Spoke at the unveiling of a plaque to archaeologist Robert Blair, outside Arbeia Roman Fort, South Shields last week. Great to see his contribution to the study of Roman archaeology in his local town recognised, and to have Mayor of South Tyneside Jay Potts and Mayoress Audrey Huntley in attendance.

Pet peeve of the day (month/year): universities which are desperate for people to utilise a scientific technique, set up a commercial organisation to offer this, then proceed to only take on work they are interested in and give up on taking it at all in a few years 😑

A trek up to the #Cheviots, following a lead about a lump of flint (see photo 2, my hand for scale) found in 1978 under 5 feet of peat, by a farm worker. Initial conclusions from augering: there is a former tarn/lake at this spot, with possible #prehistoric activity in the form of a charcoal layer!

I could list off some dead professor or someone very worthy but the reality is Sam Neill's character Dr Alan Grant in the first Jurassic Park movie probably did more to direct me towards an interest in archaeology than anyone else.

There are buildings that 'burn down' and buildings that 'catch fire'. These are distinctly different things when a fire in a historic building is being discussed, no one explains when to use one or the other but we all seem to know when to use one or the other.

Doing a site visit in #Northumberland today. Got chatting to someone who claimed they think tjey found a stone tool as "It fits nicely into your hand and looks worked" That old chestnut, yeah I will have a look 🙄 "...oh, yeah that's a Neolithic polished stone axe! 🤯" #archaeology #prehistory

If you are teaching a course that includes digital ethics, what are your go-to texts? I need a refresh of my reading list, and I'm looking for any recent papers that stand out

NEWS: C20 is delighted to announce that distinguished journalist and broadcaster @samiraahmeduk.bsky.social has been elected as our new President. She becomes the fifth female president in the Society's 46 year history, and succeeds Catherine Slessor in the role. ➡️ c20society.org.uk/news/samira-...

Historic England have just released updated guidance for marine geophysical surveys. This second edition helps protect and document England’s incredible underwater heritage — shipwrecks, submerged landscapes, and more. Learn more: historicengland.org.uk/images-books... #maritimeheritage

Cleveland looking very much like one of the most underappreciated areas of England today. Little would one expect the field next to me contains the entrance to deepest mine in Britain (Boulby), with an astrophysics lab almost 1.5km under the surface.

Announcing our plans for a new #community #archaeology project in #Hexham

Harvesting the black gold this weekend. Material from a prehistoric site in north Cumbria excavated in 2001. Despite occasional labelling issues the charred remains are still perfectly viable. #FlotThot #NakedWheat #Archaeobotany

Currently having my sample processing being monitored by the meanest looking chicken I have seen in a long time! 😐

Sample processing today with some helpers. These archaeobotanical samples are over 20 years old, and from a unit which no longer exists. They're still perfectly viable, but the labelling causes issues. Without permanent marker the internal labels have begun to fade, so reliant on external survival.

English Heritage were told to be more like the National Trust, but that's like comparing apples with some badly damaged apples in need of conservation work. English Heritage was always the curator of last resort, taking properties which other organisations wouldn't touch (1/2)

*sigh* and I had so much planned for today. Better cancel everything.

(Warning: this is either very interesting or tediously boring) When putting down sheeting during cleaning in Bessie Surtees House they caught the draft through the wooden floor. But it wasn't just a breeze, it was a rhythmic pulse as the air moved through the building and it breathed 🧐

NEW PROJECT: The Society and @scotchurchestrust.bsky.social are announcing a £229,015 grant from The National Lottery Heritage Fund to help ensure a sustainable future for Scotland’s churches and their contents.‬ Read about Finding Futures for Scotland’s Churches: www.socantscot.org/news/finding...

Indiana Jones had his contract reduced to 0.5 FTE, as preventing Nazis from acquiring objects which would give them the power of God was not a REF'able activity 🧐

Hive mind: does anyone know the earliest human remains from Scotland?

Great to see McDonalds promoting the Irish language in Durham 🫡🇮🇪

Trust me, something very interesting is happening under this plastic sheet! #ArchaeologicalScience #Archaeology #OSL #MysteriousScienceSheet

Great to see this plaque unveiled in honour of Dr Irene Ighodaro in Newcastle yesterday, and nice to be quoted in the Newcastle Chronicle as part of this celebration. #BlackHistory #Newcastle www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/north-e...

