Helen Gittos
@helengittos.bsky.social
Associate Professor of Medieval History; parent involved in the Independent Inquiry into Maternity Services at East Kent.
(I'm no longer able to read private messages here.)
(I'm no longer able to read private messages here.)
Pinned
NEW EPISODE! Cerne Abbas: Secrets Beneath The Giant | TIME TEAM (Dorset) 2025
YouTube video by Time Team Official
www.youtube.com
... and, if you haven't seen it yet, what better time to catch up on the @timeteam.bsky.social special on @hugh-willmott.bsky.social's excvations at #cerneabbey:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=DY68...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=DY68...
This is superb - & magic to be caught unawares by it - tuning in to R4 to ease the boredom of tidying up after dinner while my children were winding each other up - anxious as ever that I'm behind at work, & with family admin, that there's not enough time to see friends... #tobethegoodenoughmother
this saturday! I haven't heard it yet, but there's not only interviews with Carolyn Steedman and Miriam Stoppard, but also live audio of me attempting to get my kids out the door for school in the mornings www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m...
BBC Radio 4 - Archive on 4, Landscape For A Good Infant
How has the state shaped different generations’ experience of infancy?
www.bbc.co.uk
February 7, 2026 at 8:57 PM
This is superb - & magic to be caught unawares by it - tuning in to R4 to ease the boredom of tidying up after dinner while my children were winding each other up - anxious as ever that I'm behind at work, & with family admin, that there's not enough time to see friends... #tobethegoodenoughmother
My god, the drabness of clothes for teenage boys!
February 7, 2026 at 5:00 PM
My god, the drabness of clothes for teenage boys!
Reposted by Helen Gittos
On 2 May I'll be speaking about Edward I at the Medieval Canterbury Weekend. history-weekends.org/ticket-shop
Ticket Shop
Select a talk and book and pay for your tickets directly through our website.
history-weekends.org
February 6, 2026 at 6:36 PM
On 2 May I'll be speaking about Edward I at the Medieval Canterbury Weekend. history-weekends.org/ticket-shop
Reposted by Helen Gittos
Amplifying this again from way over in the UK where I'm wondering if Oxford Uni - which is part of the same OpenAI "NextGenAI" global reputation-washing scheme - is also being petitioned by its staff to cancel the contract
Our petition asking the CSU chancellor to “Cancel ChatGPT Edu. Invest in Humans” is very close to 2,000 signatures—many irate faculty, students, alums.
We‘ll be sending signatures and comments to the administration on *Monday.* Last call, & anyone can sign!
actionnetwork.org/petitions/ca...
We‘ll be sending signatures and comments to the administration on *Monday.* Last call, & anyone can sign!
actionnetwork.org/petitions/ca...
February 6, 2026 at 5:18 PM
Amplifying this again from way over in the UK where I'm wondering if Oxford Uni - which is part of the same OpenAI "NextGenAI" global reputation-washing scheme - is also being petitioned by its staff to cancel the contract
Reposted by Helen Gittos
I am sorry to report that George Speake, expert on Anglo-Saxon art, died on 15 January. His funeral will be this Friday, 6 February, in St Laurence's, Combe, Oxfordshire. I will miss his warm-heartedness & kindness, his curiousity, rigour, and willingness to take intellectual risks. I'll miss him.
February 3, 2026 at 1:48 PM
I am sorry to report that George Speake, expert on Anglo-Saxon art, died on 15 January. His funeral will be this Friday, 6 February, in St Laurence's, Combe, Oxfordshire. I will miss his warm-heartedness & kindness, his curiousity, rigour, and willingness to take intellectual risks. I'll miss him.
... and, if you haven't seen it yet, what better time to catch up on the @timeteam.bsky.social special on @hugh-willmott.bsky.social's excvations at #cerneabbey:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=DY68...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=DY68...
NEW EPISODE! Cerne Abbas: Secrets Beneath The Giant | TIME TEAM (Dorset) 2025
YouTube video by Time Team Official
www.youtube.com
February 5, 2026 at 7:19 PM
... and, if you haven't seen it yet, what better time to catch up on the @timeteam.bsky.social special on @hugh-willmott.bsky.social's excvations at #cerneabbey:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=DY68...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=DY68...
Stills from the most recent @timeteam.bsky.social on the princely burials at Cherrington (Glos.) which included a woman, relic-box hanging from her waist, beside a young boy with an adult's sword; eloquently presented by the ever-fabulous @helengeake.bsky.social.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=xiPm...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=xiPm...
February 5, 2026 at 7:13 PM
Stills from the most recent @timeteam.bsky.social on the princely burials at Cherrington (Glos.) which included a woman, relic-box hanging from her waist, beside a young boy with an adult's sword; eloquently presented by the ever-fabulous @helengeake.bsky.social.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=xiPm...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=xiPm...
