Dr Shyama Vermeersch
@shyamavermeersch.bsky.social
🏺 Archaeologist at the University of Oxford
🌾 Past and present #Farming
💃 Nerd who twerks
🌾 Past and present #Farming
💃 Nerd who twerks
Pinned
I am new to Bluesky, so here is my #Introduction!
I'm an archaeologist interested in researching past farming, food, and land use.
I study animal & plant remains 🐐🌾, apply biochemical analyses 🧪👩🔬, & investigate ways on how #Archaeology can contribute to #Farming and #Food #Sustainability today 🚜
I'm an archaeologist interested in researching past farming, food, and land use.
I study animal & plant remains 🐐🌾, apply biochemical analyses 🧪👩🔬, & investigate ways on how #Archaeology can contribute to #Farming and #Food #Sustainability today 🚜
I will (try to) take a social media break over summer! Contact me through email or other means if necessary😉
June 29, 2025 at 9:46 PM
I will (try to) take a social media break over summer! Contact me through email or other means if necessary😉
My blog for Pasture for Life on their #Biodiversity case studies is published!
I explore the most common methods to farm for – and with – biodiversity, how to turn biodiversity efforts into economic profits & what support is available.
#Farming
www.pastureforlife.org/news/pasture...
I explore the most common methods to farm for – and with – biodiversity, how to turn biodiversity efforts into economic profits & what support is available.
#Farming
www.pastureforlife.org/news/pasture...
Pasture for Life - Biodiversity Case Studies - Pasture for Life - Certified 100% grass-fed meat, milk and dairy
By Dr Shyama Vermeersch, PfL Research Team - We examine some of the most common methods to farm for – and with – biodiversity, look at how to turn biodiversity efforts into economic profits, and where...
www.pastureforlife.org
June 12, 2025 at 8:42 AM
My blog for Pasture for Life on their #Biodiversity case studies is published!
I explore the most common methods to farm for – and with – biodiversity, how to turn biodiversity efforts into economic profits & what support is available.
#Farming
www.pastureforlife.org/news/pasture...
I explore the most common methods to farm for – and with – biodiversity, how to turn biodiversity efforts into economic profits & what support is available.
#Farming
www.pastureforlife.org/news/pasture...
This week, I am with the Amman Citadel Excavation in Jordan to analyse animal bones and take samples for stable isotopes!
May 21, 2025 at 5:43 AM
This week, I am with the Amman Citadel Excavation in Jordan to analyse animal bones and take samples for stable isotopes!
I am making an academic poster for the very first time! Having seen many boring posters, I am trying to make it fun.
What are things you have seen on posters that you loved or hated? #Academia
What are things you have seen on posters that you loved or hated? #Academia
May 15, 2025 at 1:26 PM
I am making an academic poster for the very first time! Having seen many boring posters, I am trying to make it fun.
What are things you have seen on posters that you loved or hated? #Academia
What are things you have seen on posters that you loved or hated? #Academia
Today's task: editing a video of me talking about archaeological methods for my video course. First mini task? finding the appropriate funky tunes 🎥😎 #SciComm
May 2, 2025 at 8:26 AM
Today's task: editing a video of me talking about archaeological methods for my video course. First mini task? finding the appropriate funky tunes 🎥😎 #SciComm
This Friday is all about job applications... and one collaboration meeting. It is interesting to experience how much more difficult it is (mentally) to apply for non-academic jobs! What have your experiences been when transitioning out of #Academia?
April 25, 2025 at 1:33 PM
This Friday is all about job applications... and one collaboration meeting. It is interesting to experience how much more difficult it is (mentally) to apply for non-academic jobs! What have your experiences been when transitioning out of #Academia?
Reposting this since I still am looking for inspiration on how to treat small sample sizes in #Zooarchaeology.
One might say that publishing anything less than a 100-200 bones is not worth it. However, with precarious funding and contracts, I think it is well worth it so data does not disappear.
One might say that publishing anything less than a 100-200 bones is not worth it. However, with precarious funding and contracts, I think it is well worth it so data does not disappear.
Does anyone have some good (published) case-studies in #Zooarchaeology that use small sample sizes?
Defintely looking for some inspiration to make my small dataset a bit more interesting 🥹
Defintely looking for some inspiration to make my small dataset a bit more interesting 🥹
April 23, 2025 at 8:04 AM
Reposting this since I still am looking for inspiration on how to treat small sample sizes in #Zooarchaeology.
One might say that publishing anything less than a 100-200 bones is not worth it. However, with precarious funding and contracts, I think it is well worth it so data does not disappear.
