The Dr is in! Sorry - couldn't resist! Today's introductory text will be a little longer than usual but bear with me - there is a reason for it! Firstly, I have another exciting announcement to make. As of January 2024, I will be the new Director of EXARC - the international society for experimental archaeology, open-air museums, ancient technology, and interpretation. I'll be filling some big shoes, but I'm looking forward to the challenge and am very excited to help develop EXARC in the future. You can read the official press release here. |
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In other exciting news, at the start of this month I successfully defended my PhD thesis, which means I am now officially Dr Matilda Siebrecht! Thank you so much to everyone for your incredible support both before, during, and after the event. I was truly overwhelmed by how many people watched the live stream and the many messages of congratulation that everyone sent in. The Archaeologist's Teacup emerged from my original account of Stone Age Monkey, through which I first started to share archaeological information and discovered the wonderful online community of academic social media and science communication. A few months into my PhD, I decided to focus the platform on sharing my experiences in academia and demonstrating that it is possible to combine professional research and accessible outreach. I would say that this goal has been reached! The connections that I've made and discussions that I've had through my various social media platforms have been so fulfilling, and I am so proud of the community that has been created around The Archaeologist's Teacup. But, now that I've completed my PhD and have decided to move away from academia - at least for a while - where does that leave The Archaeologist's Teacup? |
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The platform has definitely grown far more than I could ever have dreamed it would. It has a podcast series - "Tea-break Time Travel" - which I definitely intend to keep going, and a YouTube channel, which has been a little bit erratic so far in terms of content creation but which I'm intending to expand. It also led to the foundation of the Archaeo Book Club, and the creation of another wonderfully supportive independent community invested in the depiction of archaeology to a modern public, as well as another podcast series - "And My Trowel" - which I'm so excited to develop further. All of these projects will continue, but I will be adjusting the focus of the platform slightly to focus less on my own personal journey (although of course that will still be a part of the content and I am more than happy to share my experiences with other), and look more at archaeology as a method of storytelling and a point around which to develop an international community. More details on this below. Thanks for bearing with me on this long introduction, and thank you for your support throughout my PhD project! I couldn't have done it without you all, and I look forward to developing this platform further as I continue with the next step. |
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Tea-break Time TravelThis month was particularly exciting because I finally found someone who was willing to come and chat with me all about my favourite object type - carved stone balls! If you’re looking for a definitive answer, then this isn’t the episode for you (or the podcast really!), but tune in if you’re interested in hearing about the different theories, learning how they were made, and finding out about the link between them and ancient Peruvians taking hallucinogens… | | |
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And My TrowelEpisodes 3 and 4 of this brand new archaeology and fantasy podcast have now been released and are available to listen to on your favourite podcasting platforms! This month we went a bit spooky, so talked about ghosts and object ownership in episode 3, and then got help from special guest David Ian Howe to chat all about werewolves in episode 4. (This is a two part discussion, so there will be more werewolf chat in our next episode, coming out on Friday). Check out the homepage to find out more! |
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The EXARC ShowIn our next episode of Finally Friday - to be released this coming Friday - my co-host Phoebe Baker chatted with two experts in bronze working. But that's not the only exciting news for this podcast, because we have a brand new co-host! Jess Shaw will be joining the team and releasing her first episode at the start of next year. You can also still listen in to the latest installment of EXARC Extracts, where I provide a short audio summary of the Summer 2023 edition of the EXARC Journal. Check out both the podcast and journal here. You can also listen to past episodes through the website, or through your podcast platform of choice. |
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My YouTube channel was going strong for a while but has definitely been neglected since the start of this year. I am hoping to bring back the "Pasts and Crafts" episodes, where I recreate a particular object from the past and talk about it while doing, but these take a lot of time to make so I need to first get settled into my new working routine. However, I am already in the planning stages of a brand new lecture series that I'm planning to release on my YouTube channel at the start of 2024. I'm still working out exactly how many lectures will be in the series and dividing the content accordingly, but I can already share that the series will look at the Scottish Carved Stone Balls. Don't know what these are? Check out this month's podcast episode, and make sure as always to watch this space for more information in the coming months! |
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I have decided to start a blog! (Because, you know, I don't have enough going on...) I have always loved writing, and without the constant stress of needing to produce written content for the PhD, I have rediscovered my enjoyment of it. I am currently working on a fictional story, but would really love to get back into writing non-fiction again too. And so, why not a blog? The exact nature of the blog and what kinds of topics it will cover is still something that I need to work out, but it will of course be related in some way to archaeology. I plan to share it via my website, but will let you know all of the details as soon as they are finalised. Until then, as always, watch this space! |
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Archaeo Book Club I'll be giving a talk in collaboration with fellow archaeologist Ashleigh Airey in next month's guest lecture, talking all about how to create a personal brand. In October we read Crocodile On The Sandbank by Elizabeth Peters (one of my favourite books!), and in November we'll be reading Surfacing by Kathleen Jamie. And tonight we're having a movie night and watching The Mummy! (Info on our Discord server) If you'd like to join an online community sharing a love of archaeology and books, come and join us! It's free to join through the link below. | | |
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Kulturo Share It's time for another of the free online quarterly events run by the Archaeology Podcast Network, which I started organising last year. This time, we're looking at the relationship between animals and humans and how it's developed in the past and present, featuring special guests David Ian Howe, Dr Sean Desjardins, and Francesca Slim. Coming November 26th! | | |
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Below are some upcoming events and useful resources that I think deserve to be highlighted this month. You can see the full details 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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Experimental Archaeology Graduate Certificate (UCD) University College Dublin is now accepting applications for the 2024/25 academic year for their graduate certificate (by distance learning) in experimental archaeology and material culture. The deadline for applications is May 31st 2024, so plenty of time to prepare an application! Festival of Neolithic Ideas (Stonehenge) For those who will be in the UK on November 11th and 12th, you can visit the very first Festival of Neolithic Ideas at the site of Stonehenge. The programme will include hands-on activities, demonstrations, talks and tours, led by experts in the field. 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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Useful Resources Social Media Research Series (SASA) I've saved several 'Save Ancient Studies Association' links here before, but they just have such great projects! This series looks at 'Social Media Utilization for Engagement of Humanities Based Non-Profit Audiences: Opportunities, Models, and Barriers.' Complete with references and examples To Gender or not To Gender? (EAA) This article was written following discussions that took place in a session during the EAA 2021 in Kiel, where different ideas of contextual and cross-contextual genders in the Neolithic and Bronze Age were suggested. An interesting read! If you know of any useful resources that you think deserve to be mentioned, feel free to get in touch! |
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I admit that I never used to listen to podcasts, but since becoming more involved in their creation, I've started to listen to more and thought it would be nice to share what I've found with you each month! If you have any recommendations for other podcasts you think would be enjoyed by the Teacup community, please do get in touch! |
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Remedial HerstoryThe podcast that explores what happened to the women in history, and puts them into history class. Kelsie and Brooke explore historical topics they find fascinating, pedagogies, and important issues effecting women and girls. Check out the podcast homepage here and have a look at the Remedial Herstory website to find out more about this project. |
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