The End of an EraA bit of a shorter newsletter this month, as it marks the final deadline of my PhD project, so I haven't had the time for a lot of my usual extra projects. I will also now be taking some time out to relax a bit and enjoy having some freedom before another new addition to our family arrives in April! So the end of an era in one way, but so many exciting things to look forward to in the future! I do have several plans for the next stages, and will definitely be sharing them with you here once my ideas have developed further. So keep watching this space for more information! |
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Considering that this is the end of one chapter of my life and the start of something new and exciting, I wanted to ask you my lovely subscribers for some feedback. What kinds of topics have you enjoyed hearing about? What would you like to know more about? How can your experience with The Archaeologist's Teacup be improved? To make it easier, I've created a little feedback form, which you can access through the link below. Your input would be very much appreciated to help make this platform even better as it develops into the future! |
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PhD projectIt is done! Today I officially submitted my thesis to the university. So now I just need to wait for the verdict of my assessment committee (which consists of three external professors specialised in various topics related to my thesis topic). If they approve it, then I have to book a date for my defense - which will probably happen in late summer / early autumn. And then once that is over, I'll officially have a doctorate! Very surreal.. |
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Tea-break Time TravelThis month I had a very exciting guest on to talk all about ancient Egyptian stelae and the golden couple of ancient Egypt - Dr Colleen Darnell, also known as "The Vintage Egyptologist". What happens when you send someone illiterate to score out words? How many different types of stelae are there? Who was Nefertiti? Join in with this month's trip back in time to find out the answers to these questions and much more! (Released today) | | |
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The EXARC ShowThis month I chatted with Morten Kuschera and Javier Baena Preysler all about the fantastic world of flint! Both guests are extremely experienced flint knappers, and it was wonderful to hear their views and discussions on the topic. Make sure to visit the podcast homepage to listen in to this fun episode. You can also still listen in to the third installment of EXARC Extracts. Check out both the podcast and journal here. |
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Archaeo Book Club February's theme was "Romancing the Past" in light of Valentines Day, and we read Concrete Evidence by Rachel Grant. This coming month, in celebration of International Women's Day, our theme is "Women of the Past", and we will be reading Women of the Dunes by Sarah Maine. Our community Discord server is expanding, and we have all sorts of fun new resources for our student members (including an upcoming journal club), as well as regular co-working sessions to help motivate those working from home (which I personally have found very productive!) |
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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 our regular 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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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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Open Science Conference (Leibniz Open Science) This online conference will be held online from 27th-29th June, and there is still time to submit an abstract before the deadline of March 3rd. Chat GPT in Science (Leiden University) This online talk on March 23rd by Bob Siegerink from the Open Science Community Leiden will talk about the role of Large Language Models in science. Unconference (Centre for Open Science) A participant-run virtual event on March 9th and 10th discussing the aims and issues of open science practices in education research. 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 Stop the Peer Review Treadmill (Nature) A very interesting article questioning the peer review system in terms of whether reviewers should be paid. The Rise and Fall of Peer Review (Experimental History) This blog post also considers the many issues associated with peer review, this time from the personal standpoint of the author. The author's ignorance of publication... (Scientometrics) A bit of an older paper, but an interesting one in terms of this month's articles theme, as it looks at the complexity of publishing costs. 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 Initiatives Laura Bassi (Editing Press) This scholarship covers the editing costs when publishing a thesis from a masters, PhD, or junior academic in a 'neglected' topic of study. Research Grant (Gerda Henkel Stichtung) A grant which provides support to researchers in a range of fields, including archaeology. Funds provide PhD and research scholarships. Pass the Mic (The Dirt) This podcast has a wonderful initiative for providing funding to students who might not otherwise be able to attend conferences and present their original research. If you have a fascinating project or initiative and want to be featured, let me know and I'd be happy to share it here! |
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Monthly MicrowearFor those who have been following me for a while and regularly participating in these challenges, this was probably an easy one! It is a bone/ivory needle. At this level of magnification and with an object this small, it's sometimes hard to identify whether it is bone or ivory. A higher level of magnification would be necessary to see that.
This picture focuses on the eye of the needle, and you can see that it is extremely rounded and smooth all around the hole. This would suggest to me that it has been heavily used, although of course further analysis at a higher level of magnification would be necessary to confirm this suggestion.
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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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