Chris Callow
@chriscallow.bsky.social
Medievalist at the University of Birmingham, fan of Iceland, Vikings, running and other things
My family moved into a new build house in 1975 that didn’t have central heating. We’d had it installed by about 1980. I remember us using an electric fan heater sometimes in the winter.
Was intrigued, rereading the wonderful The Ghost of Thomas Kempe, to find somebody’s house having central heating being noted as remarkable. In 1973!
And indeed, only about 30 percent of UK homes would have had central heating when the book was published.
And indeed, only about 30 percent of UK homes would have had central heating when the book was published.
January 24, 2026 at 9:58 AM
My family moved into a new build house in 1975 that didn’t have central heating. We’d had it installed by about 1980. I remember us using an electric fan heater sometimes in the winter.
Reposted by Chris Callow
Det er fortsatt litt tid for å sende inn fremlegg til Norske historiedager i mai i Oslo.
Fristen er 25. januar 2026.
www.hf.uio.no/iakh/forskni...
Fristen er 25. januar 2026.
www.hf.uio.no/iakh/forskni...
Norske historiedager 2026
- Institutt for arkeologi, konservering og historie
Velkommen til Oslo! Tema for konferansen er Kritiske stemmer | Critical Voices.
www.hf.uio.no
January 23, 2026 at 7:33 PM
Det er fortsatt litt tid for å sende inn fremlegg til Norske historiedager i mai i Oslo.
Fristen er 25. januar 2026.
www.hf.uio.no/iakh/forskni...
Fristen er 25. januar 2026.
www.hf.uio.no/iakh/forskni...
Reposted by Chris Callow
One day, if we are lucky, the erasure of American history will itself be remembered as a shameful chapter in American history
January 23, 2026 at 1:30 AM
One day, if we are lucky, the erasure of American history will itself be remembered as a shameful chapter in American history
Reposted by Chris Callow
This week I wrote about one of my favorite commissioned maps: a 2022 map of the silk roads in Muslim lands. In this week's post, I write about how I drew the mountains. And there are so many mountains on this map!
The post is free to read, so have at it!
www.patreon.com/posts/silk-r...
The post is free to read, so have at it!
www.patreon.com/posts/silk-r...
Silk Roads and So. Many. Mountains. | Surprised Eel Maps
Get more from Surprised Eel Maps on Patreon
www.patreon.com
January 22, 2026 at 2:13 AM
This week I wrote about one of my favorite commissioned maps: a 2022 map of the silk roads in Muslim lands. In this week's post, I write about how I drew the mountains. And there are so many mountains on this map!
The post is free to read, so have at it!
www.patreon.com/posts/silk-r...
The post is free to read, so have at it!
www.patreon.com/posts/silk-r...
Reposted by Chris Callow
He didn't "seem to" do it. He did it, repeatedly.
January 21, 2026 at 5:30 PM
He didn't "seem to" do it. He did it, repeatedly.
Reposted by Chris Callow
TRUMP: I invented electricity. did it one day, turned on a lamp and a scientist gasped and said wow how did you do that and I said I just flicked a switch and he started crying and saying "sir you've just saved Africa from ebola"
BBC NEWS: a sober reflection on healthcare from the President
BBC NEWS: a sober reflection on healthcare from the President
January 21, 2026 at 2:25 PM
TRUMP: I invented electricity. did it one day, turned on a lamp and a scientist gasped and said wow how did you do that and I said I just flicked a switch and he started crying and saying "sir you've just saved Africa from ebola"
BBC NEWS: a sober reflection on healthcare from the President
BBC NEWS: a sober reflection on healthcare from the President
Reposted by Chris Callow
Thousands of gannets swoop off the towering cliffs of the island of Boreray, Outer Hebrides, photo by Jim Richardson, National Geographic photographer.
January 21, 2026 at 6:54 PM
Thousands of gannets swoop off the towering cliffs of the island of Boreray, Outer Hebrides, photo by Jim Richardson, National Geographic photographer.
Reposted by Chris Callow
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article... a bit more detail on our excavations of the Early Medieval barrow cemetery out at Sizewell. Nice bit of detail on our barrow surrounded by posts, think a medieval sea henge, and Chris Ferns reconstruction sketch of what we think it looked like.
