From Land's End to the Levant: did Britain's tin sources transform the Bronze Age in Europe and the Mediterranean? Bronze Age–Early Iron Age tin ingots recovered from four Mediterranean shipwrecks off the coasts of Israel and southern France can now be provenanced to tin ores in south-west Britain. These exceptionally rich and accessible ores played a fundamental role in the transition from copper to full tin-bronze metallurgy across Europe and the Mediterranean during the second millennium BC. The authors’ application of a novel combination of three independent analyses (trace element, lead and tin isotopes) to tin ores and artefacts from Western and Central Europe also provides the foundation for future analyses of the pan-continental tin trade in later periods.

Did you know Bronze Age Cyprus had trade connections all the way to Britain? Tin was imported from south-west England, playing a fundamental role in the transition from copper to full tin-bronze metallurgy across Europe and the Mediterranean.

🆓 doi.org/10.15184/aqy...

Devilishly distinctive new bee species discovered in Western Australia Goldfields A new native bee species with tiny devil-like "horns" named Megachile (Hackeriapis) lucifer has been discovered in Western Australia's Goldfields, highlighting how much remains unknown about Australia's native pollinators.

A newly identified native bee species with distinctive horn-like features has been discovered in Western Australia's Goldfields, underscoring the diversity of Australia's native pollinators. doi.org/g99xcf

Last Thylacine (Tasmanian Tiger) officially known to man. The animal, a female, was captured by Elias Churchill with a snare trap and was sold to Hobart zoo in May 1936. It, lived as an endling (known last of its species) at Hobart Zoo until its dēātħ on night of 7 September 1936.

#archaeohistories

Some good news for Friday: the new RBBP report reveals that five species of large wading bird reached record totals in 2023, including Spoonbill. See the trend since 2010 below… even the bird itself looks shocked by the increase! Read more at rbbp.org.uk/2023-report-... #ukbirding #ornithology

A map of part of Britiain and northern europe showing loads and loads of roman roads, picked out in red.

Wow! 😮🤩
There's a new interactive map of Every Known Road in the Roman Empire!! 🤓

itiner-e.org

We might have to have a lie-down.

Major revision of #GBRedList of plants published today shows 25% of our native & archaeophyte flora threatened with extinction. Many iconic widespread species classified as threatened for first time including Betony, Marsh Marigold, Devil’s-bit Scabious and Harebell. Another wake-up call for action!

World's biggest spiderweb discovered inside 'Sulfur Cave' with 111,000 arachnids living in pitch black A giant colonial spiderweb in a sulfuric cave on the border between Greece and Albania may be the largest ever found — and it was built by spiders we didn't know liked the company of others.

Well this was neat.

World's biggest spiderweb discovered inside 'Sulfur Cave' with 111,000 arachnids living in pitch black | Live Science share.google/IcsbD2Lb3zhT...

Two views of a damaged wooden human-shaped sculpture shown from the front and back. The figure is missing parts of its arms and legs, with a cracked and worn surface, and is placed beside a black, red, and white measuring scale for size reference.

An extraordinary discovery was made in Ibiza: a 30-centimeter wooden sculpture representing Hercules. Considering the scarcity of wooden sculptures preserved from the Roman era, this discovery is truly remarkable.
The figure was found in a Roman well that was later reused as a refuse pit. 🧵1/2

🏺

Fungi growing in a woodland, it looks remarkably like zombie fingers reaching up from the ground

When in the woods, best beware of dead man's fingers lurking there.
Reaching up above the ground, a creepy fungi to be found.

Happy Halloween everyone.

Photo: Sheringham Park by Rob Coleman

This Skylark found an elevated perch in the dunes beside Dingle Marshes NNR at Dunwich, Suffolk

#bird #birds #birdphotography #ukwildlife #wildlife #wildlifephotography #nature #NaturePhotography

@rspb.bsky.social

Pine Marten baring its teeth.

Only when you see their teeth do you remember that Pine Martens are superb hunters. An excellent species for helping to control Grey Squirrel numbers and giving our native Reds a chance. #mammals #photography #nature #wildlife #wildlifePhotography #UKWildlife

Hadrian's Wall section discovered in Drumburgh dig Volunteers uncover a section of Hadrian's Wall at Drumburgh, near Carlisle.

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

Why do I never find this kind of stuff?