I ran for the Metro today and jumped though while the doors were closing. A group of teenagers spotted me and two gave me a big cheer and clapped. I felt like such a bad ass 😎 Teenager 3: "Why are you clapping?" Teenager 1: "That old man ran for the Metro and made it just in time" Me: 🙃

This isn't an actual musical instrument, it's merely a symbol.

Love having a walk through an urban area and getting a surprise like this. (A family of roe deer in central Newcastle, Ouseburn Valley, this evening) #UrbanNature #Newcastle

My renewal card came today. Officially licensed to be Irish for another year👌🏻 🇮🇪

I always found it remarkable that in English we have the phrase "To meet your Waterloo", and Napoleon was finally defeated at a place called Waterloo 🤯 One of history's great coincidences!🤷🏻

For anyone interested in the development of Open Access publishing in Ireland, PublishOA and the Royal Irish Academy have released a wonderful report mapping the landscape of scholarly publishing on the island. The report is free to download and available for you here: zenodo.org/records/1563...

A resourceful kittiwake in Newcastle finding a suitable alternative to a cliff edge!

This month's allotment drama: a member who hasn't touched their plot for 6 months has hired a gardener to tend it for them!!! 🙃 It's all kicking off in South Gosforth 🧐 👨🏻‍🌾🪏🍅🌽🍆🌾

A great opportunity for someone to develop their skills as a field archaeologist!

Site visits in #Northumberland today with some help

I met Mog! 😭♥️🐈‍⬛

Mid May and by far the worst magpie harvest I've had for years. Is anyone else having a poor season?! #RescueBorb #CatchAndRelease #IDidntEatIt

The role of Inspector of Monuments has come up in the Yorkshire region. A great opportunity for an archaeologist to shape the work of Historic England. app.beapplied.com/apply/zr945m... #archaeology #heritage

At the end of this #DodecaBakeOff Easter Monday, I wanted to share this montage of all the fabulous makes, bakes & creations! Well done everyone and thank you for giving me a smile today! You've all been wonderful! Keep fighting the good fight - We shall make what we want to make!💪 #Archaeology ⚱️

Cork's very own nod to Teessaurus Park in #Middlesbrough, Jim Buckley's 1985 installation 'Red Dragon', on the banks of the River Lee, with the seal of approval from a visiting Teessider for scale #Ireland #PublicArt @c20society.bsky.social

The most important thing North East England sent to Ireland since Jack Charlton!🤯

I don't think #IrishWithMollie is on Bluesky (this image is from her account on the 'Gram), but I had to share her image of the cúlán, which is definitely about to become the Gen-Z haircut of choice for the summer of 2025 in Britain! www.instagram.com/irishwithmol...

The Watergate, leading from the River Tyne to Bessie Surtees House, #Newcastle. It was here that in 1972 members of President Nixon's re-election team mugged members of the Democratic National Convention, setting in motion a political scandal which would reverberate from Bigg Market to Capitol Hill!

One of my most exciting pieces of casework currently. Great to see the excavation work starting in earnest. This project will open up major new considerations of prehistoric and Roman #archaeology in #Cumbria, adding to previous work by @oxfordarchaeology.bsky.social doi.org/10.5284/1106...

Probably the best reaction I've had to someone being told they need an archaeological evaluation: "They better find nothing or find something f**king amazing" #archaeology

A day out looking at the lowland peat landscape of Prestwick Carr, near #Newcastle. Just managed to reach the late glacial lake deposits (blue-grey silt) which underlie the basin in which the peat formed. #Geoarchaeology #archaeology

Just published! A review (open access) of archaeological land snail analysis as a discipline in Britain 50(+) years after the publication of JG Evans's Land Snails in Archaeology doi.org/10.61733/jco... 🏺

There is no greater love than when you are an environmental archaeologist and your mother sends you a photo of a swan carcass and offers to pick it up for you 😭♥️♥️🦢☠️ #zooarchaeology #archaeology #IrishMammy

Weather warning 🤔⛈️⛈️ Or... Greater Cork irredentism 🚩👍🏻

Teenage me probably didn't appreciate that adult me would have a favourite type of tweezers, and I would buy in bulk to see me through the Apocalypse 🔬 #LivingTheDream #Archaeobotany

A few of the x10,000's of oat grains from a #medieval corn-dryer from West Cumbria. Unlike many parts of England (where whet and barley dominate) oat seems to be a domestic staple in #Cumbria in the medieval period. I'm tentitively connecting this site to a nearby Cistercian monastery. #archaeology

A lazy afternoon of geoachaeology #ASMR. Sorting out the troublesome grit stick in this 1mm sieve.