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ardentarchivist.bsky.social
Ardent Archivist
@ardentarchivist.bsky.social
590 followers 110 following 5.4K posts
Nasty woman (and occasionally proud of it). Dog mom, citizen of the Earth, history & archaeology afficionada, all-around observer, faithful commentator on the ridiculous.
Warning: there will be puns.

Also at: @ArdentArchivist@archaeo.social
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ardentarchivist.bsky.social
Ardent Archivist @ardentarchivist.bsky.social · Nov 9
Serious Q: anyone else detest BlueSky’s habit of automatically jumping to the most recent post instead of keeping your place in your timeline?
So either you miss everything or you have to scroll back to find your place - as more ppl join, that becomes ever more impractical.

Only thing I don’t like.
Reposted by Ardent Archivist
alisonfisk.bsky.social
WOW! This late Roman blue glass cup made an epic 12,000 km journey!

Made in the eastern Mediterranean, it was excavated from the Cheonmachong Tomb, a royal tomb of the ancient Silla Kingdom in Korea! 🤯

Early AD 500s. Gyeongju National Museum, South Korea. 📷 by me

#FindsFriday
#Archaeology
My photo shows a short cylindrical translucent blue glass cup which flares outwards towards the rim. The glass is darker near the rim and lighter toward the base where the display light passes through. The rim is slightly irregular and worn at the back. The glass surface is textured with vertical ridges running down the upper half, while the lower half has a texture which resembles loosely shaped hexagon and pentagon shapes, some larger than others, clustered together like cells of an irregular honeycomb. The glass cup sits on a white surface against a light grey background. The display lighting creates circular shadows and glowing blue reflections around the base of the glass. This glass cup was excavated in 1973 from the richly-furnished Cheonmachong Tomb, also known as the Tomb of the Heavenly Horse. The tomb belonged to a royal male from the ancient Silla Kingdom of the Korean peninsula. I saw this cup on display at the British Museum’s ‘Silk Roads’ exhibition in 2024, on loan from the Gyeongju National Museum in South Korea. It is an example of ancient trading of Roman goods through the Steppe Route, the original Silk Road over the Eurasian plains stretching to Far East Asia. The British Museum label reads: “This glass cup was discovered in the tomb of a royal male, alongside an ornate gold crown and other precious objects. It is of a late Roman type found across the eastern Mediterranean region. Scientific analysis indicates it was probably made in Egypt, which had a major centre of glassmaking in Alexandria. The presence of Mediterranean glass objects in tombs as far as the Korean peninsula and Japanese archipelago reflects their valued status as luxury items in the ancient world. Probably made in Egypt; excavated from Cheonmachong Tomb, Gyeongju, Korea. Early AD 500s”.
January 16, 2026 at 2:22 PM
Reposted by Ardent Archivist
chapps.bsky.social
The detail here is almost beyond belief, particularly when you know what this is. The image is of a warrior wearing a Chalcidian-type helmet with rams'-head cheekguards. Zoom in and see his mustache hairs. The eyes are ivory and amber.

Have you guessed its function? 🏺 1/

Greek, c. 480 BCE. 📸 me
Closeup of a bronze warrior's head in relief; the staring eyes are inlaid with ivory and amber, and the elaborate Chalcidian helmet he wears has cheek pieces in the form of rams' heads. The cheekpieces of the helmet are in the form of rams' heads, facing one another, as if they were about to butt. The warrior has little stylized curls on his helmet, and he's sporting a finely detailed mustache. The patina is wonderful - golden bronze overlaid with bright green patches.
January 16, 2026 at 3:59 PM
Reposted by Ardent Archivist
arminsamii.bsky.social
Holy shit.

Renee Good was alive when the bystander physician asked to check her pulse. She was alive when ICE refused to let him help. She was alive when they told him “I don’t care.”

www.nytimes.com/live/2026/01...
Live Updates: Newly Released Records Detail Chaos During Fatal ICE Shooting in Minneapolis
www.nytimes.com
January 16, 2026 at 3:43 AM
Reposted by Ardent Archivist
aidanosullivan.bsky.social
So, she was still alive when ICE agents refused to let a physician approach her …

When she was finally allowed medical assistance, she still had an irregular pulse.

She might have lived..?

So, they shot her, and then prevented medical aid
arminsamii.bsky.social Armin Samii @arminsamii.bsky.social · 14h
Holy shit.

