Dan Hicks
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profdanhicks.bsky.social
Dan Hicks
@profdanhicks.bsky.social
13K followers 1.4K following 800 posts

Museum Curator and Professor of Contemporary Archaeology, Oxford University • Fellow of St Cross College, Oxford • Tutor Art/Anthropology • https://linktr.ee/danhicks

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Dan Hicks, is a British archaeologist and anthropologist. He is Professor of Contemporary Archaeology at the University of Oxford, Curator at the Pitt Rivers Museum, and a Fellow of St Cross College, Oxford. His research is focused on contemporary archaeology, material culture studies, historical archaeology, colonial history, heritage studies, and the history of art, archaeology, anthropology, and museum collections. .. more

History 33%
Environmental science 16%
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profdanhicks.bsky.social
Dan Hicks @profdanhicks.bsky.social · Dec 2
honoured to see #everymonumentwillfall named as an @artforum.com book of 2025 www.artforum.com/lists/best-o...
Books
Fourteen writers, artists, and scholars choose the year’s outstanding titles.
www.artforum.com

profdanhicks.bsky.social
Dan Hicks @profdanhicks.bsky.social · 23h
so sorry to read this Zena, glad to hear you have submitted the complaint

Reposted by Rebecca Solnit, Brendan Nyhan, Steve Peers , and 36 more

dominicervolina.com
Dom Ervolina @dominicervolina.com · 1d
A woman recording an ICE agent tells him "Shame on you."

The agent responds, "Have you all not learned from the past couple of days?"

"Learned what?" she asks

Then he knocks her phone out of her hand

Reposted by Jonathan Portes, Ben H. Ansell, Will Jennings , and 3 more

theguardian.com
The Guardian @theguardian.com · 1d
Two-thirds of UK voters wrongly think immigration is rising, poll finds
Two-thirds of UK voters wrongly think immigration is rising, poll finds
Exclusive: Voters say they have little confidence that government can control borders despite sharp falls in net migration A large majority of UK voters believe immigration is increasing despite sharp falls in the number of people entering the UK, according to exclusive polling shared with the Guardian. Voters also say they have no confidence in the government’s ability to control the UK’s borders, according to the poll by More in Common. The results will come as a blow to Keir Starmer’s administration, which has taken an increasingly hardline stance on immigration in recent months. Continue reading...
www.theguardian.com

Reposted by Yannis Hamilakis, Catherine J. Frieman, David González Álvarez , and 1 more

zenakamash.bsky.social
Zena Kamash @zenakamash.bsky.social · 1d
Following yesterday's EAA Special Meeting, I have submitted a complaint to the EAA Appeal and Anti-Harassment Committee. I post it here, with names redacted, for any members who were not present. Thank you so much to everyone who has reached out with messages of solidarity and support 🙏💓🙏
In spite of the Safe Space Policy being clearly stated at the beginning of the meeting, Prof. XXXXX targeted me by name, calling for my resignation from my position as Editor of the society's journal. Furthermore, his misuse of my title, referring to me as "Miss Kamash", felt deliberately demeaning. This intimidating behaviour explicitly contravenes the EAA Safe Space Policy. Although he was muted, for which I was grateful, I experienced a panic attack following his comments and did not feel safe to speak for the remainder of the meeting. This was further compounded by not only Prof. XXXXX being allowed to remain in the online meeting, but also being invited to take the floor again after the break. This gives me strong concerns about the effectiveness of the Safe Space Policy. On a broader point about the effectiveness of the Safe Space Policy, I also note that members whose position aligned with that of Concerned EAA were repeatedly and persistently accused of anti-Semitism throughout the meeting. This is a serious accusation that should not be levelled without due care and evidentiary support. Its use as a blanket accusation seems to have been designed with the explicit aim of silencing and intimidating members aligned with Concerned EAA, which again contravenes the Safe Space Policy and should have been dealt with more robustly during the meeting.

Reposted by Dan Hicks, Jeannette Sutton

npr.org
NPR @npr.org · 1d
The use of an image of Trump on the 2026 pass — rather than the usual picture of nature — has sparked a backlash, sticker protests, and a lawsuit from a conservation group.
National Park Service will void passes with stickers over Trump's face
The use of an image of Trump on the 2026 pass — rather than the usual picture of nature — has sparked a backlash, sticker protests, and a lawsuit from a conservation group.
n.pr

Reposted by Dan Hicks

sundersays.bsky.social
Sunder Katwala (sundersays) @sundersays.bsky.social · 1d
The govt’s choices seem to be based on misinformed perceptions: this in Lords looks like a mangled misdescription of 2022 data (it did have 11 million individual users a day, before it lost a third of them, though was never their most important platform + was 2nd to Facebook, before falling to 6th)

profdanhicks.bsky.social
Dan Hicks @profdanhicks.bsky.social · 1d
I have declined two requests to review for the Royal Society in recent months due to their inaction on Elon Musk’s clear breach of their code of conduct for their fellowship — the position of their board is hypocritical and immensely damaging to the reputation of UK science

