The Archaeologist's Teacup

An archaeologist and journalist sharing her journey into the past, present, and future.

[thearchaeologiststeacup]

I've started making a little memory box from my PhD. It's not finished yet - I need to fasten things correctly and add in some structure - but so far it includes a postcard from the Inuit Studies Conference, a beautifully carved piece of caribou antler that I bought from an Igloolik artist, and a seal skull. . The seal material used in the experiments that were mentioned in Tuesday's poem all came from an animal that had died of natural causes. I had contacted the Pieterburen seal sanctuary to the north of Groningen to ask if they had any recently deceased seals, and received an affirmative. As they are a sanctuary, they receive a lot of sick or injured seals, and while many of them are able to be released back into the wild, there are unfortunately those who don't survive. I was therefore invited to attend the autopsy of two such individuals, and could then take whatever material I needed for my experiments. (I should say that this was only allowed because I had signed a scientific research declaration - they don't just allow anyone to come and get bits of dead seal...) . I therefore got the skins from two seals to use in my sewing experiments (the poem for that one will be shared next week) as well as the bones from one to use as the raw material for the different kinds of tools I needed for my PhD experiments. I did not need the skull for my experiments, but the vets very kindly let me take it, as they would have just thrown it out anyway, and so now it sits on my shelf as a memory to the creature without who I would not have been able to complete my PhD. . A bit of an odd post today, but I wanted to acknowledge that experimental archaeology is often a messy business. What's important is to approach the acquisition of raw materials from an ethical perspective, and respect the animals who donated them. . #ExperimentalArchaeology #ArchaeologyLife #ArchaeologyLovers #ArchaeologistsOfInstagram #archaeology #archaeologist #PhD #PhdLife #skull #ArcticArchaeology https://www.instagram.com/p/CqZsCghqhKo/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

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It's the fourth Tuesday of the month which means it's time for the next episode of "Tea-break Time Travel"! . When is a drum not a drum? When it's a Folkton Drum! In this episode I chat with photographer, videographer, and archaeological replica-maker Emma Jones (@prehistoric_jewellery ) all about these fascinating objects. How much do we really know about the people who created these drums? What insights can we gain from replicating them ourselves? Why are children always forgotten? And if you think you have difficulty making your eyebrows even, imagine the issues of trying to carve them into chalk... . Listen directly through the @archpodnet website or via your favourite podcasting platform! . #podcast #NewEpisode #ArchaeologyPodcast #archaeology #archaeologist #ArchaeologistsOfInstagram #ArchaeologyLovers #FolktonDrums #prehistory #prehistoric #SciComm #TeaDay #CuppaTea #TeaTime https://www.instagram.com/p/CqVTiA_KT1V/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

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Happy #MicrowearMonday ! . I was doing some tests this morning to see how I could take microscope photos through my old vintage microscope. I just used my phone camera to look through the lens at different magnifications at a scrap of material. The lowest two magnifications turned out okay, but the highest was still a bit tricky to get in focus with holding the phone still enough. I might have to see if I can set up something with my tripod so that it all holds steady. . There is also no light source on the microscope, which isn't such a big problem for the photos, because my camera seems to automatically use night mode to ensure that you can see what's at the end of the lens, but when I'm just looking through it myself it's a bit of an issue. I may therefore need to get myself one of those little clip-on reading lights to attach to the platform. . I also need to get a little scale bar of some sort, so that I can work out the measurements of each field of view and create a little scale for each level of magnification. I might even be able to use the one I have for my little USB Dino-lite microscope... More experiments required! . If anyone has any other suggestions on how I can improve my photo setup with this little microscope, do let me know! . #microscope #VintageMicroscope #MicrowearAnalysis #microwear #archaeologist #ArchaeologyLife #microscopic #HomeOffice #ArchaeologistsOfInstagram https://www.instagram.com/p/CqSQ9JFKKbF/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

