The annual Orkney Archaeology Review, published by Orkney Archaeology Society, has been dropping through members' letterboxes. #archaeology #orkney

New paper klaxon: pre print now available OA: muse.jhu.edu/pub/423/arti... Thanks to everyone at @ria.ie for their work on this, and most importantly to Chantal for collaboration on the paper. A short 🧵 on what we argue... @ucdarchaeology.bsky.social @ucddublin.bsky.social @eaapam.bsky.social

We find fingerprints, cord, basketry and other impressions left in damp pottery while pieces were made in the Neolithic but some new examples have left us puzzled and intrigued. #archaeology #Orkney #Neolithic #Ceramics #NessOfBrodgar

Hooray! Our paper on kinship in Neolithic Ireland is out. Such a pleasure to write this (and draw fancy maps) with a team of fabulous and inspiring prehistorians: Neil Carlin, Jess Smyth, @cjfrieman.bsky.social, Dani Hofmann, @pennybickle.bsky.social, Kerri Cleary and @prehistorian.bsky.social:

OUT NOW! The Early Neolithic of Northern Europe: New approaches to migration, movement and social connections. www.sidestone.com/books/the-ea... #prehistory #monuments #NeolithicScandinavia

Wonderful flintknapping!

The fundraiser to reopen Tomb of the Eagles is at 80%. Can you help get it over the line? www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/tomb-of-th...

Orkney Archaeology Society's next public talk is an online event with Dr Hugo Anderson-Whymark, outlining further discoveries at Blomuir Passage Grave, Holm. The talk will be on 20th March, starting at 7pm. Get your free tickets here, orkneyarchaeologysociety.org.uk/event/talk-f...

The Lithic Studies Society is now on Bluesky, for all your stone tool lovers: @lithicstudiessoc.bsky.social #lithics #flint

Free one day symposium @ntlmuseumsscot.bsky.social exploring case studies of Collecting Environmental Change, 13 March. More info and booking here: www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/collecting... 📜 #envhist

Tonight's the night that Blomuir #Neolithic Passage Grave in #Orkney is on #DiggingForBritain - BBC 2 8pm. Victorian diggers removed enough stone for a house, but still left us some amazing archaeology!

All of the new Digging for Britain episodes have dropped on Iplayer, so you can catch up on new discoveries at Blomuir Passage Grave!

Well, that's my Twitter/X account deleted for good. I've imported my old tweets across as there are a few good images

I'm looking forward to the new series of Digging for Britain, which starts tomorrow! But you've have to wait until Thursday for news of exciting new discoveries in our Neolithic passage grave at Blomuir, Orkney

Some objects speak for themselves! This heart shaped facing stone of finest 'Brandon black' flint dates from c.1930. #flintfriday

Fred Snare's gunflint work c.1910. As the demands for gunflint fell, building flints became an important part of the business - the patterns in this postcard show some of the intricate designs they produced

Herbert Edwards knapping gunflints behind the Flintknappers Arms, #Brandon, Suffolk, c.1940s. #flintfriday

An interesting distribution map of archaeology in Scotland, though I'm not sure the work on Orkney is accurate

Yet more! Lucille Rodrigues started her SGSAH CDA project last month, working with me, @hugowhymark.bsky.social, and Dr Nyree Finlay. She will be looking at collections at the NMS and a series of regional museums to characterise lithic traditions in Orkney, Northeast Scotland, and The Borders.

An early postcard of a toad discovered in a flint nodule aka the 'toad in the hole'. Found by Charles Dawson in 1898, who went on to excavate Piltdown Man. I'll let you decide if it's genuine! #flintfriday

The Ness of Brodgar is now on Bluesky. Follow for lots of fantastic content about Neolithic Orkney and updates on post-excavation analysis

I like a photogrammetry challenge! Here's the 16thC silver and rock crystal Brooch of Lorn, Scotland by @ntlmuseumsscot in #3D https://skfb.ly/oQ68M#3Dvia @sketchfab

Orkney has a new Maes Howe- type passage grave. Digging in museum archives paid off this time! https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2023/oct/21/a-neolithic-feat-of-engineering-orkney-dig-reveals-ruins-of-huge-tomb

I came across this huge piece of fossil fish on Westray today - one plate that's bigger than my hand. A piece of Homosteus Milleri perhaps?

