Dr. Jennifer Jones
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jenniferbones.bsky.social
Dr. Jennifer Jones
@jenniferbones.bsky.social
Archaeological Scientist. Interested in isotopes, zooarchaeology, dietary reconstruction, animal management, palaeoenvironments, faunal palaeoecology. Senior Lecturer Uni of Lancashire Arch & Anth. Big fan of dogs, walking, wildlife and d&d.
There are some great groups of people trying to do just that! A few years ago I enjoyed volunteering with the Cantabrian Brown Bear society planting fruit trees to provide food for the endangered bear population in the region
July 11, 2025 at 11:06 AM
It's interesting to think of how we can use this to help threatened species today. In Europe Brown bears are threatened by environmental change affecting their habitats, as well as humans encroaching on their territory, mirroring what happened to the cave bears.
July 11, 2025 at 11:06 AM
Results suggested that they ate a wide variety of plants deriving from across the landscape, suggesting some flexibility what they were eating from different ecological zones. When compared to other European bears they had some of the largest ranges in values of populations analysed to date.
July 11, 2025 at 11:06 AM
Within Level 3 the site of Šalitrena Pećina a cave bear den was found, with remains dating back around 40,000 years. We used stable isotope analysis to explore what these individuals ate.
July 11, 2025 at 11:06 AM
The extinction of the cave bears is widely explored, particularly how they coped with changing environments, adapting to new conditions, predation by humans and competition for resources. Cave bear diet is a key part of this debate.
July 11, 2025 at 11:06 AM
⭐New Open Access publication alert! ⭐

Are you interested in Cave Bears? If so then this might be the article for you!

This is the first study of the diet of a cave bear population from Serbia using stable isotope analysis. See thread below for our findings!
⬇️

www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....
July 11, 2025 at 11:06 AM
It's my favourite day of the academic year! It was an absolute pleasure to celebrate with our new Archaeology graduates today and to loudly applaud them as they walked across the stage. Very proud of them all!
July 9, 2025 at 2:56 PM
Today I've been doing a spot of Anglo Saxon dentistry sampling specimens for some mobility studies, many of the specimens had quite worn teeth so finding suitable samples wasn't so easy!

*Please note that the photo below is a plastic cast for illustrative purposes only and not a real specimen.
June 20, 2025 at 4:06 PM
Yesterday on campus I was very excited to find a bee orchid growing in a patch of grass near my building! They're not particularly common in the North of England. The university has been working hard to promote the growth of wildflowers and wildlife and this was a delight to see.
June 13, 2025 at 3:41 PM
I like to dabble in Geology sometimes, and Arran didn't disappoint. Some fantastic formations (including the other side of Hutton's unconformity). I particularly enjoyed seeing the fossilised footprint of the 'Hand Beast'! Best enjoyed in the moment rather than through a photograph...
May 22, 2025 at 1:02 PM
Exploring the prehistoric landscape of Machrie moor last week. My new favourite monument is Fingal's Cauldron Seat (Machrie Moor 5). Beautiful granite, flawless placement of stones in two modestly sized circles, mountain view and bedded well in the wider monumental landscape. Top monument 10/10.
May 20, 2025 at 10:41 AM
It's back to the Last Glacial Maximum with the current samples that I'm working with: brown bears, deer, and capra! Fingers crossed there is plenty of collagen surviving!
May 8, 2025 at 2:52 PM
Last night I was absolutely delighted to be awarded the University Student's Union 'Golden Roses' award for "Outstanding Feedback and assessment". I'm very luck to have such enthusiastic students, and supportive colleagues.

I also enjoyed this majestic and highly celebratory balloon arch.
May 2, 2025 at 9:59 AM
I don't think that this gate has quite enough locks on it...
April 30, 2025 at 6:11 PM
It's a pleasure to be back on our on-campus post medieval site with our first year students for their training excavation. We are making sure that they have the skills that they need to join us on their fieldwork placements this summer. It's going to be a glorious week!
April 29, 2025 at 9:30 AM
It's Alpaca day on campus! They've come along to provide support for students undertaking their last assessments. Who wouldn't be motivated by looking at those glorious eyelashes!?
April 25, 2025 at 10:33 AM
Here's a vulture specimen, that we prepared for our reference collection when I was working in Spain. It cleaned up beautifully.
March 21, 2025 at 2:17 PM
We've got new 3D printer and our fantastic technician has made us a replica of the Venus* of Willendorf for our teaching collection. It's brilliant for getting a feel of the dimensions of this piece, and to be able to engage with it more actively.

*or Donii - see yesterday's Auel post
March 18, 2025 at 2:55 PM
@beefanddairy.bsky.social is entirely responsible for today's purchase. Might need a spot of nodge to help me get through it...
March 8, 2025 at 9:32 PM
If you're in Woodbridge, Suffolk, I recommend a visit to the Sutton Hoo ship company to see the replica of the burial ship being constructed - due to how little is known about manufacture (a product of preservation) it's a fine example of experimental archaeology.

It's riveting...
saxonship.org
March 3, 2025 at 5:15 PM
And of course we finished up with a visit to West Stow. It was really interesting to see the vastly different reconstructions, showing different interpretations of construction that were all consistent with the archaeological record.
February 17, 2025 at 2:23 PM
Then we stopped at the Sutto Hoo ship company where they are building a reconstruction of the ship from the burial (based on rivet positionings and the site plan reconstructions)- Experimental Archaeology in action.
February 17, 2025 at 2:23 PM
Sutton Hoo was another highlight! Seeing the distance that the ship had to be dragged up the hill was really eye opening!
February 17, 2025 at 2:23 PM
Enroute we visited to the Cold War Bunker at Alconbury (the wonderfully named Magic Mountain) where we had a fantastic tour of the facilities, and learnt about how the former Airfield is being developed.
February 17, 2025 at 2:23 PM
We were lucky enough to stay in this gorgeous building!
February 17, 2025 at 2:23 PM