Renee Good was alive when the bystander physician asked to check her pulse. She was alive when ICE refused to let him help. She was alive when they told him “I don’t care.”

www.nytimes.com/live/2026/01...
Live Updates: Newly Released Records Detail Chaos During Fatal ICE Shooting in Minneapolis
www.nytimes.com
January 16, 2026 at 3:36 PM
Reposted by Ardent Archivist
moudhy.bsky.social
"The one who possessed silver,
The one who has possessed lapis,
The one who has possessed oxen,
The one who has possessed sheep --
At the gate of the one who has possessed barley,
Will spend the day there."
- Sumerian proverb

Translation in 2026: you can't eat money.

cdli.earth/artifacts/34...
Photo of a round cuneiform tablet with about 5 lines of text. The identifier "UET 6/263" is written at the bottom in black ink.
January 16, 2026 at 2:24 PM
Reposted by Ardent Archivist
joannechocolat.bsky.social
Unsolicited writing advice, no. 871:
Don't be afraid to embrace the many things that make human beings interesting. Not all your characters need to be versions of you.
January 16, 2026 at 12:30 PM
Reposted by Ardent Archivist
justrena.bsky.social
Machado has really made a pigs ass of what was once an inspiring award.
The honour of the Nobel prize should be stripped from her if she thought that little of it.
January 16, 2026 at 10:04 AM
Reposted by Ardent Archivist
joannechocolat.bsky.social
And this morning the Shed is a highway through an endless desert…
January 16, 2026 at 9:26 AM
Reposted by Ardent Archivist
brendagough.bsky.social
Today's Irish hero is @niallstanage.bsky.social 😎👏 The pride of Belfast and beyond. Showing journalists how it's done 😉
acyn.bsky.social Acyn @acyn.bsky.social · 23h
Reporter: Renee Good was shot in the head and killed by an ICE Agent.

Leavitt: Why was she killed?

Reporter: Because an ICE agent acted recklessly and killed her unjustifiably

Leavitt: You’re a left-wing hack. You’re not a reporter.
January 15, 2026 at 10:34 PM
Reposted by Ardent Archivist
georgetakei.bsky.social
This is going to make them even madder. Good.
Screenshot of an X.com post by Matt McDermott claiming Tim Walz urged residents to film ICE agents in their communities, citing misconduct. The post includes a quoted statement encouraging people to record ICE agents and ‘create a database’ to preserve evidence. Below the text is a video thumbnail showing Tim Walz in a dark suit and tie speaking in a formal indoor setting, with closed-caption and audio icons on the video frame.
January 15, 2026 at 11:30 PM
ardentarchivist.bsky.social
WTaF?!

It doesn’t matter how good the chef is, if the kitchen isn’t clean you’ll still get food poisoning.

Absolute BS.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Ynyshir: Giles Coren says hygiene ratings should not apply to Michelin restaurants
The restaurant critic says inspectors should
www.bbc.co.uk
January 15, 2026 at 7:09 PM
Reposted by Ardent Archivist
drnwillburger.bsky.social
Only few pieces of furniture from early medieval times have been preserved. Due to the water-logged condition of the area, many wooden objects such as this terrific chair made from maple and ash wood survived in a burial at Trossingen.
Dating 580 AD.

📷 @almbawue.bsky.social

🏺 #archaeology
Full shot of a wooden chair. The chair's back is a made of numerous vertical wooden slats, that are spaced evenly and have small, evenly-spaced pieces attached between each major slat.  The chair's frame is constructed of several interconnected wooden pieces forming a rectangular base.  The chair's seat frame is also made of a slatted design. The leather or fur seat has not survived.
January 15, 2026 at 5:37 PM
Reposted by Ardent Archivist
joannechocolat.bsky.social
Unsolicited writing advice, no. 147:
Don't ask yourself if a story has been told before: it has. Ask yourself how you're going to tell it in a way that is unique to you.
January 15, 2026 at 11:43 AM
Reposted by Ardent Archivist
oliverdietrich.bsky.social
First Roman marching camps discovered in Saxony-Anhalt prove Roman advances in the 3rd century AD. #archaeology

idw-online.de/de/news864361
Roman coins recovered during the systematic survey of the marching camps using metal detectors. They were minted under the emperors Antoninus Pius (138-161 AD), Marcus Aurelius (161-180 AD), and Caracalla (211-217 AD).
January 15, 2026 at 9:07 AM
Reposted by Ardent Archivist
joannechocolat.bsky.social
And this morning the Shed is a rockslide into a river valley…
January 15, 2026 at 8:52 AM
Reposted by Ardent Archivist
lemoustier.bsky.social
🏺🧪 Reminder - it's never good #SciComm practice to make inaccurate/misleading gen-AI imagery.
Case in point- recent posts here of #Neanderthals with complex engravings, & metallic-looking objects.
(they also apparently have 6 fingers, but I guess who tf cares when it's just vibes for the public 🙄)
Screen grab of bluesky post showing text about Neanderthal aesthetics and a gen-AI image showing a male with inaccurate facial anatomy in a cave looking pensive, in front of him is a very complex graphic engraving in the floor and behind that is a red handprint on the wall with six fingers and a star-shape negative inside it. Screenshot of bluesky post with text about Neanderthals and fire, and a gen-AI image showing a group of male Neanderthals near extremely small mammoths in a snowy forest. The Neanderthals have a mix of fur and leather belts and wristguards, with metallic details including buckles. They have spears, the tips of which are clearly modelled on metal spears and in no way resemble any known Neanderthal artefacts. Close-up on the body of one Neanderthal in the forest showing details of the metal and leather belts and wrist-guards, and metallic-looking spears.
January 13, 2026 at 5:17 PM
Reposted by Ardent Archivist
lucyclearly.bsky.social
Streeting accuses trusts and ICBs of seeking to cut deficits too sharply | News | Health Service Journal share.google/dy0pl1FCLCJl...

