Rob Hedge

Screenshot detail of a Gen-AI image showing what appears to be a blanket flowing out of a pile of rocks, standing on two bird-like legs clad in teeny shoes.

Yes, camels are cool, but I’m waiting for the palaeogenomics of the walking rock blanket…

Photograph of a sketchbook page showing an illustrated summary of sessions at the TAG DEVA conference 2018

Photograph of a comic strip in zine format telling the story produced by the author in 2025

I loved that comics workshop from John and Hannah, it was my first experience of dipping my toe into comics and archaeology! I was inspired to do a summary of TAG-as-comic on the train home… and 7+ years later I’m still dabbling!

Photograph of a 3-legged Irish terrier supervising work on an archaeological excavation.

Photograph of a 3-legged Irish terrier reclining on a dog bed in her favourite cafe

She looks as if butter wouldn’t melt, but she can be quite a demanding manager. Complains at me if I’m taking too long over breakfast, drags me out to the office, demands frequent hospitality at her local cafe, and simply *insists* on a shower and blow-dry after muddy walks…

Selfie of a man in a blue coat and glasses, crouching next to a scruffy dog, on a woodland path

#Parkrun at Worcester Woods this morning, with Millie’s customary post-run scamper through Nunnery Wood.
My journey up there probably follows the route once taken by medieval nuns of Worcester’s Whiston nunnery on the Tything, who farmed the land and after whom it’s named.

Prison reform from below: London, c.1780–1830* Abstract. This article explores the history of the English prison reform movement from ‘below’ – that is, from the perspective of prison inmates. By highli

A nice surprise this morning: my article on prison reform from below is out!

I believe it’s open access but let me know if you can’t get a copy and would like one.

academic.oup.com/histres/adva...

Cheers Tess. I’ve been remiss of late in advertising, but some of my illustrations are available on sustainable clothing and gifts. And if you’d like a design in a different colour/garment, give me a shout.
Tomorrow is last day for 1st class Christmas postage 👍 incurablearchaeologist.teemill.com

Home Archaeological and historical-themed sustainable clothing and gifts. Designed by archaeologist and illustrator Rob Hedge, delivered by Teemill.

It is - and there’s still time to nab yourself a sustainably-produced Cirencester Cockerel T-shirt in time for Christmas! 😉 🏺🏛️

incurablearchaeologist.teemill.com/search/?sear...

By strange coincidence, I’m wearing my Cirencester Roman Cockerel T-shirt today! I love Tess’s chocolate version. Any other representations out there? 🏺🏛️

Selfie of a bespectacled man in sports kit in a sports hall, next to a black banner that reads ‘Worcestershire Cricket Foundation #CricketForAll

Completed my ECB Level 2 Core Coach qualification yesterday! 🎉
A great course: participants from current 1st class / England U19 pros all the way down to parent volunteers.
Pride slightly tempered by aches in muscles I’d forgotten I even had, after yesterday’s pace bowling session. 🏏😬🤕 #cricket

I had a great time giving this talk yesterday! And it's already available to watch in YouTube! Huge thanks to @insuhi.bsky.social for having me!

Medieval peasants enjoyed a surprising range of sick, annual and bereavement leave benefits Some peasants were entitled to up to a year and a day of leave if they were sick.

Just sharing this again - a piece in @uk.theconversation.com that Alex Brown and I wrote about peasants and the surprising amount of 'sick leave' they were given in the middle ages #medievalsky #history #medieval

theconversation.com/medieval-pea...

📣Join us on 2 Dec, 5.30pm for our hybrid SBC lecture and reception with Neil Gregor @neilgregor.bsky.social on 'Writing Cultural Histories of Nazi Germany: Thoughts from the Concert Hall' - Please register for in-person or online attendance. Eventbrite links below

Photograph of a wiry-haired Irish terrier in a faded red harness, watching runners come up the hill at Worcester Woods Parkrun

Selfie of a sweaty bespectacled fair-haired man in a blue coat next to the face of a scruffy dog enjoying herself in the woods

Photograph of a path through woodland: the ground undulates slightly: the remains of medieval ridge and furrow ploughing, when Worcester Woods was open farmland owned by the nuns of the Whiteladies nunnery, Worcester.

Ventured over to Worcester Woods for #Parkrun. Millie likes to bark encouragement on the home straight.
The woods seem eternal, but the undulations underfoot are what remains of medieval ridge and furrow created by ploughing: once upon a time, all this was open fields… 🏺🗃️

I am currently reading 'Hild', a fabulous novel by @nicolaz.bsky.social that explores her early life, immersing the curious reader in the rhythms of 7th century life. Would heartily recommend it to anyone curious about Hild and her achievements.
nicolagriffith.com/2023/11/17/h...

University of Leicester to consult on redundancies University bosses are also planning to stop a number of courses.

