Too few days of summer...The theme of all of these introductions seems to have been "time is passing too quickly", but the summer months are definitely flying past very quickly! In fact I apologise for the late sending of this newsletter - I actually completely missed that it was already the last day of July! I hope that people have been enjoying these newsletters it's nice to see some interactions from it. If anyone has any feedback, or requests or suggestions for other sections that I can add to this newsletter, do let me know! |
|
|
The most exciting things happening this month are more personal, as I prepare for my first trip up to the Arctic for three years. The whole teacup family is joining for the trip, which is even more exciting! This means that next month's newsletter will be significantly shorter, as I won't be able to research papers, events, and projects while I'm in the field. But I'll be sure to post updates of my time through my social media accounts. As always, if you'd like to collaborate on a project, 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! |
|
|
PhD projectThe preparations for fieldwork are underway and we will be heading off to Canada next week! The whole teacup family is going, which will be an interesting but exciting experience. I've also finally finished the first draft of my final PhD paper! This was the study on needlemaking and sewing technology, which I've been working on since the very start. The end is in sight! |
|
|
Tea-break Time TravelThis week marked the release of episode 3 of my brand new podcast series - thank you so much to everyone who's listened in and given feedback so far! This month I chatted with guest Dr Zechariah Jinks Fredrick and learned all about the history of blacksmithing, and more specifically the archaeologist's trowel. Please follow, like, and subscribe on all podcasting platforms to hear this and future episodes (completely free!). | | |
|
|
The EXARC ShowThe next episode of #FinallyFriday will be released next week on Friday 5th August. This month we're looking at how we visualise the past, either in terms of reenactment, public outreach, museum displays, or other forms of visual medium. Make sure to visit the podcast homepage to listen in. You can also now listen in to the second installment of EXARC Extracts, where I provide a short summary of the latest edition of the EXARC Journal. Check out both the podcast and journal here. |
|
|
InstagramI've had to take a bit of a step back from content creation on Instagram and other social media platforms as I enter the last stage of my PhD. However, I plan to continue with my Tuesday #TeaDay reels for as long as possible! This month the theme was writing and visualisation, and we looked at cave paintings, the Rosetta Stone, cuneiform tablets, and cylinder seals. Next month I may have to have another break from these #TeaDay posts, as I will be up in the Arctic and won't have access to my replicas. However, I'm going to try and come up with some alternative content instead! | | |
|
|
It makes me so happy that people are enjoying the #TeaDay posts so much, and my aim is to continue to make them for as long as I can. I believe one of the reasons for their success is that I am able to physically show people the objects that I am talking about. If you would like to help me make sure that I can continue to communicate as effectively as possible in this way, you can help to sponsor The Archaeologist's Teacup by contributing to the costs of replicas through Patreon! From as little as 1€ a month, you can already make a huge difference. Replicas will be bought from small businesses wherever possible, and patrons can also suggest which replicas should be featured in upcoming videos, as well as getting a special shout-out in every production, weekly blooper reels, and exciting Archaeologist's Teacup swag! If you're interested in becoming a sponsor and ensuring the endurance of productions from The Archaeologist's Teacup, you can visit the site and donate through the button below: |
|
|
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 now watch episode two of "Pasts and Crafts", where I take a bit more time to look at the manufacturing process, theories, and fun facts around prehistoric bone needles and sewing technology. Make sure to subscribe to the channel to stay up to date with new episodes and other uploads! | | |
|
|
Lessons LearnedThis month I attended the "Discovering Collections, Discovering Communities" (DCDC22) conference, which looked at how digital methods can be used to showcase community heritage. It was extremely inspiring, and I learnt so much from the range of case studies presented. One simple little thing that I learnt was that, when presenting at an online conference, you should open with a very brief physical description of yourself, to add a bit more detail for any visually impaired participants. It's little acts like that which can make online events even more inclusive. |
|
Top TipsAs the theme of this month seems to be accessibility and the written word, here's some top tips for you to make your social media content as accessible as possible: When posting videos, make sure to add in some form of captions or subtitles. Generally most social media platforms offer this automatically, but if not, there are plenty of free / cheap apps that will do it for you! I use "add subtitles" for iPhone. Additionally, when writing out hashtags; if you capitalise each new word, automatic text-to-speech software will read them out as separate words, which will help those who are listening to the post rather than looking at it. |
|
|
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! |
|
|
Revival to Reuse (Dig Ventures) Industrialisation has helped to develop society but has also left us with its ruins. Can we use them to heal old wounds? And what are the different models we can use for doing so? Join this online lecture on August 2nd to hear all about it. Ancient Voices (Classical Association of Scotland) A friendly and accessible way to learn all about ancient languages, with multiple courses available online throughout the month of August. Open Science (Twitch) Weekly online talks on the topic of open science from students and professionals, available every Friday to watch live on Twitch! If you have an upcoming event and would like to feature it here, contact me and I'd be happy to share the news! |
|
New Olds Letter to a Young Archaeologist (Archaeology UK) This month's letter comes from the perspective of women of colour, and is a very inspiring read. Archaeology of Childhood (Rowman & Littlefield) This second edition is a book that was actually published last month, but I've only just become aware of it. An excellent resource looking at everything related to the topic of childhood in archaeology. The Beaker Phenomenon Beyond the Stereotype (Prehistoric Society) Industrialisation The Bell Beaker Culture is always seen as something homogenous, but recent analyses have shown that actually there is an incredible range of variation. This article considers patterns of variation in funerary practices from Bell Beaker cultural groups. If you've read any interesting studies that you think deserve to be mentioned, feel free to get in touch! |
|
Cool Projects Daily Dig Diaries (Ness of Brodgar) From the beginning of July until August 17th, the team excavating Ness of Brodgar will be documenting their progress with daily Dig Diaries, as well as having live site tours every day. In the Shadow of the Midnight Sun (Drifting Narratives) A very interesting documentary project looking through the eyes of a Syrian refugee at the heritage of Sami culture. Heritage Repositories for Inclusive and Sustainable Development (The British Academy) An ongoing project aiming to compile a workbook that will enable youth to gather and document intangible heritage from their culture. If you have a fascinating project and want to be featured, let me know and I'd be happy to share it here! |
|
|
Archaeo Book Club I recently joined the "Scientists Who Read" community book club and am really enjoying it. I asked a week or two ago on all my social media platforms whether anyone knew of an archaeology-based community book club but apparently nobody has, although several people expressed interest in joining one should it ever exist. So, as is the case with all of my projects; because it doesn't exist yet, I've decided to go ahead and make one myself! |
|
|
The idea is to create an online community of people who are interested in the past but also share a love of books and reading. There is now a Discord community server, Goodreads group, Facebook group, and Isntagram account dedicated to the cause! You can sign up through the link below: |
|
|
Monthly MicrowearI admit that when I first saw these objects, which I analysed during a field season at the amazing site of Çatalhöyük in Turkey, I was completely flabbergasted as to what they could be! They were included in the assemblage of beads that I was analysing, but whether or not this hole in the middle was manmade, and what exactly they were needed a bit of extra help. Luckily, there was a zooarchaeology lab just across the courtyard, and they confirmed that what I was looking at was a fish vertebra, and that as they naturally don't have holes, this one was indeed manmade. This just goes to show how important collaboration is in any kind of archaeological analysis. Nobody has all the answers, so sometimes you have to ask for help and pool knowledge. |
|
|
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! | | |
|
|
|
|
