The Union Jack is a combination of the crosses of St. George, a Palestinian; St. Andrew, who was an Apostle from Galilee; and St. Patrick, who was British, but is famous for work in Ireland where he was initially a hated immigrant. They would not approve.

For all the people out there waving the Cross of St. George, you should know that St. George of Lydda was a Palestinian, and is widely revered in the Middle East by all faiths.

Getting some very nice aubergines or eggplants this year! 🌱

NEW Britain's economy did not collapse after the #Romans left A new, unbroken timeline of British metal production from the 5th century AD to the present day questions the idea of a post-Roman 'Dark Age'. Strap in for an industrious #AntiquityThread 1/12 🧵 🏺 #Archaeology

Archaeology Mag provide a nice update on the work at Guédelon Castle. #MedievalSky #ExperimentalArchaeology #ArtchaeologyofStuff #Castles archaeology.org/issues/septe...

Now *that* is a very nice helmet. I suspect the reenactors will be ordering Aegadian Montefortino helmets in large numbers. The peak goes to the back, though, if you didn't know. #archaeology #RomanSky #Roman #MilitaryArchaeology www.livescience.com/archaeology/...

It sounds like the locals "discovered" the roof, tried to move it with heavy machinery, and then told the authorities. Nice bit of stonework, though. #Archaeology www.reuters.com/science/weal...

Earliest evidence of indigo processing in Georgia, 34,000 years ago. Looks convincing! #ArchaeologyofStuff #Archaeology archaeologymag.com/2025/09/anci...

Interesting paper on microplastics. It seems they are everywhere, including in our bodies, and we still do not know the harm that they may do. www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...

I think what astonishes me about the Chalcolithic site at Cortijo Lobato, Spain, is not the Roman guy they found buried in it (which made it newsworthy) but that they were building (seemingly) multivallate castles in Spain before 2450 B.C.E. #Castles 🏺 www.livescience.com/archaeology/...

Anglo-Saxon urn, about 500-600 CE, in the collection @romtoronto.bsky.social A partial label identifies it is from Girton College, Cambridge, UK. This will be on ROM's eMuseum website tomorrow, just look up 920.96.1 🏺 #MuseumWork #archaelogy #AngloSaxon #ceramics

For #SacredSpaceSunday here is St. James the Great Church in Denchworth, Oxfordshire. #MedievalSky

For #BloomingMonday the clematis is putting on a good show! #FlowerReport 🌱

It seems that it was Sir Patrick's birthday yesterday, but I didn't see any pics of him in my favourite of his roles...Leondegrance, Guinevere's dad, in Excalibur. #PatrickStewart #SirPatrickStewart

For #SacredSpaceSunday the altar and reredos at Winchester Cathedral (pic from my hols in May). #MedievalSky

The asparagus went crazy when we were away in May, and was too big for me to build something it could grow into as support. So I got a bunch of sticks and tied them together with string. Works quiet well! Monty Don would approve, I think. #UrbanGarden 🌱 #vegetables

For #FortressFriday here is a model of Wallingford Castle, Oxfordshire, in the local museum! There isn't a lot to see now, except earthworks, and some of it is fenced off, but it was quite the place in the medieval period! And now the earthworks make a lovely location for a picnic! #MedievalSky

For #DoorwayWednesday this *was* a doorway in the main gatehouse of Battle Abbey, Sussex, but it was walled up, so I suppose that makes it a #WallWednesday post! #MedievalSky

Wednesdaylily. #FlowerReport 🌱

For #MonasteryMonday (or #MedievalMonday!) the Dormitory of Battle Abbey, in Sussex. (📷my holiday pic!) #MedievalSky

"The Roman army committed many atrocities, but this was not one of them" Putting the *war cemetery* of Maiden Castle hillfort in context 👇👇 the-past.com/news/redatin...

For #FrescoFriday this painting of St. Cecilia at Deir Mar Musa, Syria. It is from the first phase of the frescoes, dated to after 1058 and before 1088. My image of 2004. #MedievalSky

St Michael’s Church and square, early 1900s.