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How about a quick #FunFriday post? . It's been a very long time since I posted anything to do with house renovations, mainly because we just haven't had the time nor energy to do any renovations! However, during the last few weeks of my PhD, the hubby decided it was finally time to tackle the downstairs bathroom. . In the first pic you can see a before and after, and then the next three show the stages in between. Basically we (and I use the term "we" very loosely here...) stripped out the ceiling, which those of you who were around for our last renovations will recognize as those infused with toxic chemicals... We also stripped out the sinks and cupboards, because we didn't need two sinks and the cupboards were way too small to hold all our swimming gear. We didn't want to remove the tiles or go through the whole process of adding new tiles over the top (like we did in the kitchen), so instead we painted those tiles around the shower area, and then covered the rest with this amazing foil that gives the illusion of a brick wall. . Once that was done, the design process could start, which was where I came in! I was keen to try out an industrial-type theme, and we found some great brackets and lights which added just the right aesthetic. We added in a bath instead of a shower, which I'm so happy with because I've been really missing having a bath, and I think it looks awesome. We also replaced the sinks with one smaller sink, and built up some more spacious shelves. . I'm so happy with how it turned out! The floor is still as was, so not the prettiest to look at, but we will deal with that at a later time. For now, I'm very satisfied with the result! . #RenovationUpdate #renovations #HomeRenovation #NewBathroom #bathroom #BathroomRemodel #remodelling #BeforeAndAfter https://www.instagram.com/p/Cp4P9OpqK31/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

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Phase one of preparation is complete! Sorting out my physical office space. . At first glance it may still look like a complete mess, but trust me it was far more chaotic before! I've now managed to completely clear my crafting desk so that it's actually useable, and remove all of the unnecessary clutter from my computer desk so that I have easier access to those tools that I actually need on a regular basis. I also reorganized my bookshelves so that I now have access to those books which will be more useful for my future exploits, and added an extra shelf for my replicas. This means that I no longer have to worry about knocking off those more fragile pieces from an overcrowded shelf, and I can finally display my lovely carved stone ball collection from @skotbiscuit in all its proper glory! . Phase two will be sorting out some technical things, like taking pictures through the microscope (thank you by the way for those who have sent through suggestions about that - I will have fun tomorrow doing some trials), and also starting to plan out my new series of #TeaDay reels. . How often do you reorganize you're working space? Is it a constant chaos or do you keep it as clear as possible? . #ArchaeoTeacup #ArchaeologyLovers #archaeologist #CuppaTea #LewisChessmen #CarvedStoneBalls #petrosphere #prehistoric #AncientObjects #OfficeSpace #HomeOffice #WorkingFromHome https://www.instagram.com/p/Cp198NDqiP5/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

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Happy International Women's Day! . Some of the most well known women from the past are the famous "Venus Figurines" that are found all over the world from as far back as the Paleolithic. The exact significance of these figurines is still a matter of discussion, as is the appropriateness of the name itself, and whether all of these beautifully diverse figurines should be lumped into one typological category. . If you're interested in learning more about those figurines depicted in this post, check out the past #TeaDay reels (also shared in stories!). Left to right: Venus of Brassempouy, Venus of Dolní Věstonice, Orkney Venus, Venus of Willendorf. . What's your favourite (pre)historic depiction of women? . #InternationalWomensDay #VenusFigurine #Venus #VenusOfWillendorf #VenusOfDolniVestonice #WestrayWife #OrkneyVenus #WomenOfPrehistory #WomenOfThePast #FemalePower #archaeologist #ArchaeologyLovers #ArchaeologyLife #prehistoric #prehistory #ArchaeologistsOfInstagram https://www.instagram.com/p/Cph3W4aqq_k/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

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An old picture but a new request! . As I've hinted over the last month or two, I have several plans for the future of The Archaeologist's Teacup. Although I'm taking a bit of time off right now to decompress, I am trying to plan a bit for future and on that note I would love some feedback! . To make it nice and easy, I've made a form (temporary link in my bio). I would appreciate it so so much if you could fill it in. I've already had a few responses from my newsletter and they've been so helpful already. . I hope that everyone is having a nice weekend! Tiny Teacup is a bit sick so we're taking it easy. What are you up to? . #TeaDay #archaeologist #CuppaTea #archaeology #ArchaeologyLovers https://www.instagram.com/p/CpXaEeWKBIP/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

