Dr Tom Elliot

@aliceponderland.bsky.social - Noone expects the Viking Intermission!

On the ecological impact of prehistoric hunter-gatherers in Europe: Early Holocene (Mesolithic) and Last Interglacial (Neanderthal) foragers compared Recent studies have highlighted evidence of human impact on landscapes dating back to the Late Pleistocene–long before the advent of agriculture. Quantifying the extent of vegetation transformations b...

Neanderthals & Mesolithic foragers reshaped Europe’s ecology long before agriculture… 🌍 doi.org/10.1371/jour...

Fragments of fresco retrieved during excavations of one the peahens striding along the yellow cornice against a backdrop of a colonnade.

Two excavators digging the other half of the peacock room in Oplontis. Behind them the facing wall being revealed and the fresco that mirrors the known wall coming to light. One of the peahens can be seen in situ on the the left side above a panel of bright red.

The excavation site from above showing where the excavators are working in the foreground in relation to the known half of the peacock room behind the hoarding in the background.

The peacock from the well known peacock room in Oplontis. It stands on the yellow cornice with its tail draped over the edge. Behind it the colonnade painted in perspective.

An undeniably emotional experience seeing the other half of the ‘peacock room’ in Oplontis being excavated and meeting their counterparts: the two peahens that graced the facing wall. What a delightfully playful idea by the artist.
Compliments to my colleagues, excavators & conservators. Spectacular

‘Are you tough enough?': Rethinking the safety, culture and care of archaeologists in the field « Archaeology# « Cambridge Core Blog From the old ‘Cowboys of Science' adage to swashbuckling fictional characters like Indiana Jones and Lara Croft, the perception that fieldwork, and archaeology generally, is a job for tough people pervades both the discipline and public perception. As a...

What does it mean to be “tough enough” in #archaeology? A new blog and research article (out now #openaccess in @saa-aap.bsky.social) reconsider previous ideas around physical and emotional resilience and calls for a healthier, safer field culture.

🔗 https://cup.org/4ae3k3L

Because I saw this last night and cant let it go: if you are critiquing people for how long it took them to get a PhD, grow up. Getting a PhD is hard enough without also trying to please some arbitrary speed guideline. It took me a long time in part because of covid, partially because I had to work

A photo of a short article by Averil Kear, describing how small 'Turnspit' dogs were bred to run in Turnspit wheel cages in the Medieval and Post-Medieval period. These were used to rotate food set over open fires in buildings in Gloucestershire. The article focuses on one remaining in St Briavels castle in the Forest of Dean, written by Sir John McLean in 1887. A small illustration shows one (presumably at St Briavels) in operation, with the wheel set high on a right-hand wall, close to a fireplace, with attached leather band or rope turning meat on a spit. A woman is sat on the left-hand side in a chair. A cat, sat close to the fire, eyes the meat, and looks on at the dog in contempt.

New cooking method revealed with this 1 weird trick....

The cat: 'Pfft, what a loser...'

Source: Averil Kear, Forest of Dean Local History Society New Regard magazine

#cat #dog #cooking #Gloucestershire @catsofyore.bsky.social

'incredible' Roman mosaic returns home after 200 years The mosaic discovered in Gloucestershire in 1811 is on display in Cirencester.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

I like the name of the farm!

Stratigraphic Literacy in UK Archaeology - This survey, along with a previous one circulated in September 2025 will form the basis for a study of stratigraphic literacy in UK Archaeology, to hopefully be published in an academic journal such a...

Calling all UK archaeologists! I am conducting some reasearch on Stratigraphic literacy in the industry. If you work/have worked in archaeology in the UK I would really apprechiate if would fill in this survey!

forms.gle/5jZKpcf78gZt...

YouTube video by CBHC - RCAHMW Darlith Nadolig CBHC | RCAHMW Christmas Lecture 2025 - From Air, Land & Sea: Survey and Discovery

For anyone who missed our @rcahmwales.bsky.social Christmas lecture last week - a four way presentation about our amazing year in survey & investigation - it's now on YouTube

Make a cuppa, put your Teams light on red, & settle down for some discoveries...

youtu.be/faTLlCXhyQY?...

