Catriona Mackie
@cmackie.bsky.social
Lecturer in History & Heritage at University College Isle of Man. Doesn't fit neatly into disciplinary boxes.
Reposted by Catriona Mackie
I’m sharing this in recognition of Gladys Mae West’s work on GPS because it’s been a transformational technology for archaeology and that lady deserves to be lauded.
No joke: I got angry hate mail today for writing an obituary of a Black woman scientist—because the person felt she did didn’t deserve the recognition.
Which just makes me want to share it again: www.nature.com/articles/d41...
Which just makes me want to share it again: www.nature.com/articles/d41...
Gladys Mae West obituary: mathematician who pioneered GPS technology
She made key contributions to US cold-war science despite facing huge barriers as a Black woman.
www.nature.com
February 6, 2026 at 5:58 PM
I’m sharing this in recognition of Gladys Mae West’s work on GPS because it’s been a transformational technology for archaeology and that lady deserves to be lauded.
Reposted by Catriona Mackie
I love it when a plan comes together. Together with @cmackie.bsky.social in April I will be running two on-Island public facing events in the run up to the 2026 General Election - one aimed at voters aged 16-18, and one aimed at people considering standing for the Keys.
a gnome holding up a sign that says watch this space
Alt: a gnome holding up a sign that says watch this space
media.tenor.com
February 6, 2026 at 10:42 AM
I love it when a plan comes together. Together with @cmackie.bsky.social in April I will be running two on-Island public facing events in the run up to the 2026 General Election - one aimed at voters aged 16-18, and one aimed at people considering standing for the Keys.
Reposted by Catriona Mackie
I'm absolutely delighted to share that I have just been appointed Project Officer for Lincolnshire County Council's new Mud and Stud project. Really looking forward to getting stuck into the first proper county-wide study of its indigenous building technique!
November 21, 2025 at 6:42 PM
I'm absolutely delighted to share that I have just been appointed Project Officer for Lincolnshire County Council's new Mud and Stud project. Really looking forward to getting stuck into the first proper county-wide study of its indigenous building technique!
Reposted by Catriona Mackie
This is thought to be the earliest photograph of a snowman in the world ⛄ ❄
It was taken at Penllergare by Mary Dillwyn in c.1853 🏴
Mary is thought to be one of the earliest female photographers in the world 📷
museum.wales/articles/972...
#Wales #History
It was taken at Penllergare by Mary Dillwyn in c.1853 🏴
Mary is thought to be one of the earliest female photographers in the world 📷
museum.wales/articles/972...
#Wales #History
December 24, 2025 at 1:09 PM
This is thought to be the earliest photograph of a snowman in the world ⛄ ❄
It was taken at Penllergare by Mary Dillwyn in c.1853 🏴
Mary is thought to be one of the earliest female photographers in the world 📷
museum.wales/articles/972...
#Wales #History
It was taken at Penllergare by Mary Dillwyn in c.1853 🏴
Mary is thought to be one of the earliest female photographers in the world 📷
museum.wales/articles/972...
#Wales #History
Reposted by Catriona Mackie
Historic England is seeking memories and stories of listed pubs. Wakefield has a number of listed pubs, for instance the Elephant and Castle on Westgate, or the Black Swan on Silver Street. Can you help?
More information: www.wakefieldhistoricalsociety.org.uk/historic-eng...
More information: www.wakefieldhistoricalsociety.org.uk/historic-eng...
December 24, 2025 at 4:22 PM
Historic England is seeking memories and stories of listed pubs. Wakefield has a number of listed pubs, for instance the Elephant and Castle on Westgate, or the Black Swan on Silver Street. Can you help?
More information: www.wakefieldhistoricalsociety.org.uk/historic-eng...
More information: www.wakefieldhistoricalsociety.org.uk/historic-eng...
Reposted by Catriona Mackie
Your annual reminder that the most revealing difference between Irish and Scottish Gaelic is definitely in the words for December: Mí na Nollag (Month of Christmas) in Ireland, and An Dubhlachd (the Blackness) in Scotland. So once again may I wish you all a lovely Blackness.
