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archaeobears.bsky.social
Archaeobears
@archaeobears.bsky.social
270 followers 79 following 69 posts
Follow for info on human-bear interactions, from the ice ages to the present day. Home to #BoxOfficeBears news. #archaeology #history
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archaeobears.bsky.social
Archaeobears @archaeobears.bsky.social · Mar 17
Interested in #earlymodern journeys? Pondering where you might travel with a #bear in early modern England? Wonder no more, here’s our new #BoxOfficeBears paper! We explore the day-to-day London - Gloucester travels of a bearward, + snippets from other places. 🐻📚

www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....
Bear journeys in early modern England
This article offers unprecedented insight into the domestic movements of early modern commercial entertainment producers based on fresh archival and archaeological details about bears and bearwards...
www.tandfonline.com
Reposted by Archaeobears
palaeohan.bsky.social
And there it is. Updated with the latest results from work with @thibaut-d.bsky.social & @cartapaniso.bsky.social & the @archaeobears.bsky.social #Boxofficebears , 50 mins of 🐻 from the lateglacial to present in Britain. So much more I could have said! Ta for the invite @geoffreymsmith.bsky.social!
A computer screen showing the title slide of a presentation. There’s a bear cranium on the black background, and the title is Bears: a natural and cultural history. By Hannah O’Regan, university of Nottingham
December 11, 2025 at 8:39 PM
archaeobears.bsky.social
Well that was fun! Thanks for hosting us @roseplayhouse.bsky.social
roseplayhouse.bsky.social The Rose Playhouse @roseplayhouse.bsky.social · Nov 27
Mon 8 Dec @ 6.30pm online

BEASTS OF BANKSIDE
Dr Liam Lewis, Dr Lizzie Wright
& Professor Hannah O’Regan

The @archaeobears.bsky.social team share their latest research into the lives of the animals performing in the bear-baiting arenas that stood next to The Rose.

www.roseplayhouse.org.uk/whats-on
Infographic with a woodcut showing dogs attacking a bear taken from Antibossicon by William Lilly, published in 1521. (Used by permission of the Folger Shakespeare Library under a Creative Commons license). The text reads: Researching The Rose Monday evening online talks. Dr Liam Lewis, Dr Lizzie Wright & Professor Hannah O'Regan. "Beasts of Bankside" 6.30pm online, Mon 8 Dec
December 9, 2025 at 8:17 PM
archaeobears.bsky.social
Tonight!!
roseplayhouse.bsky.social The Rose Playhouse @roseplayhouse.bsky.social · Nov 27
Mon 8 Dec @ 6.30pm online

BEASTS OF BANKSIDE
Dr Liam Lewis, Dr Lizzie Wright
& Professor Hannah O’Regan

The @archaeobears.bsky.social team share their latest research into the lives of the animals performing in the bear-baiting arenas that stood next to The Rose.

www.roseplayhouse.org.uk/whats-on
Infographic with a woodcut showing dogs attacking a bear taken from Antibossicon by William Lilly, published in 1521. (Used by permission of the Folger Shakespeare Library under a Creative Commons license). The text reads: Researching The Rose Monday evening online talks. Dr Liam Lewis, Dr Lizzie Wright & Professor Hannah O'Regan. "Beasts of Bankside" 6.30pm online, Mon 8 Dec
December 8, 2025 at 8:32 AM
Reposted by Archaeobears
secondnaturemb.bsky.social
Two mother polar bears and their respective cubs beating a hasty retreat from a large male who had just showed up in the neighborhood. Males are a risk to cubs. #BearSeason2025 #mammals 🌿
November 15, 2025 at 1:26 PM
Reposted by Archaeobears
alisonfisk.bsky.social
Something lovely for the weekend!

Magical amber animals from the Mesolithic. Carved between 10,000-7,000 years ago.

Amber can generate static electricity⚡️ For their ancient owners, these small animals could give off sparks in the dark and make hair stand on end, as if by magic✨
📷 me

