Adrián Maldonado
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archaeonado.bsky.social
Adrián Maldonado
@archaeonado.bsky.social
2.3K followers 350 following 240 posts
Galloway Hoard Researcher at National Museums Scotland. Author of Crucible of Nations: Scotland from Viking Age to Medieval Kingdom and other archaeology content. https://www.nms.ac.uk/profile/dr-adrian-maldonado See also @almostarch.bsky.social
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archaeonado.bsky.social
Adrián Maldonado @archaeonado.bsky.social · Dec 1
Yes! By popular demand, TOLKIEN: The True Story of the Rings, is back - and with English subtitles!

A continent-spanning film on the places that inspired JRR Tolkien, which inexplicably has me in it. Co-pro by @artefr.bsky.social and Phoenix, first aired December 2024

www.arte.tv/en/videos/11...
Tolkien: The True Story of the Rings - Watch the full documentary | ARTE in English
J.R.R Tolkien’s fantasy novels hold a unique place in twentieth century English literature and are much loved by readers the world over. This documentary explores the real places in England and elsewh...
www.arte.tv
archaeonado.bsky.social
Hadrian’s Wall and its Trees, ed. by David J. Breeze @archaeopress.bsky.social

Just flipped through a copy of this, and it's rather beautiful. A celebration of life inspired by the death of a tree. All short contributions, from the academic to the poetic

www.archaeopress.com/Archaeopress...
Cover of book Hadrian's Wall and its Trees, edited by David J. Breeze, Archaeopress 2025
January 8, 2026 at 9:42 AM
Reposted by Adrián Maldonado
durotrigesdig.bsky.social
More on the stunning Iron Age carnyx found in #Norfolk with boar standard and shield bosses

👇👇👇

www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Found by PreConstruct Archaeology and featuring in episode 2 of the new series of #DiggingForBritain with @profaliceroberts.bsky.social on BBC2

Wowzers 🤩
Iron Age Copper alloy war trumpet being excavated c Norfolk Museum Service Iron Age shield bosses and wild boar standard Iron Age Copper alloy boar standard being cleaned c Norfolk Museum service
January 7, 2026 at 9:31 AM
Reposted by Adrián Maldonado
pictishartssociety.bsky.social
A thrilling find from Norfolk - an Iron Age boar standard and a fabulous carnyx to rival the one found in the nineteenth century at Deskford, Moray, in proto-Pictland.
Thetford dig unearths Iron Age war trumpet and boar standard
The discoveries are
www.bbc.co.uk
January 7, 2026 at 9:05 AM
Reposted by Adrián Maldonado
helengittos.bsky.social
... not only a carnyx but also a 'bronze boar’s head battle standard'... So much about this that's Deerhurst label stop/ Coppergate helmet but not quite. A reminder perhaps of how much more Iron Age material was still around in the early middle ages?
January 7, 2026 at 9:46 AM
archaeonado.bsky.social
My project over the holiday break was just a lot of rewatching Andor
January 6, 2026 at 7:55 AM
Reposted by Adrián Maldonado
almostarch.bsky.social
I spent the holiday break thinking about Andor, and so should you! The latest post on #AlmostArchaeology by @archaeonado.bsky.social, with a sequel to follow
Luthen and the Louvre: How Andor foretold 2025 (part 1)
By Adrián Maldonado It is long ago, and we are far away. In the imperial capital of Coruscant, the gallery of Galactic Antiquities and Objects of Interest receives some visitors. One of them admires.....
almostarchaeology.com
January 2, 2026 at 12:48 PM
Reposted by Adrián Maldonado
samleggs22.bsky.social
Big takeaways: Britain is never cut off from the Continent, migration is constant, the 7th/8thC are fascinating, people are moving into England from the Arctic to Africa & beyond! Lots more I can't get into here on 🦋 so please check it out! It's FREE to read 🙏 ❤️+ 🔁 doi.org/10.1080/0076... 10/
Large-Scale Isotopic Data Reveal Gendered Migration into Early Medieval England c ad 400–1100
THIS STUDY PRESENTS THE RESULTS of a large-scale isotopic meta-analysis of early medieval England which reveals migration patterns from c ad 400–1100. These patterns are gendered, regionally distin...
doi.org
January 1, 2026 at 5:50 PM
archaeonado.bsky.social
Here for the Beer Event Horizon! But check out this entire thread for the future of early medieval archaeology
samleggs22.bsky.social Dr Sam Leggett @samleggs22.bsky.social · 9d
Oxygen ⚛️ data shows climate fluctuations as well as migration events, & what I like to call the "Beer Event Horizon" 🍺 (or more accurately ale). But the science is clear - migration is constant across the period, with chronological, regional & gendered fluctuations 📈 4/
January 1, 2026 at 8:09 PM
Reposted by Adrián Maldonado
samleggs22.bsky.social
🌟New Year exciting new OA paper🌟 doi.org/10.1080/0076... from myself @hcaatedinburgh.bsky.social, @shakenbeck.bsky.social & TC O'Connell @cam-archaeology.bsky.social "Large-Scale Isotopic Data Reveal Gendered Migration into Early Medieval England c ad 400–1100" using #isotopes & #aDNA🧵⬇️ 1/
Graphical abstract for the paper. Skeletons with male & female grave goods (sword and brooches with bead string), with arrows to a tooth showing the type of analyses & subsequent information you can get from them. First arrow goes to isotopes which tell about individual migration; strontium is linked to food and underlying soils/geology; oxygen is linked to drinking water and to the climate. The second arrow goes to DNA which informs about ancestry and relatedness. To the right is a map of Europe, Western Asia and Northern Africa with a big oval of arrows to indicate movement around all areas of the map, and a map pin in England with arrows from various regions leading to it, to show that people moved from all across the map into England in the early medieval period.
January 1, 2026 at 5:50 PM
Reposted by Adrián Maldonado
mcpli.bsky.social
The final Calvin and Hobbes, which appeared in papers 30 years ago today.
December 31, 2025 at 5:00 PM
Reposted by Adrián Maldonado
northages.bsky.social
The National Museum of Scotland acquired the Crosier-head and Coigreach of St Fillan from hereditary custodians the Dewars #OTD in 1876. The bronze crosier-head was made in the C11th and its silver-gilt case, or coigreach, later. They are from Glendochart, Perthshire. 📸NMS #medievalsky
The bronze crosier, which was made in the 11th century, and its silver-gilt case, or coigreach, which was made later.
December 30, 2025 at 10:15 AM
Reposted by Adrián Maldonado
aidanosullivan.bsky.social
“Women in early medieval Ireland”,