Sizewell princely cemetery reveals more Anglo-Saxon secrets
www.bbc.co.uk
January 18, 2026 at 8:49 AM
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article... a bit more detail on our excavations of the Early Medieval barrow cemetery out at Sizewell. Nice bit of detail on our barrow surrounded by posts, think a medieval sea henge, and Chris Ferns reconstruction sketch of what we think it looked like.
Reposted by Chris Callow
Looking forward to @sethrockman.bsky.social public lecture on Plantation Goods tomorrow. 6pm at BRIG cafe. @johnmunro.bsky.social www.birmingham.ac.uk/events/publi...
Public Lecture exploring how the production and consumption of goods shaped American slavery - University of Birmingham
A public lecture by historian Seth Rockman, whose research explores the relationships between slavery and capitalism in the making of modern America.
www.birmingham.ac.uk
January 15, 2026 at 9:02 AM
Looking forward to @sethrockman.bsky.social public lecture on Plantation Goods tomorrow. 6pm at BRIG cafe. @johnmunro.bsky.social www.birmingham.ac.uk/events/publi...
Reposted by Chris Callow
Iceland has designated the potential collapse of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) a national security concern and an existential threat.
Yet still fossil fuel usage continues to grow, and they barely agreed to *name* the problem at #COP30.
www.reuters.com/sustainabili...
Yet still fossil fuel usage continues to grow, and they barely agreed to *name* the problem at #COP30.
www.reuters.com/sustainabili...
Iceland deems possible Atlantic current collapse a security risk
Iceland has designated the potential collapse of a major Atlantic Ocean current system a national security concern and an existential threat, enabling its government to strategize for worst-case scenarios, the country's climate minister told Reuters.
www.reuters.com
November 25, 2025 at 4:56 PM
Iceland has designated the potential collapse of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) a national security concern and an existential threat.
Yet still fossil fuel usage continues to grow, and they barely agreed to *name* the problem at #COP30.
www.reuters.com/sustainabili...
Yet still fossil fuel usage continues to grow, and they barely agreed to *name* the problem at #COP30.
www.reuters.com/sustainabili...
Reposted by Chris Callow
For #FindsFriday a map of Danish single finds of Carolingian coins from 2016 to 2025, most unpublished. This is for a chapter in a book being edited by @ccooijmans.bsky.social. It shows that Frankish coins were reaching all parts of Denmark, not just trading centres or royal estates.
January 9, 2026 at 3:19 PM
For #FindsFriday a map of Danish single finds of Carolingian coins from 2016 to 2025, most unpublished. This is for a chapter in a book being edited by @ccooijmans.bsky.social. It shows that Frankish coins were reaching all parts of Denmark, not just trading centres or royal estates.
Reposted by Chris Callow
I understand the pressures on the BBC, but Radio 4's coverage of the Minneapolis shooting is an example of "bad balance".
It's all "the Trump regime says she was a terrorist, but Democrats say it was murder".
The BBC has the footage. It doesn't have to treat truth and falsehood as equally valid.
It's all "the Trump regime says she was a terrorist, but Democrats say it was murder".
The BBC has the footage. It doesn't have to treat truth and falsehood as equally valid.
January 8, 2026 at 8:38 AM
I understand the pressures on the BBC, but Radio 4's coverage of the Minneapolis shooting is an example of "bad balance".
It's all "the Trump regime says she was a terrorist, but Democrats say it was murder".
The BBC has the footage. It doesn't have to treat truth and falsehood as equally valid.
It's all "the Trump regime says she was a terrorist, but Democrats say it was murder".
The BBC has the footage. It doesn't have to treat truth and falsehood as equally valid.
Reposted by Chris Callow
'A Complete Byzantine Monastery Discovered Beneath the Desert Sands of Southern Egypt'
www.labrujulaverde.com/en/2026/01/a...
www.labrujulaverde.com/en/2026/01/a...
January 7, 2026 at 3:01 PM
'A Complete Byzantine Monastery Discovered Beneath the Desert Sands of Southern Egypt'
www.labrujulaverde.com/en/2026/01/a...
www.labrujulaverde.com/en/2026/01/a...
Reposted by Chris Callow
Applications now open. Find out more at birmingham.ac.uk/gender-ma
January 6, 2026 at 4:05 PM
Applications now open. Find out more at birmingham.ac.uk/gender-ma
Reposted by Chris Callow
JOB ALERT!