Reposted by Christina Pagel, Dan Hicks

sundersays.bsky.social
Sunder Katwala (sundersays) @sundersays.bsky.social · 1d
Monthly Twitter UK users since Musk 2022
May22: 26.8m
May23: 24.3m (-2.5m)
May24: 22.1m (-2.2m)
May25: 18.9m (-3.2m)
Loss of 8 million (30%) in 3 years

Daily users on Twiiter after Musk
2022:10.3 m
23: 9.5 (-0.8m)
24: 8.6 (-0.9m)
25: 6.9 (-1.7m)
Loss 3.4 million in 3 years (33%)
Ipsos/ Ofcom

Reposted by Steven French, Simon J. Greenhill, Fabián Muniesa , and 3 more

financialtimes.com
Financial Times @financialtimes.com · 2d
Musk should remain member of UK Royal Society, says president ft.trib.al/tC0vaAa
Musk should remain member of UK Royal Society, says president
Paul Nurse tells FT that national science academy should avoid ‘making judgments’ about ‘character’ of fellows
ft.trib.al

profdanhicks.bsky.social
Dan Hicks @profdanhicks.bsky.social · 2d
this week, for the first time since perhaps the Trent Affair of 1861, Britons have found themselves contemplating the possibility, however remote, of being at war with the United States of America

Reposted by Shannon Vallor, Dan Hicks

ketanjoshi.co
Ketan Joshi @ketanjoshi.co · 2d
The Guardian doing inexplicable voluntary free public relations work for a corporation profiting from sexual abuse by headlining this as the image gen being "turned off". It isn't off: they've just monetised it. What the fuck are we doing here people, come on.

www.theguardian.com/technology/2...
Grok turns off image generator for most users after outcry over sexualised AI imagery
X to limit editing function to paying subscribers after platform threatened with fines and regulatory action
www.theguardian.com

Reposted by Will Jennings, Laurent Pech, Dan Hicks

bengoldsborough.bsky.social
Ben Goldsborough MP @bengoldsborough.bsky.social · 2d
If a human was being paid to create this material, we’d rightly throw the book at them. So why should X get a free pass?

Fine them to the hilt and if they won’t comply, shut it down. We wouldn’t tolerate this offline. Why online?

www.bbc.co.uk/news/article... 2/2
Elon Musk's Grok AI image editing limited to paid users after deepfakes
It comes after government urged Ofcom to use all its powers – up to and including an effective ban – against X.
www.bbc.co.uk

Reposted by Andrew Scott, Karen O’Donnell, Dan Hicks

goodlawproject.org
Jolyon Maugham KC @goodlawproject.org · 2d
Alternative headline: humiliating and abusing women on X by digitally undressing them is now a privilege reserved to paying users.
Grok turns off image generator for most users after outcry over sexualised AI imagery
X to limit editing function to paying subscribers after platform threatened with fines and regulatory action
www.theguardian.com

Reposted by Steve Peers, Andrew L. Jackson, Edgar Morgenroth , and 5 more

conorom.bsky.social
Conor O'Mahony @conorom.bsky.social · 2d
I write in today's @irishexaminer.bsky.social about the laws that are broken when online AI platforms facilitate the production of child sex abuse material. No new laws are needed. Companies (and their executives) are accountable as well as users.

www.irishexaminer.com/opinion/comm...
Ireland could prosecute Twitter/X for AI 'child porn' deepfakes
The horrific child sex abuse material produced every day by Grok is already banned under Irish law. The real test is if we are ready to enforce that law against large tech companies
www.irishexaminer.com

Reposted by Michael H. Whitworth

profdanhicks.bsky.social
Dan Hicks @profdanhicks.bsky.social · 3d
a slap in the face for state school students

a slap in the face for all who believe in Oxbridge admissions according to merit rather than class privilege

and a reminder of how easily hard-won progress can be undone by a few activists on a college governing body
www.theguardian.com/education/20...
Cambridge college to target elite private schools for student recruitment
Exclusive: Trinity Hall’s new policy described as a ‘slap in the face’ for state-educated students
www.theguardian.com

profdanhicks.bsky.social
Dan Hicks @profdanhicks.bsky.social · 4d
if you haven’t already, now would be a good day to delete your X account

(no, not just neglect it, actually delete it)
An Elon Musk spin tweet

Reposted by Robert W. Wallace, Bruce D. Baker, Kevin Carey , and 1 more

kenjennings.bsky.social
Ken Jennings @kenjennings.bsky.social · 4d
My kitchen table issue is “don’t shoot people at their kitchen tables”

