Michael E Smith
@michaelesmith.bsky.social
Archaeologist, Arizona State Univ. Aztecs, Teotihuacan. Ancient & modern cities. Commoners in the past. Transdisciplinary, materialist, historical, occasionally musical. Kino the dog.
- These days I'm working on urban persistence over long periods.
- These days I'm working on urban persistence over long periods.
Pinned
I am an archaeologist at Arizona State University. I am into premodern cities, comparisons with cities today, methodological rigor, Aztecs, and Kino the dog. I have found Bluesky to be boring, although there are a few feeds here I like to follow. But I post more at the other place.
🧵The cosmogram crowd are at it again. Sigh. Cool new site, Aguada Fenix, is interpreted by Takeshi Inomata et al as a big cosmogram. The article is here: science.org/doi/10.1126/..., with a journalism article in LiveScience here: livescience.com/archaeology/.... What's wrong with that? 1/6
Landscape-wide cosmogram built by the early community of Aguada Fénix in southeastern Mesoamerica
The cosmogram of Aguada Fénix built over the landscape between 1050 and 700 BCE rivaled the extents of later Mesoamerican cities.
science.org
November 8, 2025 at 2:20 PM
🧵The cosmogram crowd are at it again. Sigh. Cool new site, Aguada Fenix, is interpreted by Takeshi Inomata et al as a big cosmogram. The article is here: science.org/doi/10.1126/..., with a journalism article in LiveScience here: livescience.com/archaeology/.... What's wrong with that? 1/6
This sounds like a good rationale for the tremendous success of cities, all over the world, for the past 6,000 years. "Cities are cool and lots of people enjoy living in them". Yes, indeed.
It shouldn’t be forgotten that a big piece of Mamdani’s campaign was simply “cities are cool and lots of people enjoy living in them” which in and of itself dismantles alot of rightwing talking points
November 7, 2025 at 8:14 PM
This sounds like a good rationale for the tremendous success of cities, all over the world, for the past 6,000 years. "Cities are cool and lots of people enjoy living in them". Yes, indeed.
MDPI, not only predatory, but clueless. "Dear Dr. Smith - We contacted you 31 Oct, regarding a Special Issue, "Inositol Phosphates in Health & Disease, 2nd Ed." in the "Biomolecules". Based on your expertise in this field, we think you could make an excellent contribution."
November 7, 2025 at 12:36 PM
MDPI, not only predatory, but clueless. "Dear Dr. Smith - We contacted you 31 Oct, regarding a Special Issue, "Inositol Phosphates in Health & Disease, 2nd Ed." in the "Biomolecules". Based on your expertise in this field, we think you could make an excellent contribution."
Reposted by Michael E Smith
October 27, 2025 at 7:12 PM
Reposted by Michael E Smith
Indiana University has fired the staff director of the student newspaper, after disputes in which university leadership tried to pressure him to prevent students from publishing news.
October 14, 2025 at 11:56 PM
Indiana University has fired the staff director of the student newspaper, after disputes in which university leadership tried to pressure him to prevent students from publishing news.
My Aztlander zoom lecture on Calixtlahuaca is now on YouTube:
youtu.be/ROBc5t2QZGo?...
youtu.be/ROBc5t2QZGo?...
youtu.be
September 25, 2025 at 3:11 AM
My Aztlander zoom lecture on Calixtlahuaca is now on YouTube:
youtu.be/ROBc5t2QZGo?...
youtu.be/ROBc5t2QZGo?...
Kino in the afternoon sun
September 24, 2025 at 1:03 AM
Kino in the afternoon sun
Nap in the sun
September 20, 2025 at 7:05 PM
Nap in the sun
Wow, Unforgotten is a 2025 Bronze Winner, Prix de la Photographie de Paris - UNFORGOTTEN: ANCIENT CITIES FROM A DISTANT PAST px3.fr/winners/px3/... Maybe this was because of my excellent essay. Ha ha, in my dreams. Bill Frej's photos of sites are gorgeous, well worth a look.
September 17, 2025 at 9:33 PM
Wow, Unforgotten is a 2025 Bronze Winner, Prix de la Photographie de Paris - UNFORGOTTEN: ANCIENT CITIES FROM A DISTANT PAST px3.fr/winners/px3/... Maybe this was because of my excellent essay. Ha ha, in my dreams. Bill Frej's photos of sites are gorgeous, well worth a look.
Went hiking in the woods near Pine, AZ, saw some javelinas, and had a birthday picnic at a state park. Home now and tired.
September 13, 2025 at 3:38 AM
Went hiking in the woods near Pine, AZ, saw some javelinas, and had a birthday picnic at a state park. Home now and tired.
