Dr. Alex Birkett

So I'm fairly convinced now a Roman has cursed me.

EVERY time I try to survey or work on Roman Villas something goes wrong.
COVID, Equipment breakdowns, illnesses... Clearly some libations are necessary next time!

tweet from @stats_feed TECHNOLOGY: Lenovo has removed its iconic TrackPoint nub from new ThinkPad laptops. image of lenovo thinkpad clit

google search results showing the good reads snippet for The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire

sorry i’m distracted today

Ohh, right in time to add to a resource list for a lecture next week! Thanks!

I'm delighted these types of actions get such backlash. It is incomprehensible that this thing occurs and people believe is perfectly acceptable in academia.

Fine layers of stratigraphic layers where wooden boards made up a defensive bank.

Another view with the same stratigraphy and wooden posters and boards

Now that's some stratigraphy!

Average bluesky users hearing about a new potential AI tool that can help with teaching

Ooh I'll have a read!

"...twining sturdy strands from otherwise disconnected fibres. These patterns then are not fixed or real, but chosen carefully and they sometimes flow around...We can choose to sew up the frayed edges or we might embroider around them, making them visible and part of the work" a really good metaphor

I particularly enjoyed this section: "We weave tapestries from the strings of the past but the patterns emerge from our imagination not the strings themselves, which, of course, we have spun ourselves as well, twining sturdy strands from otherwise disconnected fibres..."

Watching Wolf Hall is constantly a game of "oh how are they going to use Berkeley Castle in this scene?"

Let's throw caution to the wind! And magically return Lincoln's Newport Arch back to its 3rd C appearance, and stick it back in its rightful place.

Apologies to the driver of the silver Vauxhall Corsa, who may have to emergency stop due to the heavy wooden gates being closed!

Post from user sarahluannart 11/15/24: For my fellow creatives who need this reminder: Photo of a post-it note with words in black marker: Just make it EXIST first. You can make it GOOD later.

Some people struggle to write alt text - whether it's because of ADHD, dyslexia, TBI, ME/CFS, or for other reasons, but there is a support here for them!

Tag your post #alt4me

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Let's support each other.

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Why can't we ever have anything as beautiful as this 🥲

Why, why oh why was it a thing to GLUE neonate skeletons to boards? Who thought that was a good idea?

I may have gotten side-tracked updating my History of Archaeology lecture...

Me five minutes ago "who checked out this book??"
Me now: "oh I checked out that book..."

As someone who has been fighting with IT for several years to get basic things I, as a technician, should be able to do...I hope this is the beginning of a revolution! Haha!

archaeological plan and reconstruction

TIL Leonardo Da Vinci created archaeological plans and reconstructions of Etruscan tombs!

collections.louvre.fr/en/ark:/5335...

Ah yes, the fillimant I ordered FIVE MONTHS AGO has arrived. University fulfillment for you!

A weirdly normal thing for me at work now is opening an archive box and finding another human skull with almost a full head of hair.

Is it really a problem with federalism, or just the respect and belief they are less-than by Westminster?

Th whiplash during marking is amazing sometimes. From an outright fail outlining how a student must go to get the support they clearly need in the first paper, to commending a student on doing things I've wanted students to do in the assignment for years in the nevt...keeps it interesting I guess?

I never expected a question about poppers to come up in a finds processing practical...

Did I write a conclusion for my PhD in a day? Yes! Is it any good? Bits of it are!

I'm going formatting blind and Spotify has decided to incessantly play Albanian folk music... But it is incredibly satisfying pulling years of PhD work together!

An amazing day at Blaise Castle for Bristol's Brilliant Archaeology🏺. Some amazing stalls and events, I wish I had seen them, we were so busy!

Can't wait until next year to do it all over again!

And now to start ploughing through reels of fillimant...

This is work-related on a Bank Holiday Monday😶, but it is ALWAYS nice when a paper finally gets published - and I refuse to not celebrate 🥳
A deep dive on staff & student experiences of hybrid teaching in a pandemic-impacted higher education context
doi.org/10.58459/rpt...

This fragment of a Roman mould for making Samian ware bowls is decorated with scenes from the amphitheatre. It features a bear attacking a prisoner tied to a stake and a gladiatorial contest.

This fragment of a Roman mould for making Samian ware bowls is decorated with a bear.

This is a Samian ware flagon, a typical container from the Roman era used primarily to serve wine. Its surface is smooth and occasionally glossy, thanks to its distinctive red slip—a fine, lustrous layer of clay that gives it a semi-shiny finish. The shape is reminiscent of a modern-day jug or flask, with a sturdy base that gradually tapers upwards to a narrower neck. The neck then slightly flares out to form a lip for pouring. There's a handle, gracefully arching from near the base to the top, providing a secure grip.

🏺 Mould fragments show us the making of these bowls. They are adorned with scenes from the amphitheatre, including gladiatorial contests and the harrowing 'Damnatio ad bestias.'

🏺 Beyond the drama, pieces like a Samian ware flagon give us a glimpse into everyday life.