Category: Uncategorized
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Back from the dissertation and into the field!
It’s been a while since I last wrote here. The main reason? My dissertation swallowed up my time, energy, and brain space. Twenty thousand words later, it’s finally done and with that, I’ve closed a big chapter of my degree. But in the time since I last posted, life has…
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Listening to the Ground – Surveying Portchester Castle
There’s something quietly magical about walking across a site with a magnetometer in hand, knowing that beneath your feet, history is waiting to speak, if only if you’re listening in the right frequency. Over Easter, I had the opportunity to be part of a geophysical survey at Portchester Castle. For…
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Dig or Die: The Ultimate Archaeology Reality Show
After the last post about procrastination, it is only natural that this post is a day late… Reality TV has given us baking competitions, survival challenges, and enough restoration programs to make anyone believe they can DIY. But what if there was a show for us? A show where contestants…
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Procrastination – a how to guide
We all know the feeling. That important task looms over you like a storm cloud, but suddenly, everything else in the world seems way more urgent. The dishes? Haven’t been this spotless in weeks. Rearranging your books by color? A totally reasonable use of time. Researching the life cycle of…
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A Quadball Tournament as a Disabled Player
If you had told me years ago that I’d be playing a full-contact sport and earning Player of the Match, I’m not sure I would have believed you. But that’s exactly what happened at my latest quadball tournament! Quadball is a fast-paced, mixed-gender, and highly strategic sport, and for me,…
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The Strangest Archaeological Discoveries That Sound Completely Fake
History is full of bizarre discoveries that leave archaeologists scratching their heads. From lizard-like figurines to mysterious ancient mechanisms, here are some of the weirdest finds that almost sound too strange to be real. The Ubaid Lizardmen (Iraq, 5,000 BCE) Strange humanoid figurines with lizard-like features have led to wild…
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What It’s Like to Do a Master’s in Archaeology with a Disability
The Step Up from Undergraduate Study Pursuing a master’s degree is undoubtedly a step up from undergraduate study. I’ve often found myself thinking, “Wow, who knew it’d be harder?” It’s more demanding, with increased contact hours and a heavier research component. I would describe it as an intensified version of…
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3 Archaeological Finds That Changed How We See the Past
Neanderthal 1 Neanderthal 1 showed us that Neanderthals had a caring society. The bones of Neanderthal 1 indicate a strong social structure and compassion among their peers. They had physical deformities that would have removed their ability to help in typical ways, yet the care they received from their community…
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Breaking Ground: My Journey as a Disabled Archaeologist
When I first picked up a trowel, I didn’t realise I’d also need to advocate. I remember when I first fell in love with archaeology. I was in a practical and I held some tiny carved elephants. I can’t remember what they were made out of – clay? stone? –…
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Accepting Growing Up – and bread makers
I have never liked change. I don’t like new years when the year turns from 2024 to 2025. I don’t like going from first year to second year. I don’t like when things end. In my third year, I would talk about a breadmaker and what it represented to my…
Knots and Trowels 