Colleen Betti
@colleenbetti.bsky.social
Archaeologist in Virginia, 20th century archaeology, schoolhouse archaeology, PhD -> CRM, embroidery, 🏳️🌈
One of the best entries in a probate record I've come across in a while. The wet and very dirty brown sugar was still worth £6 in 1778 (a bit over $1090 today). A normal (aka not wet and dirty) 150lbs of brown sugar today would be about $170.
November 18, 2025 at 11:06 PM
One of the best entries in a probate record I've come across in a while. The wet and very dirty brown sugar was still worth £6 in 1778 (a bit over $1090 today). A normal (aka not wet and dirty) 150lbs of brown sugar today would be about $170.
A neighbor is blasting Mumford and Sons outside for a party. Not just one song, the whole Sigh No More album. And that is a choice in 2025.
November 7, 2025 at 11:42 PM
A neighbor is blasting Mumford and Sons outside for a party. Not just one song, the whole Sigh No More album. And that is a choice in 2025.
Squirrel (?) carved my pumpkin for me this afternoon!
October 31, 2025 at 8:21 PM
Squirrel (?) carved my pumpkin for me this afternoon!
Nice warm lunch for a rainy fall day.
October 12, 2025 at 4:11 PM
Nice warm lunch for a rainy fall day.
At the Maryland Italian festival and it’s hilarious how much Pittsburgh sports gear is here (far eastern MD in Harford County) being worn by small old Italian American men. Pittsburgh Italian Americans really spread out everywhere.
Also, giant inflatable ricotta.
Also, giant inflatable ricotta.
September 26, 2025 at 10:31 PM
At the Maryland Italian festival and it’s hilarious how much Pittsburgh sports gear is here (far eastern MD in Harford County) being worn by small old Italian American men. Pittsburgh Italian Americans really spread out everywhere.
Also, giant inflatable ricotta.
Also, giant inflatable ricotta.
Question for the archaeology side of Bluesky, how regional is the term schnitting? Does anyone outside of Virginia use this term? Or even know what it means? Based on a conversation with coworkers today it appears to be super regional.
September 25, 2025 at 11:00 PM
Question for the archaeology side of Bluesky, how regional is the term schnitting? Does anyone outside of Virginia use this term? Or even know what it means? Based on a conversation with coworkers today it appears to be super regional.
An older man at the pharmacy heard I was there for my covid shot and tried to convince me not to get the "clot shot." He then told me how many times he'd had covid -4- and then asked me how many times I'd had it, which I was able to say 0. He shut up then but why are we still doing this in 2025?
September 14, 2025 at 6:54 PM
An older man at the pharmacy heard I was there for my covid shot and tried to convince me not to get the "clot shot." He then told me how many times he'd had covid -4- and then asked me how many times I'd had it, which I was able to say 0. He shut up then but why are we still doing this in 2025?
It’s always fun finding out how 3/4 of my grandparents being from Pittsburgh affects my speech despite never living in PA. I just learned “your room needs cleaned” or “the lawn needs mowed” isn’t standard English. I didn’t know slippy isn’t a real word until college.
ygdp.yale.edu/phenomena/ne...
ygdp.yale.edu/phenomena/ne...
Needs washed
| Yale Grammatical Diversity Project: English in North America
ygdp.yale.edu
September 10, 2025 at 5:01 AM
It’s always fun finding out how 3/4 of my grandparents being from Pittsburgh affects my speech despite never living in PA. I just learned “your room needs cleaned” or “the lawn needs mowed” isn’t standard English. I didn’t know slippy isn’t a real word until college.
ygdp.yale.edu/phenomena/ne...
ygdp.yale.edu/phenomena/ne...
I had to order a new trowel as mine is lost beneath a large backdirt pile. It came like this. I can’t even begin or want to imagine what that is…#archaeology
September 2, 2025 at 7:32 PM
I had to order a new trowel as mine is lost beneath a large backdirt pile. It came like this. I can’t even begin or want to imagine what that is…#archaeology
On metro in DC on the way to an NWSL game that I had plans for pre-the national guard invasion. I have literally never seen the Smithsonian stop this empty, let alone one a weekend, especially a holiday weekend. It’s almost spooky.
August 31, 2025 at 6:05 PM
On metro in DC on the way to an NWSL game that I had plans for pre-the national guard invasion. I have literally never seen the Smithsonian stop this empty, let alone one a weekend, especially a holiday weekend. It’s almost spooky.
Out of the blue messages from strangers not in academia saying my dissertation has been helpful in their own Rosenwald school project (in whatever form that is) will never not make my day. And maybe provide the motivation to get a few articles written on it.
August 23, 2025 at 11:47 PM
Out of the blue messages from strangers not in academia saying my dissertation has been helpful in their own Rosenwald school project (in whatever form that is) will never not make my day. And maybe provide the motivation to get a few articles written on it.
Cleaning out and organizing my dig bag before heading off for a project and realized I have two full pairs of gloves, four right hands, and one left hand. I had no idea I had so many gloves in my bag and don’t know where any of the partners disappeared to.
August 17, 2025 at 3:29 PM
Cleaning out and organizing my dig bag before heading off for a project and realized I have two full pairs of gloves, four right hands, and one left hand. I had no idea I had so many gloves in my bag and don’t know where any of the partners disappeared to.
It’s bad enough I generally have to buy gardening gloves for work as work gloves are too big, but this is such a blatant pink tax at Home Depot. And the “regular” small fits the same as the women’s medium (still too big for me fyi).