Online lectures by me, Lizzie Boyle, Charlene Eska, and Fergus Kelly seminar for Oxford Centre for Early Medieval Britain and Ireland

youtu.be/ebQjYq-rT4c?...
Women in Early Medieval Ireland - Aidan O'Sullivan, Elizabeth Boyle, Charlene Eska, & Fergus Kelly
YouTube video by Oxford Centre for Early Medieval Britain & Ireland
youtu.be
December 30, 2025 at 10:08 AM
archaeonado.bsky.social
The @govanstones.bsky.social pages are really the model for how socials can make a huge difference for heritage sites
hornesupremacy.bsky.social Dr Tom Horne @hornesupremacy.bsky.social · 11d
🎉 2,900,000+ views for the @govanstones.bsky.social Facebook page in 2025!

Thank you to everyone who interacts with and follows the Govan Stones accounts across all our social media channels 🎉
Chart of Facebook views
December 30, 2025 at 8:41 PM
Reposted by Adrián Maldonado
dgplacenames.bsky.social
Got an ogham ('I thought it was runes') hat for Christmas
December 26, 2025 at 11:54 AM
Reposted by Adrián Maldonado
pictishartssociety.bsky.social
And one more! The very excellent @archaeonado.bsky.social talks to @monikierockart.bsky.social about his favourite Pictish stones and artefacts, and the one lost Pictish object he'd love to find (as would we all!)
Pictish Shorts Episode 4 with Adrian Maldonado
YouTube video by The Scot-Craft Podcast
www.youtube.com
December 17, 2025 at 6:58 PM
Reposted by Adrián Maldonado
helengittos.bsky.social
New podcast! David McGovern in conversation with @victoriawhitworth.bsky.social on the Pictish Arts Society's Pictish Shorts:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=MzFB...
Pictish Shorts Episode 3 with Victoria Whitworth
YouTube video by The Scot-Craft Podcast
www.youtube.com
December 17, 2025 at 8:48 AM
archaeonado.bsky.social
Thanks for sharing!! And yes, we do need to find an excuse in 2026!!
December 18, 2025 at 7:11 PM
Reposted by Adrián Maldonado
helengittos.bsky.social
This time it's the turn of the marvellous @archaeonado.bsky.social [have we really never met?!] on his love for the Picts, his move from History to Archaeology, a favourite Pictish brooch & a rather special enigma.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=GKDe...
Pictish Shorts Episode 4 with Adrian Maldonado
YouTube video by The Scot-Craft Podcast
www.youtube.com
December 18, 2025 at 5:47 PM
Reposted by Adrián Maldonado
almostarch.bsky.social
Wasn't expecting this: Pope Leo, Amost Archaeologist www.vatican.va/content/leo-...
Snippet from APOSTOLIC LETTER OF THE HOLY FATHER POPE LEO XIV ON THE IMPORTANCE OF ARCHAEOLOGY, reading "Archaeology as a school of Incarnation Today we are invited to ask ourselves how fruitful can the role of Christian archaeology still be for society and the Church in an age marked by artificial intelligence and by the exploration of the innumerable galaxies of the universe." Snippet from APOSTOLIC LETTER OF THE HOLY FATHER POPE LEO XIV ON THE IMPORTANCE OF ARCHAEOLOGY, reading "By concentrating on the physical traces of faith, archeology educates us in a theology of the senses: a theology that knows how to see, touch, smell and listen. Christian archeology is a school of the senses. By examining stones, ruins and other artifacts, it teaches us that nothing touched by faith is insignificant. Even a fragment of a mosaic, a forgotten inscription, or graffiti on a catacomb wall can recount the story of faith. In this sense, archaeology is also a school of humility. It teaches us not to despise what is small or seemingly secondary. It teaches us to read the signs, to interpret the silence and the enigma of reality, and to decipher what is no longer written." Snippet from APOSTOLIC LETTER OF THE HOLY FATHER POPE LEO XIV ON THE IMPORTANCE OF ARCHAEOLOGY, reading "Archaeology, on the other hand, teaches us that even the smallest piece of evidence deserves attention, that every detail has value and that nothing can be discarded. In this sense, archaeology is a school of cultural sustainability and spiritual ecology. It teaches us to respect matter, memory and history. Archaeologists do not throw things away, they preserve them. They do not consume, but contemplate. They do not destroy, but decipher."