3-year postdoc at @girtoncollege.bsky.social - research anything you like in History, Archaeology or Anthropology in a wonderful, welcoming scholarly community.
PLEASE SHARE! Closes 12 January
www.girton.cam.ac.uk/job-vacancie...
3-year postdoc at @girtoncollege.bsky.social - research anything you like in History, Archaeology or Anthropology in a wonderful, welcoming scholarly community.
PLEASE SHARE! Closes 12 January
www.girton.cam.ac.uk/job-vacancie...
January 5, 2026 at 9:00 AM
JOB ALERT!
3-year postdoc at @girtoncollege.bsky.social - research anything you like in History, Archaeology or Anthropology in a wonderful, welcoming scholarly community.
PLEASE SHARE! Closes 12 January
www.girton.cam.ac.uk/job-vacancie...
3-year postdoc at @girtoncollege.bsky.social - research anything you like in History, Archaeology or Anthropology in a wonderful, welcoming scholarly community.
PLEASE SHARE! Closes 12 January
www.girton.cam.ac.uk/job-vacancie...
Reposted by Chris Callow
For #FindsFriday the Hiddensee hoard, found in the 1870s in Neuendorf, Lkr. Vorpommern-Rügen. Scandinavian style and Christian crosses suggest a late 10th C date. The neckring is 13.5 cm, the brooch 8 cm, the cross pendants 5.1–6.9 cm. Total weight: 595.5 g pure gold. Now in Stralsund Museum.
January 2, 2026 at 3:35 PM
For #FindsFriday the Hiddensee hoard, found in the 1870s in Neuendorf, Lkr. Vorpommern-Rügen. Scandinavian style and Christian crosses suggest a late 10th C date. The neckring is 13.5 cm, the brooch 8 cm, the cross pendants 5.1–6.9 cm. Total weight: 595.5 g pure gold. Now in Stralsund Museum.
Reposted by Chris Callow
The stand out success of 2025 in Wales is that the roll out of 20mph as the default speed limit for urban areas has resulted in a significant drop in casualties, saving lives and reducing pressure on the NHS.
transportactionnetwork.org.uk/2025-transpo...
#2025Review
transportactionnetwork.org.uk/2025-transpo...
#2025Review
2025 transport review
One step forward, two steps back What has gone well in 2025 Like any year, assessing whether there has been any progress is difficult when things are so complex. However, we’ve seen several significan...
transportactionnetwork.org.uk
December 24, 2025 at 10:06 AM
The stand out success of 2025 in Wales is that the roll out of 20mph as the default speed limit for urban areas has resulted in a significant drop in casualties, saving lives and reducing pressure on the NHS.
transportactionnetwork.org.uk/2025-transpo...
#2025Review
transportactionnetwork.org.uk/2025-transpo...
#2025Review
Reposted by Chris Callow
Warm yourself by the virtual fireplace in this cosy 16-color EGA #Christmas scene. No MS-DOS or floppy 💾 drive required. Thanks to software preservation, it's still crackling on the Internet Archive.
✉️ Open the full 1986 Sierra On-Line "A Computer Christmas" card ⤵️
archive.org/details/sier...
✉️ Open the full 1986 Sierra On-Line "A Computer Christmas" card ⤵️
archive.org/details/sier...
December 25, 2025 at 3:11 PM
Warm yourself by the virtual fireplace in this cosy 16-color EGA #Christmas scene. No MS-DOS or floppy 💾 drive required. Thanks to software preservation, it's still crackling on the Internet Archive.
✉️ Open the full 1986 Sierra On-Line "A Computer Christmas" card ⤵️
archive.org/details/sier...
✉️ Open the full 1986 Sierra On-Line "A Computer Christmas" card ⤵️
archive.org/details/sier...
Reposted by Chris Callow
⚡️🔨 #Mjǫllnir
Thor's hammer rings from Väsby (top) and Roslags-Näsby (bottom).
The growing popularity of Thor's hammer pendants, likely worn for apotropaic reasons, may have been in response to encounters with cross-wearing Christians at home and abroad.
My 📷 Historiska museet
Thor's hammer rings from Väsby (top) and Roslags-Näsby (bottom).
The growing popularity of Thor's hammer pendants, likely worn for apotropaic reasons, may have been in response to encounters with cross-wearing Christians at home and abroad.
