Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Martin Porr @martinporr.bsky.social · 9d

I was invited to provide some comments on the fascinating story below, which discusses the earliest known examples of the use of blue pigment during the European Palaeolithic. Interesting results with some intriguing implications.

www.science.org/content/arti...

Paleolithic painters had the blues

Two recent studies shine light on the earliest known artistic usages of blue pigment

www.science.org

1 4

franz @franzanth.bsky.social · 15d

"The Netherlands plans to transfer more than 28,000 fossils from the Dubois collection to Indonesia, following a request by Indonesian authorities."

omg

5 65 220

Martin Porr @martinporr.bsky.social · 17d

www.sapiens.org/archaeology/...

In Human Origins Research, Communities Are the Missing Link

A paleoanthropologist reflects on relationships between researchers and communities living around sites relevant to human evolution.

www.sapiens.org

1 5

Martin Porr @martinporr.bsky.social · Sep 5

Just want to thank Ben for his great contribution, the first in the special issue, and my-co-editor, Gianpiero Di Maida and the editorial staff at the Ethnographisch-Archäologische Zeitschrift for their hard work and their understanding!

2

Martin Porr @martinporr.bsky.social · Sep 5

Please have a look at this new open access paper by Benjamin Alberti that was just published in the EAZ. This is part of a special issue on ontological approaches in archaeology with more great papers to follow! #archaeology

www.eaz-journal.org/index.php/ea...

2 1 11

Martin Porr @martinporr.bsky.social · Sep 2

theconversation.com/those-painti...

‘Those paintings belong to us’: how an Indigenous-led project is harnessing technology to protect Kakadu’s rock art

This new project has strong potential to be scaled up and delivered in other land and cultural heritage management contexts.

theconversation.com

1

Martin Porr @martinporr.bsky.social · Sep 2

Great to have been able to conduct this survey at the WA Maritime Museum for the Deep Time Images project together with @lauramayer.bsky.social! Lots to analyze and lots of food for thought! #TheGreatKimberleyWilderness

Deep Time Heritage @deeptimeheritage.bsky.social · Sep 2

That’s a wrap for visitor interviews at WA Maritime Museum! We had everything from tears to wondering who their favourite Hemsworth brother was after seeing Luke hanging out of a helicopter. Looking forward to analysing the interviews and learning more about the #TheGreatKimberleyWilderness 🎥

1

Deep Time Heritage @deeptimeheritage.bsky.social · Sep 2

That’s a wrap for visitor interviews at WA Maritime Museum! We had everything from tears to wondering who their favourite Hemsworth brother was after seeing Luke hanging out of a helicopter. Looking forward to analysing the interviews and learning more about the #TheGreatKimberleyWilderness 🎥

3

Martin Porr @martinporr.bsky.social · Aug 25

www.theguardian.com/culture/2025...

My cultural awakening: an ancient statue made me fall in love with my fat body

I spent decades being ashamed of the way I look. Then a visit to the Natural History Museum changed everything

www.theguardian.com

1 2

Martin Porr @martinporr.bsky.social · Aug 21

www.heriuct.co.za/news-content...

We need a feminist palaeoanthropology that finally listens to all of us — HERI - Human Evolution Research Institute

Palaeoanthropology asks profound questions: Who are we? What makes us human? Too often, answering these answers has been done by a privileged few. HERi Co-director Prof Rebecca Ackermann calls for tha...

www.heriuct.co.za

1 3

Martin Porr @martinporr.bsky.social · Aug 16

Yes, the website is in German, but the volume itself is in English

1

Martin Porr @martinporr.bsky.social · Aug 14

The book includes many fabulous papers and goes back to a conference at the University of Tübingen in 2018. I hope that you will find it useful, and I want to thank my co-editors and all authors for their hard work, battling through the pandemic and other challenges! @deeptimeheritage.bsky.social

8

Martin Porr @martinporr.bsky.social · Aug 12

Here is the original letter/announcement from the White House, another step in the Trump's attack strategy on the museum, cultural, and research sectors

www.whitehouse.gov/briefings-st...

1 2

Martin Porr @martinporr.bsky.social · Aug 7

Come work with us!! Job opportunity!!

We just advertised a 5-year full-time T/R Archaeology Lecturer position at Level B.

This will suit an early career researcher with a teaching and research profile that is relevant to Australia.

Full details below!

external.jobs.uwa.edu.au/cw/en/job/52...

2 4

Radical Anthropology @radicalanthro.bsky.social · Aug 5

Interesting read here on #language #ontologies
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

2 1

Martin Porr @martinporr.bsky.social · Jul 29

theconversation.com/precious-fin...

Precious finger traces from First Nations ancestors revealed in a glittering mountain cave in Australia

Thousands of years ago, adults and children left their marks on soft rock surfaces deep in this cave in GunaiKurnai Country.

theconversation.com

1 2

Martin Porr @martinporr.bsky.social · Jul 29

www.cambridge.org/core/journal...

