety of plants, fruits, flowers and birds rendered in a naturalistic way. It is one of the most stunning frescoes from the Roman world!

It's #WorldBookDay (UK and Ireland)! ✨ For young people brandishing book tokens today there are now so many wonderful books about queerness in nature and people. 🌈📚 #queer #LGBTQ #booksky #skybooks #ReadYourWay #LoveLibraries @nationalbooktokens.bsky.social

Seminar starting in 3, 2, 1!

The sublime statue of Moses by Michelangelo who was born on this day 550 years ago.

What an amazing present for World Book Day! 🥹 I got a German copy of my book A Little Gay Natural History! It's very surreal to see it in another language, but it looks so good 🙌🏼🌈🥰

Ancient Dorset burial site raises questions over age of Stonehenge www.theguardian.com/science/2025...

First time for many months there was a chance to walk to work via Port Meadow.

Fab Saturday Hit Squad vols at Seaford Head nature reserve, helping clear the Moon Carrot slope. Then a pic of what's to come thanks to their hard work. Moon Carrot is rare & in the UK occurs only in 6 locations, one being Seaford Head. It’s said to glow in the moonlight 📸 Sarah Quantrill

On International Women’s Day this Saturday at 2pm, I’ll be giving an online talk about the ‘Qurna Queen’ and our work reassessing this 17th Dynasty intact royal burial from Thebes, now held at National Museums Scotland. More info/booking with the Thames Valley Ancient Egypt Society: www.tvaes.org.uk

My PhD students are all working very hard to organise the next Birmingham Egyptology Symposium in June. Please circulate widely! Submission form: shorturl.at/ACATz Deadline: 14 March 2025

A stunning lecture by Olaf Kaper from @nino-leiden.bsky.social about Berenike.

Ramadan Mubarak to all observing this month ☪ #Ramadan2025

It might not be #Roman, but for me this is one of the highlights of the NY Met Museum collection - a bowl standing on a lovely pair of human feet! It was made more than 5500 years ago, in predynastic Egypt AncientBlueSky #Archaeology

‘I am willing to die’: hunger-striking mother of writer jailed in Egypt fights on in London hospital bed www.theguardian.com/politics/202...

Fresh doubt cast on authenticity of Rubens painting in National Gallery www.theguardian.com/artanddesign...