Wouldn't you feel like that whatever you did would be wrong?
Streeting accuses trusts and ICBs of seeking to cut deficits too sharply
Some NHS organisations are struggling to cut waiting lists because they have "over steered" on avoiding deficits, the health and social secretary has declared.
share.google
January 15, 2026 at 6:46 AM
ardentarchivist.bsky.social
As much as I’d love to see it, I tend to agree with Hockney. Let the tourists travel to Normandy. Spend the money safeguarding the inter/national treasures in UK museums.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
David Hockney says moving Bayeux Tapestry to UK is 'madness'
The artist claims it is too much of a risk to transport the centuries-old artwork from France.
www.bbc.co.uk
January 15, 2026 at 3:53 AM
Reposted by Ardent Archivist
archaeohawke.bsky.social
Oseberg ship

In 1903, Norwegian farmer Oskar Rom discovered a #Viking -era ship after he dug into an #ancient burial mound on his land. It took 21 years for #archaeologists to prepare and restore the #ship, as it needed to dry out fully before being put together.

#History #AncientBlueSky
The Oseberg ship (Norwegian: Osebergskipet) is a well-preserved longship (probably a karve) discovered in a large burial mound at the Oseberg farm near Tønsberg in Vestfold county, Norway. This ship is commonly acknowledged to be among the finest artifacts to have survived from the Viking Age. The ship and some of its contents are displayed at the Viking Ship Museum at Bygdøy on the western side of Oslo, Norway Excavation of the ship from the Oseberg burial mound (Norwegian: Oseberghaugen ved Slagen from the Old Norse word haugr meaning kurgan mound or barrow) was undertaken by Swedish archaeologist Gabriel Gustafson and Norwegian archaeologist Haakon Shetelig in 1904–1905.[2] The grave also contained two female human skeletons as well as a considerable number of grave goods. Scientific dating of the ship suggests it was buried no earlier than 834, although certain parts of its structure date from as early as 800, while other parts may be even older. The ship is a Karve, clinker built, almost entirely of oak. It is 21.58 metres (70.8 ft) in length and 5.10 metres (16.7 ft) broad, with a mast of approximately 9–10 metres (30–33 ft) in height. With a likely sail area of 90 square metres (970 sq ft), the ship could have achieved a speed of up to 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph). The ship has 15 pairs of openings for oars, enabling up to 30 people to row it. Other fittings include a broad steering oar, iron anchor, gangplank, and a bailer. The bow and stern of the ship are elaborately decorated with complex woodcarvings in the characteristic "gripping beast" style, also known as the Oseberg style Dendrochronological analysis of timbers in the grave chamber dates the burial to the autumn of 834. Although the high-ranking woman's identity is unknown, it has been suggested that she is Queen Åsa of the Yngling clan, mother of Halfdan the Black and grandmother of Harald Fairhair. Recent tests of the women's remains suggest that they lived in Agder in Norway, as had Queen Åsa. This theory has been challenged, however, and some think that she may have been a shaman. There were also the skeletal remains of 14 horses, an ox, and three dogs found on the ship. According to Per Holck of the University of Oslo, the younger woman's mitochondrial haplogroup was discovered to be U7. Her direct maternal ancestors came to Norway from the Pontic littoral, probably Iran. Three subsequent studies failed to confirm these results, however, and it is likely that the bone samples contain little (if any) original DNA or have been contaminated through handling. Examinations of fragments of the skeletons have provided more insight into their lives. The younger woman's teeth showed signs that she used a metal toothpick, a rare 9th century luxury. Both women had a diet composed mainly of meat, another luxury when most Vikings ate fish. However, there was not enough DNA to tell if they were related. The skeletons of two women were found in the grave with the ship. One, probably aged around 80, suffered badly from arthritis. The older woman also had Morgagni's syndrome, which would have given her a masculine appearance and beard. The second was initially believed to be aged 25–30, but analysis of tooth-root translucency suggests she was older (aged 50–55). It is not clear which one was the more important in life or whether one was sacrificed to accompany the other in death. The younger woman had a broken collarbone, initially thought to be evidence that she was a human sacrifice, but closer examination showed that the bone had been healing for several weeks. The opulence of the burial rite and the grave-goods suggests that this was a burial of very high status. One woman wore a very fine red wool dress with a lozenge twill pattern (a luxury commodity) and a fine white linen veil in a gauze weave, while the other wore a plainer blue wool dress with a wool veil, possibly showing some stratification in their social status
January 14, 2026 at 11:21 PM
Reposted by Ardent Archivist
prehistorian.bsky.social
See also Hancock freezing Long Covid out of primary care in favour of LC ‘clinics’ (with no specialists and no power of referral) meaning GPs had no insight. How many suspended in illness unnecessarily for years.
bylinetimes.bsky.social Byline Times @bylinetimes.bsky.social · 1d
🟨 Print Edition — The Covid Inquiry – 230,000 Deaths and the ‘Calculated Silence’ of the Medical Establishment