Impediments to countering racist pseudoscience | Evolutionary Human Sciences | Cambridge Core

Impediments to countering racist pseudoscience

www.cambridge.org

1

Martin Porr @martinporr.bsky.social · Jul 27

www.theguardian.com/australia-ne...

Tim Winton among 100 high-profile Australians calling for university fees that don’t ‘punish’ arts students

Open letter urges Labor to reverse JRG scheme, introduced by Coalition in 2021, as cost of humanities degrees reaches more than $50,000

www.theguardian.com

Martin Porr @martinporr.bsky.social · Jul 24

Was all the scapegoating in Australian politics maybe just that??!!

www.abc.net.au/news/2025-07...

International students have not driven rents and inflation higher, RBA says

An RBA paper suggests the rapid growth in foreign students post-pandemic did not play a big role in pushing rents higher.

www.abc.net.au

1

The Conversation U.S. @us.theconversation.com · Jul 19

Populist governments are mobilizing emotions like nostalgia and resentment to justify eroding academic freedom and reshaping higher education. Scholars who study nationalism, emotion and higher education explore this troubling strategy: theconversation.com/leaders-in-i...

Leaders in India, Hungary and the US are using appeals to nostalgia and nationalism to attack higher education

Populist, right-wing governments often target universities as enemies of the state. The Trump administration is watching − and learning.

theconversation.com

22 43

Brian D. Wade @astrobrian.bsky.social · Jul 17

Why many Americans still think #Darwin was wrong, yet the British don’t
#evolution #evoSky #scienceSky

theconversation.com/why-many-ame...

Why many Americans still think Darwin was wrong, yet the British don’t

Fundamentalists don’t necessarily examine evolution and then reject it; they tend to start with the conclusion that it must be false and work backwards.

theconversation.com

2 2 12

Martin Porr @martinporr.bsky.social · Jul 17

theconversation.com/we-were-part...

We were part of the world heritage listing of Murujuga. Here’s why all Australians should be proud

Murujuga is Australia’s 21st world heritage property, but only the second property listed exclusively for its Indigenous cultural values.

theconversation.com

1

Martin Porr @martinporr.bsky.social · Jul 14

www.theguardian.com/global-devel...

‘It’s always been some white dude’: how Ethiopia became the world leader in uncovering the story of humankind

Housed in an unremarkable office block in the captial, the country’s national museum is home to the most extensive collection of the remains of modern humans’ ancestors – and a team of world-leading s...

www.theguardian.com

4 8

Martin Porr @martinporr.bsky.social · Jul 11

Not without controversy, but Western Australia has a new world heritage site!

www.abc.net.au/news/2025-07...

UNESCO approves World Heritage bid for rock art over emissions concerns

The UNESCO has approved World Heritage status for the 40,000-year-old rock art of Murujuga, in Western Australia in Paris.

www.abc.net.au

2

Sebastian Hageneuer @archaeobasti.bsky.social · Jul 3

ICYMI: 🎮 In this blog post, I give a quick intro to archaeogaming: studying archaeology in, of, and through video games—from Tomb Raider to No Man’s Sky.

Have a look:
🔗 itsmoreofacomment.com/2021/07/30/a...

#Archaeogaming #GameStudies #DigitalArchaeology

Archaeogaming: An overview - It's more of a comment...

What is Archaeogaming? In this article, I want to give an overview what Archaeogaming is and how it can be utilised to analyse videogames.

itsmoreofacomment.com

6 12

Martin Porr @martinporr.bsky.social · Jun 30

I'm very honoured to have a chapter next to so many distinguished and inspiring colleagues. Thanks a lot to Ann McGrath and Jackie Huggins for inviting me to contribute!

Martin Porr @martinporr.bsky.social · Jun 30

Coming back from an inspiring WAC-10 in Darwin, it was a very lovely surprise to find my author copies of this amazing volume at home. The book should be in the shops from tomorrow. It is very much worth your time and attention!

1 8

Martin Porr @martinporr.bsky.social · Jun 20

www.abc.net.au/news/2025-06...

Traditional owners feel 'sidelined' on North West Shelf conditions

A group of Pilbara traditional owners has written to the federal government as pressure mounts to reveal the conditions of its North West Shelf extension.

www.abc.net.au

2

Martin Porr @martinporr.bsky.social · Jun 19

A further perspective on World Heritage, Aboriginal heritage, and tourism

theconversation.com/cape-york-de...

Cape York deserves World Heritage status – and Queensland may need it to become a global leader in tourism

The Queensland government has halted a World Heritage nomination bid put forth by Labor last year. It’s next steps could greatly impact the cape’s future.

theconversation.com

1 1

Taylor Mitchell Brown @tmitchellbrown.bsky.social · Jun 18

I spoke with several leading archaeologists to better understand the impact recent federal funding cuts will have on archaeology in the US. The future doesn’t look good.

#NSF #NEH #archaeology #paleoanthropology #heritage

New at @science.org 🏺🧪

Funding cuts to U.S. archaeology could imperil field’s future

A Science analysis of canceled and curtailed federal grants reveals hits to research, collections, and training

www.science.org

3 68 96