One might say that publishing anything less than a 100-200 bones is not worth it. However, with precarious funding and contracts, I think it is well worth it so data does not disappear.
Working on a blog about farms who have a #Biodiversity approach. Quite a nice setting here at my parents!
April 8, 2025 at 11:58 AM
Working on a blog about farms who have a #Biodiversity approach. Quite a nice setting here at my parents!
Rate my set-up 😄 Today, I'm taking pictures of charred barley from a Syrian site. Documentation is important when you're about to destroy samples for stable isotope analysis in #Archaeology!
March 26, 2025 at 2:18 PM
Rate my set-up 😄 Today, I'm taking pictures of charred barley from a Syrian site. Documentation is important when you're about to destroy samples for stable isotope analysis in #Archaeology!
I had so much fun giving this webinar! Lots of people in the comments shared their experiences with past farming technologies (which I unfortunately forgot to download to look into later on).
Tomorrow at 1PM UK time, I am giving a webinar for Pasture For Life to talk about how #archaeology can give us insight into #farming of the past and how it can contribute to current discussions on #sustainability.
Tune in here (for free): www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/winter-web...
Tune in here (for free): www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/winter-web...
Winter Webinar: Farming Past and Present
What can archaeology tell us about farming, and how relevant is this for the present? Dr Shyama Vermeersch, University of Oxford.
www.eventbrite.co.uk
March 19, 2025 at 2:24 PM
I had so much fun giving this webinar! Lots of people in the comments shared their experiences with past farming technologies (which I unfortunately forgot to download to look into later on).
Tomorrow at 1PM UK time, I am giving a webinar for Pasture For Life to talk about how #archaeology can give us insight into #farming of the past and how it can contribute to current discussions on #sustainability.
Tune in here (for free): www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/winter-web...
Tune in here (for free): www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/winter-web...
Winter Webinar: Farming Past and Present
What can archaeology tell us about farming, and how relevant is this for the present? Dr Shyama Vermeersch, University of Oxford.
www.eventbrite.co.uk
March 18, 2025 at 2:08 PM
Tomorrow at 1PM UK time, I am giving a webinar for Pasture For Life to talk about how #archaeology can give us insight into #farming of the past and how it can contribute to current discussions on #sustainability.
Tune in here (for free): www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/winter-web...
Tune in here (for free): www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/winter-web...
We went to 66 Books yesterday for the first time and got quite the #Book haul! Besides fiction, I am excited to have gotten my hands on copies of 'Rewilding' and 'Eat, Die, Poop' 💩🌿
Not featured: some books we got for friends!
Not featured: some books we got for friends!
March 17, 2025 at 10:54 AM
We went to 66 Books yesterday for the first time and got quite the #Book haul! Besides fiction, I am excited to have gotten my hands on copies of 'Rewilding' and 'Eat, Die, Poop' 💩🌿
Not featured: some books we got for friends!
Not featured: some books we got for friends!
This term I joined a video class, which means I am now preparing my script for filming an in-person interview next week. Excited to talk about how #Archaeology can contribute to discussions of major present-day issues 🎥
March 14, 2025 at 2:16 PM
This term I joined a video class, which means I am now preparing my script for filming an in-person interview next week. Excited to talk about how #Archaeology can contribute to discussions of major present-day issues 🎥
Today, it's back to analysing Pasture For Life's #Biodiversity casestudies. Doing this work definitely is helping me rethink how to include #Archaeology on discussions about #Farming. 🧑🌾
March 13, 2025 at 10:41 AM
Today, it's back to analysing Pasture For Life's #Biodiversity casestudies. Doing this work definitely is helping me rethink how to include #Archaeology on discussions about #Farming. 🧑🌾
#Archaeology provides (ecological) baselines for animals which can help #Reintroduction of extinct animals.
However, I can't help notice the lack of mention of archaeology with the recent #Beaver reintroductions in the UK. 🦫
Am I missing something? If so, please send it my way!
However, I can't help notice the lack of mention of archaeology with the recent #Beaver reintroductions in the UK. 🦫
Am I missing something? If so, please send it my way!
March 11, 2025 at 11:42 AM
#Archaeology provides (ecological) baselines for animals which can help #Reintroduction of extinct animals.
However, I can't help notice the lack of mention of archaeology with the recent #Beaver reintroductions in the UK. 🦫
Am I missing something? If so, please send it my way!
However, I can't help notice the lack of mention of archaeology with the recent #Beaver reintroductions in the UK. 🦫
Am I missing something? If so, please send it my way!
