Todd Braje
@tbraje.bsky.social
400 followers 560 following 8 posts

Executive Director, University of Oregon Museum of Natural and Cultural History; archaeologist; historical ecologist; author Understanding Imperiled Earth; science communicator

Environmental science 40%
Geology 17%
Posts Media Videos Starter Packs

Reposted by Todd J. Braje

uomnch.bsky.social
We've received 20 gifts & unlocked our first challenge gift! Next up: 40 individual gifts for $1000.00.
A person wearing a background University of Oregon cap taking a photo of an archaeological trench. Text overlay is "New Challenge Unlocked A Decade of Ducks Give 5.15.25."

Reposted by Todd J. Braje

uomnch.bsky.social
"The field of archaeology is changing, and if your desire is to attend a field school that will prepare you for real world archaeology, while simultaneously making connections and friendships that will last a lifetime, look no further." #DucksGIve tinyurl.com/yc73v9z2
A picture of two students relaxing in camp chairs. A blazing campfire lights their faces with an orange-red glow. Overlay text reads "Ducks Give Send students to field school. 2025 challenge gifts 20 gifts=$500 unlocked. 40 gifts = $1000 unlocked. 60 gifts = $10000 unlocked."

Reposted by Todd J. Braje

uomnch.bsky.social
This Thursday: #DucksGive. This 24-hr campaign uses challenge gifts to drive @uoregon.bsky.social student success.

Our focus: scholarships to archaeological field school. Many of you field school is not only critical for your career, it's EXPENSIVE. Let's make it more accessible; stay tuned. 🏺
In a trench filled with sandbags, two young University of Oregon students use shovels, brushes, and dustpans to do archaeology things. A white overlay reads "A decade of Ducks Give 5.15.25."

tbraje.bsky.social
For our museum, the communities that have the most to lose with these cuts are the rural communities throughout OR. IMLS funding helps us bring our education team and outreach to places far afield from Eugene. We all lose with these cuts, but some more than others...

www.npr.org/2025/03/31/n...
Entire staff at federal agency that funds libraries and museums put on leave
The staff of the Institute of Museum and Library Services was placed on administrative leave Monday morning, following a meeting between IMLS leadership and DOGE staff.
www.npr.org

tbraje.bsky.social
And now we fiddle

georebekah.bsky.social
ABC, NBC & CBS dedicated about 16 minutes of airtime last night to the California wildfires without once mentioning climate change.

Since the news failed do it's job, here's a short summary of the role of climate change and wildfire risk:

www.noaa.gov/noaa-wildfir...
Wildfire climate connection
Climate change, including increased heat, extended drought, and a thirsty atmosphere, has been a key driver in increasing the risk and extent of wildfires in the western United States during the last ...
www.noaa.gov

Reposted by Todd J. Braje

alisonfisk.bsky.social
Something lovely for the weekend!

Marvellous clay pots with octopus decoration made by artisans from Bronze Age Crete about 3,500 years ago! 🐙❤️

Heraklion Archaeological Museum. 📷 by me

#Archaeology
Clay vessels, creamy yellow in colour, with black hand painted decoration.

Top left - Minoan Marine Style pithoid jar with many handles decorated in the Minoan Marine Style, with octopuses, tritons, rocks, and coral. Height 55 cm. From Zakros. 1500-1450 BC.

Top right - flask decorated in Minoan ‘Marine Style’’ with an octopus with tentacles writhing around the body of the vase. Additional motifs indicate the seabed. Height 27cm. From Palaikastro, 1500-1450 BC

Bottom left - jar decorated in marine style with an octopus among rocks. From Knossos Little Palace, 1450-1370 BC

Bottom right - krater decorated with a stylized octopus, 1370-1300 BC.

Reposted by Todd J. Braje

uomnch.bsky.social
This is a mola, bought in the San Blas Islands in Panama in 1973 in the tourist trade.
Molas are made through reverse appliqué and appliqué! Layers of cloth are sewn loosely together and the the design is cut through the top layer(s).

Reposted by Todd J. Braje

uomnch.bsky.social
Another cat gem from the Jensen Artic Collection: this yo-yo (Inpuiaq: igruuraak) made for the tourist trade by an Inuit artist. #indigenousart
Two sitting cat silhouettes covered in white and brown fur. The eyes are red beads and the nose is a small black bead. They are tied together with a blue string coiled behind them.

Reposted by Todd J. Braje

uomnch.bsky.social
😻This mola is a child's blouse, bought in Panama. "Mola" is a Kuna word with several meanings, but often referring to a brightly colored upper garment. This style of garment developed from an earlier tradition of body painting.😻
A blouse made up of dark blue fabric. The sleeves have pink ribbon cuffs and the majority of the torso of the blouse is covered in bright red, orange, and green striped fabric that makes up the shape of two adorable cats.

Reposted by Todd J. Braje

uomnch.bsky.social
This #FossilFriday is the oldest fossil on display in the museum. It's a mosasaur jaw originally collected in Niobrara, Kansas and is about 100 million years old.

Those impressive teeth were used to hunt sharks, shellfish, and mollusks. #paleosky #paleontology 🧪
A six inch long chuck of sandy beige rock. A darker brown bone is visible running a long the bottom of it, with 8 1/2 beautifully preserved dark brown teeth protruding up like the teeth of a hair comb.

Reposted by Todd J. Braje

uomnch.bsky.social
American Archaeology published a wonderful look into our field schools and how they contribute to Great Basin archaeology and changing the scientific understanding of people in North America. The article includes THREE GENERATIONS of University of Oregon students! 🏺🧪https://shorturl.at/O4Zj5
A group of students and faculty holding up flags from the Unversity of Oregon and University of Nevada. They are in front of huge rock faces.