Jonathan Last
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johnnythin.bsky.social
Jonathan Last
@johnnythin.bsky.social
1.3K followers 660 following 1.3K posts
Prehistory & landscape

Also on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/johnnythinsta/
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johnnythin.bsky.social
Not quite picnic weather
Picnic tables in a flooded outdoor area
January 22, 2026 at 1:27 PM
johnnythin.bsky.social
"Ecosystem collapse is highly likely to drive national security risk"

"Halting and reversing biodiversity loss" would require meeting "the Paris climate agreement target"

Should be required reading for Reform/Tory voters who think we can just pull down the blinds and ignore the rest of the world…
carladenyer.bsky.social Carla Denyer @carladenyer.bsky.social · 2d
This week the government quietly published a 'Global biodiversity loss, ecosystem collapse and national security assessment': www.gov.uk/government/p...

Meant to be out last year, but rumoured to be blocked by Number 10: www.theguardian.com/environment/...

The judgements are stomach-churning
Screenshot of the first two pages of the assessment. Machine readable version at link
January 22, 2026 at 8:13 AM
johnnythin.bsky.social
Early daffodils yesterday morning
A couple of daffodils in flower next to a tree on a suburban verge
January 22, 2026 at 7:38 AM
johnnythin.bsky.social
As one final plug for 'Tarv', here for #HillfortsWednesday is Kensett's/Griffiths'/Tarv's description of a winter night's encounter with (?were)wolves, facilitated by "the camp brats" playing in the snow, at (presumably) a linear earthwork near the downland hillfort that might be Ditchling Beacon...
"...I reached the spot where now we stand, and saw broad lines of bare grass where the snow had been removed. It lay on the hills about a hand's breadth in depth, and the camp brats, as youngsters will, had rolled down great balls of snow, gathering as they went, which at last had so grown that there must have been many of them at the game, and even then they had not moved them but for the falling ground, sloping ever more steeply to the wolf guard, where they had pushed them over, and then climbed up and down by means of them. I saw that where the brats had climbed the wolves might follow, but being young and heedless myself, merely determined to provide them with another game in the morning removing the snow. I had passed on, I think, about as far as might be encompassed by a twice-thrown spear, when I saw a sign of movement in the edge of the thicket below. It was the wolf pack travelling with their easy loping gallop, and keeping in or near the margin of the bush, but not hidden from such eyes as mine. Such a sight is common enough, so although I knew they must be sharp set after a month's severe weather, I never thought of danger to the camp. Their leader I knew well by sight. His speed and cunning were the talk of the fireside, and indeed, many said he was a werewolf, but I hold that the werewolf is solitary and runs not with the pack."
January 21, 2026 at 7:43 AM
johnnythin.bsky.social
We may think the problem of storing archaeological archives is a modern one but here, from exactly 200 years ago, is the London Courier & Evening Gazette reporting a discussion on what to do with the "many interesting fragments" likely to be found during future "improvements" in the City of London
Part of a report from the London Courier & Evening Gazette, Friday 20 Jan 1826, on the Court of Common Council held at Guildhall the previous day: "Mr. Hick stated, that in the numerous excavations which had recently been made in various parts of the City, many remains which were valuable to the antiquarian, and important to the historian, had been discovered, and dispersed for want of care, or for want of a proper place to put them in. In the improvements which might in future be carried on, it was to be expected that many interesting fragments would be discovered. Many that had recently been found might perhaps be procured, and some would probably be presented, if an appropriate place were provided for their reception. He moved that it should be referred to the Committee to provide a room adjoining to the library for the reception of such antiquities as might be found or procured, connected with the City of London and the Borough of Southwark. The motion was carried unanimously."
January 20, 2026 at 9:42 PM
johnnythin.bsky.social
Skimmed it too quickly and was thinking to myself, HOW old is Peter Crouch…?
rufustsuperfly.bsky.social Tom Reagan’s Hat @rufustsuperfly.bsky.social · 4d
Tom Baker is 92.
This is a fascinating document from the 70s when Baker was at the height of his Doctor Who fame.
It’s all the more poignant now as you see that it’s really an insight into some dealing with alcoholism, depression and anxiety.
There are some parts that might upset people.
January 20, 2026 at 5:38 PM
johnnythin.bsky.social
"Behold, if thou art content then will we raise this barrow to the skies so that for all generations to come everyone who cometh hither shall exclaim 'Great is this tumulus!'"

