WardArchaeology
@ward-archaeology.bsky.social
BA (Hons) in Ancient History, MA in Heritage with a focus on pseudoarchaeology, it's harms and how it spreads on social media. Archaeologist, Finds Generalist, and Curator. Also, all-round nerd, sword obsessed, and hobby woodworker.
Ready for a slightly rejigged day 2 at the @socmusarch.bsky.social conference due to rain affecting the trains!
Looking forward to another fascinating day!
Looking forward to another fascinating day!
November 14, 2025 at 10:07 AM
Ready for a slightly rejigged day 2 at the @socmusarch.bsky.social conference due to rain affecting the trains!
Looking forward to another fascinating day!
Looking forward to another fascinating day!
And now the nerves kick in 😅
November 13, 2025 at 2:07 PM
And now the nerves kick in 😅
Already for the start of the @socmusarch.bsky.social 2025 conference!
I'll be speaking on community archaeological archives in Kent at 2.50pm 😀
#SMACon2025
I'll be speaking on community archaeological archives in Kent at 2.50pm 😀
#SMACon2025
November 13, 2025 at 12:26 PM
Already for the start of the @socmusarch.bsky.social 2025 conference!
I'll be speaking on community archaeological archives in Kent at 2.50pm 😀
#SMACon2025
I'll be speaking on community archaeological archives in Kent at 2.50pm 😀
#SMACon2025
Is there any way of reporting / recording possible modern copies of #Romancoins? I've just seen this one on a reddit post, and I have am almost exact copy (down to the same damage roughly) which was reportedly found in an attic by the new owner. The reverse on mine is the exact same 1/3
August 1, 2025 at 3:59 PM
Is there any way of reporting / recording possible modern copies of #Romancoins? I've just seen this one on a reddit post, and I have am almost exact copy (down to the same damage roughly) which was reportedly found in an attic by the new owner. The reverse on mine is the exact same 1/3
Made a little custom plastazote foam insert for our #earlymedieval gold and Garnet cross pendant, dating from the middle 7th century CE
#prevantineconservation #museumlife #earlymedieval
#prevantineconservation #museumlife #earlymedieval
May 1, 2025 at 8:34 PM
Made a little custom plastazote foam insert for our #earlymedieval gold and Garnet cross pendant, dating from the middle 7th century CE
#prevantineconservation #museumlife #earlymedieval
#prevantineconservation #museumlife #earlymedieval
Would it be deep enough for an ice house? It was apparently buried under 7 tons of soil. Odd piece of machine cut bone probably not associated?
April 30, 2025 at 9:44 PM
Would it be deep enough for an ice house? It was apparently buried under 7 tons of soil. Odd piece of machine cut bone probably not associated?
Any thoughts from my #archaeology colleagues on this structure? Found in the garden of a Georgian house & former Vicarage in Kent. There is a separate well in the basement and apparently this doesn't fill the well.
#Georgian #Archaeology #History 🏺
#Georgian #Archaeology #History 🏺
April 30, 2025 at 8:53 PM
Any thoughts from my #archaeology colleagues on this structure? Found in the garden of a Georgian house & former Vicarage in Kent. There is a separate well in the basement and apparently this doesn't fill the well.
#Georgian #Archaeology #History 🏺
#Georgian #Archaeology #History 🏺
All set up ready for Maidstone Museum's local history fair with @kentarchsoc.bsky.social.
This is the favourite part of my job by far!
#archaeology #history #heritage
This is the favourite part of my job by far!
#archaeology #history #heritage
April 12, 2025 at 8:47 AM
All set up ready for Maidstone Museum's local history fair with @kentarchsoc.bsky.social.
This is the favourite part of my job by far!
#archaeology #history #heritage
This is the favourite part of my job by far!
#archaeology #history #heritage
Not surprised but still disappointed to see History UK pushing out another Ancient Aliens style "documentary." Shame Bradley Walsh appears to be a believer in some of this BS. We know who built the pyramids because we have their own words telling us how they did it 😫 #egyptology #pseudoarchaeology
March 20, 2025 at 5:13 PM
Not surprised but still disappointed to see History UK pushing out another Ancient Aliens style "documentary." Shame Bradley Walsh appears to be a believer in some of this BS. We know who built the pyramids because we have their own words telling us how they did it 😫 #egyptology #pseudoarchaeology
You can find an amazing 3D model of Richborough Roman Fort over on the @kentarchsoc.bsky.social website skfb.ly/6uQKz. Well worth exploring this #Romanfortthursday!