Reposted by Helen Gittos
Finally had a chance to go through some of our finds from last year's excavation at #CerneAbbey & thought I would share this gem. Book clasps are quite common finds on monastic sites but this little fella is the finest I've ever excavated & must have come from a pretty fancy prayer book or psalter
January 21, 2026 at 7:41 PM
Finally had a chance to go through some of our finds from last year's excavation at #CerneAbbey & thought I would share this gem. Book clasps are quite common finds on monastic sites but this little fella is the finest I've ever excavated & must have come from a pretty fancy prayer book or psalter
Reposted by Helen Gittos
Wind, what wind? Today, hardy sheffielduni.bsky.social archaeology students have been out demonstrating their Yorkshire mettle at #CerneAbbey in Dorset, despite Storm Chandra's best efforts
January 27, 2026 at 6:41 PM
Wind, what wind? Today, hardy sheffielduni.bsky.social archaeology students have been out demonstrating their Yorkshire mettle at #CerneAbbey in Dorset, despite Storm Chandra's best efforts
Reposted by Helen Gittos
Excited that my volume on the Early Bronze Age coffined burial from Tetney is now published open access by @antiquaries.bsky.social! Now everyone can read about this amazing find dated to 2032 BC and containing an amazing array of environmental and artefactual data.
library.oapen.org/viewer/web/v...
library.oapen.org/viewer/web/v...
February 5, 2026 at 1:57 PM
Excited that my volume on the Early Bronze Age coffined burial from Tetney is now published open access by @antiquaries.bsky.social! Now everyone can read about this amazing find dated to 2032 BC and containing an amazing array of environmental and artefactual data.
library.oapen.org/viewer/web/v...
library.oapen.org/viewer/web/v...
New!
The first comparative, international, cross-disciplinary study of silver in late antique Europe. And includes full catalogues of major UK hacksilver hoards: Norrie’s Law (Fife), Gaulcross (Aberdeenshire), Tummel Bridge (Perthshire) and Patching (Sussex).
www.sidestone.com/books/silver...
The first comparative, international, cross-disciplinary study of silver in late antique Europe. And includes full catalogues of major UK hacksilver hoards: Norrie’s Law (Fife), Gaulcross (Aberdeenshire), Tummel Bridge (Perthshire) and Patching (Sussex).
www.sidestone.com/books/silver...
February 5, 2026 at 6:49 PM
New!
The first comparative, international, cross-disciplinary study of silver in late antique Europe. And includes full catalogues of major UK hacksilver hoards: Norrie’s Law (Fife), Gaulcross (Aberdeenshire), Tummel Bridge (Perthshire) and Patching (Sussex).
www.sidestone.com/books/silver...
The first comparative, international, cross-disciplinary study of silver in late antique Europe. And includes full catalogues of major UK hacksilver hoards: Norrie’s Law (Fife), Gaulcross (Aberdeenshire), Tummel Bridge (Perthshire) and Patching (Sussex).
www.sidestone.com/books/silver...
Reposted by Helen Gittos
February 5, 2026 at 2:34 PM
A wonderfully warm and fitting tribute from @alixebovey.bsky.social to the medieval art historian John Lowden. What a long, hard winter this has been.
courtauld.ac.uk/news-blogs/2...
courtauld.ac.uk/news-blogs/2...
February 4, 2026 at 7:50 PM
A wonderfully warm and fitting tribute from @alixebovey.bsky.social to the medieval art historian John Lowden. What a long, hard winter this has been.
courtauld.ac.uk/news-blogs/2...
courtauld.ac.uk/news-blogs/2...
Reposted by Helen Gittos
‘We found that using AI assistance led to a statistically significant decrease in mastery. On a quiz that covered concepts they’d used just a few minutes before, participants in the AI group scored 17% lower than those who coded by hand’
Blog on Anthropic’s site
www.anthropic.com/research/AI-...
Blog on Anthropic’s site
www.anthropic.com/research/AI-...
How AI assistance impacts the formation of coding skills
Anthropic is an AI safety and research company that's working to build reliable, interpretable, and steerable AI systems.
www.anthropic.com
February 3, 2026 at 9:06 PM
‘We found that using AI assistance led to a statistically significant decrease in mastery. On a quiz that covered concepts they’d used just a few minutes before, participants in the AI group scored 17% lower than those who coded by hand’
Blog on Anthropic’s site
www.anthropic.com/research/AI-...
Blog on Anthropic’s site
www.anthropic.com/research/AI-...
I am sorry to report that George Speake, expert on Anglo-Saxon art, died on 15 January. His funeral will be this Friday, 6 February, in St Laurence's, Combe, Oxfordshire. I will miss his warm-heartedness & kindness, his curiousity, rigour, and willingness to take intellectual risks. I'll miss him.
February 3, 2026 at 1:48 PM
I am sorry to report that George Speake, expert on Anglo-Saxon art, died on 15 January. His funeral will be this Friday, 6 February, in St Laurence's, Combe, Oxfordshire. I will miss his warm-heartedness & kindness, his curiousity, rigour, and willingness to take intellectual risks. I'll miss him.
