Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Richard Osgood @richardosgood.bsky.social · 17h

#inktober2025 10) Sweep. My dad introduced me to the incredible character that was Brusher Mills - snake catcher of the New Forest. He used to sweep the local cricket pitches to clear adders from it. By happy coincidence daughter was handling snakes as part of her vet training today. Hisssss!!! 🐍

Sketch of an old man with a big beard. He is wearing a hat, smoking a pipe, and smiling and holding a snake in each hand

A female vet student in a White lab coat holding a snake

7

Richard Osgood @richardosgood.bsky.social · 1d

#inktober2025 9)Heavy. Never found one of these but this is a Roman Lead bar called a ‘pig’. This one made by the Deceangli in Flintshire (hence the ‘decea’ on the side) for the Emperor Vespasian (hence the impression on the top). Weighing 6827g & made in AD76. #archaeology

Sketch of a Roman lead bar called a’pig’ . With IMP. VESP. VII. written on top (linking to emperor Vespasian) and DECEA on the side denoting manufacture by the Deceangli in north wales

1 4 30

Richard Osgood @richardosgood.bsky.social · 2d

#inktober2025 8)reckless Those of us of a certain age will vividly remember the lifting of the Mary Rose from the Solent and she now resides in Portsmouth back in 2005 the MOD also recovered the anchor from the vessel during dredging works for the new aircraft carriers. #archaeology #tudor #heritage

sketch of a ship wreck on the left and an empty sea on the right

2 1 27

Richard Osgood @richardosgood.bsky.social · 3d

Quite magnificent. Astonishing

1 1

Richard Osgood @richardosgood.bsky.social · 3d

#inktober2025 7) Starfish. Starfish sites were decoy installations built across the UK in WW2 to confuse bombers. lit at night to replicate failed street blackoutsHow effective they were is open to debate. There is a good one in the Mendips for Bristol & this one at Doncaster. #heritage #archaeology

A sketch of a brick built structure with sloping concrete central opening and lintel. a tree to the left

6 27

Richard Osgood @richardosgood.bsky.social · 3d

Very very envious!

1 1

Richard Osgood @richardosgood.bsky.social · 4d

Already seen!!!! 😂😂

1

Richard Osgood @richardosgood.bsky.social · 4d

#inktober2025 6)pierce. Ok confession: I’m a massive coward. Hate needles. So am full of wonder for my friends that have been pierced for tattoos. Going back to prehistory & the most astonishing Scythian Iron Age tattoos: mythical beasts preserved by permafrost in human skin at Pazyryk. #archaeology

A sketch of mythical beasts on the form of tattoos

6 6 34

Richard Osgood @richardosgood.bsky.social · 4d

So good!!!!

1

Richard Osgood @richardosgood.bsky.social · 5d

Ah what a fabulous thing Dan!

1 1

Richard Osgood @richardosgood.bsky.social · 5d

Hahaha it’s definitely on the bucket list/cauldron list…..! Off there in a fortnight send torc vibes!

1 4

Richard Osgood @richardosgood.bsky.social · 5d

inktober2025 5)Deer. The antlered figure (and a deer) on the interior of the astonishing Iron Age Gundestrup cauldron in the @nationalmuseet.dk Copenhagen. Fingers crossed our team finds something similar at RAF Valley soon! 😂 #archaeology #celtic

A sketch of a man in antlers wearing and holding a torc and holding a serpent. A deer is depicted on the left and a cat like figure in the right

2 7 45

Richard Osgood @richardosgood.bsky.social · 6d

Lots of barrys too! And I note some druids below as well hurrah!!

1

Richard Osgood @richardosgood.bsky.social · 6d

#inktober2025 4)Murky - its AD9 and we are off into the murky depths of the Teutoburg Forest in Germania with the XIX Legion under the control of Varus and with our expert guide Arminius. Quite noisy up ahead…..#kalkriese #archaeology #Roman

A sketch of a clearance on a forest with a human skeleton on an altar (and another nailed to a tree). Roman armour and materiel including a helmet and shield on the floor with the eagle standard of the 19th Legion. The aftermath of the defeat of Varus at Kalkriese…

1 5 23

Richard Osgood @richardosgood.bsky.social · 8d

A good luck!!! I’m back at RAF VALLEY soon and hoping for some la tene art from Llyn Cerrig Bach!

