Jeff Spanbauer, PhD
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jspanbauer.bsky.social
Jeff Spanbauer, PhD
@jspanbauer.bsky.social
Retiring Comm Coll Prof-History/Anthropology. Historical Archaeologist- 18thc material culture and military/fur trade sites, and wanna be zooarchaeologist/post-ex analyst.
Reposted by Jeff Spanbauer, PhD
Very happy to contribute to this excellent paper on #dogs by @carlydigsit.bsky.social & collabs showing that dog appearances were changing far far earlier than Victorian era breeding. 🏺🧪🦣 🐕 #zooarchaeology

Dog domestication, from the fierce to the feisty | Science www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Dog domestication, from the fierce to the feisty
Quantitative analysis of canid skulls points to an earlier origin of dog diversity
www.science.org
November 14, 2025 at 2:13 PM
I don't know my pathologist (self taught #zooarchaeology ) but something is telling me that this red fox had some major issues and owwies with its femurs. #animalbones #archaeology
October 28, 2025 at 8:10 PM
Reposted by Jeff Spanbauer, PhD
I think a lot about what Carl Sagan said in one of his final interviews.
May 4, 2025 at 6:21 AM
Reposted by Jeff Spanbauer, PhD
History is not "stuff that happened in the past"

History is the explanation for "why are we like this right now?"

It's ongoing. It never ended.
it’s so important because none of this exists in a vacuum, context is everything!
July 5, 2025 at 2:58 PM
Re-upping this in hopes someone's got some tidbits. #history #archaeology #freemasons
Hey #archaeology #eighteenthcentury historians hiveminds...anyone run into evidence of freemasonry at frontier forts and settlements in Colonial North America? I'm searching through archy reports for suggestions of masonic iconography or items. DM if you've stumbled across/references-pretty please.
July 3, 2025 at 1:42 PM
Hey #archaeology #eighteenthcentury historians hiveminds...anyone run into evidence of freemasonry at frontier forts and settlements in Colonial North America? I'm searching through archy reports for suggestions of masonic iconography or items. DM if you've stumbled across/references-pretty please.
July 1, 2025 at 12:36 PM
Started a couple weeks stint volunteering at Colonial Fort Michilimackinac. Excited to help w this long-running dig but am not happy with this tree.
June 16, 2025 at 4:52 PM
Reposted by Jeff Spanbauer, PhD
I told you we’d be back
June 12, 2025 at 4:15 PM
Reposted by Jeff Spanbauer, PhD
-chefs can use ready meals to save time on cooking
-zoos can use stuffed toys to save money on animals
-bars can serve piss and cut out the middle man
June 10, 2025 at 3:20 PM
Reposted by Jeff Spanbauer, PhD
Re-upping this due to recent experiences making it even more relevant.
June 5, 2025 at 1:07 PM
Applying for intro-level archaeology jobs as a....more "mature" early career researcher/field tech only to not even qualify for interviews. Welcome to Illinois archaeology. How does one get experience without getting a job (yes, I've done field schools, volunteered weeks on end, etc)?
May 29, 2025 at 5:46 PM
Roman Era animal bone assessment for today's project.
March 12, 2025 at 4:59 PM
I've been at University of Leicester Archaeolgical Services for the past week and change trying to learn more about post ex and environmental archaeology. Thought I'd share some nifty Roman (and others) pottery I've gotten my hands on. #archaeology #olddognewtricks
March 11, 2025 at 5:24 PM
Taking an opportunity for some post ex skills training at university of Leicester Archaeological Service. Environmental archaeology is interesting work.
March 6, 2025 at 1:08 PM
Reposted by Jeff Spanbauer, PhD
🎉We’re delighted that our first major #BoxOfficeBears paper is published Open Access today in @antiquityj.bsky.social

What do we know about the 🐻 and 🐶 that lived on Bankside? How big were they? What did they eat? How long did they live?🧵 of key findings below!

www.cambridge.org/core/journal...
What does a bear-baiting assemblage look like? Interdisciplinary analysis of an Early Modern ‘sport’ | Antiquity | Cambridge Core
What does a bear-baiting assemblage look like? Interdisciplinary analysis of an Early Modern ‘sport’
www.cambridge.org
February 17, 2025 at 12:02 PM
Well, it's official. The stink of my latest crockpot roadkill #zooarchaeology critter has led to an ultimatum from my partner. Guess I gotta move out of the garage. The hazards of professional devt.
February 2, 2025 at 1:30 PM
Attempting to process a river otter (found deceased in a...river) 'cause my partner wants to see its skull. BUT the bugs haven't had a chance to work it yet. The insides are just gross. Sorry veterinary folks but just gross. #justgimmethebones #zooarchaeology
January 1, 2025 at 5:11 PM
Indiana University, getting my zooarch on picking up some skills training and generally saying wow every few moments. #zooarchaeology
December 19, 2024 at 12:35 AM
Reposted by Jeff Spanbauer, PhD
A lot of people will tell you we're a Roman Palace.

We are in fact a moon-sized super-weapon capable of destroying a planet.

(Better with sound).
December 10, 2024 at 9:16 AM
Nobody has asked me this in quite a few years, but...
#favoritedinosaur is still the triceratops #favorite planet is Saturn and #favorite cereal is Still 1980s Count Chocula. You're welcome. Thoughts?
December 2, 2024 at 12:30 AM
No new projects to volunteer/work on, so here are some lovely little bits of tin glazed earthenware (delft/faience) from an 18thc fur trade fort I worked on.
November 21, 2024 at 11:25 AM
A little nostalgic for Oslo today and it's archaeological wonders.
November 16, 2024 at 9:25 PM
The newest addition to my reference collection, once I remove all the squishy stuff. Funny the things one finds. #zooarchaeology #fishbones
November 14, 2024 at 12:14 PM