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12stonegateroad.bsky.social
Melusande
@12stonegateroad.bsky.social
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12stonegateroad.bsky.social
Melusande @12stonegateroad.bsky.social · Nov 26
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chapps.bsky.social
A Roman terracotta lamp with Victory holding a shield inscribed with a wish for a happy and prosperous new year. Around her are representations of things that were usually given as gifts to celebrate the New Year: money (here three coins), and dried fruit (dates and figs). 🥳 🏺 1/

#MetMuseum 📸 me
Winged Victory holds a shield inscribed with a New Year's wish for happiness: ANNV / NOVM FAV/STVM FEL/ICEM MI/HI, which transliterates as 'Annum Novum Faustum Felicem Mihi' - literally 'A happy, fortunate, and prosperous New Year to me'. It's a self-referential wish for happiness and good fortune in the new year. Around her are representations of things that were usually given as gifts to celebrate the New Year— money (in the form of three coins) and dried fruit (dates and figs). Roman, mold-made, 2nd half of 1st century CE. Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York (06.1021.291)
December 31, 2025 at 8:36 PM
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jensnotroff.com
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alisonfisk.bsky.social Alison Fisk @alisonfisk.bsky.social · Dec 13
Labour strikes aren’t new!

The first recorded strike in history took place in Egypt some 3,200 years ago!

The ‘Strike Papyrus’ records that tomb workers of King Ramesses III downed tools over pay and conditions circa 1157 BC!

Museo Egizio, Turin 📷 by me

#Archaeology
My photo shows the front side (recto) of an ancient Egyptian administrative document written by the scribe Amunnakht in hieratic script (cursive writing of hieroglyphics). It is written in black ink on papyrus by the scribe Amunnakht. The papyrus is now a yellowy-brown colour and is worn in places. The document is known as the ‘Strike Papyrus’ and recounts that in November of Year 29 of the reign of Ramesses III, the royal tomb workers of Deir el-Medina stopped work for the first time and spent several days at the Theban necropolis in the temples of Tuthmosis III and Ramesses II. They demanded that the grain ratians for their work be distributed, and the authorities subsequently disbursed the grain rations. However, a few days later, the workers went on strike again, this time finding refuge in the temple of Seti I. Their refusal to retum to work stemmed fram the precarious working conditions, a situation they wanted to bring directly to the pharaoh. The last strike documented here was in January of the following year.
December 13, 2025 at 11:51 PM
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sailorrooscout.bsky.social
GOOD NEWS! Researchers have unveiled a promising new vaccine that generates a powerful immune response against HIV and other viruses including SARS-CoV-2 and influenza with just ONE dose. By combining immune-boosting adjuvants, the vaccine encourages the body to generate more antibody variations.
September 30, 2025 at 4:00 PM
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archaeohawke.bsky.social
#MosaicMonday
#Roman mosaic depicting flip flops from one house in Timgad, #Algeria. 🇩🇿

The #mosaic was located at a threshold, presumably for a private thermal bath complex.

BENE LAVA translates to "'wash well" when you enter.

#Archaeology #Art #History
📸 Dr. Sophie Hay.
August 18, 2025 at 6:51 AM
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alisonfisk.bsky.social
Happy Monday!

Here’s an ancient amber bear carved about 10,000 years ago!

This magical find washed up on a beach at Fanø in Denmark from a submerged Mesolithic settlement under the North Sea.

National Museum of Denmark, Copenhagen. 📷 by me

#Archaeology
My photo shows a small figurine of an amber bear carved some 10,000 years ago during the Mesolithic period. The bear is seen in profile facing right. The legs are incomplete. The ears, muzzle and mouth are defined. The figurine is displayed on a small metal stand. The display lighting shining on the bear’s head and neck enhances the translucence of the orange coloured amber.
August 18, 2025 at 5:16 PM
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sketchesbyboze.bsky.social
I read 186 books in the first six months of this year. In today's essay (link below) I explain how I did it, and how you can rekindle your love of reading and become a voracious reader in an age of distraction.
purely illustrative photo showing off some of my favorite books
August 10, 2025 at 5:35 PM
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chapps.bsky.social
This mummy portrait from Egypt reflects the blending of cultures. Her hairstyle is Hadrianic, but her corkscrew curls are specific to Egyptian styles. She wears luxe Roman jewelry and a rich purple tunic, but the gold surrounding and crowning her is an Egyptian motif. 🏺