Does anyone have some good (published) case-studies in #Zooarchaeology that use small sample sizes?
Defintely looking for some inspiration to make my small dataset a bit more interesting 🥹
Defintely looking for some inspiration to make my small dataset a bit more interesting 🥹
March 6, 2025 at 10:52 AM
Does anyone have some good (published) case-studies in #Zooarchaeology that use small sample sizes?
Defintely looking for some inspiration to make my small dataset a bit more interesting 🥹
Defintely looking for some inspiration to make my small dataset a bit more interesting 🥹
Today, I am running the last batch of animal bone collagen samples from Jordan through the mass spectrometer for stable isotope analysis!
It's good to know I processed all the samples collected in September before going to the field again in May 👩🔬💪
It's good to know I processed all the samples collected in September before going to the field again in May 👩🔬💪
March 5, 2025 at 8:55 AM
Today, I am running the last batch of animal bone collagen samples from Jordan through the mass spectrometer for stable isotope analysis!
It's good to know I processed all the samples collected in September before going to the field again in May 👩🔬💪
It's good to know I processed all the samples collected in September before going to the field again in May 👩🔬💪
For 2 weeks now, I've ordered the UK only organic veg box from Sandy Lane Farm (Oxfordshire) in an attempt to eat a bit more sustainable. It's been fun trying out new recipes and discovering veggies I'd never heard of/used before! 🧅🥔🥬🥦
March 3, 2025 at 3:15 PM
For 2 weeks now, I've ordered the UK only organic veg box from Sandy Lane Farm (Oxfordshire) in an attempt to eat a bit more sustainable. It's been fun trying out new recipes and discovering veggies I'd never heard of/used before! 🧅🥔🥬🥦
What a random Friday: started the day with Arabic class, followed by taking samples out of the freeze-dryer. The afternoon was then spend on reading biodiversity cases studies from Pasture For Life! 🐄🌿
February 28, 2025 at 3:47 PM
What a random Friday: started the day with Arabic class, followed by taking samples out of the freeze-dryer. The afternoon was then spend on reading biodiversity cases studies from Pasture For Life! 🐄🌿
Totally forgot to mention that I finished my collagen pretreatment this week! Now, I just need to check quality, interpret the results, and write them up 🧪👩🔬
February 27, 2025 at 9:25 AM
Totally forgot to mention that I finished my collagen pretreatment this week! Now, I just need to check quality, interpret the results, and write them up 🧪👩🔬
I am working on an article presenting the first #Zooarchaeology & stable isotope results of 3 sites in Jordan. The specimen numbers are low, as are the number of isotope samples.
I want knowledge to be accessible ASAP, but what are your thoughts on publishing preliminary data? (1/2)
I want knowledge to be accessible ASAP, but what are your thoughts on publishing preliminary data? (1/2)
February 25, 2025 at 10:24 AM
I am working on an article presenting the first #Zooarchaeology & stable isotope results of 3 sites in Jordan. The specimen numbers are low, as are the number of isotope samples.
I want knowledge to be accessible ASAP, but what are your thoughts on publishing preliminary data? (1/2)
I want knowledge to be accessible ASAP, but what are your thoughts on publishing preliminary data? (1/2)
Saturday, I finally got to visit #Bath and its famous Roman Baths! It was a wonderful visit with one of the best (free!) audio guides. 10/10 would recommend, even if the ticket is a bit pricey.
February 24, 2025 at 9:44 AM
Saturday, I finally got to visit #Bath and its famous Roman Baths! It was a wonderful visit with one of the best (free!) audio guides. 10/10 would recommend, even if the ticket is a bit pricey.
The past two days, I have been weighing collagen to make samples for the mass spectrometer. This will (hopefully) be the last run for the Jordanian material I collected last September! 🧪👩🔬
#Archaeology
#Archaeology
February 21, 2025 at 9:50 AM
The past two days, I have been weighing collagen to make samples for the mass spectrometer. This will (hopefully) be the last run for the Jordanian material I collected last September! 🧪👩🔬
#Archaeology
#Archaeology
Four years ago, on this day, I submitted my PhD thesis during a pandemic! Time flies!
Since then, I've done 2 years as support staff and now have been a postdoc since 1.5 years.
Since then, I've done 2 years as support staff and now have been a postdoc since 1.5 years.
February 19, 2025 at 1:13 PM
Four years ago, on this day, I submitted my PhD thesis during a pandemic! Time flies!
Since then, I've done 2 years as support staff and now have been a postdoc since 1.5 years.
Since then, I've done 2 years as support staff and now have been a postdoc since 1.5 years.