December 1, 2025 at 1:00 PM
Your annual reminder that the most revealing difference between Irish and Scottish Gaelic is definitely in the words for December: Mí na Nollag (Month of Christmas) in Ireland, and An Dubhlachd (the Blackness) in Scotland. So once again may I wish you all a lovely Blackness.
This is wonderful news! www.theguardian.com/world/2025/d...
UK to rejoin EU’s Erasmus student exchange programme
Exclusive: British students will be able to participate in EU-wide scheme from January 2027, sources say
www.theguardian.com
December 16, 2025 at 9:01 PM
This is wonderful news! www.theguardian.com/world/2025/d...
Reposted by Catriona Mackie
Are you a PhD student & interested in using museum collections in your teaching or research?
We're running a *free* doctoral training programme for students at any institution to learn about working with collections.
Find out more:
collections.reading.ac.uk/whats-on/
We're running a *free* doctoral training programme for students at any institution to learn about working with collections.
Find out more:
collections.reading.ac.uk/whats-on/
November 25, 2025 at 12:55 PM
Are you a PhD student & interested in using museum collections in your teaching or research?
We're running a *free* doctoral training programme for students at any institution to learn about working with collections.
Find out more:
collections.reading.ac.uk/whats-on/
We're running a *free* doctoral training programme for students at any institution to learn about working with collections.
Find out more:
collections.reading.ac.uk/whats-on/
Reposted by Catriona Mackie
Now this is how to start a history book. A Wiltshire story teller 1890s.
"There were a time, 'tweren't in my time, neither in your time, nit (nor yet) in anybody else's time; 'twere when magpies builded in old men's beards and turkey-cocks chewed bacca”.
"There were a time, 'tweren't in my time, neither in your time, nit (nor yet) in anybody else's time; 'twere when magpies builded in old men's beards and turkey-cocks chewed bacca”.
November 21, 2025 at 8:48 PM
Now this is how to start a history book. A Wiltshire story teller 1890s.
"There were a time, 'tweren't in my time, neither in your time, nit (nor yet) in anybody else's time; 'twere when magpies builded in old men's beards and turkey-cocks chewed bacca”.
"There were a time, 'tweren't in my time, neither in your time, nit (nor yet) in anybody else's time; 'twere when magpies builded in old men's beards and turkey-cocks chewed bacca”.
Reposted by Catriona Mackie
An interesting paper of an under researched topic which invites further discussion. It brought to mind family stories of a Grandmother who worked in a steel foundry during WW2. While that wasn't exceptional but her refusal to leave at the end of the war was & more so, the management's capitulation!
Our researcher @tmcasimiro.bsky.social just co-authored a paper on women's emotions in industrial places. Take a look
www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....
www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....
Capturing emotions in the factory: an archaeological analysis of women’s lives through industrial photographs in Portugal
Studying emotions in archaeology poses significant challenges, particularly in varying chronologies and contexts. The emotions of women working in industrial sites, often overlooked and disregarded...
www.tandfonline.com
November 12, 2025 at 10:24 AM
An interesting paper of an under researched topic which invites further discussion. It brought to mind family stories of a Grandmother who worked in a steel foundry during WW2. While that wasn't exceptional but her refusal to leave at the end of the war was & more so, the management's capitulation!
Reposted by Catriona Mackie
Rosalind Franklin was born #OTD in 1920. Her X-ray diffraction work was critical for establishing the helical nature of DNA. 👩🔬 🧪
Work carried out by Franklin (with doctoral student Raymond Gosling) was given to Watson and Crick without her consent.
Image: Vittorio Luzzati / Jewish Women’s Archive
Work carried out by Franklin (with doctoral student Raymond Gosling) was given to Watson and Crick without her consent.
Image: Vittorio Luzzati / Jewish Women’s Archive
July 25, 2024 at 2:13 PM
Rosalind Franklin was born #OTD in 1920. Her X-ray diffraction work was critical for establishing the helical nature of DNA. 👩🔬 🧪
Work carried out by Franklin (with doctoral student Raymond Gosling) was given to Watson and Crick without her consent.
