Tom Booth
@boothicus.bsky.social
Bioarchaeologist. Amateur Scarecrow.
Ancient DNA Lab @ The Francis Crick Institute
Associate Lecturer in Quantitative Archaeology and Later European Prehistory @ UCL Institute of Archaeology
Ancient DNA Lab @ The Francis Crick Institute
Associate Lecturer in Quantitative Archaeology and Later European Prehistory @ UCL Institute of Archaeology
Pinned
Tom Booth
@boothicus.bsky.social
· Sep 11
What Can Archaeology Tell Us About Prehistoric Migration in Scotland? - Dig It!
Migration has been a hot topic in archaeology since its beginnings. Antiquarians and archaeologists of the 19th and 20th centuries often interpreted changes in the archaeological record as representin...
www.digitscotland.com
I wrote something swift with Dig It! about ancient DNA, migration and genetic change in prehistoric Britain, and specifically how to interpret ‘population replacement.’ Hint: it is not synonymous with ‘invasion’.
www.digitscotland.com/what-can-arc...
www.digitscotland.com/what-can-arc...
Reposted by Tom Booth
Population structure is not only key for Homo sapiens, but for all hominins, and all species. Panmixia is easier for things like genetics modelling, but reality is surely in virtually all scenarios that structure is an important, & often hard to model, part of things www.nature.com/articles/s41...
New reconstruction of DAN5 cranium (Gona, Ethiopia) supports complex emergence of Homo erectus - Nature Communications
The origin and dispersal of Homo erectus, a long-lived and geographically widespread human ancestor, are unclear despite a rich fossil record. Here, the authors reconstruct the face from a Homo erectu...
www.nature.com
December 23, 2025 at 7:05 PM
Population structure is not only key for Homo sapiens, but for all hominins, and all species. Panmixia is easier for things like genetics modelling, but reality is surely in virtually all scenarios that structure is an important, & often hard to model, part of things www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Reposted by Tom Booth
🧬 #Bioinformatics AEGIS #PostdocJobs in metagenomic pipelines & HPC: Ancient Environmental Genomics at @ucph.bsky.social to reconstruct ecosystems and develop climate-resilient crops. 🌍
Deadline: Jan 4, 2026.
Mikkel Winther Pedersen (mwpedersen@sund.ku.dk)
#AcademicJobs #aeDNA #ClimateChange
Deadline: Jan 4, 2026.
Mikkel Winther Pedersen (mwpedersen@sund.ku.dk)
#AcademicJobs #aeDNA #ClimateChange
Postdoctoral positions in ancient environmental genomics within the Ancient Environmental Genomics Initiative for Sustainability (AEGIS)
employment.ku.dk
December 23, 2025 at 8:07 AM
🧬 #Bioinformatics AEGIS #PostdocJobs in metagenomic pipelines & HPC: Ancient Environmental Genomics at @ucph.bsky.social to reconstruct ecosystems and develop climate-resilient crops. 🌍
Deadline: Jan 4, 2026.
Mikkel Winther Pedersen (mwpedersen@sund.ku.dk)
#AcademicJobs #aeDNA #ClimateChange
Deadline: Jan 4, 2026.
Mikkel Winther Pedersen (mwpedersen@sund.ku.dk)
#AcademicJobs #aeDNA #ClimateChange
Jimmy Nail didn’t see this one coming.
(Man, I’m really dating myself with this one)
(Man, I’m really dating myself with this one)
December 23, 2025 at 9:09 PM
Jimmy Nail didn’t see this one coming.