A tangential #TombTuesday prompted by the funeral at Wimbledon in the 1925 psychic time travel novel 'The Amulet of Tarv' 🧵
"While everyone joined in this last lament and a wild howl ascended to the very skies, two of the principal clansmen half carried and half dragged the bull's hide on which lay the corpse into the sepulchral chamber through the narrow passage leading thereto, and on their reappearance enquired for the iron weapons of the dead chief to lay them at his side. Tarv na Cefn smiled grimly as he listened to a dispute which ended in an inferior axe and spear being handed to them for that purpose. This done, the entrance was closed by some slaves who would continue their work after the mourners were gone. Then a shower of offerings fell on the uncompleted barrow, everyone, even the children, throwing curiously-shaped natural flints, broken stone weapons and implements, many of the latter having been made for this purpose, and indeed, some bearing but a rude resemblance to what they were supposed to represent. These offerings would continue to be made by everyone who chanced to pass until the tumulus was completed, and even afterwards no one would go by without adding a stone."
January 20, 2026 at 7:54 AM
johnnythin.bsky.social
For some reason this song is in my head today…
Start a War
YouTube video by The National - Topic
www.youtube.com
January 19, 2026 at 8:46 AM
johnnythin.bsky.social
As this year marks the 700th birthday of my old college I thought I’d post occasional nuggets from this massive volume (and the second which is even bigger) produced by @universitypress.cambridge.org for the sexcentenary, though it didn’t actually appear until 1928
‘Clare College 1326-1926 Volume I’, just about held up in one hand The title page of the volume and frontispiece showing a painting of c 1730, attributed to George Lambert, with a view of Clare from the Backs
January 18, 2026 at 9:22 PM
johnnythin.bsky.social
For the sff/prehistory crossover audience (alright, just me then) some musings on the prehistoric landscape of Surrey and Sussex, as imagined by a fridge expert 100 years ago…
prescapes.substack.com/p/mixed-up-w...
"Mixed up with today and yesterday": prehistory and the wild in 'The Amulet of Tarv'
As a part-time member of the excellent ‘Rewilding’ Later Prehistory project, based at Oxford Archaeology, I’ve been privileged to make a number of visits to the equally wonderful Knepp Wilding in Suss...
prescapes.substack.com
January 18, 2026 at 2:20 PM
johnnythin.bsky.social
The irony (and untapped strength) of development-led archaeology is how it provides deep histories to the 'non-places' (in Auge's or Relph's terms) of modernity - housing estates, business parks, shopping centres, etc. Or it would if anyone knew about them, as @urbanprehistorian.bsky.social says…
January 17, 2026 at 12:35 PM
johnnythin.bsky.social
In relation to average income that’s the equivalent of about £4 million today
dj-acid-reflux.bsky.social Tom Cox @dj-acid-reflux.bsky.social · 7d
When feeling fed up about how insanely expensive rural property has become in the last few years it’s always good to remember that it was only a little over a century ago that Stonehenge, plus its accompanying 6400 acres, sold for £6,600 to a private buyer via an advert in Country Life Magazine.
The original ad for Stonehenge, and its 6400 accompanying acres, in Country Life magazine.
January 17, 2026 at 8:44 AM
johnnythin.bsky.social
This would have meant something quite different a few hundred years ago…
Screenshot of headline reading ‘Badenoch reiterates call to sack Guildford’
January 14, 2026 at 2:00 PM
johnnythin.bsky.social
Shadow portrait with Faith (Guildford Cathedral) #WallsOnWednesday
An external brick wall with the shadow of a person next to a stone relief in front of a stained glass window
January 14, 2026 at 8:37 AM
johnnythin.bsky.social
On Renaissance vs early modern for the C16/17: “The archaeologists call it post-medieval which is even worse”. Couldn’t agree more 😆
gregjenner.bsky.social Greg Jenner (Historian) @gregjenner.bsky.social · 15d
Hi! The newest episode of YOU’RE DEAD TO ME is all about medicine in Renaissance England (1500s-1660s), on BBC SOUNDS

I’m joined by the ace comedian @rialina_ and the excellent historian of medicine Dr Alanna Skuse