1 3

Richard Osgood @richardosgood.bsky.social · 8d

#inktober2025 3) Crown. The skull of an Iron Age man from Mill Hill, Deal Kent - complete with ‘crown’. Found in 1988 and over 2000 years old, this bronze headdress has La Tène artwork incised on it too…#archaeology

A sketch of a skull wearing a ‘crown’ made from bronze. This is the Iron Age Mill Hill warrior from Deal in Kent

3 10 65

Richard Osgood @richardosgood.bsky.social · 9d

#inktober2025 2)weave . On Danebury projects lots of these Iron Age weaving combs were found. You can’t beat a nice spindle whorl too (integral to weaving process) - this one came from Pembrokeshire & may allear on the next #diggingforbritain - sheep care of @butserancientfarm.co.uk ! #archaeology

A sketch of an Iron Age weaving combs with circular decorations with a spindle whorl in front and back left corner with two Manx sheep in front of a roundhouse

1 23

Richard Osgood @richardosgood.bsky.social · 10d

#inktober2025 1) mustache (sic) I’m not feeling the sketching mojo this year so will just dip in/out. This is the rather splendid Celtic head on the Marlborough bucket in Devizes. Our dig team is returning to Anglesey - will the site yield something similar??? #ironage #celts #inktober #archaeology

A sketch of a male head looking to the right with flowing hair and a moustache. A bronze depiction on the Marlborough bucket in the Wiltshire Museum, Devizes

1 3 20

Richard Osgood @richardosgood.bsky.social · 15d

Today it was my privilege to be present at the burial of Lt James Grant Allan, LCpl Gordon McPherson and 6 unidentified soldiers killed in 1915 at Loos. Superb work by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission and the MOD War Detectives #archaeology #veterans #firstworldwar www.gov.uk/government/n...

4 42

Richard Osgood @richardosgood.bsky.social · 20d

I wonder about buckspool….

1 1

Richard Osgood @richardosgood.bsky.social · Sep 9

Our first bit of gun from the p47 excavation with @cotswoldarch.bsky.social - the top of a .50 cal machine gun. We have found lots of rounds which are safely dealt with by on-site ordnance experts Mark and Rich. Emma alone has found 11!! #archaeology #wellbeing #veterans

A hand holds a rusty square object - the top of a machine gun

A woman in purple t shirt, baseball cap and high vis jacket holds three rounds in her black gloved hands

Three broken bullets in a black gloved hand. High vis jacket behind

2 14

Richard Osgood @richardosgood.bsky.social · Sep 8

Superb display boards on our crash p47 crash site excavation produced by @cotswoldarch.bsky.social explaining the project mission and, most importantly, the young man we are searching for. His name is highlighted on the wall of the missing at Madingley cemetery. #archaeology #wellbeing #veterans

3 12

Richard Osgood @richardosgood.bsky.social · Sep 7

Footprints yesterday paw prints today! Cat prints in the 1916 concrete of the officers mess at Stow Maries aerodrome - in the setting of First World War buildings and incredible old aircraft.

A series of cat paw prints into white concrete

A green biplane with a red white and blue roundel and the letter B with a brown sheet covering the cockpit. An SE5A at Stow Maries aerodrome

A dark green biplane with red white and blue roundel to the left and a machine gun amidst brown vertical struts to the right.

A black biplane with multicoloured patterns on the upper surface of the lower wing and a white and yellow flower (Edelweiss) on the fuselage to the left. This is a German albatross aircraft

11

Richard Osgood @richardosgood.bsky.social · Sep 6

In the footsteps of the Boudiccan revolt at Colchester Castle. There as a supporter of the Iceni!

The tombstone of Roman cavalryman Longinus trampling a cowering Briton. This was knocked over in the Boudiccan revolt with the head knocked of the cavalryman removed- spraying the Briton. The head was found on a dig and reattached. The stone shows a man in armour on a horse on top of a naked man with a beard and spiky hair on a shield

A carbonised circle of material- a Roman bread roll burned in the Boudiccan revolt of AD 60

Two back Roman pots with dogs and hares on them

The vaults of the old Roman temple of Claudius. The last refuge of the veterans and citizens of Colchester before being overwhelmed in the sacking of the city by the forces of Boudicca in AD60. Supposedly nobody survived

5 35

Richard Osgood @richardosgood.bsky.social · Sep 5

And of our week 1 on the p47 dig with @cotswoldarch.bsky.social - part of one of the wheels found just before we visited the wonderful American military cemetery at Madingley to think about our pilot 🇺🇸 🇬🇧 #archaeology #veterans #wellbeing

A hand holding a curved piece of metal with a line of grooves. Part of a p47 fighter plane wheel. A field with hedgerow behind

A statue of a soldier in helmet with grenades and ammunition pouches at Madingley American cemetery

A statue of a soldier in helmet with grenades and ammunition pouches at Madingley American cemetery . Owe A Debt written on the wall behind

American military cemetery carved into a white wall with an eagle with spread wings below it

1 1 14