It's #FlowerReport time! The clematis are flowering! 🌱

For #MonasteryMonday the Dormitory of Battle Abbey. #MedievalMonday #MedievalAky

#WritingQuestions #indieauthor #amwritingfantasy #writerssociety #wip

For #TowerTuesday the West Gate of the city of Canterbury. It is said (on a sign standing next to it) that this is the largest standing medieval gate in England. #MedievalSky

For #MonasteryMonday here is Beaulieu Abbey in Hampshire. The former refectory (left) became the parish church. I have a number of ancestors in the parish in the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries. Regrettably it was closed because they were installing the organ! #MedievalSky

It's #FlowerReport time! The rugose rose is winning the longevity war! 🌱

For #FrescoFriday the Holy Sepulchre Chapel at Winchester Cathedral. I believe they are late 12th century. Yes, it's one of my recent holiday pics. #MedievalSky

For #DoorwayWednesday the access to the stairs to the latrines in the Dormitory at Battle Abbey, Hastings! #MedievalSky

For #TowerTuesday here is Canterbury Cathedral at night (viewed from my bedroom window). #MedievalSky

Simple, roughly-made bowls from 4th millennium BC Shakhi Kora, Iraqi Kurdistan 🏺 They were used to provide large-scale communal meals, frequently hearty meat stews, potentially for the workers who built Mesopotamia's first state institutions. Learn more 🆓 doi.org/10.15184/aqy...

For #MortuaryMonday the graveyard of St. Martin's Church, Canterbury. This is the oldest church in England & also said to be the oldest standing building, as it has a Roman core, possibly a mausoleum, so this may also be the oldest continuously used graveyard! #MedievalSky #RomanSky

Just clearing out some graphics for an exhibit I made for the ROM based on one I had done for the Ashmolean in the Spring of 1994. It's interesting how much of this information about the nature of clay and pottery worked it's way into other peoples publications shortly afterwards. #Archaeology

Did enslaved people build the monumental agricultural earthworks of Early Islamic Iraq? #MedievalMonday 🏺 Scientific #archaeology sheds light on the impact of the Zanj rebellion, Mongol invasion, plague and climate change on the Iraqi landscape. Learn more 🆓 doi.org/10.15184/aqy...

A medieval Polish royal dynasty may have Scottish DNA? Why not? The English Anglo-Saxon royal house, the Aethelings, married into the Hungarian royal house after the Normans took over England. #MedievalSky archaeologymag.com/2025/06/pola...

On this day in 1917, poet Wilfred Owen arrived at Southampton from the Western Front and he was sent to the Royal Victoria Hospital at Netley. He then went to a hospital in Edinburgh but returned to France in July 1918. Tragically, he was killed on 4 November 1918, one week before the armistice.

1/🧵 For #SundayShelfie the progress on the great book reorg. I have books in the study/dungeon, the sitting room, & the guest room. The latter now only has big art books. The archaeology etc has been moved. However, I have not rationalised the distinction between study/dungeon & sitting room. 🏺 👀📚

Happy Heavenly Father's Day to The Old Man, Brian Ernest (Jim) Mason. Here he is not an old man at all, but a young man serving in the Navy in the Mediterranean. #FathersDay

For #SacredSpaceSunday the Cloister at Canterbury Cathedral. #MedievalSky

For #Caturday here is a lion at the foot of Edward the Black Prince as he rests in final repose in Canterbury Cathedral. #MedievalSky

My favourite time of the year in England is when the woods are carpeted with bluebells. I haven't seen it now in many years, but when we were in Exbury gardens in mid-May we managed to see a couple of small clumps! #FlowerFriday #Bluebells 🌱

For #FortressFriday here is Rye Castle! This citadel of the ancient town of Rye in Sussex became in later days the town prison, and modifications rather emphasize that history! #Castles #MedievalSky

For #FrescoFriday, this is the other photograph of mine taken at Deir Mar Musa in Syria that was recently requested by a publisher. The clerestory of the chapel carries Equestrian Saints, this one is St. Bacchus, the important Syrian saint, made in 1208. #MedievalSky #SyrianSky

It's #FlowerReport time! Peonies and roses reporting for duty! 🌱

How i take criticism

For #DoorsdayThursday and #AdoorableThursday a doorway in the Dormitory at Battle Abbey, Sussex. #monastery #MedievalSky

Amongst the other silly things I do in my free time, I write nonsense about Tolkien's legendarium. 📚💙 All my Medium articles are free to read. medium.com/p/81b275326f84

Reginald Joseph Mitchell led the team that designed the Spitfire at Supermarine in Woolston, Southampton. The prototype first flew in 1936. Sadly, he would not live to see his iconic aircraft’s finest hour during the Second World War. R. J. Mitchell died at home in Southampton on this day in 1937.