Reposted by Anne Applebaum, Kim L. Scheppele, Brendan Nyhan , and 16 more

atrupar.com
Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 4d
Trump: "I have just viewed the clip of the event which took place in Minneapolis. It is a horrible thing to watch. The woman screaming was, obviously, a professional agitator, and the woman driving the car was very disorderly, obstructing and resisting ... "
I have just viewed the clip of the event which took place in Minneapolis, Minnesota. It is a horrible thing to watch. The woman screaming was, obviously, a professional agitator, and the woman driving the car was very disorderly, obstructing and resisting, who then violently, willfully, and viciously ran over the ICE Officer, who seems to have shot her in self defense. Based on the attached clip, it is hard to believe he is alive, but is now recovering in the hospital. The situation is being studied, in its entirety, but the reason these incidents are happening is because the Radical Left is threatening, assaulting, and targeting our Law Enforcement Officers and ICE Agents on a daily basis. They are just trying to do the job of MAKING AMERICA SAFE. We need to stand by and protect our Law Enforcement Officers from this Radical Left Movement of Violence and Hate!

Reposted by Martin McKee, Mark A. Lemley, Alessandro Rigolon , and 2 more

atrupar.com
Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 4d
There is video of the shooting of a woman by ICE in Minneapolis circulating that shows an ICE agent repeatedly shooting her at point blank range while she tries to drive off. There was no obvious threat to any ICE agent.

Reposted by Amir Attaran, Guy Grossman, Tom Griffin , and 4 more

atrupar.com
Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 4d
Kristi Noem accuses the woman who was killed by ICE in Minneapolis of committing an act of "domestic terrorism"

profdanhicks.bsky.social
Dan Hicks @profdanhicks.bsky.social · 4d
remarkable that media coverage of Trump’s ambitions for Kalaallit Nunaat (Greenland) is failing to mention that Indigenous Inuit people make up 89% of the population

profdanhicks.bsky.social
Dan Hicks @profdanhicks.bsky.social · 5d
someone pointed out to me today that quite apart from the failure to condemn the Venezuela operation, the British government still hasn't issued any statement on the US Christmas Day strikes on Nigeria

Reposted by Dan Hicks

elinorcarmi.bsky.social
Dr. Elinor Carmi @elinorcarmi.bsky.social · 5d
Another day, another AI "expert" has some kind of prediction to share with the media and they just have to share it with us...

www.theguardian.com/technology/2...
Leading AI expert delays timeline for its possible destruction of humanity
Former OpenAI employee Daniel Kokotajlo says progress to AGI is ‘somewhat slower’ than first predicted
www.theguardian.com

profdanhicks.bsky.social
Dan Hicks @profdanhicks.bsky.social · 6d
a lovely article by a 3rd-year History undergraduate named Ruby Day about a seminar I gave at Royal Holloway shortly before Christmas
theorbital.co.uk/every-monume...
Every Monument Will Fall: Or, Why History Isn’t Just a Study of the Past
By Ruby Day, Deputy Editor-in-Chief In the spirit of honesty, I feel comfortable admitting that nothing boils my blood quite like being asked what the use of my history degree is. It’s been assumed co...
theorbital.co.uk

profdanhicks.bsky.social
Dan Hicks @profdanhicks.bsky.social · 7d
✨🙏🙏

Reposted by Andrew Scott, Tim Bale, Justin Lewis , and 3 more

michaelspicer.bsky.social
Michael Spicer @michaelspicer.bsky.social · 9d
podcasts

profdanhicks.bsky.social
Dan Hicks @profdanhicks.bsky.social · 11d
Hope to see you here and/or on one or more of those platforms to keep in touch on talks, new publications—and the next book (on which more in 2026)!

For now, thanks to all who’ve supported my writing in 2025, a very Happy New Year, and onward into 2026! 🙏❤️

profdanhicks.bsky.social
Dan Hicks @profdanhicks.bsky.social · 11d
It's a transitional time for social media, but while you can no longer find me on X (which I abandoned to the bots and the droogs) I'm there on Instagram, Threads, Facebook—and of course here on Bluesky—plus experimenting with a new WhatsApp channel for news items. Links here > linktr.ee/danhicks
Dan Hicks - LinkTree | Linktree
Dan Hicks - Every Monument Will Fall, Brutish Museums, Instagram, Bluesky links
linktr.ee

profdanhicks.bsky.social
Dan Hicks @profdanhicks.bsky.social · 11d
Among 2025 publications included a book chapter on Tacit Archaeology, an essay on V&A Storehouse for Art Review and a catalogue essay for Isaac Julien. In press for 2026. All these and more are linked from my website >> www.danhicks.uk/essays

profdanhicks.bsky.social
Dan Hicks @profdanhicks.bsky.social · 11d
In March I published the Afterword to the "Laying Ancestors to Rest" Policy Brief published by the All Party Parliamentary Group for Afrikan Reparations static1.squarespace.com/static/5f208...
I summarised the arguments in a feature article for Museums Journal static1.squarespace.com/static/5f208...