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archaeodeathprof.bsky.social
Archaeodeath
@archaeodeathprof.bsky.social

Howard Williams BSc MA PhD FSA
Aʀᴄʜᴀᴇᴏ𝖉𝖊𝖆𝖙𝖍 Blogger & Vlogger
http://linktr.ee/archaeodeath

Howard M. R. Williams is a British archaeologist and academic who is Professor of Archaeology at the University of Chester in England. His research focuses on the study of death, burial and memory in Early Medieval Britain. .. more

History 32%
Philosophy 15%

I hate Wales, especially its archaeology

Exactly. It seems to be the last thing any museum wants to do: plans or photographs of the actual archaeology.

Latest from Archaeodeath on YouTube: "
King and Conqueror 2: Harold's Grave" www.youtube.com/watch?v=FxIf... linked to my Archaeodeath blog post: howardwilliamsblog.wordpress.com/2025/10/06/h...
King and Conqueror 2: Harold's Grave
YouTube video by Archaeodeath
www.youtube.com

Let's do a road-trip!!!

Reposted by Howard Williams

This is great. I love your point about how early medieval stones can become timeless (especially when knowledge of the early medieval period is vague?)
Hope you publish a similar commentary on Durham cathedral’s display sometime!!

Early medieval stones as archaeology and pseudoarchaeology at holy sites of memory: 'Mnemonic citations at a sacred site of memory: the Early Christian archaeology of St Patrick’s Cathedral' howardwilliamsblog.wordpress.com/2025/12/22/m...
Mnemonic citations at a sacred site of memory: the Early Christian archaeology of St Patrick’s Cathedral
Early medieval stones operate as mnemonic citations to early Christian history at the holy site of St Patrick’s Cathedral. This post shows how the simple display of Viking-period recumbent gr…
howardwilliamsblog.wordpress.com

Rethinking Viking Archaeologies - my recent talk to the Cornwall Archaeological Society www.youtube.com/watch?v=QioU...
Rethinking Viking Archaeologies
YouTube video by Archaeodeath
www.youtube.com

Reposted by Howard Williams

This was a huge cock up seemingly based on preliminary results and a desire for headlines... Now its feeding into this sort of trash take on social media.

The inferred difference between 'black' and 'local girl' is unfortunate.

Regardless of phenotype, these people would not recognize Britishness.

Reposted by Howard Williams

Of course modern Vikings, mindful of their carbon footprint, now use the Park and Raid

Very excited to be heading to York tomorrow to discuss public archaeology and heritage interpretation for early medieval linear earthworks! My first four slides to whet appetites. @tag2025york.bsky.social

Reposted by Howard Williams

@tag2025york.bsky.social starts next Monday @york.ac.uk!
We'll be there, so make sure to say hello, get your hands on some coveted #Archaeoswag and learn how you can publish your #archaeology research in Antiquity! 🏺

Reposted by Howard Williams

Best way to start your day is to show solidarity and sign this petition! Should you be in Sheffield, please come to our student-led rally on the University Sheffield Concourse (Student Union building) at 12noon! #Sheffield #UCUstrike @sheffielducu.bsky.social

www.megaphone.org.uk/petitions/no...
No lockout for University of Sheffield staff
UCU members have been standing up against the continual cutting and restructuring of the last several years which has significantly damaged the University’s international standing, the quality of educ...
www.megaphone.org.uk

Reposted by Howard Williams

#HeritageCrime News

At the request of prosecutors in Ukraine Polish authorities have arrested and remanded in custody, Russian archaeologist Alexander Butyagin, who is an employee of the Hermitage Museum in St Petersburg.

Mr Butyagin is accused of conducting illegal excavations in occupied Crimea.
Poland arrests Russian archaeologist wanted in Ukraine
The allegations against the suspect includes the illegal excavation of an ancient city in Crimea.
www.bbc.co.uk

The Archaeology of 'Skeleton Crew' part 2 www.youtube.com/watch?v=uY0N...

For my blog post - howardwilliamsblog.wordpress.com/2025/10/05/h...
The Archaeology of 'Skeleton Crew' part 2
YouTube video by Archaeodeath
www.youtube.com

Reposted by Howard Williams

The Press is really going for mental health and ADHD at the mo. Big 'just get back in your box' energy.

Reposted by Howard Williams

Ongoing decimation of British universities part 252:

Apx. 1000 academic staff at University of Essex just received formal ‘risk of redundancy’ letters via email.

Please share @ucuessex.bsky.social @ucu.org.uk

Reposted by Howard Williams

Guardian chose poor lead image, inaccurate anatomy.
BBC went for stylised; an idea of fireside life? (inc musical instrument not appropriate for period)
NYT & Nat Geo used BM-sourced illustration; beautiful but details inc anatomy questionable?

[NB where sex identifiable, males shown more active]

Reposted by Howard Williams

🧪 #Palaeolithic scicomm : words & visuals matter in reporting.
Based on Google News results, all but three major news sites used some variation of "human" or "people" to report this. Those that didn't?
BBC & The Guardian used "man" (now altered)... and GB news used "cavemen" (I'd bet deliberately)

Reposted by Howard Williams

Okay. This is angering me.

First of all, “MAN”!?
We’re not in the nineteenth century FFS. There’s a better word and it is “Humans”.

And secondly - who the f£&k thought HUMANS only learned to control fire 50,000 years ago???!!!

www.theguardian.com/science/2025...
Man made fire 350,000 years earlier than previously thought, discovery in Suffolk suggests
Groundbreaking find makes compelling case that humans were lighting fires much earlier than originally believed
www.theguardian.com

Reposted by Howard Williams

The Department of Classics and Archaeology is sad to announce the recent death of our colleague, emeritus Professor Andrew Poulter.

Andrew’s pioneering work in the archaeology of the late antique Balkans played a major role in shaping late antique archaeology as a disciplinary area. 1/

Reposted by Howard Williams

My hope for UK archaeology:

Confident, rather than jealous.

Proactive, rather than reactive.

Approachable, rather than anxious.

Protecting, rather than defending.

Relevant, rather than histrionic.

Collaborative, rather than cliquey.