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This week over at @archaeobookclub we're sharing our favourite or most influential book / reading experiences. . For me, I've always loved the idea of mini street libraries such as this one in a town near us. It reminds me of the mobile library that used to visit the village that I lived in for a few years when I was younger, and which I always thought was the coolest thing. I always wanted to set up my own little street library, but because we moved around so much and when I had my own place it was always rented, it was never possible. So you can imagine that one of my main goals when we bought our new house was to install one! . There's a great second-hand shop in the bigger town close to us, and one day while browsing I saw this very sweet little painted closet top. It was too perfect to resist! Since we installed it last summer it's done very well, and I can see it from my office so it's always fun to spot people walking past, doing a little double-take, and then perusing for a while before ambling happily away with a new book under their arm. It also gets regularly restocked, so it's working really well! . Have you ever used one of these street libraries? . #WorldBookWeek #BookLover #reading #books #StreetLibrary #NeighbourhoodLibrary #library #bookstagram #einbeck https://www.instagram.com/p/CpPdq7dq9yI/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

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It's the fourth #TeaDay of the month, which means it's episode release day for my podcast Tea-break Time Travel! . This month boasts a very exciting episode as I travel back to ancient Egypt with Egyptologist Dr Colleen Darnell (also known as @vintage_egyptologist ), to look at the fascinating world of stelae and discuss the famous golden couple of Egypt: Akhenaten and Nefertiti. What happens when you send someone illiterate to score out words? How many different types of stelae are there? Who was Nefertiti? Join in with this month's trip back in time to find out the answers to these questions and much more! . Also I know that this is the Rosetta Stone so I've definitely lured you in, but it was the closest example of a stelae I had! . #AncientEgypt #Egypt #stelae #akhenaten #nefertiti #egyptologist #podcast #NewEpisode #archaeology #ArchaeologistsOfInstagram #archaeologist #ArchaeologyLovers #SciComm #TeaBreakTimeTravel #TimeTravel #AncientHistory https://www.instagram.com/p/CpM-4yVqVQa/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

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A bit more of a chill day today so I thought I'd pop on here and say hello. . Last night I finally managed to pull together all the different chapters, case studies, and additional pages into one cohesive thesis draft, and sent it off to my supervisors for what I sincerely hope is the final round of feedback. So I will still have one more round of editing to do once I hear back, and will be working on things like formatting this week which is always sightly frustrating... But this morning I decided to sleep in, then take my cup of tea out with me and wander down to our local bakery for a snack. Will be back to work this afternoon but enjoying taking a few breaths this morning! . How is everyone else doing today? . #PhD #phdlife #AcademicsOfInstagram #archaeologist #archaeology #ArchaeologyLife #ThesisLife #TeaDay #CuppaTea #MorningOff #FinalCountdown https://www.instagram.com/p/Co650aAr5Ir/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

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Yay it's #WorkspaceWednesday ! . We've started hosting "co-working" sessions over on the Discord server for the @archaeobookclub and it is doing wonders for my productivity! I have posted here before about I struggle with motivation to start new tasks, and especially with just two weeks to go now to get this thesis done, I really can't afford to be unproductive! (Especially as there are no extra tasks that need to be done that I can procrastinate with and convince myself that it's still productive in the long run - this is literally the final push!) . One of the big issues with working from home is that it's easy to feel lonely, especially if you're working on an independent project so aren't part of a team. And for me, that lonliness has a big negative effect on my working ability, because instead of taking breaks to chat with colleagues, which are usually not too long and help to air any issues or thoughts that I'm having that could do with a second ear, I end up distracting myself and ending up having a break that goes in for far too long and engaged in an activity that is completely unrelated to my work... (YouTube rabbit holes or browsing in Etsy are prime examples...) . That's why I'm really enjoying our new book club co-working sessions! We give ourselves goals to achieve before our next break, which helps with accountability, but can also share any issues we're having and provide both feedback and moral support. . Do you enjoy co-working? Or do you work better in isolation? . #PhD #phdlife #archaeologist #ArchaeologistsOfInstagram #ArchaeoBookclub #bookclub #PhdThesis #AcademicLife #AcademicsOfInstagram https://www.instagram.com/p/CosC9QuKgXB/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[thearchaeologiststeacup]