Reposted by Helen Gittos
Prof Hamerow hosted a celebration for the FeedSax project team & their amazing open access outputs inc. their book 'Feeding Medieval England'. The School's Sheaf of Wheat also attended - #archaeobotonists will understand! @erc.europa.eu @archanchistleic.bsky.social @oxunipress.bsky.social
February 3, 2026 at 11:35 AM
Prof Hamerow hosted a celebration for the FeedSax project team & their amazing open access outputs inc. their book 'Feeding Medieval England'. The School's Sheaf of Wheat also attended - #archaeobotonists will understand! @erc.europa.eu @archanchistleic.bsky.social @oxunipress.bsky.social
I do not want to live by salary alone...
Trying to write a grant application and struggling to get that phrase - which epitomises so much - out of my head.
Trying to write a grant application and struggling to get that phrase - which epitomises so much - out of my head.
February 3, 2026 at 11:24 AM
I do not want to live by salary alone...
Trying to write a grant application and struggling to get that phrase - which epitomises so much - out of my head.
Trying to write a grant application and struggling to get that phrase - which epitomises so much - out of my head.
The @nationaltrust.org.uk has this week secured the purchase of the land around the Cerne Giant.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Cerne Abbas chalk giant attracts £330,000 donations in 60 days
The money came from across the world and will help buy land around the Cerne Abbas Giant.
www.bbc.co.uk
February 3, 2026 at 9:55 AM
The @nationaltrust.org.uk has this week secured the purchase of the land around the Cerne Giant.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
'I do not want to live by salary alone'... is quite the thing, isn't it?!
February 2, 2026 at 9:16 PM
'I do not want to live by salary alone'... is quite the thing, isn't it?!
Reposted by Helen Gittos
The Gefrin Trust is delighted to announce the publication of a landmark volume by Roger Miket entitled "Ad Gefrin: Brian Hope-Taylor and His Quest for the Early Medieval Kingdom of Northumbria." Get your copy at the Ad Gefrin Shop in Wooler! #Yeavering
February 2, 2026 at 4:40 PM
The Gefrin Trust is delighted to announce the publication of a landmark volume by Roger Miket entitled "Ad Gefrin: Brian Hope-Taylor and His Quest for the Early Medieval Kingdom of Northumbria." Get your copy at the Ad Gefrin Shop in Wooler! #Yeavering
A pretty crap time to be a woman..
February 2, 2026 at 4:10 PM
A pretty crap time to be a woman..
I hardly ever buy clothes new any more but this was a startlingly good find in Shrewsbury today. www.avantgardedesign5.com
February 1, 2026 at 8:00 PM
I hardly ever buy clothes new any more but this was a startlingly good find in Shrewsbury today. www.avantgardedesign5.com
How did a poem composed by an aristocratic woman in fourth-century Rome become essential reading for an obscure author in early medieval England?
Virgil, Proba, Theodore, Aldhem... something for (almost) everybody!
New article by @maryhitchman.bsky.social
jolcel.ugent.be/article/id/9...
Virgil, Proba, Theodore, Aldhem... something for (almost) everybody!
New article by @maryhitchman.bsky.social
jolcel.ugent.be/article/id/9...
February 1, 2026 at 6:11 PM
How did a poem composed by an aristocratic woman in fourth-century Rome become essential reading for an obscure author in early medieval England?
Virgil, Proba, Theodore, Aldhem... something for (almost) everybody!
New article by @maryhitchman.bsky.social
jolcel.ugent.be/article/id/9...
Virgil, Proba, Theodore, Aldhem... something for (almost) everybody!
New article by @maryhitchman.bsky.social
jolcel.ugent.be/article/id/9...
A privilege to spend some time with the Thegns of Mercia @thegns.bsky.social; the quality of the work they are producing is astonishing and humbling and hugely helpful to think with. May they thrive!
Photo from their bluesky banner.
www.thegns.org
Photo from their bluesky banner.
www.thegns.org
February 1, 2026 at 5:55 PM
A privilege to spend some time with the Thegns of Mercia @thegns.bsky.social; the quality of the work they are producing is astonishing and humbling and hugely helpful to think with. May they thrive!
Photo from their bluesky banner.
www.thegns.org
Photo from their bluesky banner.
www.thegns.org
Reposted by Helen Gittos
7-8th century Anglo-Saxon priest (team member James Wenn). “Dalmatic” by Æd Thompson.
Previously we shared the foundations of James’ work to reconstruct a plausible image of the Gregorian missionaries and first bishops of the Anglo-Saxon church whose deeds are well documented but… 🧵
Previously we shared the foundations of James’ work to reconstruct a plausible image of the Gregorian missionaries and first bishops of the Anglo-Saxon church whose deeds are well documented but… 🧵
May 24, 2025 at 12:26 PM
7-8th century Anglo-Saxon priest (team member James Wenn). “Dalmatic” by Æd Thompson.
Previously we shared the foundations of James’ work to reconstruct a plausible image of the Gregorian missionaries and first bishops of the Anglo-Saxon church whose deeds are well documented but… 🧵
Previously we shared the foundations of James’ work to reconstruct a plausible image of the Gregorian missionaries and first bishops of the Anglo-Saxon church whose deeds are well documented but… 🧵