Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

LightNews

Colleen Morgan

@clmorgan.bsky.social

5.5K followers 590 following 910 posts

Senior Lecturer at the University of York. Director of the Wolfson Digital Archaeology and Heritage Lab & Centre for Digital Heritage. I post about beautiful archaeology, digital phantasmagoria and anarchist imaginaries & realities. She/her 🏴

Posts Media Videos Starter Packs

Colleen Morgan @clmorgan.bsky.social · 34m

I just can't

Colleen Morgan @clmorgan.bsky.social · 36m

Meanwhile, in an antique shop in Leiden. These are precolumbian fakes...right?

A hand holding a bowl with red geometric and figurative designs painted on a yellow base.

An elaborate geometric precolumbian design on a pot, held up by a hand.

Colleen Morgan @clmorgan.bsky.social · 46m

Behold, the horror.

An example of "stratigraphy" that has artefacts floating in soil, random colours, patterns in the layers, an absolutely monstrous mess.

Colleen Morgan @clmorgan.bsky.social · 46m

8️⃣ floor layer
9️⃣ floor layer
🔟 compacted sand
1️⃣1️⃣ slightly darker compacted sand
1️⃣2️⃣ gravel

This was inspired by an example I saw that haunts me to this day...don't look if you value your sanity....

+

Colleen Morgan @clmorgan.bsky.social · 46m

(there really was a pearl earring in one of my firepits in Qatar)
4️⃣ a secondary burn layer
5️⃣ a primary burn layer
6️⃣ pit lining. We're going to assume it is contiguous around the pit
7️⃣ pit cut, sorry for the confusing line, better practice probably would have been to label them all on the side.

+

Colleen Morgan @clmorgan.bsky.social · 46m

This is very simplified, so no Harris Matrix or bracketing.

1️⃣ windblown sand aka topsoil
2️⃣ compacted sand
3️⃣ windblown sand deposited after the firepit went out of use. It is likely very similar to 2. There's a pearl earring in this deposit, perhaps lost as the camp was moving.

+

Colleen Morgan @clmorgan.bsky.social · 46m

Above is a very common stratigraphic sequence where I work, in Arabia. It is a firepit cut with a lining. The lining has been worn away at the bottom through use. There's a couple of burned layers, sealed with windblown sand. The pit is cut into a couple of floors. Did you get the sequence?

+

The same drawing of stratigraphy, labelled with numbers to demonstrate the order of excavation.

Colleen Morgan @clmorgan.bsky.social · 46m

I have strong feelings about stratigraphy. I have stronger feelings about the schematic examples that we use to teach stratigraphy. Artefacts shouldn't float in the middle of the layer, for example. No colour-coding, obscure symbols to indicate difference, etc.

#archink #archink2025 #inktober

+

A hand holding a drawing of schematic strategraphic layers. The order of the layers is two tweets down.

Reposted by Colleen Morgan

Rob Hedge @robhedge.bsky.social · 4h

#ArchInk 4: bronze; 5: flint; 9: ivory
#archaeology #illustration 🏺🏛️🗃️
Combining three prompts to look at early-19th century views of early Bronze Age artefacts.

Ink and graphite sketch of a dagger and arrowhead. Text reads: #ArchInk
The early Bronze Age was a time of remarkable transformation in material and social lives. People and materials came together in new ways.
I’m interested in how early observers interpreted these changes. The early-19th century excavators of these artefacts, Colt Hoare and Cunnington, were not afraid to draw parallels with continental Europe.
“Some may think it derogates from the dignity of our country to allow a Gaulish (i.e. foreign) original; but, be the consequences what they will, whenever we are in search of truth, although we discover her in ruins and rubbish, we must acknowledge and revere her.” Richard Colt Hoare, 1812
*Colt Hoare and Cunnington were, by the standards of the day, pretty good at recording. But in a sheepish footnote in their discussion of barrows in the severely area of Wiltshire, Colt Hoare admits that he’s not sure which of the barrows this dagger came from!
#5 flint One of four arrowheads within a burial in a bowl barrow: Which Show affinity with those from Armorica, NW France.
FLINT ARROWHEAD, WIMBORNE ST GILES.
4: Bronze BRONZE DAGGER, SILK HILL MILSTON*
9: ivory The pommel is ivory from a marine mannal, possibly a walrus. It is very worn, suggesting it might have adorned other artefacts before this dagger
The wooden handle was re-constructed based onCunnington's dig notes.
* Or is it ? Colt Hoare and Cunnington - and their illustrator /surveyor Philip Crocker- were pretty good at recording their f, by the standards of the day. But in a sheepish footnote in their discussions of barrow-digging in the Everley area of Wiltshire, Colt Hoare admits the dagger was "in one of these, but I cannot specify which!'