Image: Vittorio Luzzati / Jewish Women’s Archive
Work carried out by Franklin (with doctoral student Raymond Gosling) was given to Watson and Crick without her consent.
Image: Vittorio Luzzati / Jewish Women’s Archive
Reposted by Catriona Mackie
We had a feeling the press would love the first findings from our survey - and we’ve been getting some wonderful coverage! Take a look at the press page on our website to see how it’s been reported so far.
November 3, 2025 at 9:06 AM
We had a feeling the press would love the first findings from our survey - and we’ve been getting some wonderful coverage! Take a look at the press page on our website to see how it’s been reported so far.
Reposted by Catriona Mackie
A snippet of folklore for #Halloween 🎃
If you sit on a church porch at midnight on Halloween, you will see a procession of all the people who are destined to die in the parish during the next year 💀
#Wales #History
If you sit on a church porch at midnight on Halloween, you will see a procession of all the people who are destined to die in the parish during the next year 💀
#Wales #History
October 31, 2025 at 7:53 PM
A snippet of folklore for #Halloween 🎃
If you sit on a church porch at midnight on Halloween, you will see a procession of all the people who are destined to die in the parish during the next year 💀
#Wales #History
If you sit on a church porch at midnight on Halloween, you will see a procession of all the people who are destined to die in the parish during the next year 💀
#Wales #History
Reposted by Catriona Mackie
Published today: 'Atlantic Isles: Travel and Identity in the British and Irish West, 1880–1940', by Gareth Roddy bit.ly/4nwj9Y2
Gareth's book is the latest title in the Society's New Historical Perspectives series @uolpress.bsky.social. Available Open Access and in paperback print #Skystorians 1/2
Gareth's book is the latest title in the Society's New Historical Perspectives series @uolpress.bsky.social. Available Open Access and in paperback print #Skystorians 1/2
October 30, 2025 at 8:38 AM
Published today: 'Atlantic Isles: Travel and Identity in the British and Irish West, 1880–1940', by Gareth Roddy bit.ly/4nwj9Y2
Gareth's book is the latest title in the Society's New Historical Perspectives series @uolpress.bsky.social. Available Open Access and in paperback print #Skystorians 1/2
Gareth's book is the latest title in the Society's New Historical Perspectives series @uolpress.bsky.social. Available Open Access and in paperback print #Skystorians 1/2
Reposted by Catriona Mackie
The #ScottishGaelic Texts Society Annual #CannaLecture will take place at the University of Edinburgh on 21 November 2025, delivered by Dr Martin Macgregor.
llc.ed.ac.uk/celtic-scott...
llc.ed.ac.uk/celtic-scott...
Canna Lecture | Celtic & Scottish Studies | Literatures Languages and Culture
Join The Gaelic Texts Society and Celtic and Scottish Studies at the University of Edinburgh for their annual Canna Lecture by Dr Martin Macgregor (University of Glasgow), entitled ‘“Ach thèid an cran...
llc.ed.ac.uk
October 30, 2025 at 5:24 PM
The #ScottishGaelic Texts Society Annual #CannaLecture will take place at the University of Edinburgh on 21 November 2025, delivered by Dr Martin Macgregor.
llc.ed.ac.uk/celtic-scott...
llc.ed.ac.uk/celtic-scott...
Absolutely delighted to see this paper published and particularly pleased that it's open access! 'Environmental patriarchy in a small democracy: Women politicians’ experiences of patriarchy in Manx politics' is available here: www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/...
October 30, 2025 at 8:12 AM
Absolutely delighted to see this paper published and particularly pleased that it's open access! 'Environmental patriarchy in a small democracy: Women politicians’ experiences of patriarchy in Manx politics' is available here: www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/...
Reposted by Catriona Mackie
There is a moment at this time of year when the word ‘apricity’ really comes into view. For those who don’t know it, it was recorded only once, in 1623, before slipping out of view. Apricity is the warmth of the sun on a chilly day.
