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Simon Trafford

@simonjptrafford.bsky.social

1.4K followers 750 following 140 posts

Early medievalist at IHR, Univ. of London, with a current research focus on water and human immersions. Also ethnicity, identity, migration and modern medievalisms. Regrettably likely to propose a lovely long walk given half a chance.

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Simon Trafford @simonjptrafford.bsky.social · 17d

I've spoken to the events team and I gather that the need for provision of instructions is recognised and in hand: there have been a few issues arising that have delayed it, but instructions should be there soon.

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Simon Trafford @simonjptrafford.bsky.social · 17d

The email only goes to the named principal convenor for each seminar, but any convenor can attend, I think, and it's online as well as in the building. I'll forward you the email w the link.

Simon Trafford @simonjptrafford.bsky.social · 17d

I think it would probably be worth mentioning it at the Convenors' Meeting, and I'm happy to do that. I suspect that the tech people will say that an auto-update is a difficult contingency to proof against, but given the havoc it wreaks mid-paper, it'd be good at least to think about it.

Simon Trafford @simonjptrafford.bsky.social · 17d

Yeah, good point. It's the seminar convenors' meeting on the 22nd, and that would be a good thing to propose there. I'm happy to do it, or back you up or whatever.

Simon Trafford @simonjptrafford.bsky.social · 17d

Sorry on behalf of my institution! Do report it, please: it isn't niggling and it's important to have this logged so the Institute can do something about it.

Simon Trafford @simonjptrafford.bsky.social · 17d

Really sorry to hear it. Which room were you in? 304? The Medievalism seminar were in 301 and our laptop was taking minutes to perform the simplest possible tasks. We started 20 mins late because it was so hard to get the speaker's ppt working properly.

Simon Trafford @simonjptrafford.bsky.social · 26d

I have a copy from when it was a kickstarter! Also, embarrassingly, I think I have three different versions of Britannia. But then it's arguably the board game of my PhD thesis. en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Britann...

Britannia (board game) - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org

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Simon Trafford @simonjptrafford.bsky.social · 28d

Just back from a little holiday in unwontedly sunny Pembrokeshire. Pentre Ifan looking so perfect here that even the inadequacies of my cheap phone camera don't detract!

A view of Pentre Ifan neolithic chambered tomb in Pembrokeshire on a sunny day. A colossal capstone is balanced on the very points of a set of upright stones. The grass all around is very green.

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Simon Trafford @simonjptrafford.bsky.social · Sep 19

Peter Brown.

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Simon Trafford @simonjptrafford.bsky.social · Sep 19

Knowledge Commons - formerly Humanities Commons - seems to be all right.

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Simon Trafford @simonjptrafford.bsky.social · Sep 19

Well, it was a bit of an odd premise, really. But perhaps it seemed more relevant to DC Thomson up in Dundee. Or perhaps it was used because other, more real, conflicts might have been a bit *too* real.

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Simon Trafford @simonjptrafford.bsky.social · Sep 19

Dandy rather than Beano, but in 1970s suburban Surrey I remember accepting straight up that there were fundamentally antagonistic people called 'Jocks' and 'Geordies' and laughing along at their battles. Only some time later did I go and ask my parents what on earth they both were.

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Simon Trafford @simonjptrafford.bsky.social · Sep 17

It's such an interesting little nugget, isn't it?!

Simon Trafford @simonjptrafford.bsky.social · Sep 17

And these lying beneath... londonist.com/2015/04/the-...

The Field Of Forty Footsteps

Bloomsbury's ghostly footprints.

londonist.com

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Reposted by Simon Trafford

Sam Ottewill-Soulsby @samottewillsoulsby.bsky.social · Sep 15

A fabulous looking new book from Tonicha Upham exploring all the Arabic and Persian evidence on Rus burials and sacrifices, complete with translations! #medievalsky #vikings

www.cambridge.org/core/element...

Death Rituals

Cambridge Core - Global History - Death Rituals

www.cambridge.org

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Simon Trafford @simonjptrafford.bsky.social · Sep 12

Oh, it is so astonishing! I'm so happy for you seeing it!

Simon Trafford @simonjptrafford.bsky.social · Sep 9

Two instances of Outlook and then 'axolotl' is within your grasp, you know.

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Reposted by Simon Trafford

Jane Kershaw @jk-viking.bsky.social · Aug 20

A piece in The Conversation, contextualising our results from the Bedale hoard

theconversation.com/vikings-were...

@unioxarchaeology.bsky.social @yorkmuseumstrust.bsky.social @bgs.ac.uk

Vikings were captivated by silver – our new analysis of their precious loot reveals how far they travelled to get it

New analysis of silver items in the Bedale hoard reveals Scandinavians travelled to the east to trade much earlier than previously thought.

theconversation.com

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Reposted by Simon Trafford

Andrew Curry @spoke32.bsky.social · Aug 13

Anglo-Saxons with West African roots: DNA analysis of 7th century burials reported in @antiquity.ac.uk today reveals long-distance connections reached across continents and cultures. Read about it @science.org:

Youths buried in Anglo-Saxon cemeteries carried West African DNA

Despite bearing remarkably far-flung genetic origins, a girl and young man were buried just like their peers

www.science.org

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Simon Trafford @simonjptrafford.bsky.social · Aug 5

If one wanted to be paranoid about it, one might think that a funding model that is punitive towards those subjects -A&H- that furnish the best skills and knowledge for critiquing govt policy was feature not bug, but in this case I think that suggests way more foresight and cunning than is due.

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Simon Trafford @simonjptrafford.bsky.social · Aug 4

Her little snores are the best thing.

Simon Trafford @simonjptrafford.bsky.social · Aug 3

No weregild, of course. I was only a ceorl and I stole from someone. Brought it all on myself really, and i hope I mulled that carefully as my life ebbed and all faded to black.

Simon Trafford @simonjptrafford.bsky.social · Aug 3

This is fantastic!

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Simon Trafford @simonjptrafford.bsky.social · Jul 31

This agglomeration of skills and expertise will surely put you high on the list of good people to have around in the event of a world-endong apocalypse. Although this sounds like the starting premise of a black comedy.

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Simon Trafford @simonjptrafford.bsky.social · Jul 28

Hahaha, that is so very him! I have taken to keeping my external SSD on top of the off switch on my PC because S us so very keen on standing on it.

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