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Michael E Smith

@michaelesmith.bsky.social

1.2K followers 360 following 270 posts

Archaeologist, Arizona State Univ. Aztecs, Teotihuacan. Ancient & modern cities. Commoners in the past. Transdisciplinary, materialist, historical, occasionally musical. Kino the dog. - These days I'm working on urban persistence over long periods.

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Michael E Smith @michaelesmith.bsky.social · Sep 6

I am an archaeologist at Arizona State University. I am into premodern cities, comparisons with cities today, methodological rigor, Aztecs, and Kino the dog. I have found Bluesky to be boring, although there are a few feeds here I like to follow. But I post more at the other place.

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Michael E Smith @michaelesmith.bsky.social · 11d

www.embopress.org/doi/full/10....

Scientists targeted by dark PR tactics: Several academic scientists critical of de-extinction projects have become the targets of anonymous smear articles and weaponized copyright infringement claims:...

EMBO Press is an editorially independent publishing platform for the development of EMBO scientific publications.

www.embopress.org

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Michael E Smith @michaelesmith.bsky.social · 12d

I checked my old grade records, and you got an "A" in my class, Aztecs, Incas and Mayas!

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Michael E Smith @michaelesmith.bsky.social · 17d

My Aztlander zoom lecture on Calixtlahuaca is now on YouTube:
youtu.be/ROBc5t2QZGo?...

youtu.be

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Michael E Smith @michaelesmith.bsky.social · 18d

Kino in the afternoon sun

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Michael E Smith @michaelesmith.bsky.social · 22d

Nap in the sun

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Michael E Smith @michaelesmith.bsky.social · 23d

www.azcentral.com/story/news/p...

What to know about ICE detention of ASU staffer over alleged Trump threat

"The subject was lawfully detained for investigative purposes; no warrant was required,” A federal immigration official told The Arizona Republic.

www.azcentral.com

Michael E Smith @michaelesmith.bsky.social · 24d

Wow, Unforgotten is a 2025 Bronze Winner, Prix de la Photographie de Paris - UNFORGOTTEN: ANCIENT CITIES FROM A DISTANT PAST px3.fr/winners/px3/... Maybe this was because of my excellent essay. Ha ha, in my dreams. Bill Frej's photos of sites are gorgeous, well worth a look.

Michael E Smith @michaelesmith.bsky.social · 29d

Went hiking in the woods near Pine, AZ, saw some javelinas, and had a birthday picnic at a state park. Home now and tired.

Michael E Smith @michaelesmith.bsky.social · Sep 12

The cactus is blooming this morning. I can’t seem to upload the video of bees having a good time in the flowers

Michael E Smith @michaelesmith.bsky.social · Sep 10

I'm giving a zoom lecture on our excavations at Calixtlahuaca, for the Aztlander group. Monday, Sep 15, 8:00 pm Eastern time. Contact the Aztlander folks, or email me, if you want a link.

Michael E Smith @michaelesmith.bsky.social · Sep 6

I haven't figured out yet why many photos and videos won't load here.

Michael E Smith @michaelesmith.bsky.social · Sep 6

Yeah, I have only had a couple of negative experiences over there. Not a fan of the idiot in charge, but for me, there is much more intellectual activity and engagement there than here, and a greater number of feeds that I like to follow closely.

Michael E Smith @michaelesmith.bsky.social · Sep 6

Good question, just a few feeds here I like that aren't on the other place. I periodically post a query on both places. I usually get engagement over there, and very little here.

Michael E Smith @michaelesmith.bsky.social · Sep 6

Just for fun, here is an Aztec parrot head. I call it the Jimmy Buffett parrot head.

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Michael E Smith @michaelesmith.bsky.social · Sep 6

Lots of small ceramic figurines from Yautepec. For some reason, many authors insist that anything anthropomorphic must be a deity. But when they wanted to depict a deity, they included deity attributes so there was no doubt. See my paper on Aztec domestic ritual: www.academia.edu/13087249/_Do...

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Michael E Smith @michaelesmith.bsky.social · Sep 6

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Michael E Smith @michaelesmith.bsky.social · Sep 4

New paper, me and a zillion coauthors, Alissa Ruth is the lead and organizer, "Online student engagement in social science research laboratories: Expert advice on the opportunities and challenges." I guess I am one of the experts.
www.cur.org/journal-arti...

Online Student Engagement in Social Science Research Laboratories: Expert Advice on the Opportunities and Challenges - The Council on Undergraduate Research

Ruth, Alissa, Cindi SturtzSreetharan, Melissa Beresford, Alexandra Brewis, Shauna B. BurnSilver, Christopher R. Caseldin, Caitlin Drummond Otten, Emir Estrada, Daniel J. Hruschka, Elisabeth Ilboudo Né...

www.cur.org

Michael E Smith @michaelesmith.bsky.social · Sep 1

Some images of the Calixtlahuaca bird. The city was originally called Matlatzinco, but the conquering Mexica gave it the name Calixtlahuaca. The bird may signal the name of the ruling dynasty.

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Michael E Smith @michaelesmith.bsky.social · Sep 1

Is there a term for making up fake hypotheses to make one's work sound scientific? These authors make up three bogus hypotheses about Aztec whistles - hypotheses that no one has ever proposed, & suggest they are important research issues. 10.1038/s44271-024-00157-7 Weird. Photo is Yautepec whistles.

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Michael E Smith @michaelesmith.bsky.social · Sep 1

After Kino swims in the pool, we keep him off the bed. But he finds another soft place to snooze after dinner.

Michael E Smith @michaelesmith.bsky.social · Aug 30

Me and Kino, out for a walk.

Michael E Smith @michaelesmith.bsky.social · Aug 30

Afternoon sunbathing

Michael E Smith @michaelesmith.bsky.social · Aug 30

Very cool!

Michael E Smith @michaelesmith.bsky.social · Aug 29

Some doggie friends from our time in Cuernavaca. The girls would carry these guys around in a market bag.

Michael E Smith @michaelesmith.bsky.social · Aug 28

I just love it when someone comes into archaeology from another field, knowing nothing about archaeology, and claims to have solved some problem on their own. Usually, its nonsense. But journals like Nature should not be promoting this kind of thing (said without having seen the paper...)