The cactus is blooming this morning. I can’t seem to upload the video of bees having a good time in the flowers
September 12, 2025 at 2:05 PM
The cactus is blooming this morning. I can’t seem to upload the video of bees having a good time in the flowers
I'm giving a zoom lecture on our excavations at Calixtlahuaca, for the Aztlander group. Monday, Sep 15, 8:00 pm Eastern time. Contact the Aztlander folks, or email me, if you want a link.
September 10, 2025 at 2:51 AM
I'm giving a zoom lecture on our excavations at Calixtlahuaca, for the Aztlander group. Monday, Sep 15, 8:00 pm Eastern time. Contact the Aztlander folks, or email me, if you want a link.
Lots of small ceramic figurines from Yautepec. For some reason, many authors insist that anything anthropomorphic must be a deity. But when they wanted to depict a deity, they included deity attributes so there was no doubt. See my paper on Aztec domestic ritual: www.academia.edu/13087249/_Do...
September 6, 2025 at 9:43 PM
Lots of small ceramic figurines from Yautepec. For some reason, many authors insist that anything anthropomorphic must be a deity. But when they wanted to depict a deity, they included deity attributes so there was no doubt. See my paper on Aztec domestic ritual: www.academia.edu/13087249/_Do...
I am an archaeologist at Arizona State University. I am into premodern cities, comparisons with cities today, methodological rigor, Aztecs, and Kino the dog. I have found Bluesky to be boring, although there are a few feeds here I like to follow. But I post more at the other place.
September 6, 2025 at 9:25 PM
I am an archaeologist at Arizona State University. I am into premodern cities, comparisons with cities today, methodological rigor, Aztecs, and Kino the dog. I have found Bluesky to be boring, although there are a few feeds here I like to follow. But I post more at the other place.
New paper, me and a zillion coauthors, Alissa Ruth is the lead and organizer, "Online student engagement in social science research laboratories: Expert advice on the opportunities and challenges." I guess I am one of the experts.
www.cur.org/journal-arti...
www.cur.org/journal-arti...
Online Student Engagement in Social Science Research Laboratories: Expert Advice on the Opportunities and Challenges - The Council on Undergraduate Research
Ruth, Alissa, Cindi SturtzSreetharan, Melissa Beresford, Alexandra Brewis, Shauna B. BurnSilver, Christopher R. Caseldin, Caitlin Drummond Otten, Emir Estrada, Daniel J. Hruschka, Elisabeth Ilboudo Né...
www.cur.org
September 4, 2025 at 11:06 PM
New paper, me and a zillion coauthors, Alissa Ruth is the lead and organizer, "Online student engagement in social science research laboratories: Expert advice on the opportunities and challenges." I guess I am one of the experts.
www.cur.org/journal-arti...
www.cur.org/journal-arti...
Some images of the Calixtlahuaca bird. The city was originally called Matlatzinco, but the conquering Mexica gave it the name Calixtlahuaca. The bird may signal the name of the ruling dynasty.
September 1, 2025 at 9:32 PM
Some images of the Calixtlahuaca bird. The city was originally called Matlatzinco, but the conquering Mexica gave it the name Calixtlahuaca. The bird may signal the name of the ruling dynasty.
Is there a term for making up fake hypotheses to make one's work sound scientific? These authors make up three bogus hypotheses about Aztec whistles - hypotheses that no one has ever proposed, & suggest they are important research issues. 10.1038/s44271-024-00157-7 Weird. Photo is Yautepec whistles.
September 1, 2025 at 9:04 PM
Is there a term for making up fake hypotheses to make one's work sound scientific? These authors make up three bogus hypotheses about Aztec whistles - hypotheses that no one has ever proposed, & suggest they are important research issues. 10.1038/s44271-024-00157-7 Weird. Photo is Yautepec whistles.
After Kino swims in the pool, we keep him off the bed. But he finds another soft place to snooze after dinner.
September 1, 2025 at 3:00 AM
After Kino swims in the pool, we keep him off the bed. But he finds another soft place to snooze after dinner.
Me and Kino, out for a walk.
August 30, 2025 at 11:13 PM
Me and Kino, out for a walk.
Afternoon sunbathing
August 30, 2025 at 11:05 PM
Afternoon sunbathing
Some doggie friends from our time in Cuernavaca. The girls would carry these guys around in a market bag.
August 29, 2025 at 3:29 AM
Some doggie friends from our time in Cuernavaca. The girls would carry these guys around in a market bag.
#internationaldogday. Kino is all in.
August 26, 2025 at 4:48 PM
#internationaldogday. Kino is all in.
