A break from Christmas content to enjoy this capybara eating a banana. From François Froger's 'A relation of a voyage ...' (London, 1698).

Bear scribe at work! BL Egerton MS 3277; the 'Bohun Psalter'; 14th century; England; f.13v

As we approach Christmas, for this #MosaicMonday I'm sharing one of my favourite decorative mosaics. From Combe St Nicholas and sadly no longer surviving. Hand-coloured engraving from Samuel Lysons, Reliquiae Britannico-Romanae I.IV (1813-1817), pl. VIII. AncientBlueSky 🏺

Reposting for #MosaicMonday.

What a great combination: the wonderful @orkneylibrary.bsky.social with two gorgeous reindeer.

With Christmas decorations in mind on this #MosaicMonday, a colourful geometric mosaic with lozenge stars, guilloche knots and swastika-peltae. Found in 1738 at Great Weldon. Detail from Samuel Lysons, Reliquiae Britannico-Romanae (1813-1817), pl. VII. #AncientBlueSky 🏺

Adorable #Hedgehog 🥰

Reposting for #SundaySheep

For this #MosaicMonday in the run-up to Christmas, the next in a short series of attractive geometric mosaics. Although we often focus on the figured floors - which tell us so much - patterns of varying complexity were by far the most numerous. 1/2 #AncientBlueSky 🏺

I'm really looking forward to reading this paper. It's a wonderful project. But some of the press coverage is misleading. It was obvious from the outset that the mosaic wasn't based on Homer's version of the story, and the idea of Aeschylus isn't *new* news.

If you love colour, this is fascinating.

Callanish in the snow #StandingStoneSunday

Early for #MosaicMonday - a conference on mosaics with online attendance possible. Sounds great! www.ucd.ie/arthistory/n...

Gunta Stölzl (1897-983) German textile artist fundamental to development of the Bauhaus weaving workshop #WomensArt

le.ac.uk/news/2025/de... The mosaic’s images combine artistic patterns and designs that had already been circulating for hundreds of years across the ancient Mediterranean, suggesting that craftsmen in Roman Britain were more closely connected to the wider classical world than has been assumed.

A very beautiful and serene early entry for #SundaySheep.

If you know someone who loves history and heritage, then please follow the link below to purchase a gift membership for the Friends of Friendless Churches. friendsoffriendlesschurches.org.uk/news/gift-me...

As it's now December, thoughts inevitably turn to Christmassy things. For an alternative wreath, here's a delicate scroll found at Great Weldon in 1738. 1/3 #MosaicMonday #AncientBlueSky 🏺

#MosaicMonday #Neptune #Oceanus #Carausius #AncientBlueSky 🏺

Wonderful hair, beard and tails on this recently discovered mosaic.

This is a fantastic reconstruction which has left many of us drooling with delight. If you'd like to know more about the original mosaic, see Jane Chick's fascinating study (to buy as a book or open access online). www.archaeopress.com/Archaeopress... #MosaicMonday @archaeopress.bsky.social

“Quadrupeds. Mammalia Genus Manis Genus Dasypus” (Asian #Pangolins & Long-Nosed #Armadillos) Plate from Rees's Cyclopædia, aka _The cyclopaedia; or, Universal dictionary of arts, sciences, and literature_ (London, 1820) #sciart commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Th...

Any chance of a snack?

gamenian, wk.v: to play; to jest. (GA-men-i-ahn / ˈga-mɛn-ɪ-an) Image: Book of Hours; Flanders, 14th century; Walters Art Museum, W.88, f. 115v. #OldEnglish #WOTD

Early for #MosaicMonday.

Cute #hedgehog alert. (Makes you hibernate?)

This post should probably be captioned 'serving suggestion' as refreshments are photographer's own (though definitely 😋.) Late/early for #MosaicMonday. (If you are not a member of ASPROM and would like a copy of your own, I can help with that!)

A bonus post for this #MosaicMonday. Ever puzzled over why Neptune has crab claws and Oceanus has a trident in some RB mosaics? My thoughts have just been published in the latest Journal of Mosaic Research. Open access, so feel free to enjoy! 1/2 dergipark.org.tr/tr/pub/jmr/i...

