Never burn the waterI remember learning at some point that for some kinds of tea, you should not let the water boil because it might overcook and burn, which will affect the final effect of the tea. I even saw a specialised kettle in an office somewhere that had buttons with varying boiling points for the different types of tea. In some ways, perhaps that is a good metaphor for how this month has been. Usually, I just let the kettle boil and work away until I'm done with a project. Sometimes the water boils a little too long, but I end up with a decent cup of tea and as long as I let it cool, I won't scald myself. |
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Unfortunately this month I let the water boil over a little too much, and so I thought I would make that the theme of this newsletter, hopefully as a warning to others. If you want to make sure you have a good cup of tea, don't let the water burn! That being said, there were some very fun events this month, including the very successful first Kulturo Share event by the Archaeology Podcast Network. You can watch the entire event for free as an APN member - registration is very reasonably priced and available through the APN website. If you'd like to collaborate on a project or event like this, or just want some feedback or advice on how to promote your idea, feel free to get in touch via the contact form on my website! I will be unable to take on any new projects until next year, but am still happy to discuss options in advance. |
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PhD projectI always find this time of year a bit strange in terms of academic work, and this year is even more so as I enter the final few months of my PhD. The break at Christmas feels like some kind of deadline, but also a point that you can say "oh I'll just do it after Christmas" and look forward to a fresh start next year. Unfortunately, that is not something that I can afford to do right now, and so I'm trying to power through and make sure to get everything that I need to do done in time. |
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Tea-break Time TravelThe Archaeology Podcast Network are back in business! Which means that there's another episode of Tea-break Time Travel ready to listen to across all podcasting platforms. This month I chatted with archaeologist Valerio Gentile all about his area of expertise - Bronze Age swords. | | |
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The EXARC ShowA very topical episode of #FinallyFriday this month as I chatted to two of the founders of the Save Ukraine Network (SUN), Dr Aimee Little and Yarema Ivantsiv. Make sure to visit the podcast homepage to listen in and hear all about this inspiring initiative. You can also still listen in to the third installment of EXARC Extracts, where I provide a short summary of the Autumn 2022 edition of the EXARC Journal. Check out both the podcast and journal here. |
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InstagramThis month was an eclectic mix of topics over on Instagram. We looked at needle cases, fire, and he concept of how to think like an archaeologist. I was wondering how long I would be able to maintain the weekly #TeaDay reels on my social media channels, and unfortunately it looks like they might be coming to an end. They've been running for well over a year though, so I would say they've done well! I still want to share videos and other exciting snippets across my social media platforms, but they may take a different form in the future. | | |
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YouTube ChannelIf you don't have Instagram but still want to watch the reels, you can now watch them all on my YouTube channel! You can also watch the first three episodes of "Pasts and Crafts", where I attempt to make objects from prehistory and talk about them while I do it (with varying results...). Make sure to subscribe to the channel to stay up to date with new episodes and other uploads! | | |
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Lessons LearnedWe shouldn't assume that others will push you as hard as you push yourself. I was trying to get the drafts of my final PhD chapters submitted to my supervisors, but in doing so I pushed too hard and ended up completely wearing myself out. In the end I had to email them to let them know that I needed a short break, and they were extremely understanding and urged me to ensure I was well and healthy again before continuing. Admittedly I have a good relationship with my supervisors, but it was still a good lesson to learn; not to assume that others will judge. |
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Top TipsI have recently been introduced to the wonderful world of Canva, which is an app and online platform used for creating graphics and other forms of content. What's great about it is that you can create a brand theme, with certain colour schemes and fonts and designs that mesh perfectly and allow you to create seamless content between and within different platforms. It's an easy way to create professional-looking content for various activities that all correlate with your intended brand. |
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Below are some upcoming events, recently published archaeological studies, and exciting new projects that I think deserve to be highlighted this month. You can see the full details and access the complete articles through the links in blue. As always, if you have any events, studies, or projects that you think should be featured in next month's newsletter, do let me know! |
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Online Conference (AWAP) Submission to present at the third Virtual Conference for Women in Archaeology and Paleontology (taking place in March 2023) closes on December 4th. (Re)building textile archaeology in the Nile (Saxo Institute) Inaugural lecture on Dec 9th from the new associate professor of textile archaeology - Elsa Yvanez - discussing the potential of the discipline in the context of the Nile Valley. Register for zoom link. Experimental archaeology conference (EXARC) The call for papers for the 2023 EXARC conference has now opened. The conference will be held in Poland from 1-3 May, but will be hybrid. If you have an upcoming event and would like to feature it here, contact me and I'd be happy to share the news! |
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New Olds Being Seen, Being Heard (Archaeologies) This report looks at how archaeology has changed in recent years, and considers the ownership of archaeology and digital heritage. Bridging digital approaches and legacy (Digital) This paper considers the practical limitations and restrictions of digital approaches and legacy to the field of archaeology. YouTube as Historical Process (Advances in Archaeological Practice) This thought-provoking article considers the benefits and disadvantages of both professionals and amateurs being able to create archaeological content on openly accessible platforms. If you've read any interesting studies that you think deserve to be mentioned, feel free to get in touch! |
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Cool Projects DigVentures (DigVentures) This UK-based archaeology platform promotes education, interaction, and connection with the past for the general public, and has many different online events. A podcast for everything human (Sapiens) A podcast series run by the online platform 'Sapiens', which aims to tell the varied and diverse story of humanity. Online courses (Save Cultural Heritage Group) This group provides free online classes in a range of topics related to archaeology. For example, their upcoming course on conservation and restoration of cultural heritage, starting on Dec 12th. If you have a fascinating project and want to be featured, let me know and I'd be happy to share it here! |
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Archaeo Book Club This month is a particularly exciting one for our book club, because in our monthly book chat - happening this Sunday December 4th - we will be joined by Helena Barnard, the author of our "Scotland" themed November pick A Painted Winter. There is still time to sign up to our community Discord server to join in with this chat and hear the author talk all about her experience and inspirations when writing this book. We have now chosen our next book in the theme "So bad it's good - the hottest takes in archaeological fiction": We will be reading The Ark Files by Luke Richardson. |
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For those who are also interested in writing their own archaeology-inspired fiction (or any other kind of writing really), we also have bi-weekly meetups in Scribbler's Corner, where we share tips and tricks for writing, give feedback on pieces that other members have submitted, and just generally offer support. The idea behind the Archaeo Book Club was to create an online community of people who are interested in the past but also share a love of books and reading. It's open to anyone, and you can sign up through the link below. I hope to see you there! |
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Monthly MicrowearAnother picture taken this summer while looking at Paleo-Inuit collections at the Canadian Museum of Nature. It was taken with my Dinolite USB microscope - so at low power magnification - and shows the eye of a needle. Although there are some areas around the very tip of the needle which could be preserved enough to show some usewear, this piece is clearly very degraded and therefore the liklihood that you will be able to see any traces of use is extremely low. It's also difficult to determine the level of rounding in the eye, because it's unsure how much of the missing material is due to having been worn away through use, or through degredation. |
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Ready for another challenge? Have a look at the picture here, and tell me what you see. Again, what material do you think it is? Can you see any traces which might show how it was made or used? What object type could it be? Any ideas, contact me through the link below! | | |
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