October 24, 2025 at 11:35 AM
There is a moment at this time of year when the word ‘apricity’ really comes into view. For those who don’t know it, it was recorded only once, in 1623, before slipping out of view. Apricity is the warmth of the sun on a chilly day.
Reposted by Catriona Mackie
The home of the O'Donovan family is being used as a polling station in Coolmoyne, Co Tipperary. Around 250 people are eligible to vote at the house and after they cast their ballot, they will be treated to a cup of tea, a slice of apple or rhubarb tart, or a scone | More: rte.ie/b/1540324
October 24, 2025 at 10:51 AM
The home of the O'Donovan family is being used as a polling station in Coolmoyne, Co Tipperary. Around 250 people are eligible to vote at the house and after they cast their ballot, they will be treated to a cup of tea, a slice of apple or rhubarb tart, or a scone | More: rte.ie/b/1540324
Reposted by Catriona Mackie
Folk explanations of place name derivations. Just finished revising a short study of them. Some were serious & others humorous. A favourite:
The Shropshire village of Selattyn on the Welsh border was thought to derive from a local schoolmaster who advertised "I sell Latin".
The Shropshire village of Selattyn on the Welsh border was thought to derive from a local schoolmaster who advertised "I sell Latin".
October 23, 2025 at 8:59 PM
Folk explanations of place name derivations. Just finished revising a short study of them. Some were serious & others humorous. A favourite:
The Shropshire village of Selattyn on the Welsh border was thought to derive from a local schoolmaster who advertised "I sell Latin".
The Shropshire village of Selattyn on the Welsh border was thought to derive from a local schoolmaster who advertised "I sell Latin".
Reposted by Catriona Mackie
Research by @emvchung.bsky.social one of @camunicampop.bsky.social brilliant PhD students in the Guardian today www.theguardian.com/education/20...
Friedrich Engels ‘took creative liberties’ with descriptions of class divides in Manchester
Cambridge historian Emily Chung finds philosopher’s blistering depictions of segregation may have been exaggerated
www.theguardian.com
October 21, 2025 at 7:26 AM
Research by @emvchung.bsky.social one of @camunicampop.bsky.social brilliant PhD students in the Guardian today www.theguardian.com/education/20...
Reposted by Catriona Mackie
Hybrid 🙏 Looking forward to attending the Intangible Cultural Heritage Scotland Conference next month: tracscotland.org/news-post/ne...
Registration Open for the Intangible Cultural Heritage Scotland Conference this November | Events in Scotland
Why?
Join us in Perth on 14 November for the third Intangible Cultural Heritage Scotland conference. With the UK Government ratifying the 2003 UNESCO Convention on Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH
tracscotland.org
October 10, 2025 at 8:10 PM
Hybrid 🙏 Looking forward to attending the Intangible Cultural Heritage Scotland Conference next month: tracscotland.org/news-post/ne...
Reposted by Catriona Mackie
Thanks, New Yorker
October 7, 2025 at 5:40 PM
Thanks, New Yorker
Reposted by Catriona Mackie
Great news!
JSTOR now have a free account with an Independent Researcher category. You can access 100 documents per month
www.jstor.org/action/showL...
JSTOR now have a free account with an Independent Researcher category. You can access 100 documents per month
www.jstor.org/action/showL...
September 29, 2025 at 3:27 PM
Great news!
JSTOR now have a free account with an Independent Researcher category. You can access 100 documents per month
www.jstor.org/action/showL...
JSTOR now have a free account with an Independent Researcher category. You can access 100 documents per month
www.jstor.org/action/showL...
Reposted by Catriona Mackie
Isn’t it splendid that the pub that ACTUALLY has a good claim to be the oldest pub/ inn in England is called the New Inn.
Despite widespread claims, there are not many mediaeval pubs still serving. The ones that survive are all inns. The best preserved is the New Inn at Gloucester. We know from tree-ring dating that construction began in 1432 and it was first mentioned in the records in 1455 🧵
September 16, 2025 at 8:24 PM
Isn’t it splendid that the pub that ACTUALLY has a good claim to be the oldest pub/ inn in England is called the New Inn.