Reposted by Colleen Morgan

Sarah McAnulty, Ph.D. @sarahmackattack.bsky.social · 1d

Here I am. Once again. I'm out of archaeologists.

We matched 576 groups w/archaeologists, leaving 13 groups unmatched. This brings me pain! We've never run out of scientists like this before. 598 requests for one category is A LOT. But still.

Archaeologists 🥺
www.skypeascientist.com/sign-up.html

Skype a Scientist gives you the opportunity to connect with students and the public around the world.

www.skypeascientist.com

Reposted by Colleen Morgan

Despoina V. Sampatakou @archaeobruja.bsky.social · 1d

Maki Wardle killing it up there. I love love love this presentation 👌
#TIPC4
@valuefnd.bsky.social

Reposted by Colleen Morgan

VALUE Foundation @valuefnd.bsky.social · 1d

Back from lunch and ready to play some archaeology with our panel featuring the inimitable @clmorgan.bsky.social @archaeobruja.bsky.social and @waltros.bsky.social

Colleen Morgan @clmorgan.bsky.social · 1d

Krakow is amazing! Have fun. There’s a shop with a disturbing amount of stuffed animals in it. Enjoy!

Reposted by Colleen Morgan

Jason Scott @textfiles.com · 2d

Amplifying indie creators

Reposted by Colleen Morgan

VALUE Foundation @valuefnd.bsky.social · 2d

Katrine Haydock is wrapping up this session talking about photogrammetry and 3D objects and art!

Reposted by Colleen Morgan

VALUE Foundation @valuefnd.bsky.social · 2d

Second session of the day has just started! Louise Bedford will be talking about an archaeologist's journey into game design!

Reposted by Colleen Morgan

Liam J. Liburd @liamliburd.bsky.social · 3d

York people, I'm giving a paper at the Uni History Department's research seminar on Wednesday 15 October. Particularly keen for feedback from historians of crime, historical criminologists, and criminologists.

An Accidental History of Prisons and Race in Late Twentieth Century Britain

Join us for research seminars hosted by the Department of History with a selection of visiting academics, alongside University of York researchers. All students and staff are very welcome.

Colleen Morgan @clmorgan.bsky.social · 2d

My favs

Colleen Morgan @clmorgan.bsky.social · 3d

Animate it with augmented reality

Colleen Morgan @clmorgan.bsky.social · 3d

Someone is grumpy today

Colleen Morgan @clmorgan.bsky.social · 3d

So many tons of books being shed by the Archaeology department as we move from King's Manor. We've had loads of charity book sales, but it's just not enough. I just took another couple of metres worth off my shelves.

Colleen Morgan @clmorgan.bsky.social · 3d

whoa

Reposted by Colleen Morgan

Corinne Fowler @corinnefowler.bsky.social · 3d

1. On political gaslighting. Yesterday Jenrick defended his comments on Handsworth by lashing out at 2 pieces of work I was centrally involved with to imply it's people like me who are divisive, not him...

Reposted by Colleen Morgan

Dr Rebecca Wragg Sykes @lemoustier.bsky.social · 3d

Anthropology should replace RE as mandatory at state schools: faiths are just one facet of the extraordinary ways people have chosen past & present to organise their lives and express identity - from households to states, craft to economy, or dealing with death. Anthropology opens minds & hearts.

Reposted by Colleen Morgan

Not Anyone You Know @slowcrush.bsky.social · 3d

A British version of ICE already exists. And it’s also called ICE! They raid businesses and detain people with the intention of deporting them. Lots of antiraids networks across the country do valuable community work building resistance to them. Lazy, incurious journalism strikes again.

A British Ice and more stop and search: Badenoch’s Tories set out new policies

Shadow ministers have announced far-reaching and often radical proposals – here is a roundup of some of them

www.theguardian.com