Time for the next #MondayMicrowear challenge! And if you've been following along regularly with these challenges, this should be an easy one 😉 . For those of you who aren't yet familiar with this weekly challenge: I post a microscopic picture and encourage people to write in the comments what they think they can see. Obviously, I don't expect everyone to get it right first time - I've had a lot of experience with this analytical method and the materials. But I thought it might be a fun little exercise to get you thinking about what exactly it is you're seeing, and what the tiniest traces can tell us about an object. . So how does this work here on Instagram? Well, I post a picture on a Monday, and then you have until the next Monday to write in the comments what you think you can see in the picture. Think about things like: - what the object is - what material - what traces you can see - what they might tell us about how this object was made or used - anything really! . The aim is to get you thinking and put your detective hat on. Try to avoid looking at other people's comments, and don't worry about saying something potentially silly - archaeology is all about interpretation! . One week after the initial post, I will update the caption to describe what can be seen in the image, and what this can tell us about the object, so you can see how close you got. (Don't forget to check last week's post to see the results of that one) . Good luck everyone! . Also if you fancy subscribing to my (free) monthly newsletter, which includes monthly microwear challenges, you can do so through my website (link in description). . #MicrowearAnalysis #archaeology #archaeologist #ArchaeologyLife #ArchaeologyLovers #microscope #microscopy #MicroscopicAnalysis https://www.instagram.com/p/CoT53SIKy7z/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

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Some desk snaps this #WorkspaceWednesday as I enter the last month of my PhD contract. Equally scary and exciting! . For those who are unaware, I am doing what is referred to as an 'articles based' PhD, rather than the more traditional path of a 'monograph' PhD. For the latter, you spend the four years doing research and writing it all up into one big book, which you then submit and are assessed on. For my assessment, I still need to submit a book, but it will consist of four peer-reviewed articles that have either been published or submitted to academic journals. . Especially in the more science-focused subjects, it's becoming more normalised to go this route, and some benefits of it is that you (hopefully) already have work published by the time you finish your PhD, and because you've been publishing as you go, most of the research side of the project is already done and dusted by the time you get to the end. A disadvantage is that you're less flexible in changing your research focus as you progress, because you really need to start pushing out articles in the first half of your PhD. . Of course, the final book that you submit still needs to be one cohesive thesis, and so the papers have to be linked together and book-ended with an introduction and discussion chapter. These two chapters are what I'm currently working on, after having received feedback from my supervisors last week. Once these edits are done, then it's submission time! Very very scary... . What are you working on today? . #PhD #PhdLife #AcademicsOfInstagram #archaeologist #archaeology #ArchaeologyLife #writing #HumpDay #TheLeveragedPhd #editing #FinalCountdown https://www.instagram.com/p/CoHlww4KvJV/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[thearchaeologiststeacup]

Time for the next #MondayMicrowear challenge! . For those of you who aren't yet familiar with this weekly challenge: I post a microscopic picture and encourage people to write in the comments what they think they can see. Obviously, I don't expect everyone to get it right first time - I've had a lot of experience with this analytical method and the materials. But I thought it might be a fun little exercise to get you thinking about what exactly it is you're seeing, and what the tiniest traces can tell us about an object. . So how does this work here on Instagram? Well, I post a picture on a Monday, and then you have until the next Monday to write in the comments what you think you can see in the picture. Think about things like: - what the object is - what material - what traces you can see - what they might tell us about how this object was made or used - anything really! . The aim is to get you thinking and put your detective hat on. Try to avoid looking at other people's comments, and don't worry about saying something potentially silly - archaeology is all about interpretation! . One week after the initial post, I will update the caption to describe what can be seen in the image, and what this can tell us about the object, so you can see how close you got. (Don't forget to check last week's post to see the results of that one) . Good luck everyone! . Also if you fancy subscribing to my (free) monthly newsletter, which includes monthly microwear challenges, you can do so through my website (link in description). . #MicrowearAnalysis #archaeology #archaeologist #ArchaeologyLife #ArchaeologyLovers #microscope #microscopy #MicroscopicAnalysis https://www.instagram.com/p/CoB_UpUKNCN/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