December 16, 2025 at 7:39 AM
Reposted by Adrián Maldonado
trowelblazers.bsky.social
We've been up in York for @tag2025york.bsky.social conference where 3 of us met, Brenna gave a talk on the challenge of creating an accidental archive, AND... we only went & won the Outstanding Achievement Award for Archaeological Theory In Action 🏆!
Huge gratitude to the entire community ❤️ 🏺
Two photos showing two women in each smiling at the camera, one of them is the same person. In one photo they are in front of a black curtain, in the sitting in a restaurant. Photo showing two of the women on stage, one is talking with a microphone. Photo courtesy of Speaking Archaeologically Instagram account. Caption says "Nothing more inspiringfor an organisation run majorly by women archaeologists in India to see TAG Award being awarded to @trowelblazers !". Photo showing woman with dark hair and glasses holding a ceramic vessel with strap-like handles, and smiling. The vase is white, pink, red and dark red in colour. Photo showing a lecture in progress with woman speaking on stage. The slide shows text, titled: "The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly of an accidental archive" with boxes showing further information in a "good vs bad" format.
December 16, 2025 at 6:48 PM
Reposted by Adrián Maldonado
drnwillburger.bsky.social
On the Third Sunday of Advent, we light three candles - perfect occasion to share the oldest preserved candles found north of the Alps.
The candles were made from beeswax around 1,400 years ago. They were found in the early #medieval burial site in Oberflacht. The damp...🧵1/2

📷 me
Three candles displayed upright in a museum case. The candles are long, dark brown, and unevenly shaped, with rough surfaces and visible age. Each has a small, twisted wick at the top and is supported at the base by clear mounts. Other wooden artifacts are partially visible around them against a dark background
December 14, 2025 at 8:37 AM
archaeonado.bsky.social
Finally got my hands on the physical book for Carved in Stone by Heather Christie @archaeoplays.bsky.social and Brian Tyrrell @stoutstoat.co.uk. Really gives me hope that early medieval archaeology can inspire worlds that are hopeful, empathetic and overall, fun
www.stoutstoat.co.uk/products/car...
Cover of the book Carved in Stone: A Storyteller's Guide to the Picts by Heather Christie and Brian Tyrrell, for Stout Stoat Press Lavishly illustrated pages of the book Carved in Stone: A Storyteller's Guide to the Picts by Heather Christie and Brian Tyrrell, for Stout Stoat Press Snippet of text: "When reading this book, keep in mind that the wide space between belief and fact is what lets us roleplay as the Picts, but also what separates us from truly knowing who they were. Any single perspective on history will always be unreliable." From the book Carved in Stone: A Storyteller's Guide to the Picts by Heather Christie and Brian Tyrrell, for Stout Stoat Press, Appendix A.02, Unreliable Narrators
December 12, 2025 at 8:10 AM
archaeonado.bsky.social
One for @rorynaismith.bsky.social #numatisnerds
December 7, 2025 at 1:39 PM
archaeonado.bsky.social
Didn't want to believe this but it's real - though first released in 2013! www.lego.com/en-gb/servic...
Building Instructions - Download
Building Instructions - Download
www.lego.com
December 7, 2025 at 1:31 PM
Reposted by Adrián Maldonado
drlauravarnam.bsky.social
Attention creative medievalists! Eleanor Barraclough & I are co-editing a special issue of Public Humanities entitled CREATING THE MEDIEVAL NOW! See the cfp for details: essays of 2,000-3,000 words due 1 May 2026. (Amazing artwork by @hellomizk.bsky.social). 1/ www.cambridge.org/core/journal...
December 5, 2025 at 9:35 AM