120-140 CE. #MetMuseum 📸 me
This panel was not painted in the areas where the mummy wrappings have would covered the edges. Once in the wrappings, the background was gilded, and a gilded line was drawn to frame the lower end of the painting. Gold leaf was also used for the wreath and the lower necklace, a gold chain with a crescent (called a lunula). The woman's face and neck are thickly painted in cream, heightened with pink on the cheeks and nose and around the eyes. The shades are built up from a dark ground. The woman's oval face, large eyes, and slightly open lips give the portrait considerable presence. Venus rings on her neck call attention to her youthful plump beauty. The hairstyle is typical for the period of the Emperor Hadrian, except for the corkscrew locks around the forehead, which may be a regional style. Romano-Egyptian, ca. 120–140 CE. From Hawara (?), Egypt. Encaustic on wood with gold leaf. Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York (09.181.7)
June 22, 2025 at 6:39 PM
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nashishereforit.bsky.social
He just dropped $280,000,000 worth of artillery in a war that’s not ours, but our grandparents have to live on Ramen noodles because America can’t afford Meals on Wheels anymore.

Make it make sense.
June 22, 2025 at 8:27 PM
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markhamillofficial.bsky.social
I hate when I go to bed early on a Saturday night and wake up Sunday morning only to discover we’ve gone to war in the Middle East without the consent of Congress. 😡
June 22, 2025 at 9:56 PM
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joneshowdareyou.bsky.social
Tiberius—

"There has never been a better time to watch this video"
June 19, 2025 at 1:15 AM
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coloradocarol.bsky.social
First of the season in the yard yesterday. #HummingbirdHawkMoth
June 11, 2025 at 1:30 PM
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saimihanma.bsky.social
A green sweat bee in a poppy for #WorldBeeDay.

#Invertebrates
a photo looking straight down into a bright orange poppy with a shiny green bee in the center
May 20, 2025 at 7:05 PM
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gettoknownature.bsky.social
It's #WorldBeeDay! A great time to celebrate the incredible range of native bees

#invertebrates 🌿 🐝
A light yellow and black fuzzy bee hovers in the air, getting ready to land on a stem of small lavender flowers.
May 21, 2025 at 12:06 AM
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hawaiianimages.bsky.social
Let's go underwater for #InverteFest with one of the smartest and prettiest invertebrates I know, my companions on many a night dive, S. lessoniana, the Oval or Bigfin squid (depending on who you ask). This one was very curious about the large, clumsy vertebrate with the bright light. :) 📷🌿🐙🦑
A beautiful squid showing bands of cream and tan, with bright green and yellow over the eyes, two tentacles curled up and raised and the others slightly curled and dropped...squid body language for "what *are* you and do you have food?" :)
April 26, 2025 at 4:42 PM
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ianrpearsall.bsky.social
'Up to the Farm (into the Dusk)'
Ink

Framed and up on a new wall today☀️
www.twodoorsstudio.co.uk is a delightful little gallery run by the wonderful Lorna and Ruthie in Alsager, Cheshire.
March 28, 2025 at 7:32 PM
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silentlyclicking.bsky.social
Good evening, BlueSky! I’m having a peaceful and quiet night at home tonight. I love the color change in this photo, and I find the clouds quite intriguing.