August 16, 2025 at 4:47 PM
It’s bad enough I generally have to buy gardening gloves for work as work gloves are too big, but this is such a blatant pink tax at Home Depot. And the “regular” small fits the same as the women’s medium (still too big for me fyi).
When sweeping the patio ends up leading to removing the grass covering the back stairs that you hadn't realized were so substantial in the four months you've been living here. I also learned, thanks to a bunch of brand new blisters, that brooms and shovels/trowels hit different parts of your hand.
August 9, 2025 at 5:14 PM
When sweeping the patio ends up leading to removing the grass covering the back stairs that you hadn't realized were so substantial in the four months you've been living here. I also learned, thanks to a bunch of brand new blisters, that brooms and shovels/trowels hit different parts of your hand.
So excited that the Woodville Rosenwald School is one of recipients of the National Grant Program to fund their interpretive exhibits. The exhibits will include artifacts and info from my dissertation research at Woodville. I can't wait to see the final product.
savingplaces.org/stories/acti...
savingplaces.org/stories/acti...
Action Fund’s 2025 National Grant Program Awards $3M to Preserve 24 Sites Nationwide | National Trust for Historic Preservation
In 2025, $3 million in grants will support twenty-four sites across the country that represent Black American joy, resilience, innovation, and activism.
savingplaces.org
July 22, 2025 at 9:10 PM
So excited that the Woodville Rosenwald School is one of recipients of the National Grant Program to fund their interpretive exhibits. The exhibits will include artifacts and info from my dissertation research at Woodville. I can't wait to see the final product.
savingplaces.org/stories/acti...
savingplaces.org/stories/acti...
Sunday afternoon working on a sponge-spatter embroidery piece. The sponge part on the rim is going to be all French knots, so that will be interesting
July 20, 2025 at 5:19 PM
Sunday afternoon working on a sponge-spatter embroidery piece. The sponge part on the rim is going to be all French knots, so that will be interesting
No one but my sister has as cute of a cookbook as I do. I love pulling this out to make dinner. (I know how to make meatballs by memory, but still like to double check the spices).
July 17, 2025 at 11:22 PM
No one but my sister has as cute of a cookbook as I do. I love pulling this out to make dinner. (I know how to make meatballs by memory, but still like to double check the spices).
Goal is to get this finished today. The leaves are going pretty quickly so I think I can do it.
July 13, 2025 at 2:28 PM
Goal is to get this finished today. The leaves are going pretty quickly so I think I can do it.
Sheltered from a sever thunderstorm in homegoods and came across these lamps. I am confused but yet want to see the room that they end up in.
July 9, 2025 at 10:54 PM
Sheltered from a sever thunderstorm in homegoods and came across these lamps. I am confused but yet want to see the room that they end up in.
I forgot to move laundry all day today, but I got a book review written and got half of the hydrangea petals done on this project. And didn’t doom scroll once. So still pretty productive overall.
July 5, 2025 at 10:11 PM
I forgot to move laundry all day today, but I got a book review written and got half of the hydrangea petals done on this project. And didn’t doom scroll once. So still pretty productive overall.
Decorating rather than doom scrolling. Using my grandpa's art in the kitchen. Some he made for my childhood bedroom, one was on his front door, and the rest were made for my parent's kitchen. The two you can barely see due to angle are an opera singling asparagus and a body builder brussel sprout.
June 22, 2025 at 5:00 PM
Decorating rather than doom scrolling. Using my grandpa's art in the kitchen. Some he made for my childhood bedroom, one was on his front door, and the rest were made for my parent's kitchen. The two you can barely see due to angle are an opera singling asparagus and a body builder brussel sprout.
Starting a project embroidering my sister’s wedding bouquet. She turned the photo into a drawing and now I’m going to be embroidering it for her.
June 21, 2025 at 10:48 PM
Starting a project embroidering my sister’s wedding bouquet. She turned the photo into a drawing and now I’m going to be embroidering it for her.
Storm rolling in over the lake from my hotel a few minutes ago. The white caps are going like crazy.
June 19, 2025 at 8:48 PM
Storm rolling in over the lake from my hotel a few minutes ago. The white caps are going like crazy.
Delaware, Maryland, and Virginia, specifically the Delmarva Peninsula, are these "new parts." Just as an FYI for everyone else who works around here.
A Potentially Life-Threatening Disease Caused by Ticks Is Expanding to New Parts of America
Babesiosis typically occurs in the Northeast and the Upper Midwest, but new research suggests rare cases are emerging in the mid-Atlantic region including Delaware, Maryland and Virginia
www.smithsonianmag.com
June 8, 2025 at 6:04 PM
Delaware, Maryland, and Virginia, specifically the Delmarva Peninsula, are these "new parts." Just as an FYI for everyone else who works around here.
DC (Capital) Pride/World Pride 2025. Festive and powerful despite the political climate. Major drop off in companies with booths and no federal offices (as expected). Shout out to Giant, Wegmans, and Nandos for having their normal big booths and Giant for even making DC World Pride specific swag.
June 7, 2025 at 8:59 PM
DC (Capital) Pride/World Pride 2025. Festive and powerful despite the political climate. Major drop off in companies with booths and no federal offices (as expected). Shout out to Giant, Wegmans, and Nandos for having their normal big booths and Giant for even making DC World Pride specific swag.