ArchaeoPlays
LightNews LightNews
banner
archaeoplays.bsky.social
ArchaeoPlays
@archaeoplays.bsky.social
5.6K followers 3.4K following 390 posts
They/them. Disabled/chronically ill Minecraft YouTuber, & digital archaeologist (alias: Dr. Heather Christie). Also early medieval Scotland specialist and glass bead nerd. Lead Researcher for Carved in Stone. Business enquiries: archaeoplays@gmail.com
Posts Replies Media Videos
Pinned
archaeoplays.bsky.social
ArchaeoPlays @archaeoplays.bsky.social · Nov 12
Carved in Stone is HERE!!! @archaeonado.bsky.social called it “the best book on the Picts ever written,” so you should definitely check it out over at www.stoutstoat.co.uk/carvedinstone

🏺 #picts #archaeologysky #rpg #ttrpg #indiettrpg #dnd #pathfinder
A young person with braided red hair rides a spotted brown horse through trees, a determined look on their face. They have a brown cloak, a yellow tunic/dress, and black leggings. They're carrying a water flask and a leather book satchel. Whatever message they're carrying, it's clearly urgent.
Reposted by ArchaeoPlays
stungeye.com
An Anishinaabemowin (Ojibwe) card game created by an Indigenous designer right here in #Winnipeg.

Currently $4,110 pledged of $7,000 goal.
Ataage Agindaasonan - An Ojibwe/Anishinaabemowin card game
A fun way to learn a language with access to audio translations and pronunciation breakdowns. Immerse yourself with the game phrases!
www.kickstarter.com
February 10, 2026 at 9:15 PM
archaeoplays.bsky.social
TWO videos in a week?!?

For those following Carved in Stone, @stoutstoat.co.uk and I did a talk for @socantscot.bsky.social in December, exploring how we made the book & the enormous questions and conundrums involved!

🏺 #archaeologysky #historysky #ttrpg #picts

www.youtube.com/watch?v=vZHn...
Carved in Stone: Bringing the Picts to Life
YouTube video by Society of Antiquaries of Scotland
www.youtube.com
February 9, 2026 at 10:19 AM
Reposted by ArchaeoPlays
archaeoplays.bsky.social
New video is out! It’s been FAR too long since I made a video in my Archaeologist’s Guide to Minecraft, so here’s a deep dive into the history/archaeology of copper mining! Aren’t the copper golems great?! youtu.be/bBSStYWf8GM

⛏️ 🏺 #archaeologysky #ancientsky #historysky
Mining Copper with FIRE (Archaeologist’s Guide to Minecraft Ep. 16)
YouTube video by ArchaeoPlays
youtu.be
February 6, 2026 at 11:47 AM
Reposted by ArchaeoPlays
mattpope.bsky.social
Human populations may have had unique adaptations to burn injuries due to long-term evolution in high-risk proximity to fire. I wonder if we also developed a degree of enhanced resistance to long-term smoke inhalation? 🏺
phys.org/news/2026-02...
Exposure to burn injuries played key role in shaping human evolution, study suggests
Humans' exposure to high temperature burn injuries may have played an important role in our evolutionary development, shaping how our bodies heal, fight infection, and sometimes fail under extreme inj...
phys.org
February 6, 2026 at 3:43 PM
Reposted by ArchaeoPlays
drcraigb.bsky.social
'12,000-year-old workshop discovered at Akamas adds new data on early Neolithic Cyprus'
Report on recent fieldwork at Drousha-Skloinidia
#archaeologynews 🏺

in-cyprus.philenews.com/local/archae...
12,000-year-old workshop discovered at Akamas adds new data on early Neolithic Cyprus
University of Cyprus team discovers in situ working floor with tools and raw materials at Drousha-Skloinidia, offering insights into early Neolithic life.
in-cyprus.philenews.com
February 7, 2026 at 1:48 AM
archaeoplays.bsky.social
My main focus is glass, especially glass beads, especially in Iron Age and early medieval Scotland (but also the wider world). They're surprisingly useful for understanding colour preferences, trade, access to resources, etc., and they often have an impressive amount of minute detail!
February 6, 2026 at 12:28 PM
archaeoplays.bsky.social
New video is out! It’s been FAR too long since I made a video in my Archaeologist’s Guide to Minecraft, so here’s a deep dive into the history/archaeology of copper mining! Aren’t the copper golems great?! youtu.be/bBSStYWf8GM