#canon 20D EF16-35 f2.8

#photography #landscape #nature
Day gives way to night as the sunsets below the trees
March 30, 2025 at 12:39 AM
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greenleejw.bsky.social
Drawing this afternoon, and I’m feeling like this is a very scoldy dragon. Like…a librarian dragon shushing a class of 3rd graders.
Black and white ink pen drawing made of abstract shapes and lines. It looks a bit like a snake or dragon rearing up. Its chin is pointed down and it is giving A Look.
March 24, 2025 at 11:06 PM
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weratedogs.com
This is Ciel. She has two modes: wet and cotton ball. 13/10
a very soggy light brown dog with what would normally be curly hair sits in a shallow tub with a faucet actively soaking her back. her fur is completely flattened out on top of her head, and her ears hang down like a floppy-eared sheep’s. her round dark eyes have a hint of betrayal behind them, and her feet are not visible under the water. the same light brown pup is fully dried off after a fresh grooming session. her body is a smooth orb, her head a perfect sphere, and her tail just has one little pompom of fur at the very tip. her ears are sticking out to the sides now, supported by the fluff all around them. only the little toes of one foot are visible under her round chest, and otherwise you’d easily convince us she’s just hovering there.
March 10, 2025 at 7:39 PM
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indigoraccoon22.bsky.social
We watched this happen in real time last night..
March 5, 2025 at 11:43 AM
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greenleejw.bsky.social
Big eel news! Recently uncovered frescoes at Pompeii contain eels. Because of course they do. Eels are everywhere in European history. You just have to look.

This is a pair of lovely morays. To paraphrase Garth Brooks, sometimes folks wonder what happens if two morays never come. But here they are.
A colored picture of part of a fresco, showing a woman and man on the bottom, and a pair of yellow and black morays on the top. The background is red of different shades. The woman -- we'll call her Gloriatica -- is wearing a green robe, gold earrings, and a gold band in her hair. She's looking at you with a *very* long-suffering expression. This is probably because of the man next. You can't see all of him because of damage to the fresco, but what you can see looks sleazy. He has receding hairline, wispy white hair, and no shirt. He looks like he's only wearing a towel, and he's looking up at Gloriatica in a way that will look familiar to anyone who's spent time in bars. We'll call him Slorigen, and avoid him. The two eels -- probably named Estebox and Vestebox -- are facing different directions. The one on the right -- Esterbox -- is curling up over some sort of skate. They are pointedly ignoring the drama that's playing out below them. Can't people just behave themselves in public frescoes?
February 27, 2025 at 4:07 PM
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number10cat.bsky.social
A special #Caturday this week: today is the 14th anniversary of my arrival on Downing Street.
a cat sitting at a podium with a sign that says isy
ALT: a cat sitting at a podium with a sign that says isy
media.tenor.com
February 15, 2025 at 8:04 AM
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gettoknownature.bsky.social
More excellent ice out there today. Some is curvy, some is spiky, all is thoroughly intriguing.

🌿
Spiky ice crystals on the surface of still, smooth water
February 20, 2025 at 3:04 AM
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gettoknownature.bsky.social
*rummaging urgently through the archives for stuff to cheer us up*

How about a bunny butt?

#mammals 🌿 #AnimalButts #WillNaturePhotosFixAnything? #NoButIHopeItHelpsKeepUsGoing
A brown bunny with a white fluffy tail hops away from the camera, down a plant lined path
February 3, 2025 at 6:06 PM
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carlbergstrom.com
What’s his beef against USAID in particu….oh. Wow.
X post: Elon Musk @elonmusk We spent the weekend feeding USAID into the wood chipper. Could gone to some great parties. Did that instead. U.S. policy was to help bring an end to apartheid and establish a nonracial, democratic government. In response to this policy and the Act, USAID/South Africa was responsible for financing projects that apartheid victims viewed as critical in promoting social, political, and economic change through peaceful means. The mission enabled community consultation and ensured that the United States did not impose foreign-defined solutions to local problems. USAID created projects and activities to respond to the priorities of the black community and its leaders, maximized black participation and leadership, and ensured activities had a linkage to the general objectives of U.S. policy. First-year funding for the program was $25 million, which was raised to $50 million the second year. The main project areas were community outreach and leadership development to redress the repression of black-led institutions; educational support and training to address the educational crisis in South Africa; black private enterprise development to combat the inhibiting effects of apartheid–induced discrimination in private enterprise; university grants to help create a new generation of economic and political leaders; human rights; legal assistance; labor union training; and health and nutrition
February 3, 2025 at 11:19 AM