#Archaeology
My photo collage shows four images of small animal figurines carved from amber during the Danish Mesolithic period. Top left: profile photo of the head, neck, and part of the front torso of an animal (bear?) facing left. Carved from deep orange amber. Found at Bølling Sø (lake) Central Jutland, Denmark. Top right: small almost complete figurine of an amber bear seen in profile facing right. The lower legs are incomplete. The ears, muzzle and mouth are defined. Carved from translucent orange amber. Washed up on a beach at Fanø, Denmark. Bottom left: small figurine in the shape of a bear(?) carved from dark orange amber. It is known asvthe Resen Bear. There is fine incised geometric ornamentation on the body. Found in a bog at Resen, Denmark. Bottom left: bright orange amber animal head shown in profile facing left. Found in 1952 at Egemarke in Denmark, it is known as the Egemarke Elk. It is decorated with incised bands of closely aligned parallel zig-zag lines. There are two circular perforations at the bottom of the neck. All on display at the National Museum of Denmark in Copenhagen.
November 1, 2025 at 11:01 AM
Reposted by Archaeobears
secondnaturemb.bsky.social
One of my favourite polar bear photos I've taken to date. It was a weird, misty evening with just a sliver of sunlight coming through the fog, lighting up this bear on the rocks just outside of town. #mammals 🌿 #BearSeason2025
A lone polar bear picks its way over a ridge of rounded grey rocks in dim, muted sunlight of late afternoon
November 1, 2025 at 10:18 PM
Reposted by Archaeobears
alisonfisk.bsky.social
Roman glass cups with colourful enamel decoration of animals from the Roman arena. AD 200s.

Found in richly-furnished graves in Denmark. National Museum of Denmark, Copenhagen. 📷 by me

#FindsFriday
#Archaeology
My photo collage shows four images of Roman-era clear-glass cups painted with colourful enamel decoration depicting animals from the Roman Arena. Known as ‘circus cups’, fourteen of which have been found in richly-furnished ‘princely’ graves in Denmark. Dated AD 200s. The top two images show two sides of the same cup. Top left: a brown lion with shaggy mane, its front and rear legs outstretched as if running at full speed. Top right: a green spotted leopard. Out of shot, a blue goat is being hunted down by the lion and the leopard. Bottom left: fragmentary glass cup decorated with a light brown lion with shaggy mane. Nose and lips outlined in black. Bottom right: image of a gladiator with green leggings and blue shield, and in front of him a large brown bear.
October 31, 2025 at 4:38 PM
Reposted by Archaeobears
secondnaturemb.bsky.social
When you're hungry, but Mom doesn't want to wake up.
#BearSeason #Mammals 🌿🐻‍❄️
A momma polar bear sleeps curled up in a small patch of willows on the rocky tundra. Her cub sits behind her, leaning their head on her side. A momma polar bear sleeps curled up in a small patch of willows on the rocky tundra. Her cub sits behind her, leaning their head on her side and dozing lightly.
October 31, 2025 at 3:56 PM
Reposted by Archaeobears
uonclassarch.bsky.social
We’re going - are you? Come and find out more about #archaeology and why it’s one of the best subjects ever @uniarchday.bsky.social in London on Oct 27th. 🧪🏺🔬🦴
uniarchday.bsky.social University Archaeology Day @uniarchday.bsky.social · Oct 22
Also present next week will be our colleagues from @uonclassarch.bsky.social at @uniofnottingham.bsky.social! Snap up some of the last few tickets for in-person attendance or register for the livestream of the panel events here: linktr.ee/University_A...
Image shows a young man in a checked shirt looking into a microscope and typing on his computer in a lab space. The image advertises the presence of the University of Nottingham at University Archaeology Day on the 27th October. The QR code in the top right links a website where free tickets can be booked for the event.
October 23, 2025 at 1:38 PM
Reposted by Archaeobears
callanjd.bsky.social
I'm delighted, grateful, and a little dazed to be among this year's Philip Leverhulme Prize winners @leverhulme.ac.uk, and among such excellent company.
A little more on my research hopes at the @unisouthampton.bsky.social press release: www.southampton.ac.uk/humanities/n...
October 21, 2025 at 8:25 AM
Reposted by Archaeobears
richardosgood.bsky.social
#inktober2025 11)Sting. Quick one today as I’ve been out at a lovely folklore, art and archaeology session. Everything is about balancing risk and reward - for every sting there is the chance of honey!🍯
Sketch of a bear eating a honeycomb with a bee poised to sting it on the nose
October 11, 2025 at 8:39 PM
Reposted by Archaeobears
oispooky.bsky.social
Sorry, bear emoji explainer:

Hezekiah Moscow was also a bear tamer 👍🏻
October 11, 2025 at 7:30 PM
archaeobears.bsky.social
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Boki the bear gets mice cake to celebrate brain surgery milestone
Keepers in Kent say the operation was a
www.bbc.co.uk
October 10, 2025 at 8:34 PM
Reposted by Archaeobears
antiquity.ac.uk
Plan of the #Roman amphitheatre of Viminacium, Serbia. Discovery and analysis of brown bear remains here indicate bears were captured nearby and forced to fight for entertainment.