For this #MosaicMonday, a couple of examples of elephants in the Piazzale delle Corporazioni in Ostia. One in close-up but another included in a wider view to show the context for those who aren't familiar (yet?) with the wonders of Ostia. 📷2022 #AncientBlueSky 🏺

Early for #MosaicMonday.

Ideal Christmas presents for lovers of Hadrian's Wall and walking in the historic landscapes of northern England.

A feast of facilities!

Delighted that from January 2026 all research articles published in the Journal of Roman Archaeology @cambup-archaeology.cambridge.org will be Open Access view.updates.cambridge.org?qs=85c24bbd7...

Following last week's monochrome elephant, this is another common type of depiction in Roman mosaics. From the Great Pavement at Woodchester, moving around Orpheus. 1/2 #MosaicMonday @classicalalan.bsky.social

Reposting for #SundaySheep - some very appealing specimens mingling with the stones. 🐑🐑🐑

For this #HillfortsWednesday, it's a favourite one: Eildon Hill North near Melrose, seen here from the road to Newstead (Trimontium). It's on the left in this picture, with one of its companions - Eildon Mid Hill - on the right, and can be seen for miles. 1/2

Snail’s pace - 15th century floor tile from St. Andrew’s Church at Wormingford in Essex. Now part of the collections at Colchester Castle. 📸 My own. #TilesOnTuesday #ColchesterMuseum

Don’t miss Prof Alex Mullen’s free webinar on November 26th at 7pm! She’ll be presenting the Joan Pye lecture on ‘Tales from the Tablets: recovering the voices of Roman Britain’. #archaeology #classics #roman 🏺 Book your tickets here: tinyurl.com/Romanvoices

There's been a request for elephants in mosaic, and we always like to oblige! To start with, here is the splendid beast from the Horkstow Orpheus mosaic. 1/2 #MosaicMonday #AncientBlueSky 🏺 @classicalalan.bsky.social

By amazing coincidence, my offering for #HillfortsWednesday was already lined up when I saw the post below: the opposite view of the bench on which @pottedhistory.bsky.social is sitting! I believe there is a hillfort lurking in the distance on the right (Lordenshaws).

Thursday 13 Nov is our next talk. This one is a bit special because our Chair, Mike Haken, is talking about A New Digital Map of Roman Britain: how to access it, how to use it and what comes next. It's a huge step forward that's taken a decade to develop

A 2,000-year-old 'Tomb of Cerberus' with stunning frescoes discovered in #Italy The fresco portrays the moment in the #myth of Heracles, where he captures Cerberus as part of his twelve labors. 📸 Credit: Ministry of Culture, Italy #TombTuesday #Archaeology #art

For this #MosaicMonday, continuing to look at the fascinating fragments from Dinnington. A bird's head above centre is easy to recognise, but what is in the fragment below left? Seems to be figured work with two tiny red triangles. Ideas very welcome! 1/2 #AncientBlueSky 🏺

Happy Halloween, Cerberus!

For #AdoorableThursday, doors don't come any more adorable than this! Spotted at the top of Castle Street (wonder where they got that name ...) in Warkworth. A quick look online suggests that this is one of many fairy doors in the town. 🧚🪄

#HillfortsWednesday wasn't on my mind when taking these photos last month, but it transpires that Dunbar Castle started life as a hillfort. Takes some imagination, especially as the harbour entrance was blasted through the ruins in 1844! 1/2

A certain site in Dorset has been in the news this week for its imminent TV appearance, so for #EpigraphyTuesday here is evidence that those Durotriges got everywhere! In the wonderful museum at Chesters on Hadrian's Wall, recording their building work. 1/3

A splash of colour for the first Monday after the clocks went back (in the UK). Wells Cathedral (with blue sky) from the Bishop's Palace Garden and from the Market Place (with rainbow), taken on Friday. #MedievalMonday

Cambridge’s #Archaeology journals are publishing an increasing amount of #openaccess (OA) #research. Read the latest articles here: ▶️ https://cup.org/3We1oBR @antiquity.ac.uk @saa-aap.bsky.social @archaeologyeaa.bsky.social @prehistoricsociety.bsky.social#Archaeology