More details of the proposals were released yesterday: in brief, closing Modern Languages and Film Studies. Redundancies in History. Merging Chemistry, Geography, Geology and Environment. Cuts to College Operations. Fate of Education still unclear. 163 posts at risk www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Spent the morning turning this into a tiny zine. Printing, cutting, folding - a tiny analogue act of resistance to the news we’ve had this week about cuts to History at Leicester.
I’ll bring them along to the @leicesterucu.bsky.social demo on Weds 12th November if you’d like your own copy.

Less than a month to go for submission of abstracts! Papers invited for the Life and Landscape Research Showcase at the University of Nottingham.

Someone described keeping as doing 300 squats while a succession of lunatics launch cannonballs at you with a dancing clown blocking your view. And then everyone gets mad when you miss one…

Doing my ECB level 2 cricket coaching qualification. It’s great…
… but yesterday’s enthusiasm (“wicket keeping is great fun, why did I never do it… maybe it’s not too late?”) has been tempered by today’s bruises and aches. Newfound respect for all you ‘keepers.🫡

Home Archaeological and historical-themed sustainable clothing and gifts. Designed by archaeologist and illustrator Rob Hedge, delivered by Teemill.

And if you’re as fond of this improbable pile of rocks as I am, there happens to be a UK freepost offer on teemill tonight: incurablearchaeologist.teemill.com/search/?sear...

Photograph of a sign on a bench saying “Teifi Marshes Nature Reserve Parkrun”, with the nature reserve in the background

Photograph of Pentre Ifan, a Neolithic dolmen. It is taken on 1st November. Someone has lain a wreath hanging from the northern stone, presumably to mark Samhain.

Photograph of Pentre Ifan from the west.

Teifi Marshes Nature Reserve* Parkrun this weekend was an excellent opportunity to pay a Samhain visit to an old friend.

*yes, it is lovely. But yes, the hill at the end is every bit as horrible as they warn you.

I recently went back to @maacambridge.bsky.social for the first time in years. I love the direction the museum is taking, but was delighted to see this familiar old friend!
My illustration of it is available on T-shirts etc in my Teemill shop: incurablearchaeologist.teemill.com/search/?sear... 🏺

Photograph of an elderly Irish Terrier lying in a dog bed.

Sorry, my reply was unhelpful. My manager is telling me that nothing good ever came from discussing a joke on the internet, and she is a wise old hound, so I offer this picture by way of apology.

It’s a joke! And a very good one, judging by the number and tenor of the reactions! Try typing in any small snippet of text…

Both in our collections. A researcher from Paris said that they didn't think the arrowhead was French, but made by someone very skilled who had seen French arrowheads.

Researchers from Athens say that the ones like the gold-studded Bush Barrow dagger (a later version of the one in this drawing) inspired Mycenaean gold-workers. Lots of European links in the Bronze Age - Cunnington and Colt Hoare were right!

Ink and graphite sketch of a dagger and arrowhead. Text reads: #ArchInk The early Bronze Age was a time of remarkable transformation in material and social lives. People and materials came together in new ways. I’m interested in how early observers interpreted these changes. The early-19th century excavators of these artefacts, Colt Hoare and Cunnington, were not afraid to draw parallels with continental Europe. “Some may think it derogates from the dignity of our country to allow a Gaulish (i.e. foreign) original; but, be the consequences what they will, whenever we are in search of truth, although we discover her in ruins and rubbish, we must acknowledge and revere her.” Richard Colt Hoare, 1812 *Colt Hoare and Cunnington were, by the standards of the day, pretty good at recording. But in a sheepish footnote in their discussion of barrows in the severely area of Wiltshire, Colt Hoare admits that he’s not sure which of the barrows this dagger came from! #5 flint One of four arrowheads within a burial in a bowl barrow: Which Show affinity with those from Armorica, NW France. FLINT ARROWHEAD, WIMBORNE ST GILES. 4: Bronze BRONZE DAGGER, SILK HILL MILSTON* 9: ivory The pommel is ivory from a marine mannal, possibly a walrus. It is very worn, suggesting it might have adorned other artefacts before this dagger The wooden handle was re-constructed based onCunnington's dig notes. * Or is it ? Colt Hoare and Cunnington - and their illustrator /surveyor Philip Crocker- were pretty good at recording their f, by the standards of the day. But in a sheepish footnote in their discussions of barrow-digging in the Everley area of Wiltshire, Colt Hoare admits the dagger was "in one of these, but I cannot specify which!'

#ArchInk 4: bronze; 5: flint; 9: ivory
#archaeology #illustration 🏺🏛️🗃️
Combining three prompts to look at early-19th century views of early Bronze Age artefacts.

Lack's paper has more detail about Sutton's connection to St James and Compostela, e.g. funding pilgrim roof bosses in St Andrew's bell tower. So I think the 'pilgrim' ID is fair, but you've got a point - some elements in the grave could equally mark his profession.
drive.google.com/file/d/1rr07...

The report by Helen Lubin has quite an extensive discussion of the shell, but there is still some uncertainty. It's an old booklet, but there's a wonky scan available online: www.nederlandsetinvereniging.nl/wp-content/u...