⭐ The ADS Data Catalogue is Live!⭐

Explore hundreds of thousands of archaeological resources including over 100,000 reports and 5,000 archive collections.

👉To find out more and start exploring visit buff.ly/BMulYqQ

I like the phrase 'bits and bobs of people' - I may start allowing this in project designs 😂

Bye bye Academia.edu.

To avoid clicking accept on the new Terms of Service - in Firefox you can use F12, look for the <div> with 'tos' in, click on it, right-click and select delete - you can then navigate to account settings to delete your account.

'Punk rock' dinosaur with metre-long spikes discovered The animal has come as a surprise to experts, who now have to rethink how these armoured dinosaurs evolved

Why on earth is this not called Vyvyanosaurus? #TV #Punk

www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Hi Sue, we're off today but please feel free to come tomorrow if you're about!

You definitely timed that well @peterreavill.bsky.social - it's pretty wild up here today 😂

It was a bit of a scorcher yesterday at #Arthur'sStone, #Herefordshire so we had a well deserved early finish. Some really interesting archaeology and finds showing up though and the next two weeks are going to be monumental 😎☀️

Please do! Feel free to call in if you're about too!

We're lucky this year (so far) - the breeze is offering more respite than the 2023 heat wave. We finished at half 3 today so definitely solving the looking parched bit 🍻! Feel free to call in!

We're back at #Arthur'sStone, #Herefordshire this summer as part of the #UniversityOfManchester Beneath Hay Bluff project, led by @julianthomas2.bsky.social.

This year we've got some very exciting trenches planned on the monument. Stay tuned for updates 😎☀️

#Archaeology

#FlintFriday. Amazing sticker made by one of my students!

Competition to design wrap for Herefordshire's Museum on the Move Exhibits and objects will tour the county by van while Hereford Museum is closed for redevelopment.

Here's your chance to design Herefordshire's mobile museum van wrap!

www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Exciting opportunity with the British Motor Industry Heritage Trust The British Motor Industry Heritage Trust (BMIHT ) is seeking an Archivist (Cataloguer) to play a key part in the collections information, development and management of the BMIHT Archive, ensuring tha...

📣Job opportunity in Warwickshire📣
The British Motor Industry Heritage Trust (BMIHT) is seeking an Archivist (Cataloguer) to play a key part in the collections information, development and management of the BMIHT Archive.
Closing date 29 June 2025.
For more details 👇

Are you interested in re-wilding? We have a questionnaire on re-wilding and the historic environment open, and keen to hear from ecologists, land managers, and archaeological practitioners. Access the questionnaire here - uofg.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_...

Assistant Listing Adviser SummaryWe are the public body that looks after England’s historic environment. We champion historic places, helping people understand, value and care for them.Historic England have a fantastic opportu...

JOB ALERT at Historic England app.beapplied.com/apply/fkkgd0...

Forest of Dean Cave Conservation and Access Group

I hope you don't mind Chris, but there is a fundraiser for conservation efforts (plus loads of photos from the cave) here:

fodccag.org.uk/redhouse-con...

Forest of Dean Cave Conservation and Access Group

Donation drive for funding conservation measure: fodccag.org.uk/redhouse-con...

Non-paywall link:

archive.is/202505241944...

Man’s 30-year obsession unearths caves as big as cathedrals under Forest of Dean Spelunkers chipping away at rocks broke through to find more than 10km of passages, with giant caverns and boulders the size of houses

In a break from my usual archaeology - it's great to see a news article revealing the discoveries at Redhouse Lane swallet.

I've played a very small and very recent part in exploring and surveying what will likely turn into a substantial system in the Wye Valley.

www.thetimes.com/life-style/h...

Inspector of Ancient Monuments SummaryWe are the public body that looks after England’s historic environment. We champion historic places, helping people understand, value and care for them.Historic England have a fantastic opportu...

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