I'd forgotten that I'm the rock art poster boy at Achnabreck. And boy is about right - that photo was taken 13 years ago!

My bank holiday offering! The Cumberland Stone, Culloden Moor, Scotland - a glacial erratic used by the Duke of C to survey the battlefield in 1847 - view it in #3D, #VR or #AR https://skfb.ly/ouUUv#3D#VR#ARa @sketchfab.

A superb week in Orkney. Lots of 3d models to process for the Tombs of the North Isles project. @UHIArchaeology

A tomb with a view (and skylight!), Vinquoy Hill, Eday

Westray today! The fabulous Pierowall Stone, which would have graced an exceptional Late Neolithic tomb

Kierfea Hill tomb, Rousay today. Stunning views to Hoy (and across the North Isles on the other direction)

Great to be back at Orkney Museum today. First stop, the fantastic Groatie Hoose, roofed with ballast from Pirate Gow's ship that grounded on the Calf of Eday

Do you want to see @Ntlmuseumsscot's newly acquired Mary, Queen of Scots Casket in #3D? It's fantastic! https://skfb.ly/ouAoU#3Dvia @sketchfab

George Petrie (1818-1875) excavated some of #Orkney's finest archaeological sites, from #Skara #Brae to #Maeshowe and #Quoyness tombs. Help us tag and transcribe his illustrated notebooks @MicroPasts @NtlMuseumsScot:...

Here's a good challenge! Help us link Scottish archaeological objects in museums to records of the places they were discovered: https://finds-hub.org/ @NtlMuseumsScot @HistEnvScot

A fleeting visit to a sleeping @NessofBrodgar.

A classic piece of experimental archaeology: felling trees at Draved Wood with stone axes. I've never seen this footage from 1953 before and it's great https://filmcentralen.dk/museum/danmark-paa-film/klip/trae-faeldes-med-stenalderokser

Just back from the Mendips filming about Tresness Cairn with Vicki Cummings and Alice Roberts for Digging for Britain!

Well that's a wrap! Digging has finished at Tresness Neolithic Cairn... backfilling tomorrow!

Tresness Neolithic Stalled Cairn: Excavation week 2.5 showing the Neolithic phase in #3D, #VR or #AR https://skfb.ly/opJOs#3D#VR#ARa @sketchfab

Orcadian flint collected from #Sanday #orkney on a rare day away from the dig. Bliss!

I got home from work and thought my daughter had made a wonderful model of a #broch... but she said 'do you like my rocket?' What do you think @TheBrochProject ?

Dolly the sheep was cloned 25 years ago today. A world first! I've cloned her in 3d for you! @ntlmuseumsscot in #3D, #VR or #AR https://skfb.ly/oox9n#3D#VR#ARa @sketchfab

Power dressing in the Bronze Age (and 1980s)

I’ve worked with so many great academics and students from Sheffield it’s disgraceful the department is under threat: Save Sheffield's Archaeology Department - Sign the Petition! http://chng.it/drq6LRmh via @UKChange

The amazing Neolithic macehead from Knowth, Bru na Boinne. Several maceheads of this distinctive 'flint' have been found between Ireland and Orkney, but its source is not known. Anyone seen this raw material 'in the field'? 📸 National Museum of Ireland

The cat didn't share my excitement about the arrival of the fabulous new @NessofBrodgar monograph!

This is treasure too. Only the finest 'Brandon Black' gunflints would do for the army, but for the lords and ladies pocket pistols only cut and polished agate would do!

Sometimes the Neolithic curator is allowed to touch the shiny things... like this cracking bit or Roman silver from the Traprain Law Hoard

Very excited to see the new @NessofBrodgar book will hit the shelves in November! It looks like a stunning volume! https://www.nessofbrodgar.co.uk/november-date-set-for-launch-of-ness-interim-volume/

Spot the microlith... perfectly formed with retouch on each edge but just 5mm long! This is why #Mesolithic sites are sieved! Found in Worcestershire by @robhedge