#archaeology #lidar #visualisations #heritage #history #romanarchaeology
#archaeology #lidar #visualisations #heritage #history #romanarchaeology
March 6, 2025 at 7:50 AM
You can find an amazing 3D model of Richborough Roman Fort over on the @kentarchsoc.bsky.social website skfb.ly/6uQKz. Well worth exploring this #Romanfortthursday!
#archaeology #lidar #visualisations #heritage #history #romanarchaeology
#archaeology #lidar #visualisations #heritage #history #romanarchaeology
Anyone else's #pseudoarchaeology field showing up empty? Somehow I doubt that all the crazy has disappeared!
March 4, 2025 at 4:27 PM
Anyone else's #pseudoarchaeology field showing up empty? Somehow I doubt that all the crazy has disappeared!
Really fascinating to see how my undergraduate dissertation on the South Cave Weapons cache has been read by 256 people(!!!) While my MA dissertation on pseudoarchaeology, tartaria and conspiracy theories has 0. My undergrad was shared on a popular Yorkshire archaeology FB page, likely spreading it!
February 5, 2025 at 10:56 PM
Really fascinating to see how my undergraduate dissertation on the South Cave Weapons cache has been read by 256 people(!!!) While my MA dissertation on pseudoarchaeology, tartaria and conspiracy theories has 0. My undergrad was shared on a popular Yorkshire archaeology FB page, likely spreading it!
Any of my #archaeology and #findspecialist colleagues able to help with this, what I believe is a token? Copper alloy, three crowns in a square shield. No inscription but some decoration outside the shield. Plain reverse (with bronze disease unfortunately).
#findsfriday #conservation #postmedieval
#findsfriday #conservation #postmedieval
January 31, 2025 at 4:33 PM
Any of my #archaeology and #findspecialist colleagues able to help with this, what I believe is a token? Copper alloy, three crowns in a square shield. No inscription but some decoration outside the shield. Plain reverse (with bronze disease unfortunately).
#findsfriday #conservation #postmedieval
#findsfriday #conservation #postmedieval
Fun little visit out to see a number of finds someone had found in their garden. Lots of pottery (three fruit crates of it) mostly post medieval with some potential medieval thrown in; 18th and 19th century metalwork & mason marks (not witch marks) on some of the bricks!
I love my job
#archaeology
I love my job
#archaeology
January 28, 2025 at 6:35 PM
Fun little visit out to see a number of finds someone had found in their garden. Lots of pottery (three fruit crates of it) mostly post medieval with some potential medieval thrown in; 18th and 19th century metalwork & mason marks (not witch marks) on some of the bricks!
I love my job
#archaeology
I love my job
#archaeology
Roman coin hoard found in Wales and apparently reported to National Museum Wales (good), but the size of the hole is terrible, you can see how deep they went. Any trace of context likely lost :( #archaeology #metaldetecting
January 21, 2025 at 7:22 PM
Roman coin hoard found in Wales and apparently reported to National Museum Wales (good), but the size of the hole is terrible, you can see how deep they went. Any trace of context likely lost :( #archaeology #metaldetecting
Thanks for sharing Steph, will give it a read later. Chiara is just beginning a project about Weaponised pasts that might prove interesting www.linkedin.com/posts/chiara...
January 16, 2025 at 8:29 AM
Thanks for sharing Steph, will give it a read later. Chiara is just beginning a project about Weaponised pasts that might prove interesting www.linkedin.com/posts/chiara...
This is why the language we use in reporting is so important. A fascinating sword found in Kent is making the rounds online & already culture war / alt-right accounts are latching onto some of the languaged used.
Look for key words like "academic marxism" right out of the right-wing playbook
Look for key words like "academic marxism" right out of the right-wing playbook
January 2, 2025 at 6:15 PM
This is why the language we use in reporting is so important. A fascinating sword found in Kent is making the rounds online & already culture war / alt-right accounts are latching onto some of the languaged used.