(Man, I’m really dating myself with this one)
(Man, I’m really dating myself with this one)
Reposted by Tom Booth
For anyone looking for that elusive last-minute present... :)
Thoroughly enjoying this magnificent panorama of 11th century Europe by @pseudo-isidore.bsky.social. #christmas_books
December 23, 2025 at 2:52 PM
For anyone looking for that elusive last-minute present... :)
Reposted by Tom Booth
I understand the urge to point out that the the Neolithic builders of Stonehenge were most likely respecting the midwinter solstice sunset, not the sunrise, but this assumes the revellers are trying to recreate an old ritual system rather than developing a new one.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
In pictures: Druids descend on Stonehenge to mark winter solstice
Thousands take to the Neolithic circle to welcome the sunrise on the shortest day of the year.
www.bbc.co.uk
December 21, 2025 at 5:24 PM
I understand the urge to point out that the the Neolithic builders of Stonehenge were most likely respecting the midwinter solstice sunset, not the sunrise, but this assumes the revellers are trying to recreate an old ritual system rather than developing a new one.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Reposted by Tom Booth
New video of talk by @christinawarinner.bsky.social given at Center for Academic Research and Training in Anthropogeny posted by @ucsandiego.bsky.social explaining how advances in #aDNA and #proteomics can investigate the complex and diverse microbial communities from dental calculus
CARTA: Human Microbiome Evolution with Christina Warinner
YouTube video by University of California Television (UCTV)
www.youtube.com
December 21, 2025 at 3:15 PM
New video of talk by @christinawarinner.bsky.social given at Center for Academic Research and Training in Anthropogeny posted by @ucsandiego.bsky.social explaining how advances in #aDNA and #proteomics can investigate the complex and diverse microbial communities from dental calculus
Reposted by Tom Booth
The complete Bayeux Tapestry has finally been released and proves that Bishop Odo had absolutely nothing to do with the illegal Norman invasion of England.
December 20, 2025 at 12:38 PM
The complete Bayeux Tapestry has finally been released and proves that Bishop Odo had absolutely nothing to do with the illegal Norman invasion of England.
Reposted by Tom Booth
My ASE colleagues saved one of the biggest stories to last. Leading on an important new collaboration to transform the outcome for an incredibly important Bronze Age wetland site in Sussex.
One to follow over the next few years🏺
One to follow over the next few years🏺
Shinewater - Eastbourne's very own Must Farm - is at real risk of being lost ⚠️
A collaboration between ASE, Historic England, East Sussex County Council and JBA Consulting, has been assessing this threat 👇🧵
Image (c) Historic England Archive
A collaboration between ASE, Historic England, East Sussex County Council and JBA Consulting, has been assessing this threat 👇🧵
Image (c) Historic England Archive
December 20, 2025 at 9:42 AM
My ASE colleagues saved one of the biggest stories to last. Leading on an important new collaboration to transform the outcome for an incredibly important Bronze Age wetland site in Sussex.
One to follow over the next few years🏺
One to follow over the next few years🏺
Reposted by Tom Booth
New 2-year Postdoc: Ancient #Metagenomics & #Microbiome Sciences! 🧬🦷
Join Prof. @christinawarinner.bsky.social ’s group at @mpi-eva-leipzig.bsky.social to study the evolution and ecology of ancient oral microbiota.
📅 Apply by Jan 20, 2026: www.microverse-cluster.de/en/career/jo...
Join Prof. @christinawarinner.bsky.social ’s group at @mpi-eva-leipzig.bsky.social to study the evolution and ecology of ancient oral microbiota.
📅 Apply by Jan 20, 2026: www.microverse-cluster.de/en/career/jo...
Jobs - Balance of the Microverse
www.microverse-cluster.de
December 20, 2025 at 10:59 AM
New 2-year Postdoc: Ancient #Metagenomics & #Microbiome Sciences! 🧬🦷
Join Prof. @christinawarinner.bsky.social ’s group at @mpi-eva-leipzig.bsky.social to study the evolution and ecology of ancient oral microbiota.
📅 Apply by Jan 20, 2026: www.microverse-cluster.de/en/career/jo...
Join Prof. @christinawarinner.bsky.social ’s group at @mpi-eva-leipzig.bsky.social to study the evolution and ecology of ancient oral microbiota.