Ok, the easy answer is I tend to dig at Castleshaw, but even so

Hei Cymru, BTO’s Garden BirdWatch (not RSPB’s GBBW) needs you!
More so if you live in one of the thin slivers below, give it a go-just note the birds that visit your garden throughout the year💚
Shot taken from @welshlassy.bsky.social talk in @birdsinwales.bsky.social conference
@bto-gbw.bsky.social

Police hurt during Tommy Robinson's Unite the Kingdom rally in London Some 25 arrests are made after

Last year 100,000 people marched across London in support of nature and BBC News didn’t cover it, leading to complaints to Ofcom about political bias. Today BBC News covered a similar size march on front pages and every channel demonstrating fully its political bias. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

😁😁😁

#archaeohistories

A Museum specimen of now extinct Madeiran Large White, Pieris wollastoni (Photo: Sam Ellis)

We are also deeply saddened that the Madeiran Large White, Pieris wollastoni, is now officially extinct: it was last seen in 1986. The full report can be downloaded here www.bc-europe.eu/documents/68...

Mr & Mrs Bearded Tit sharing the same reed head near the sluice at RSPB Minsmere

#bird #birds #birdphotography #ukwildlife #wildlife #wildlifephotography #nature #NaturePhotography

@rspb.bsky.social

Magnificent stag Red Deer at Margam Vountry Park yesterday. Could hear it bellowing in the woods for a couple of hours before it made its way down to the meadow with the rest of its clan!
#UKWildlife #nature #Wildlife

Eurasian Blue Tit (Cyanistes caeruleus): These 12cm (4.7in) little European & Asian birds usually nest in holes in trees. Adults develop a blue crown, white cheeks and yellow breast. Excellent head-on portrait of a Blue Tit by Tim Flach. #blue #tit #bluetit #bird #birds #wildlife #nature

Duke of Burgundy butterfly perched on a pink orchid against a green background

Allow us to introduce his grace, the Duke of Burgundy (Hamearis lucina) ✨

The only member of the Riodinidae or ‘metalmarks’ family in the UK. Get to know our Species of the Month 👉 https://butterfly-conservation.org/news-and-blog/species-of-the-month-duke-of-burgundy

📷: Iain Leach

Ragged Robin flowers

Ragged Robin in flower was certainly not on my radar for a mid-October walk. One of several plants blooming on the edge of the dunes out at Whiteford Point. #flowers #wildFlowerHour #nature #photography #photoHour

Cast of Anglo Saxon remains

Not quite a skeleton, but an Anglo Saxon burial at #SuttonHoo. The bones have not survived, but the flesh had stained the sandy soil. During excavation, the soil was then laminated so that the figures of the dead were preserved & casts taken
#31DaysOfGraves
Day 13: skeleton

Male Bearded Tit, one of a large flock we saw in the reeds near the sluice at RSPB Minsmere on Friday

#bird #birds #birdphotography #ukwildlife #wildlife #wildlifephotography #nature #NaturePhotography

@rspb.bsky.social

Mandarin Duck (Aix galericulata) This duck species is native to Asia, distinguished by its stunning plumage. Many birds have escaped from collections & there are now 7000 living wild in the UK & large populations in Germany, Carolina & California, USA. Terrific image taken by Graham Walker in the UK

Today (date), the Slender-billed Curlew was declared extinct. The first bird extinction on mainland Europe in 500 years — on our watch. Extinction is final. No going back. Think about that.

YouTube video by Forest Archaic Collective How do you build a massive Hillfort anyway?

If you’ve always wanted to get into Iron Age hillforts, the first half of this video by @forestcollectiv.bsky.social is a really great, accessible introduction to what they are, and the varying forms the take: www.youtube.com/watch?v=qldg...

#RomanFortThursday

The vexillation fort at Clyro is a large site, covering roughly 26 acres. It was established around A.D. 60 as part of #Roman attempts to subdue the #Silures tribe of mid #Wales

📸C.R. Musson, 19/10/1992.

#RomanBritain #History #Archaeology

When I was at middle school in the early 1970s, we only had 2 school 'trips' in 4 years: one was to Maiden Castle and the other to Rockbourne Roman Villa (which was being excavated). Both visits have stayed in my mind all my life.

Wryneck at Goldcliff, Newport this morning. #UKbirding

Many copies of Hillforts at the book launch

The cover of the hillforts book

Toby speaking on BBC news

Hillforts on the cover of Current Archaeology

Crikey it's #HillfortsWednesday 🥳

...& 2 years this week since 'Hillforts of Iron Age Wales' launched with Logaston Press 🛖🎂

It had to be reprinted a couple of months later after being featured on BBC Wales News 🎥

Hopefully the book has helped everyone discover the hillforts of Cymru/Wales! 🍻