Look for key words like "academic marxism" right out of the right-wing playbook
Look for key words like "academic marxism" right out of the right-wing playbook
In other words, don't fall for classical statue accounts that spew pseudohistory and false narratives to suit a WS agenda 6/6
December 12, 2024 at 2:36 PM
In other words, don't fall for classical statue accounts that spew pseudohistory and false narratives to suit a WS agenda 6/6
Just a pertinent reminder not to listen or follow accounts with classical statues as their PFP - they are almost always pseudo-adjacent and taking leaves out of the WS playbook by harking back to a "glorious past" thread ✨️ 1/6
December 12, 2024 at 2:36 PM
Just a pertinent reminder not to listen or follow accounts with classical statues as their PFP - they are almost always pseudo-adjacent and taking leaves out of the WS playbook by harking back to a "glorious past" thread ✨️ 1/6
There are striations on both of the plate ends between the arms, so I do think it has something to do with thread being wound around it. I've not heard of a distaff I'll look that up!
December 7, 2024 at 9:57 AM
There are striations on both of the plate ends between the arms, so I do think it has something to do with thread being wound around it. I've not heard of a distaff I'll look that up!
Definitely had a matching pair on the other side, so yes bobbin or thread winder is definitely a possibility!
December 5, 2024 at 11:55 PM
Definitely had a matching pair on the other side, so yes bobbin or thread winder is definitely a possibility!
Any thoughts on the below from my #earlymedieval colleagues?
It's causing some head scratching!
#archaeology 🏺 #smallfinds #museum #curator
It's causing some head scratching!
#archaeology 🏺 #smallfinds #museum #curator
December 5, 2024 at 5:39 PM
Any thoughts on the below from my #earlymedieval colleagues?
It's causing some head scratching!
#archaeology 🏺 #smallfinds #museum #curator
It's causing some head scratching!
#archaeology 🏺 #smallfinds #museum #curator
reverse image search done while on the train to show how easy it is:
1. Tweet claiming the image is #tartaria
2. Google Lens results showing use of image
3. Led me to twitter account who had reposted image
4. Original AI generate imaged located.
AI I'd only going to make #pseudoarchaeology worse.
1. Tweet claiming the image is #tartaria
2. Google Lens results showing use of image
3. Led me to twitter account who had reposted image
4. Original AI generate imaged located.
AI I'd only going to make #pseudoarchaeology worse.
December 1, 2024 at 10:47 AM
reverse image search done while on the train to show how easy it is:
1. Tweet claiming the image is #tartaria
2. Google Lens results showing use of image
3. Led me to twitter account who had reposted image
4. Original AI generate imaged located.
AI I'd only going to make #pseudoarchaeology worse.
1. Tweet claiming the image is #tartaria
2. Google Lens results showing use of image
3. Led me to twitter account who had reposted image
4. Original AI generate imaged located.
AI I'd only going to make #pseudoarchaeology worse.
A while back I did some reverse image searching on a photograph claiming to show #Tartarian giants, however it was clearly doctored.
We can learn a lot from osint researchers (Open-source Intelligence) on investigating these photos, used heavily by #pseudoarchaeologists.
#realarchaeology
We can learn a lot from osint researchers (Open-source Intelligence) on investigating these photos, used heavily by #pseudoarchaeologists.
#realarchaeology
December 1, 2024 at 9:15 AM
A while back I did some reverse image searching on a photograph claiming to show #Tartarian giants, however it was clearly doctored.
We can learn a lot from osint researchers (Open-source Intelligence) on investigating these photos, used heavily by #pseudoarchaeologists.
#realarchaeology
We can learn a lot from osint researchers (Open-source Intelligence) on investigating these photos, used heavily by #pseudoarchaeologists.
#realarchaeology
On this note, the below just popped up on the Fraudulant Archaeology Page so clearly grifters are already looking seriously at using AI
November 27, 2024 at 4:15 PM
On this note, the below just popped up on the Fraudulant Archaeology Page so clearly grifters are already looking seriously at using AI