(£) doi.org/10.15184/aqy...

🏺 #Archaeology
Plan of a round amphitheatre structure with several rectilinear buildings surrounding it. An insert shows a photograph of one of these buildings after excavation.
October 3, 2025 at 7:13 AM
Reposted by Archaeobears
alexanderglass.bsky.social
Corporal Wojtek of the Polish army, WW2, with human friend.
A Polish soldier in WW2 with a seated brown bear.
October 2, 2025 at 6:41 AM
Reposted by Archaeobears
stephenmcgann.uk
Part of a photo study entitled 'Amphetamine bears of Poplar'
September 16, 2025 at 4:09 PM
Reposted by Archaeobears
ibabearbiology.bsky.social
Did you know? 💭
Sloth bears have several adaptations for a myrmecophagous lifestyle, meaning they eat mostly ants and termites.
Check out our species pages and explore the fascinating adaptations of all 8 bear species: www.bearbiology.org/the-eight-be...
*References in alt-text*
#slothbear
Close-up image of a sloth bear’s face with “did you know?” fact at the bottom. Same image of sloth bear with text overlaid, describing the sloth bear’s adaptations. References: 1. Servheen, C., S. Herrero, and B. Peyton. 1999. Bears: Status survey and conservation action plan. IUCN, Gland, Switzerland and Cambridge, UK. 2. Mewada, T., and N. Dharaiya. 2010. Seasonal dietary composition of sloth bear (Melursus ursinus) in the reserve forest of Vijaynagar, north Gujarat, India. Tigerpaper 37(2):8–13 3. Swenson. J. E., A. Jansson, R. Riig, and F. Sandegren. 1999. Bear and ants: myrmecophagy by brown bears in central Scandinavia. Canadian Journal of Zoology 77:551–561. doi: 10.1139/z99-004 4. Davidar, E.R.C. 1983. Sloth bear’s (Melursus ursinus) method of hunting for termite nests. Journal of Bombay Natural History Society 80:637. 5. Melursus ursinus (Sloth bear) (webpage). International Association for Bear Research and Management.
September 7, 2025 at 5:04 PM
Reposted by Archaeobears
bear-conservation.bsky.social
Spotlight on Europe’s rarest bear: global conference in the Central Apennines

Steps taken to help people share space with bears in the Central Apennines of Italy mean the future of the Marsican brown bear now looks brighter.

rewildingeurope.com/news/spotlig...
Spotlight on Europe’s rarest bear: global conference in the Central Apennines | Rewilding Europe
Steps taken to help people share space with bears in the Central Apennines of Italy mean the future of the Marsican brown bear now looks brighter. In 2026, an event in the Central Apennines rewilding…
rewildingeurope.com
August 25, 2025 at 12:42 PM
archaeobears.bsky.social
Thanks Becky, glad you liked it. It’s good to bring all the different strands together and certainly couldn’t be done without commercial archaeology.
September 4, 2025 at 3:52 PM
Reposted by Archaeobears
beccyscottuk.bsky.social
This is a really neat bit of work on Bankside as an entertainment space, based on years of painstaking professional excavation. A hard read for a dog-lover, but fascinating nonetheless www.cambridge.org/core/journal...
What does a bear-baiting assemblage look like? Interdisciplinary analysis of an Early Modern ‘sport’ | Antiquity | Cambridge Core
What does a bear-baiting assemblage look like? Interdisciplinary analysis of an Early Modern ‘sport’ - Volume 99 Issue 404
www.cambridge.org
August 28, 2025 at 9:37 PM
Reposted by Archaeobears
toriherridge.bsky.social
🏺🧪🐻

Cool stuff from the @archaeobears.bsky.social crew

#BoxOfficeBears
August 28, 2025 at 9:50 PM
Reposted by Archaeobears
antiquity.ac.uk
What was life like for the animals that fought in the amphitheatres of the #Roman Empire? New research tells the story of a fighting bear from Roman Serbia.

Learn more (£) doi.org/10.15184/aqy...

🏺 #Archaeology
September 3, 2025 at 9:35 AM
archaeobears.bsky.social
Certainly does, ta!
September 3, 2025 at 8:06 PM
Reposted by Archaeobears
downham.bsky.social
A selection of finds from the Viking camp at Aldwark in the collection of NW Heritage CIC. Note the bear face on the left - looks Roman/Byzantine? #medievalsky #york Viking North Exhibition
July 11, 2025 at 7:52 AM
archaeobears.bsky.social
🐻😃🐻
July 10, 2025 at 2:46 PM