Chaotic AcademiaI came across a quiz on instagram asking which type of academic you are, with the options being light academia, chaotic academia, dark academia, or darkest academia. I feel at the moment like the second is the most accurate description of my current state! But just because things are chaotic doesn't mean they're bad. There are many different threads and plans that are gradually all coming together, and which I'm excited to share and explore further. I just have remind myself of that, and worry less about it! |
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And because I apparently don't have enough chaos in my life, I've decided to add some more! I'm currently organising the first "Kulturo Share" event for the Archaeology Podcast Network, which will be taking place on November ADD INFO. We have a great lineup of guests, and it should be a really fun conversation, so do make sure to follow the APN on their social media to receive updates for that so you can register in time. I've also just joined the Open Science Community at Groningen University as their Digital Outreach Co-ordinator, which basically means that I am now in charge of their newsletter, blogs, and social media content creation. It's a fantastic community which promotes the practice of Open Science, and as that is something that I feel very passionate about, I was extremely honoured to be asked to join their team to help with online content and outreach. 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! |
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PhD projectThis really is the final countdown. The final paper is now in its final stages and will hopefully be approved as good enough to submit very soon. I'm now working on the introduction and discussion chapters that will tie all of my work together into one comprehensible thesis. Well, that's the hope anyway. But there is also very exciting planning to be done in these final stages, as a friend of mine is illustrating cover and chapter title pages for me, and the first proofs look gorgeous! Check out her other work here. |
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Tea-break Time TravelThe Archaeology Podcast Network took a little break this month, so there was no new episodes released. But that doesn't mean that you can't still listen in to all previous episodes, and make sure to like / subscribe / follow to be updated on new releases. There are some even more exciting guests and topics coming up! | | |
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The EXARC ShowThe next episode of #FinallyFriday will be released this Friday 4th November. We shook things up a bit this month by inviting my co-host Phoebe to join the show as a guest this time and talk with Dr Paul Kozowyk about Neanderthal glue. Make sure to visit the podcast homepage to listen in. 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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InstagramWe continued our musical theme this month with a look at the history of flutes, drums, and pianos. I also took a few Tuesdays off, because I was travelling to the Netherlands for various events, but also just needed a bit of time off. People often ask me how I can juggle all my content creation, parenting, and PhD work. The answer is with great difficulty! But the trick is to allocate certain times to certain tasks. Last week, I had too much to do so decided to prioritise some tasks which meant that I had to skip content creation. I was sad about this, but at the end of the day, my own mental health and sanity needs to be put first! | | |
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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: |
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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 Learned At some point this month, I suddenly felt very overwhelmed, and was stressing about not being able to create my weekly social media posts because I had too much else going on that I really needed to do. Then I realised that, rather than trying to squeeze everything in and stressing myself out, I could just prioritise my tasks, and leave out the least necessary jobs. It might seem obvious, but it was a real revelation to me and I felt so relieved once I decided to put myself and my sanity first. Make sure you do the same! |
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Top TipsHow can you reach a wider audience on social media and create more engagement with your existing community? One suggestion that I love is using calendar events to create topical posts. Have a look at the "International Day of..." events coming up, and create a little schedule of relevant themes that you can associate with these days. This means that your posts will fit with a trending theme, and so will receive a wider reach and hopefully also more engagement. |
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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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Seminar Series (Glasgow University) These weekly Wednesday seminars are live streamed and cover a range of archaeological topics. Arctic Observing Systems (Arctic Passion) You need to register through the link for this webinar on November 9th giving an overview of Arctic Observing Systems, their current deficiencies and possible solutions, and the importance of Indigenous and Local Knowledge. Annual Zooarchaeology Conference (ICAZ) The call for sessions for the 2023 International Conference of Archaeozoology has been extended so proposals can be submitted until November 15th. 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 Household Salk Production (Antiquity) A really interesting study looking at Late Classic Mayan salt production site in Belize using underwater archaeology. Archaeological Sites in Nepal and India (Conference on Lightning Protection) This study investigates the risk of lightening strikes on archaeological site in Asia, with a particular focus on religious sites in South Asia. Archives in Action (Digital Applications in Arch and Cultural Heritage) This case study focusing on the recent "Tracing the Potter's Wheel" Project looks at the impact of digital technology on archaeological recording strategies and ensuing open research activities. 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 Making the Book of Kells (Kickstarter) This experimental archaeology project just released on Kickstarter aims to recreate an iconic Book of Kells folio using original methods. Indigenous Film Festival (Vision Maker Media) The current film festival ("Together") is still running until November 13th, but this company also offers all kinds of film festivals and other special events throughout the year. Archaeology Textbook Giveaway (Enabled Archaeology Foundation) I've already shared the excellent work that this foundation does in archaeology inclusivity, but now they're also running a great textbook giveaway over on twitter, ends November 17. 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 The book club is gradually expanding, and we now have a lovely community over on our Discord server. Our October theme was 'time travel', and our chosen book was Just One Damned Thing After Another by Jodie Taylor. (There is still time to sign up and join in with our discussion of this book, which are happening this weekend through our Discord server.) The theme for November is 'Scotland', and our chosen book is ADD |
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We also started a writers group, where every two weeks we get together and discuss our writing dreams and issues, as well as sharing current drafts and getting feedback. It's turned into a lovely little motivating space, where we support each other and offer encouragement wherever possible. 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 MicrowearI took this picture 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 is of the line hole of a miniature harpoon head. You can clearly see the grooves left from manufacture in the area below the line hole, which was likely created by flint tools (as suggested by the V shape of the grooves). By looking at the different layers of grooves, it can be seen that the line hole was likely created after the initial scraping down of the area surrounding it, but the main area was also further scraped after the hole was made. |
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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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