📅 Apply by Jan 20, 2026: www.microverse-cluster.de/en/career/jo...
Reposted by Tom Booth
While stories of singular DNA changes that drove evolution of human brain/behaviour remain seductive, advances across multiple fields of biology cast doubt on such simplistic narratives of our origins. A new paper from my lab shows how biobanks may speak to this fundamental question.🧪
Explainer🧵👇1/n
Explainer🧵👇1/n
Evaluating the effects of archaic protein-altering variants in living human adults
Promise and pitfalls of using large biobanks to study impacts of archaic protein-coding variants in living humans.
www.science.org
December 18, 2025 at 1:51 PM
While stories of singular DNA changes that drove evolution of human brain/behaviour remain seductive, advances across multiple fields of biology cast doubt on such simplistic narratives of our origins. A new paper from my lab shows how biobanks may speak to this fundamental question.🧪
Explainer🧵👇1/n
Explainer🧵👇1/n
Reposted by Tom Booth
There’s an excellent and devastatingly thorough article in the latest @indexers.bsky.social journal by Elizabeth Bartmess and Michele Combs demonstrating that LLMs are worthless for indexing
December 19, 2025 at 3:13 PM
There’s an excellent and devastatingly thorough article in the latest @indexers.bsky.social journal by Elizabeth Bartmess and Michele Combs demonstrating that LLMs are worthless for indexing
Reposted by Tom Booth
This headline is wrong and misleading, and the brief text below it is not much better. Whatever might constitute a full explanation of the differences between sapiens and other hominins, we remain confident that 'genes' will be central to it.
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
Genes don’t explain what made humans different
Tiny genetic variations between humans, Neanderthals and Denisovans might not be all they were cracked up to be.
www.nature.com
December 19, 2025 at 11:55 AM
This headline is wrong and misleading, and the brief text below it is not much better. Whatever might constitute a full explanation of the differences between sapiens and other hominins, we remain confident that 'genes' will be central to it.
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
Reposted by Tom Booth
'Presenting these three excavations is a major advance in our understanding of Neolithic megalithic monuments in Cornwall, and represents a very significant contribution.’ A fantastic achievement, by the late and much missed Andy Jones, and James Gossip: www.barpublishing.com/book/an-inve...
An Investigation of Three Megalithic Quoits in Cornwall - BAR Publishing
This monograph reports upon the recent excavations of three Cornish megalithic monuments, known locally by the suffix as quoits, which were undertaken by Cornwall Archaeological Unit, with support fro...
www.barpublishing.com
December 18, 2025 at 3:00 PM
'Presenting these three excavations is a major advance in our understanding of Neolithic megalithic monuments in Cornwall, and represents a very significant contribution.’ A fantastic achievement, by the late and much missed Andy Jones, and James Gossip: www.barpublishing.com/book/an-inve...
Reposted by Tom Booth
Will an anthropologist be able to identify your sex and gender from your bones 100 years from now? I sure hope so!
Read my essay on the limited and limiting methods we currently have for sex estimation to learn where the science has room to improve.
www.prosocial.world/posts/an-ant...
Read my essay on the limited and limiting methods we currently have for sex estimation to learn where the science has room to improve.
www.prosocial.world/posts/an-ant...
An Anthropologist’s Perspective on Sex and Gender in the Skeleton
Anthropological methods show that skeletal sex is an estimate, not a certainty, revealing the limits of binary claims about human identity.
www.prosocial.world
December 18, 2025 at 3:26 PM
Will an anthropologist be able to identify your sex and gender from your bones 100 years from now? I sure hope so!
Read my essay on the limited and limiting methods we currently have for sex estimation to learn where the science has room to improve.
www.prosocial.world/posts/an-ant...
Read my essay on the limited and limiting methods we currently have for sex estimation to learn where the science has room to improve.
www.prosocial.world/posts/an-ant...