⛏️ 🏺 #archaeologysky #ancientsky #historysky
Mining Copper with FIRE (Archaeologist’s Guide to Minecraft Ep. 16)
YouTube video by ArchaeoPlays
youtu.be
February 6, 2026 at 11:47 AM
Reposted by ArchaeoPlays
uofa-ipia.bsky.social
Good news - our first Speaker Series event of 2026 is coming this month! Join us Feb 24th, 11:30 am (MT), to learn about ecocultural archives from Dr. Robin Woywitka. Free to attend in person or online, registration for online is required. Learn more at the webpage we've linked! 🏺
2025/26 Speaker Series: At-risk Ecocultural Archives of Western Canada with Dr. Robin Woywitka
www.ualberta.ca
February 4, 2026 at 6:11 PM
Reposted by ArchaeoPlays
arthistoryanimalia.bsky.social
#NationalHedgehogDay bling:
#Hedgehog Intaglio Ring
#AncientRome c. 100-300 CE
Amethyst & gold
Size: D: 19.15mm / US: 9 1/4 / UK: S; 12.92g
#AncientArt #Jewelry
@wittspat.bsky.social 🦔👀
official auction photo of the ring on black background “An amethyst intaglio depicting a hedgehog, a creature that has long fascinated humans with its spiny exterior and unique appearance. The engraving is rendered in fine detail, capturing the essence of the animal's body, including its spikes, pointed face, and short legs. The heavy gold ring that holds the intaglio is a work of art in its own right. The round hoop and raised cell for the gem are expertly crafted, with a sense of heft and durability that speaks to the value of the piece. Intaglios with animal depictions were highly popular in ancient Rome, as they were seen as a way to capture the power and beauty of the natural world. From lions and tigers to birds and insects, the Romans were fascinated by the diversity of life on earth and sought to capture its essence in their art. Animal intaglios were often worn as a symbol of strength, courage, and power, reflecting the values and beliefs of Roman society.”
February 3, 2026 at 12:52 AM
archaeoplays.bsky.social
This looks great, and is a hybrid event, too! Just be sure to reserve your space in advance to get the online link.
pomuirch.bsky.social Peadar Ó Muircheartaigh @pomuirch.bsky.social · 12d
Delighted that Prof Fiona Edmonds will deliver the 2026 John Bannerman Lecture, co-hosted by the departments of Scottish History and Celtic & Scottish Studies, on 26 March. Tuilleadh fiosrachaidh 👇

hca.ed.ac.uk/john-bannerm...
John Bannerman Lecture 2026 - Professor Fiona Edmonds | School of History, Classics & Archaeology | History Classics and Archaeology
'Dál Riata and Northumbria, c. 700‒1000: Connections and comparisons'. Hybrid.
hca.ed.ac.uk
February 2, 2026 at 10:40 AM
archaeoplays.bsky.social
The Eventbrite link says it's a hybrid event, and has online ticket options! Definitely signing up myself 😊
February 2, 2026 at 10:39 AM
Reposted by ArchaeoPlays
partialhistorians.bsky.social
Mosaic glass beads were used for jewellery in the eastern provinces of the Roman empire. These beads are thought to date to the first century CE and most were part of a necklace.
A grid of nine glass beads with faces on them. Question reads: “On a scale of squished glass mosaic bead face, how are you feeling today?” Image of a necklace made of glass beads with faces on them.
February 2, 2026 at 8:40 AM
Reposted by ArchaeoPlays
uonclassarch.bsky.social
📣 Exhibition now open.

Find out about the people from #AngloSaxon Broughton Lodge and their international trade links @uniofnottingham.bsky.social Museum of #Archaeology, Lakeside.

Read more about it with quotes from Prof Chris Loveluck here: www.bbc.co.uk/news/article... 🏺
Nottingham exhibition shows artefacts from Anglo-Saxon cemetery
Artefacts from a cemetery at Broughton Lodge, in Willoughby-on-the-Wolds are being put on display.
www.bbc.co.uk
February 2, 2026 at 9:54 AM
Reposted by ArchaeoPlays
antiquity.ac.uk
Wetlands often preserve organic archaeological remains, but they are under threat from climate change #WorldWetlandsDay

New research in the Fens of eastern England shows the need for integrated heritage and environmental management.

🆓 doi.org/10.15184/aqy...