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A #ThrowbackThursday post to Tiny Teacup enjoying being carried in an amauti during fieldwork in summer last year (which seems so long ago and yet only yesterday!) up in Igloolik in Arctic Canada. . I don't post a lot of pictures featuring Tiny Teacup on here, because I'm a bit unsure how much I want to share of someone who can't really give consent. In this digital world where everyone's online, it's always difficult to know how much to make publicly available. But at the same time, I think it's important to show that being a working parent (and perhaps particularly a working mother) in academia does mean that sometimes you require more flexibility, and just because you are a PhD candidate doesn't mean you don't also have other responsibilities. . I've been very lucky so far, and have been able to have the Tiny Teacup with be while running a multi-day online workshop (where she was so named by our participants), while travelling within Europe to attend meetings, and even to go up to the Arctic for fieldwork. All of these situations were only possible because of the understanding and assistance offered by my colleagues (such as @emily.j.r.p @land.sea.ice @theoverdressedarcheologist and @bedouinsilver ), who were not only happy to have a babbling baby along for the ride, but even helped with looking after her when I really needed to do something that required my full attention. This is how an academic community should respond to working parents - not just by assuming that the parents will somehow managed to drop their baby off or leave it behind, but by working together to ensure that the best situation is reached for all involved. . What have been your experiences with parenthood in academia (either as a parent or someone who works with parents)? . #AcademicMama #academia #MumsInAcademia #AcademicLife #PhD #PhDLife #archaeology #archaeologist #ArchaeologistsOfInstagram #ArcticFieldwork #amauti #parenthood #MumLife https://www.instagram.com/p/Cn33DxQKwS7/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[thearchaeologiststeacup]

Time for the next #MondayMicrowear challenge! . For those of you who aren't yet familiar with this weekly challenge: I post a microscopic picture and encourage people to write in the comments what they think they can see. Obviously, I don't expect everyone to get it right first time - I've had a lot of experience with this analytical method and the materials. But I thought it might be a fun little exercise to get you thinking about what exactly it is you're seeing, and what the tiniest traces can tell us about an object. . So how does this work here on Instagram? Well, I post a picture on a Monday, and then you have until the next Monday to write in the comments what you think you can see in the picture. Think about things like: - what the object is - what material - what traces you can see - what they might tell us about how this object was made or used - anything really! . The aim is to get you thinking and put your detective hat on. Try to avoid looking at other people's comments, and don't worry about saying something potentially silly - archaeology is all about interpretation! . One week after the initial post, I will update the caption to describe what can be seen in the image, and what this can tell us about the object, so you can see how close you got. (Don't forget to check last week's post to see the results of that one) . Good luck everyone! . Also if you fancy subscribing to my (free) monthly newsletter, which includes monthly microwear challenges, you can do so through my website (link in description). . #MicrowearAnalysis #archaeology #archaeologist #ArchaeologyLife #ArchaeologyLovers #microscope #microscopy #MicroscopicAnalysis https://www.instagram.com/p/CnwSPqYK7e4/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

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It's exactly month until the next Kulturo Share event run by the @archpodnet ! . The last event focused on experimental archaeology and went very well! Thank you to everyone who came and interacted. If you're a member of the APN, you can watch the recording through the APN website under "live shows" (link in stories). If you're not a member yet, check out the different options to see how you receive access to ad-free episodes, bonus content, and lots more! . You don't have to be a member to tune in live, however, and it's completely free to join! In this next Kulturo Share, we'll be focusing on the digital side of archaeology and cultural heritage, with three innovative and exciting guest speakers talking about digitization, 3D visualisation, and game design. So mark your calendars, and keep an eye out here and on @archpodnet to catch all the updates, and make sure to sign up once the event link goes live in the next few days. . #OnlineEvent #DigitalHeritage #DigitalArchaeology #archaeology #CulturalHeritage #ArchaeologyLovers https://www.instagram.com/p/CnlyOjOLToV/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=