The Covid Inquiry’s second report has helped expose the UK’s ‘closed club’ approach to dealing with the pandemic – which cost so many people their lives, writes former WHO director…

🔗 …
The Covid Inquiry - 230,000 Deaths and the ‘Calculated Silence’ of the Medical Establishment – Byline Times Digital / Print Edition
The Covid Inquiry’s second report has helped expose the UK’s ‘closed club’ approach to dealing with the pandemic – which cost so many people their lives, writes former WHO director Anthony Costello
subscribe.bylinetimes.com
January 14, 2026 at 9:40 PM
Reposted by Ardent Archivist
theduncanmackay.bsky.social
The Norfolk Carnyx: a Playmobil story in 4 parts. 🧵
#DiggingForBritain
#DrawingDiggingForBritain
#PlaymobilInfestation
@profaliceroberts.bsky.social
@pcaarchaeology.bsky.social

1: Life
Playmobil Cacofonix the bard blowing a miniature reproduction of the Norfolk carnyx, on a green field with other Iron Age Playmobil figures in the distance.
January 14, 2026 at 9:18 PM
ardentarchivist.bsky.social
Dear @metoffice.gov.uk your updated ios app is crap. Sorry to be negative but it’s true. You were seduced by slick appearance vs functionality.
- half the screen is empty, wasted space
- no way to switch between % Precip and temp Feels Like
- for starters

CF old ver: what functionality is missing?!
January 14, 2026 at 9:21 PM
Reposted by Ardent Archivist
dup-online.bsky.social
In the past Sammy has been accused of being racist, and he still holds a massive grudge towards the BBC for that incredible hot mic incident. This is him in parliament today, sitting beside his friends, Farage and Tice.
Sammy and his racist friends.
January 14, 2026 at 4:10 PM
Reposted by Ardent Archivist
tuatha.ie
Aughnacliffe Dolmen • Longford

Aughnacliffe is one of the most remarkable and distinctive of all of Ireland’s portal tombs.

Despite looking somewhat precarious, it has stood here for more than 5,000 years.

#Ireland #Archaeology 🏺 #SpéirGhorm
The Aughnacliffe Dolmen a megalithic tomb in County Longford. It consists of an enormous boulder used as a capstone perched on top of a tall portal stone at the front and a smaller arrangement at the rear
January 14, 2026 at 7:39 PM
Reposted by Ardent Archivist
alisonfisk.bsky.social
A small and exotic Buddha found far from home in #VikingAge buildings on the Swedish lake island of Helgö.

Probably made in the Swat Valley, the Buddha travelled some 5,000 km from its place of origin, encapsulating the idea of long-distance trade during the Viking Age.

#Archaeology
My photo shows a bronze Buddha statuette sitting on a double lotus flower against a grey background in a glass display case. The bronze is now light green in colour, but would originally have appeared like burnished gold. The Buddha is sitting cross-legged with feet upturned. His right hand rests against his knee and his left arm is raised holding his monastic robe. A raised dot on the forehead represents Buddha’s third eye. His expression is serene, with smiling lips, and eyes gazing ahead. His facial features were highlighted with silver, tin, and black niello. There is glass residue in the eyes and the raised dot on the forehead was highlighted with a layer of gold. Height 8.4 cm, width 6.4 cm. It was probably made in the Swat Valley (present-day Pakistan) in the late 500s-mid 600s. It was excavated from Viking-age settlement buildings dated AD 800. It isn’t known how it arrived at its final destination but this exotic object travelled far, hinting at far-flung trade routes. I saw the Helgö Buddha on display at the British Museum’s ‘Silk Roads’ exhibition in October 2024, on loan from Historiska Museet, Stockholm.
January 14, 2026 at 6:27 PM