🏺 #Archaeology
Fenscapes: archaeology, natural heritage and environmental change in the Fens of eastern England
The Fenscapes project investigates trajectories of landscape, habitat and species change in the Fens of eastern England from the Neolithic to the present, with the aim to build self-reflective understandings of land-use and wetland management. Yet underlying biases exist in data patterning linked to burial depth and archaeological practice.
doi.org
February 2, 2026 at 10:15 AM
archaeoplays.bsky.social
Once again proving my theory that small archaeological animal objects are the best!! 🦉
January 27, 2026 at 2:49 PM
Reposted by ArchaeoPlays
niklashausmann.bsky.social
This super accessible book is now free to download 🏺

www.cambridge.org/core/element...
The Behavioral Ecology of Food
Cambridge Core - Prehistory - The Behavioral Ecology of Food
www.cambridge.org
January 27, 2026 at 2:39 PM
archaeoplays.bsky.social
There's a streaming link, too, so those not in Luxembourg should be able to tune in!
January 27, 2026 at 11:36 AM
Reposted by ArchaeoPlays
romanpalace.bsky.social
Is it about time that someone told @wiltshiremuseum.bsky.social that their "Tourmaline stone axe" is actually made of cheese?
A stunning Bronze age axe heard made of an orangey stone with greenish flecks A slice of blue cheese. It's orangey in colour with flecks of blue-green mould.
January 27, 2026 at 9:59 AM
Reposted by ArchaeoPlays
iowaarchaeology.bsky.social
For any students studying an #Iowa-focused history or #archaeology topic at ANY institution, here's a grant opportunity! It's an easy application & you get a free 1-year membership to the Iowa Archeological Society! See details at: iowaarcheologicalsociety.org/doug-jones/
A text-heavy graphic advertising a student funding opportunity. The Douglas W. Jones Memorial Research Grant Program awards up to $1000 for us May 15, 2026-May 15, 2027. All undergraduate and graduate students from any institution researching Iowa archaeology or history are eligible to apply. Applications due May 1, 2026. For complete details, visit: iowaarcheologicalsociety.org/grant-opportunities. Background images include a photo of Doug Jones smiling at the camera and holding a stick in a grassy meadow with forest in the background and the Iowa Archeological Society logo that includes an illustrated Clovis point and Oneota ceramic vessel.
January 26, 2026 at 9:09 PM
archaeoplays.bsky.social
And then another... and then another...

There's actually a piece of artwork in Carved in Stone where an archaeologist is just musing that they "need more funding" in Ogham/Ogam. It's one of my favourite easter eggs in the book 😂
January 27, 2026 at 9:50 AM
archaeoplays.bsky.social
😂 We'll also spend a LONG time debating whether it's ethical to replace the bulb and if so, what permits we need to do so legally...
January 25, 2026 at 9:54 PM
Reposted by ArchaeoPlays
antiquity.ac.uk
Lithics called Maros points characterise assemblages of the Toalean hunter-gatherer group, who occupied south-west Sulawesi 🇮🇩 c. 8000-1500 years ago.

Their similarity to perforated shark teeth suggests a possible link between the two technologies.

🆓 doi.org/10.15184/aqy...

🏺 #Archaeology
Stone projectile points with serrated edges in comparison with perforated shark teeth, also serrated.
January 23, 2026 at 10:22 AM
archaeoplays.bsky.social
I wholeheartedly agree, working with small finds that don't lend themselves well to such techniques. I know this focuses more on excavation, but still - repeatedly trying to get SfM photogrammetry to work on glass beads highlighted a LOT of the shortcomings of digital imaging!
January 22, 2026 at 11:33 AM
Reposted by ArchaeoPlays
robinpeters85.bsky.social
@npkk.bsky.social is absolutely right:

Photogrammetry, 3D scans, & #SfM 📷 are fantastic new tools, but they should supplement not replace the proper description and interpretation of archaeological features 🏺& stratigraphies!
pciarchaeology.bsky.social PCI Archaeology @pciarchaeology.bsky.social · 24d
1/3 New recommendation: Nikolai Paukkonen @npkk.bsky.social (2025). What You Don’t See is What You Don’t Get. Problems of Effortless Photorealism in Archaeological Field Documentation. V2 peer-reviewed and recommended by PCI Archaeology doi.org/10.5281/zeno... @helsinki.fi
Fig. 1 from the preprint: Increase of photogrammetry use in Finnish archaeological fieldwork reports (Paukkonen, 2024). Fig. 3 from the preprint: Plotted individual report ratios of stratigraphical keywords per page showing decreasing trend.
January 22, 2026 at 8:48 AM
Reposted by ArchaeoPlays
oz-of-the-ancients.bsky.social
A new discovery for #RockArtThursday!

This stencilled handprint in Indonesia has been dated to at least 67,500 years old, making it the oldest cave painting yet found!

It was dated by analysing a thin mineral crust that had formed over it

#archaeologynews #news 🏺
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Oldest cave painting could rewrite origins of human creativity
A stencilled outline of a hand found on the Indonesian island of Sulawesi is the world's oldest known cave painting, researchers say.
www.bbc.co.uk
January 22, 2026 at 8:57 AM