Expect leeches, urine-drinking, painful surgeries, and weird dog experiments!
January 11, 2026 at 8:35 AM
johnnythin.bsky.social
In 1768 the previous #carnyx to be found in England was pulled out of the river Witham near Tattershall. Lacking the zoomorphic head, it was interpreted as a Roman lituus. Unfortunately, it fell victim to early experiments in archaeological science at the hands of Joseph Banks and George Pearson...
Part of plate XI in Pearson's 'Observations on some ancient metallic Arms and Utensils', captioned: "Tab. XI. fig. 1. Two pieces of the Lituus which had been broken. a. The ornament of chain-work round one end of the Lituus. Fig. 2. An ancient medal, on which the Lituus is represented."
January 7, 2026 at 5:36 PM
johnnythin.bsky.social
William Henry Goss, founder of many archaeologists’ favourite ceramics company, died #OTD in 1906. Here’s a Goss model of an Iron Age pot from Glastonbury lake village, with the family crest and motto.
A white porcelain bowl with the original modelled decoration barely visible. A colourful crest depicts a hawk standing on a helmet over a shield with an X of red stars, below which is the motto ‘Se Inserit Astris’ The base of the vessel with the Goss logo and text ‘Model of bowl from the ancient British lake-village near Glastonbury’
January 4, 2026 at 9:48 AM
johnnythin.bsky.social
#StandingStoneSunday
johnnythin.bsky.social Jonathan Last @johnnythin.bsky.social · 23d
125 years ago, on the last evening of the 19th century (properly reckoned), two stones fell at Stonehenge. The Salisbury Journal reported that "A shepherd named Ford… says he saw the stones intact on Monday afternoon, but on approaching the venerable ruin on Tuesday morning [1st Jan] he found… 🧵
Stonehenge before the fall, as illustrated in the Daily Chronicle, 7th Jan 1901: "...the public will wish to know exactly what damage has befallen Stonehenge. We have, therefore, had a special visit paid to it, and the stones that have been disturbed indicated on the accompanying sketch. Two stones, those marked 'A' and 'B' have fallen, and the monument is distinctly poorer for the fact."
January 4, 2026 at 9:17 AM
johnnythin.bsky.social
New York in 2026 AD, as depicted in the Illustrated London News, 2nd Jan 1926: "Living-apartments will be built above and between great blocks of city offices and on the spans of bridges. Aeroplanes will land on the roofs of buildings and on huge platforms above the docks."
"An architect's futuristic idea of New York in 2026 AD: city blocks with business offices, and apartments above and between them" "Roofed with a huge landing-platform for aeroplanes, over an upper storey of living apartments: a 'Brooklyn Bridge' of the future."
January 2, 2026 at 4:19 PM
johnnythin.bsky.social
This went down rather well
Hogs Back ‘Mistletoe and Swine’ on draft
January 1, 2026 at 2:56 PM
johnnythin.bsky.social
Happy new year to everyone, but especially to asylum seekers, trans folk and all those made to feel vulnerable during the past year
An anxious dog looking forward
January 1, 2026 at 1:02 AM
johnnythin.bsky.social
125 years ago, on the last evening of the 19th century (properly reckoned), two stones fell at Stonehenge. The Salisbury Journal reported that "A shepherd named Ford… says he saw the stones intact on Monday afternoon, but on approaching the venerable ruin on Tuesday morning [1st Jan] he found… 🧵
Stonehenge before the fall, as illustrated in the Daily Chronicle, 7th Jan 1901: "...the public will wish to know exactly what damage has befallen Stonehenge. We have, therefore, had a special visit paid to it, and the stones that have been disturbed indicated on the accompanying sketch. Two stones, those marked 'A' and 'B' have fallen, and the monument is distinctly poorer for the fact."
December 31, 2025 at 9:59 PM
johnnythin.bsky.social
The last moon of 2025
December 31, 2025 at 4:12 PM
johnnythin.bsky.social
What festive sight do we want to see on the Christmas morning dog walk? Donkeys munching holly, you say?
December 25, 2025 at 11:25 AM
johnnythin.bsky.social
It's a time for forgiving anachronism, so here's wishing a very merry prehistoric Christmas to all hominins and dinos!
Cartoon by Lawson Wood from the Illustrated London News Christmas Number, 1904, captioned 'The Christmas Box: a prehistoric Christmas turkey', one of a series of 'Suggestions of the Prehistoric Origin of Christmas Customs': a man, woman and child in Stone Age garb inspect a large wooden box containing a trussed-up Archaeopteryx or similar, while snowy mayhem unfolds behind in a village of lintelled megaliths.
December 24, 2025 at 10:25 PM