This is panning out in the way it’s being used to attack the BBC. The segment involving Beachy Head Woman in the documentary most are concerned with was removed when the findings were updated. They reported on the new paper on their news websites. But apparently it’s still a conspiracy.
No doubt there will be crowing from conspiracy-minded detractors of 'woke archaeology', but this result doesn't materially change our understanding of Roman Britain, and the whole thrust of their argument is that this kind of update could never be allowed to happen - it undermines their worldview.
December 18, 2025 at 7:26 PM
This is panning out in the way it’s being used to attack the BBC. The segment involving Beachy Head Woman in the documentary most are concerned with was removed when the findings were updated. They reported on the new paper on their news websites. But apparently it’s still a conspiracy.
Reposted by Tom Booth
We would like to wish all our @ucl.ac.uk Institute of Archaeology (IoA) & @archsoutheast.bsky.social Archaeology South-East (ASE) friends & colleagues, past & current staff & students, Season’s Greetings & all best wishes for 2026 🎉
🎁 bit.ly/UCLIoAASE25 2025 UCL IoA Newsletter!
#LocalAndGlobal
🎁 bit.ly/UCLIoAASE25 2025 UCL IoA Newsletter!
#LocalAndGlobal
December 18, 2025 at 10:55 AM
We would like to wish all our @ucl.ac.uk Institute of Archaeology (IoA) & @archsoutheast.bsky.social Archaeology South-East (ASE) friends & colleagues, past & current staff & students, Season’s Greetings & all best wishes for 2026 🎉
🎁 bit.ly/UCLIoAASE25 2025 UCL IoA Newsletter!
#LocalAndGlobal
🎁 bit.ly/UCLIoAASE25 2025 UCL IoA Newsletter!
#LocalAndGlobal
Reposted by Tom Booth
Our new article on the latest DNA analysis of Beachy Head Woman. She’s had quite a journey.
www.sciencedirect.com:5037/science/arti...
www.sciencedirect.com:5037/science/arti...
www.sciencedirect.com
December 17, 2025 at 2:58 PM
Our new article on the latest DNA analysis of Beachy Head Woman. She’s had quite a journey.
www.sciencedirect.com:5037/science/arti...
www.sciencedirect.com:5037/science/arti...
More Beachy Head!
Out today, we present high quality ancient DNA data for Beachy Head Woman for the first time. Hers is a story about changing interpretations, science communication, and cutting-edge genetic technology...🧵
www.theguardian.com/science/2025...
www.theguardian.com/science/2025...
Beachy Head Woman may be ‘local girl from Eastbourne’, say scientists
Exclusive: DNA advances show Roman-era skeleton, once hailed as first black Briton, came from southern England
www.theguardian.com
December 17, 2025 at 4:59 PM
More Beachy Head!
Reposted by Tom Booth
And some people say that the museum on the end of your journey isn't too shabby ...
49 bus from Swindon to Devizes. Best £3 you can spend.
December 17, 2025 at 1:42 PM
And some people say that the museum on the end of your journey isn't too shabby ...
Reposted by Tom Booth
Just this exactly. Despite the fact that ‘Non-metric skull racing’ is up there as one of the great titles for an archaeological paper*, it’s not at all reliable.
*Perhaps only equaled by ‘Things to do in Doggerland when you're dead’
*Perhaps only equaled by ‘Things to do in Doggerland when you're dead’
December 17, 2025 at 12:29 PM
Just this exactly. Despite the fact that ‘Non-metric skull racing’ is up there as one of the great titles for an archaeological paper*, it’s not at all reliable.
*Perhaps only equaled by ‘Things to do in Doggerland when you're dead’
*Perhaps only equaled by ‘Things to do in Doggerland when you're dead’
49 bus from Swindon to Devizes. Best £3 you can spend.
December 17, 2025 at 12:40 PM
49 bus from Swindon to Devizes. Best £3 you can spend.