My 📷 Historiska museet
December 23, 2025 at 3:08 PM
⚡️🔨 #Mjǫllnir
Thor's hammer rings from Väsby (top) and Roslags-Näsby (bottom).
The growing popularity of Thor's hammer pendants, likely worn for apotropaic reasons, may have been in response to encounters with cross-wearing Christians at home and abroad.
My 📷 Historiska museet
Thor's hammer rings from Väsby (top) and Roslags-Näsby (bottom).
The growing popularity of Thor's hammer pendants, likely worn for apotropaic reasons, may have been in response to encounters with cross-wearing Christians at home and abroad.
My 📷 Historiska museet
Reposted by Chris Callow
Did medieval people buy each other Christmas gifts? New Year's Day was the main gifting day, but little is known about everyday people's present giving. Our project on London's customs records has uncovered a wealth of affordable items imported around this time: gloves and hats to toys and rattles🧵
Medieval Londoners’ cheaply imported mass-produced Christmas gifts look surprisingly familiar
We often imagine medieval life as dull, dirty and short, with little in the way of material comfort or decoration. However, medieval Londoners were importing toys, treats and trinkets by the boatload ...
theconversation.com
December 22, 2025 at 3:56 PM
Did medieval people buy each other Christmas gifts? New Year's Day was the main gifting day, but little is known about everyday people's present giving. Our project on London's customs records has uncovered a wealth of affordable items imported around this time: gloves and hats to toys and rattles🧵
Reposted by Chris Callow
Thorlak Thorhallsson / Þorlákur Þórhallsson d. 23 Dec 1193, patron saint of #Iceland. Bishop of Skálholt from 1178. He has his own saga: Þorláks saga helga. On his feast Þorláksmessa it is customary to eat cured skate.
(Pic Thanks to @drfrancisyoung.bsky.social
)
(Pic Thanks to @drfrancisyoung.bsky.social
)
December 23, 2025 at 11:42 AM
Thorlak Thorhallsson / Þorlákur Þórhallsson d. 23 Dec 1193, patron saint of #Iceland. Bishop of Skálholt from 1178. He has his own saga: Þorláks saga helga. On his feast Þorláksmessa it is customary to eat cured skate.
(Pic Thanks to @drfrancisyoung.bsky.social
)
(Pic Thanks to @drfrancisyoung.bsky.social
)
Reposted by Chris Callow
#OpenAccess
Skoglund, G., & Monti, C. (2025). "First strontium isotope analysis of a heritage hemp fabric in Iceland."
urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=...
#Strontium isotope signals indicate that hemp fibers from the Icelandic fabric originated in France or Scotland.
#Archaeology #Science #AncientSky
Skoglund, G., & Monti, C. (2025). "First strontium isotope analysis of a heritage hemp fabric in Iceland."
urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=...
#Strontium isotope signals indicate that hemp fibers from the Icelandic fabric originated in France or Scotland.
#Archaeology #Science #AncientSky
December 22, 2025 at 9:52 AM
#OpenAccess
Skoglund, G., & Monti, C. (2025). "First strontium isotope analysis of a heritage hemp fabric in Iceland."
urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=...
#Strontium isotope signals indicate that hemp fibers from the Icelandic fabric originated in France or Scotland.
#Archaeology #Science #AncientSky
Skoglund, G., & Monti, C. (2025). "First strontium isotope analysis of a heritage hemp fabric in Iceland."
urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=...
#Strontium isotope signals indicate that hemp fibers from the Icelandic fabric originated in France or Scotland.
#Archaeology #Science #AncientSky
Reposted by Chris Callow
D1361.36
Magic trousers render invisible.
Magic trousers render invisible.
December 21, 2025 at 11:44 AM
D1361.36
Magic trousers render invisible.
Magic trousers render invisible.
Reposted by Chris Callow
Reposted by Chris Callow
Another beer post for the evening: In 1241, Pope Gregory IX informed Archbishop Sigurd Eindridesson (r.1231-52) that children who are baptised in beer can not be considered to have been properly baptised.
December 17, 2025 at 11:35 PM
Another beer post for the evening: In 1241, Pope Gregory IX informed Archbishop Sigurd Eindridesson (r.1231-52) that children who are baptised in beer can not be considered to have been properly baptised.